Author: pastortravislv

I am a husband, and father of three, serving as pastor at Providence Reformed Church in Las Vegas, NV. We came here on July 1, 2015.

Does Fear Mean Fear? (Proverbs 1:7)

pastortravislv

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
.

How often we do everything we can as Christians to deny the truth of Proverbs 1:7. Now, of course, we conservative, Bible-believing Baptists would never out-and-out deny that this verse is true. The problem is, we deny that the word fear has any meaning akin to the word fear—as in to be afraid, frightened, terrified, etc. Instead, we tell one another that the word means a healthy respect for and reverence for something or someone.

Let me challenge this notion, however, with one simple thought: we would live better if fear meant fear. I’m not trying to deny the fact that perfect love drives out fear as John tells us (1 John 4:18). Nor am I trying to argue that Christians ought to live as though we fear God’s punishment, since our punishment has been fully carried out upon Christ. I’m also not saying that we should fear that God would somehow treat us differently than his word promises. IF one is in Christ, there is no longer any fear of facing God’s wrath.

But, is there not something in the middle ground between the two extremes of what fear must mean? Is there not something that is a little more akin to the right fear that God is due that is at the same time stronger than a simple respect for him? Perhaps I’m just splitting hairs here. Perhaps this is all semantics. But there has to be something more, something stronger than what we live with in common Christian circles that still does not deny that we are totally free and totally forgiven in Christ.

Let me say it this way: If we understand fear, we will live differently. Even if that fear is not the same as fear of punishment, fear of God will lead a person to live differently. No Christian who is living with a proper fear of God will live in bold and willful sin. No Christian will shrug off his or her ungodly behavior as though it is no big deal before the Lord. No Christian will live a life that lacks reverence, propriety, holiness, awe, respectfulness, wholesome speech, high standards, etc. who at the same time lives with a proper fear of God.

How should this come out in my life? I’m still working on it. But I know that it must come out differently than a simplistic shrugging away the concept of fear as something that must not apply to me. Even if I live in confidence that the Lord has truly and totally forgiven me in Christ, I must also live a life that looks as though I both love and fear my God. While love drives away the fear of punishment, it must not drive away the fear of offending my Lord.

Repentance: Breaking Sin’s Cycle (Luke 11:24-26)

pastortravislv12 Comments

Luke 11:24-26 – 24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
.

Have you ever had difficulty repenting? Likely you have, but only if you’re human. We all have trouble turning away from sin and not finding ourselves eventually sliding back into the old sinful patterns of thought or behavior. In fact, one of the most discouraging things that can happen to a Christian in his or her life is for him or her to boldly “repent” of a sin one day, and then to fail and restart the pattern again the next.

I believe that, in the passage above, Jesus gives us a hint as to how to defeat the cycle of sin, confess, sin again. While the most obvious context of the passage may have to do with false Jewish exorcists who pretended driving out demons from people, thus leading those people to worse conditions than they had previously experienced, , I believe that there is more in the pattern that Jesus describes. But first, let me make this disclaimer: Your sin is not the result of the work of demons. Your sin is not the result of your body chemistry. Your sin, and mine, is the result of our hearts’ darkness. While anything may contribute to what we do, we hold ultimate responsibility for our thoughts and actions.

So, here’s the pattern. You find a sin in your life. It is ugly, and you hate it. You are sad about it. You hurt because of it. So, you reject that pattern. You turn away. You strive to take off the sin like a filthy garment (cf. Colossians 3:5-9). And, for a while it works. For a while you feel good. For a while, you stand strong. Maybe it’s a day. Maybe it’s a month. Maybe it’s several months. For a while, you feel good.

Then it happens. Something, who knows what, recharges your sinful desire. You look up and find yourself back in the place you were just a few days, weeks, or months before. You thought you had repented. You tried with all your heart. Yet, when you examine yourself now, you are back in the sin you tried to put off. In fact, you might even be in it more deeply.

What happened? What did you miss? What did you fail to do? In a word, you failed to “replace” your sin.

