Complete in Christ
The Christian who tries to live out the Christian life in today’s western culture has a difficult task ahead. Born again believers in Jesus Christ are immersed in a society and time that deny the notion of exclusivity. For the Christian, this will present difficult waves when living out the life we are called to live. As a Christian our exclusivity claim is found in the belief that there is no salvation or reconcilation with God outside of believing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and repenting of sin. However, our surroundings preach otherwise. We are looked upon as audacious, arrogant and even ignorant. For the culture at large, Jesus is one way among many and that a lasting state of spiritual contentment cannot be found in Christ alone. I will argue that our reconciliation and salvation can only be achieved by God Himself through Jesus Christ just as He reveals to us in the Bible. Those who are believers are complete in Christ. Christians are not in need of any other savior than Christ.
Last Sunday I began a new verse-by-verse series of Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae. The situation described above is similar to what Paul was teaching to this church that he never visited. The church was infected with some false teachers who taught against the exclusivity of Christ and that people needed a deeper philosophical insight in order to attain spiritual heights of glory. Colossians is a letter that is highly Christological and points toward the sufficiency of Christ for the believer. The language he uses to describe the person of Jesus is a stirring tribute to the magnificence of Christ’s work on the cross. We are assured, as the Colossians were, that our identity and assurance is found in nothing more and nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
Come and be a part of this important study as we look to magnify the name of the One who saves. This series will be recorded and posted at a future time.
Poetry in the Bible
As we have transitioned from history to poetry in the Old Testament, we have discovered how God uses various genres to communicate His Word. We began our poetry section in the book of Job and covered Psalms (last week) and Proverbs (this week). Next week we are skipping Ecclesiastes (we will study Ecclesiastes during our January Bible Study) and rounding out the poetry section with the Song of Songs. What we have learned is that God communicates to us through the biblical authors and their various styles. Poetry communicates a level of emotion that is often far deeper than a narrative or historical account. God speaks in order that He might touch the human heart and leave a mark that is cross shaped.
As we look forward to the sermon on Song of Songs (which is often called, Song of Solomon), we find a young, in love King Solomon who writes a picture of the love between a man and a wife. The love between a man and a woman in a marital context is one of the most intimate relationships we could ever experiences; it is like a song – a song above all songs (hence the title). Next week we will examine the implications of the marital relationship and the picture of the Gospel that it represents. Join us Sunday at 11am.
When God seems to say nothing at all
In our study of the grand narrative of Scripture we come to the bookend of Esther. Esther serves as the final historical book of the Old Testament and an unlikely one. Esther, which never mentions God, reminds us that even though we do not see God working with our eyes, we can see Him work through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The events that transpire in Esther are nothing short of God’s sovereign purposes being weighed out in a cosmic spiritual battle. God is relentless in His pursuit of those whom He has chosen (the Jewish people) to bring about the Messiah. Even though Haman worked to destroy God’s people, God worked to preserve them. It should not surprise us that God’s hand outplays Satan’s in every deal-not because of chance, but because God is omnipotent and wise and holy.
Even though circumstances can appear bleak in life do not forget that God is the one who is working all things out for His glory and for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (cf Romans 8:28). For a book that does not talk about God directly, God sure seems