To biblically understand repentance, you must grasp three major concepts. Repentance includes thinking, feeling, and turning. One part of repentance includes to recognize your sin as sin, to understand that it is truly wicked. Another part of repentance is to feel sorrow, godly sorrow, for your sin (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). And, the most common definition of repentance is to turn from your sin, putting off the old evil practices.

Where we most often fail is in the turning. Why? We forget that to turn from sin should necessarily involve a turning to something. When you turn from a sin, you must turn to righteousness. When you take off a sin like a filthy garment, you must put on righteousness like clothes (cf. Colossians 3:10-ff); otherwise you find yourself naked and vulnerable to attack. Or, to use Jesus’ imagery from Luke 11, you clean the house, but do not fill it. You allow it to be re-occupied by the evil that you drove out because you have not filled the house with a righteous alternative.

When I counsel church members on repenting of sin, I use a three word definition that often is helpful. If we are to repent, we must recognize, reject, and replace our sin. We must recognize our sin for what it is. We must reject our sin, feeling a disgust for it and what it stands for, which naturally leads to putting off that sin. But, and do not forget this, we also must replace our sin, putting on righteousness where there was previously sinfulness.

Let me give one example. Let’s say that a person is struggling with the sin of gossip. He is talking too much, too negatively, too destructively about too many people in the church. What should he do? Well, he will not repent until he first sees what he is doing is a breaking of God’s commands. Second, he must feel true conviction, true heart-sickness over what he has done to the glory of God and the church. Then he must willingly confess and turn away from this practice. But, and here is the major problem, he also must put on righteous practices. He must learn to speak with righteousness. HE must learn to speak good of people, not simply trying to avoid speaking evil. Otherwise, the vacuum will be refilled by his heart’s sinful desire to gossip. (there will be other issues he needs to cover, e.g. the pride of his heart that leads him to gossip, but this is a basic sketch of how he must begin to repent of a sin if gossip were the problem.)

So, don’t sweep a house and leave it empty. Don’t think you can just stop evil and that be enough. The key to true repentance is to also replace what is evil with what is righteous. Learn to recognize, reject, and replace your sin, and you will find victory over the pattern of sin and falling. No, I’m not guaranteeing an easy road with no bumps or failures along the way. I am, however, hoping that you and I will at least have a more biblical approach to turning from our sin, with God’s help, for God’s glory.

A Rare Note on Eschatology (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2)

pastortravislv2 Comments

1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2 – 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 – 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
.

You will not often find me writing little pieces on eschatology (the study of end times), as I find this to be a very interesting yet difficult topic. Far too many Christians are separated from one another over projected timelines of coming future events. However, as this passage was in the daily reading for me today, I thought it acceptable to make a few observations that might cause us to think a little about this topic. I would ask, however, for us all to remember the love and kindness that is appropriate for Christians as they think through difficult doctrinal issues. This is a topic about which many disagree, and god would demand that we do so charitably.

Paul, in his writing and giving comfort to the Thessalonians, offers them comfort with teaching about the last days. At the end of 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul describes the event that we often refer to as the “rapture.” Rapture is a Latin word meaning to be snatched up or caught up, and it is used to describe the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Within two verses of Paul’s description of the rapture, he tells the Thessalonians that they know that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

The simplest reading of this text would make us believe that the events of 4:16-17 and “the Day of the Lord” (5:2) are linked, one and the same. And it is for this reason, besides others, that I am not one who holds to the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture—the belief that seven years of tribulation will separate the events of 4:16-17 and 5:2. A study of the concept of “The Day of the Lord” leads us to understand that this very special, unique day, comes at the end of the age. The Day of the Lord is the day when God will show himself holy, when he will reap his vengeance on the ungodly, and where he will forever change the world. It is this Day that will come like a thief in the night—terminology that Christians often employ to describe the rapture. And, make no mistake about it, if the Day of the Lord and the Rapture are connected, the same day, then a pre-tribulation rapture position cannot be valid.

Also, from the 2 Thessalonians 2 passage, the same language is used by Paul in a letter written only weeks after 1 Thessalonians with the intent to comfort the people by telling them they have not missed anything. The “Day of the Lord” has not yet come. When will the Day of the Lord come? It will come after the man of lawlessness is revealed (which I understand to be a reference to the rise of antichrist). The man of lawlessness is not revealed in a seven year tribulation until the mid-point of that tribulation. Thus, the Day of the Lord cannot come until after that occurs. And, if 1 Thessalonians is clear (which I think it is), the Day of the Lord is also the day of the rapture. Therefore, we have just one more evidence for a rapture that does occur, but not at the beginning of a 7 year period of tribulation.

Is my position unique, a new teaching? Not at all. This is a view known as historic pre-millennialism. Simply put, this view, which has been taught for centuries in the church (longer than a pre-tribulation rapture, by the way), expects a seven year period of intense tribulation at the end of the age to be followed by a rapture and the triumphant return of Jesus on the awesome Day of the Lord. I believe it to be more in keeping with the predictions of scripture in their contexts. I also believe it to require many fewer logical leaps than a pre-tribulation rapture position.

Now, let me also say that I am certainly aware that I might be mistaken. Men and women are notorious for misinterpreting God’s prophecy. I know many wise and godly men who hold to a pre-tribulation view (John MacArthur among them). However, I also know many wise and godly men who hold to the view I am espousing (Albert Mohler among them). So, I would expect that we hold to our views here gently, with grace and kindness. This is a topic for friendly discussion, not church-wide division. So long as a person understands that the bible points to a literal, bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth in glory to judge the nations at the end of the age, it is not crucial that the same person have all their timelines correct regarding the rapture.

Spotting a False Teacher

pastortravislv

I came across the following while studying for a message on 2 Peter 2:

Three main features have always characterized the ministry style of false teachers. First, they are authoritarian (Jer. 5:31), invariably ruling over their churches in a domineering fashion (cf. 3 John 9–10), and strongly denouncing any who question their authority. To make matters worse, they almost always lack formal training or reputable ordination, operating beyond any legitimate biblical or theological accountability.

Second, false teachers minister in a man-centered way (Jer. 23:16, 26; Ezek. 13:2), pandering to what they think people want to hear and accept (cf. Isa. 30:10; 2 Tim. 4:3–4). As a result, they preach their own visions (Lam. 2:14; Ezek. 13:9; Zech. 10:2; Col. 2:18) of health, wealth, prosperity, and false peace (Jer. 6:14; 23:17; Ezek. 13:10, 16). The true teacher emphasizes God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, and the desperate condition that results. But false teachers prefer messages of their own making—syrupy deceptions that appeal to the carnal appetites of their listeners.

Third, they treat the historic, Scripture-based doctrines of the church with contempt (cf. Jer. 6:16). Instead of proclaiming biblical orthodoxy, they promote their own self-styled novelties, methods, and doctrines. They purposefully distance themselves from the past, arrogantly endorsing some new-fangled approach to ministry, and often claiming private revelation from God in its defense.

John MacArthur, 2 Peter and Jude, Includes Index. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 103.

John Piper, Baptism, and Church Membership

pastortravislv

I love John Piper. His ministry is one that truly encourages me, challenges me, and calls me to a greater love of God and his glory. Piper is older than me, wiser than me, brighter than me, and better than me at just about anything I can think of related to ministry (I may have him beat on knowledge of sports).

Because I have such a deep love and respect for Piper, I find it difficult to write a post in which I voice my disagreement with something that he teaches. Let me say that this disagreement is not something that comes from an arrogant heart or out of a lack of love for Piper and his ministry. However, since I do recommend John Piper and his resources at www.desiringgod.org to people regularly, it is also important for me to make clear when I find something I consider to be inappropriate in the teaching to be found there.

In his July 13, 2008 message (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/70_Baptism_and_Church_Membership/), John Piper began a series explaining his position on the issue of church membership and believer’s baptism. As many of you may or may not know, Piper was the center of a blogosphere storm when he made public his belief that it may not be necessary for a person to be baptized as a believer in order for them to be accepted as a member at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. You can search the site to find all of his statements regarding this issue, including his July 13 sermon entitled “How Important Is Church Membership.” And, let me also say that much of that sermon is very helpful, especially Piper’s 5 strands of biblical evidence for church membership.

My concern is that Piper is about to again make an argument that goes something like this:

All who are believers in Christ are part of the church universal.

Baptism as a believer is not required to be a member of the church universal.

Membership in a local church should not be more restrictive than membership in the church universal.

Therefore, believer’s Baptism ought not necessarily be required for membership in a local church.

Let me also add that Piper’s goal here is not to do away with the teaching of believer’s baptism. He believes, biblically so, that the only valid baptism that the church should recognize is the immersion in water of a believer in Jesus Christ as an act of obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ to declare one’s commitment to Jesus Christ. Or, as Piper said himself:

“We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord by which those who have repented and come to faith express their union with Christ in His death and resurrection, by being immersed in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a sign of belonging to the new people of God, the true Israel, and an emblem of burial and cleansing, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.. . That is what we believe the Bible teaches. That is the main reason we are called Baptists. We only baptize professing believers.”

So, my struggle with Piper’s argument is not a belief that he is rejecting believer’s baptism. My struggle is with his logic when it is applied to those who have not been baptized as believers. Piper believes that, to exclude from membership a believing person who has not been biblically baptized but who thinks he or she has been biblically baptized is inappropriate, more serious an offense than the person’s lack of biblical baptism.

Perhaps you are wondering why this matters. It is because the issues at stake are real ones. In many instances, a local Baptist church may have a person come to them desiring membership. We believe that membership is a very good thing, and affirm their desire to unite with us. However, this person was “baptized” as an infant (perhaps in a Methodist or Presbyterian context). And, though the leadership of the church attempts to convince this believer in Christ that they have not truly been baptized since they were not baptized as a believer, the person is still unconvinced. Should the church then not allow him or her to join since they are not attempting to be rebellious but honestly believe that they are following Jesus? Piper is arguing that such a person be accepted into membership. I disagree.

Why would I disagree with Piper’s logic?

I’ll do my best, in brief, to list a few reasons why I disagree with what Piper is presenting to his congregation:

Piper’s sermon asked the question, “How Important is Church Membership?” This is a fine question; but let me ask a similar few: How important is baptism? How important is obedience? And, is unintentionally failing to obey not disobedience?

As a Baptist, I believe baptism to be of high importance (not to save you, but as an act of obedience). Men in times past have been persecuted, tortured, put to death struggling for the doctrine of a believer’s only baptism. This was to preserve the biblical concept of a regenerate church membership. Our forefathers understood that baptism had a direct connection to acceptance into the local body. They also understood that, to fail to require believer’s baptism was to fail to uphold biblical standards of church membership.

Is baptism really that important? It is, without question, a church ordinance. This means that it was ordained, commanded, by Jesus. It was set apart as something special he called his followers to do (MT. 28:18-20). Jesus’ command and his language was crystal clear. He was calling for us to make disciples, and part of that disciple-making included baptizing those who profess faith in Christ. Baptism is, simply by placement in the Great Commission, as important as teaching obedience. And, the fact is, there is no concept in the New Testament of a person being welcomed into the church who had not already submitted himself or herself to the command of Jesus to be baptized.

Under no circumstances would we, if we are doing our jobs as pastors, allow a Christian to continue in disobedience to Christ while under our pastoral care. Galatians 6:1 enjoins us to restore a brother or sister in sin. Christ himself calls us to progressively and systematically confront disobedient fellow believers in Matthew 18:15-ff. And, yes, the final step of Christ’s command in Matthew 18 is to remove from fellowship any believer who refuses to turn from his disobedience.

Whether you realize it or not, we’ve answered my first two questions. Baptism is important. Disobedience is serious. Now, is unintentional disobedience still disobedience? Certainly. It may not be disobedience out of evil intent; but still to fail to obey is to fail to obey. And even if I am not convinced by a brother or sister in Christ that I ought to obey a command, if it is a legitimate command of the scriptures that I refuse to obey, I am in sin. My intent may help my sin to be less presumptuous, but my failure to obey is still a failure to honor God.

So, is believer’s baptism a command? I believe it is. Therefore, as a pastor, I am convinced at present that it would be improper for me to admit a non-baptized believer to church membership. It would certainly be a shame to admit them to membership, and then immediately begin the process of confronting them with their need to obey this command. What must follow if they refuse to obey the command to be baptized but church discipline which could end in their removal from the fellowship?

Piper argues that to forbid church membership to a person is tantamount to calling them a non-Christian. I completely disagree. There are many people who I understand to be believers, but I could not comfortably be a member of their local churches. This is not to say that I do not love them or think them in Christ. However, there are issues of doctrine that must separate us until they are resolved. I will not, for the sake of political correctness or a falsely constructed ecumenical unity pretend that doctrinal issues cannot (or even should not) divide well-meaning and thoroughly-convinced Christians. I would here recommend Albert Mohler’s article on issues of theological triage at http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2004-05-20. Unless we believe baptism to be a question of conscience instead of a command of Christ, we must make it an issue of church membership.

Let me make one other simple observation. Local Churches have always had requirements for membership, and those are often more narrow than simply being part of the church universal. We require membership classes. We sometimes require a person to publicly share their testimony, agree to abide by a code of conduct, or to teach in accord with our statement of faith. None of those are required for salvation, but is a church out of line to set such entrance requirements? I think not.

A Final Disclaimer

I recognize that this post could be read by someone who is not Baptist by persuasion or doctrine. I pray that you will grant me grace in what you have read, as I understand that it may sound quite harsh. I wrote here to address a particular issue from a Baptist perspective; and part of a Baptist perspective is a belief that the only true baptism is that of someone who has professed genuine faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. I am not attempting to sound in any way superior to any other individual or group. However, I believe this doctrine to be taught by God in scripture, and thus must believe that the Baptist view here is correct. In believing my position to be correct, by default I must also believe a contrary position to be incorrect. This is not to say that I do not love and respect those with whom I disagree; but, in order to have integrity, I must disagree.

A Father’s Influence (1 Chronicles 22:11-13)

pastortravislv

1 Chronicles 22:11-13 – 11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.

1 Kings 3:5-10 – 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
.

When people think of the story of young King Solomon, they often think of the popular passage above found in 1 Kings 3. We beam when telling our children of the young man’s asking God to give him wisdom and discernment instead of asking riches, wealth, fame, or fortune. Indeed, we should affirm that Solomon’s request was a very good one, as it pleased God (1 Kings 3:10). However, there is a work that was done behind the scenes that I have personally never seen exposed.

Tucked away in 1 Chronicles 22 is a bit of father/son time that David and Solomon shared. Many of us understand that David knew that Solomon would build the temple, and that David took great pains to gather all the necessary materials for his young son. But do we also remember the piece of advice that David gave his son in 1 Chronicles 22:12? Right there, before David’s death and before the event recorded in 1 Kings 3:5-ff, Solomon’s dad pointed Solomon’s mind toward the wisdom and discernment that his son would later ask of the Lord.

Dads, how are you influencing your sons? Are you spending the kind of time that you should with them? Are you opening God’s word to them. Are you working to direct their desires toward righteousness and the blessing of God? Are you pointing them toward wisdom instead of worldliness? Are you leading them into godliness?

The simple truth, when we study Solomon’s life, is that he did a few things right and several things wrong. When we study Solomon, we see that he was good in his doing of justice after David’s death, his seeking God’s wisdom, and his building of the temple. And, if we are willing to look, all three of those things happen because of the leadership of his father.

Dad’s, this concept should get your attention. No, you cannot guarantee that your sons and daughters will grow up to honor God with their whole lives; but you must, absolutely must, fulfill your God-given role in order to help them along the way. Teach your children, lead them in worship, guide them toward the Lord. To fail in this duty is a failure too great to imagine.

Is God Building the House? (Psalm 127:1-2)

pastortravislv

Psalm 127:1-2

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
.

When I think of Psalm 127, I think of the last 3 verses about children being a blessing from God. However, there is more here, and it is challenging, especially so for those in ministry.

The Lord reminds us through the poetry of Solomon that, unless God builds the house, the builders do useless work. Unless God does the work, it simply does not matter how much effort we put into the project.

Now, let’s think ministry. How do you grow your church? How do you help someone come to Jesus? How do you bring students into your student ministry? If you read much of the material that is out there today, the answer involves steps of you putting in the blood and sweat needed to draw people in. You have to have a slick presentation, a comfortable environment, and a clever ad. Or, perhaps you will draw them in by ditching all the gimmicks and just “being real” (the newest of gimmicks). Perhaps you should show them that you are just like them, dressing like them, talking like them, and publicly declaring your love of “The Office” or “Lost.” Certainly you need to make your music high-quality and relevant, don’t you?

Here’s the problem: we have a dramatic temptation to try to come up with a way to grow the church that does not require the Holy Spirit. We want to be able to say the right thing, sing the right way, or put together the right kind of program that will just bring people in. We acknowledge that we need the power of God to really see the church grow, and then we go about trying to grow the church without him. We, by our actions, tell God that we will come up with the methods and the effort, then, when we submit the package, we want him to give it that little extra something that will make it work.

Folks, when we try to grow the church or bring our lost friends to Christ through our own power and cleverness, we will fail. We will fail. And, if somehow they come to Christ, it is not because of our methods or hard work; it is because and only because God chose to do his work (perhaps even in spite of our worldly thinking).

So, what am I saying? Am I saying that we need not work or strive to accomplish the will of God? God forbid! God calls us to work hard in his service. He calls us to give our all to his glory. He calls us to show love for others, and that takes effort. But he also tells us that, if he does not accomplish the work, the work is not accomplished.

So, how do you grow a church. You cry out to God and yield to him completely and totally. Sure you love others by trying to make the music something that will both touch their emotions and lead them to worship the Lord in a way that is consistent with his word. Sure you try to do everything you can do to invite others to come to know Jesus. But you do not ever think that you, through your effort, will somehow be the one who accomplishes God’s plan. Only God building the house will make it stand. Only God doing the work will make the work not in vain.

So, is this discouraging? If you are killing yourself to accomplish the building of your own kingdom with your own effort it most certainly will be discouraging. But, if you truly understand the frustration of trying to build God’s church without God’s Spirit, perhaps you will find it encouraging that God tells you to trust him, work hard, and get some sleep. HE does the work. He builds the house. He give sleep to his beloved. Actually trust God and do things his way. It’s not your job to come up with a gimmick; it’s your job to be God’s tool in his hand to be a part of him building the house.

Jesus: the Firstborn? (Colossians 1:15)

pastortravislv

Colossians 1:15 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Since Colossians 1:15 was a part of my daily reading for today, I thought I’d put out a brief answer to a question I once had raised to me. A Jehovah’s Witness at my door once tried to tell me that this verse indicated that Jesus is not the eternal God, but rather a creation of that God. Were Jesus eternal, the JW argued, he would not be called God’s firstborn.

In case you’ve ever had this argument raised, let me offer you one simple response. In the Bible, the term firstborn can indicate two things. On the one hand, it can indicate the first child that was physically born into a family. If this is the sense of Colossians 1:15, the JW is right and we are in real trouble. However, there is another sense that the term firstborn is used. Also in the Bible, the term is used to indicate rank. The firstborn in a family was given the highest rank among all the siblings. If this is the sense that it is used, than Jesus, though fully man, is not required to be a creation of God. Instead, Jesus is simply said to outrank all humanity, even though he shares in their humanity as fully God and Fully man.

Psalm 89:27

And I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.

This verse helps us to see that God, in making promises about David and David’s descendant, the Messiah, will “make him” the firstborn. This is to say that God will take a person and give them a rank of firstborn even though they may not physically fulfill the requirements to be thought of as firstborn. So, we know that God already uses such terminology before the time of Jesus. And, it is highly likely that Paul is using this terminology to refer to Jesus in Colossians 1:15.

So, does Colossians 1:15 indicate that Jesus is a creation of God? Absolutely not. Instead, this verse only indicates that Jesus stands in the position of highest ranking person. And since we know Jesus to be the God who became flesh (John 1:1, 14), it makes perfect sense that he would be thought of as firstborn even though he is eternal, uncreated, totally God.

Can We Learn From Jabez? (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

pastortravislv1 Comment

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 – 9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
.

In Christian pop culture, these obscure verses are obscure no longer. I think any believer who has entered a “Christian” bookstore over the past several years has likely got a pretty good idea of who Jabez is. Besides, even if you don’t actually know the man, you have certainly been bombarded by the mountain of Jabez products, books, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and who knows what else.

Now, let me say at the beginning that I have a multitude of problems with the Jabez book. I believe that the author did not intend any of these problems, and am certainly not attempting to malign his heart. Without trying to be nasty in any way, I fear that the book denies God’s sovereignty when it declares that God has a storehouse of blessings that he desperately wants to give us but cannot because of our failure to ask him for them. I believe the book also can lead people to a sort of superstitious faith, relying on a sacred chant or secret knowledge to guarantee the cooperation of its deity (not unlike the pagan fertility cults that surrounded Israel at the time of Jabez).

Putting all that aside, I do believe that there is something that we can glean from these verses and from the Jabez book, though I truly do not recommend it. When we read these verses, we do see that a man asked God to bless him, and God did. How often do you find yourself “wishing” that God would do something about your life circumstances and yet not actually asking him to act? How often do you ask for God to bless your friends and family while not asking for his blessing on your own life? One thing in the Jabez book is very much true: We, for some reason, have a blind spot in our prayer lives when in comes to simply asking God to do good in and through us.

In case you are immediately reacting to the last paragraph by saying that God could not want me to pray his blessing on myself, remember that God is a wonderful, loving, and sovereign God. He does what he does for the sake of his name and his glory. If you keep this concept in mind, you will have to ask for his blessing in the light of a desire that his name be glorified. John Piper, in the wonderful little book The Dangerous Duty of Delight, reminds us that it is our duty to seek our joy in God’s glory. If Piper is correct, then asking God to bless us, pour out is spiritual life and goodness on us, for the sake of giving us joy in his glory is not only an acceptable prayer, it is truly our responsibility.

So, if you haven’t read the Jabez book, I wouldn’t recommend it. if you are a Jabez fan, I’d encourage you to be sure that you do not look at the verses above as some sort of spiritual secret formula to force God’s hand (yes, I know the author does not say that). Instead, live a life focused on God and his glory. Find your joy in him. And do not neglect to ask God for his blessings, for his glory, to be seen in your very own life. Jabez is one evidence that men have asked for God’s blessing and God has granted their request. If we leave Jabez there and turn to God for the rest, we are in good hands.

Super Summer Highlights

pastortravislv

Super Summer is an intensive discipleship training week that happens every year in Illinois. I was privileged to be a part this year, teaching about 15 times if I add everything together correctly. Here are some of my own personal highlights. No, I don’t expect these all to be meaningful to all who read it. But, if you are a Super Summer person, you might find these worthwhile.

Spiritually Significant

Super Summer 2008 had some major elements to it that I found tremendously encouraging. First, there was a constant reminder of the profoundly simple truth of the gospel. In session after session, I heard students challenged to remember the glory of God, the ugliness of sin, and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I know that in our blue school (soon to be ninth graders), the gospel was central in many sessions.

Also, the entire week was saturated with a love of the scriptures. Time and time again, the staff held high the glory and perfection of the word of God for students. Phil Nelson particularly challenged students to love the perfect word of God in his message on Psalm 19. And, though this is not generally common in “youth” events, the students regularly sat under and thrived in expository (verse by verse) Bible teaching.

Mark Warnock did an excellent job wrapping up the week for students. He reminded them of their identity in Christ, including a great picture of God’s grace. He also taught them that the Christian life is not always a mountain top experience. Students will still struggle when they get home. Students will fail when they get home. Super Summer highs will wear off. What must remain is the truth of who and whose we are in Christ.

Students were constantly challenged to get out of their comfort zones, to do hard things, and to be missionaries. It was beautiful to see students grasp the fact that, if you are a Christian, you are called to be a missionary. Such service is not optional, it is expected.

And, though I could go on forever, the worship team was simply outstanding. This group of guys put their whole hearts into leading worship. They did not act the part of the big-time rock band, because they’re not. They are a group of young men who are growing in Christ and playing loud music to help others follow them in glorifying God.

Ten Funnies

Laughs are a big part of the Super Summer experience. If you weren’t there, you won’t get these for the most part, but hey, those who were there will only get some. Here are a few things worth remembering:

· The video which taught a piercing lesson by rewording worship songs to make them into worship of self rather than worship of God—“I exalt me”, “Lord I lift my name on high”, etc. (Was the video funnier, or just the fact that Chase kept singing those songs to me as we passed?)

· “Arr, go get me brown pants.”

· “Hey, what ya got there? Yum, my favorite.”

· “I threw down my notes and just wung it.” (never parsed a verb like that before)

· “It’s like youth ministry—totally entertaining while completely missing the point.”

· “I didn’t’ notice anything strange about the way Zaxxson was playing.”

· Travis: “Phil, I think you’re sitting on my cane.” Phil: “No, it’s in the crack of the pew.” (Ironic choice of words)

· Crazy Naked Guy (not actually present at Super Summer for those who are worried).

· “This year safety is going to be priority #1 at rec time.” (1st day we have a student with staples in his head)

· A dean (dean I say) came to SS and forgot to pack underwear. (The problem was remedied without grossness)

Profound Thoughts

Mark Warnock taught me that coffee is an adult drink. I must simply learn to embrace the bitterness. (And I drank mine black for the rest of the week so as not to be a child)

Phil Nelson taught me that, if I let him give answers to questions too quickly, he’ll get one, both, or all of us kicked out of the denomination.

My Blue School students taught me that “I Don’t Love You Since You Ate My Dog” is still a funny song.

Shawn Key taught me that the best way to respond to a student saying, “Hey, I just drank a whole bottle of hot sauce” is to say “Yeah, I just drank a whole Diet Coke. Now, let’s talk about God.”

I taught the group: If you come up behind someone, placing one arm under their arm with a hand behind their head to force them down, that is a half nelson. If you do the same with two arms, that is a full nelson. If you tell the person to get saved while in the process, that is a Phil Nelson.

Results

As we shared with our students on how to evangelize, we had between 5 and 7 (reports vary) students pray to receive Christ. We had several students who were convicted of sin and who committed to go home and make things right with parents and others. And many of our students learned for the first time how to share the gospel from start to finish.

The following is what Lonnie Trembly wrote to me detailing the response of his youth group:

Just a short note to let you know: Feedback from last week: Since Friday in my youth group, one boyfriend witnessed to and dumped as he did not want to go with a religious fanatic, gospel shared 8+ times, 3 additions to the kingdom, 3 parent student confession times on sin, one girls accountability group formed, one boys accountability group formed, one student rejected by his friends as a religious nut, more than doubled the Monday night student led study of “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges, girls day Bible study doubled in size, and the Lord knows what else has happened that I am not aware of. It has been spontaneous expression of the Lord in their lives.

and it continues!!!!!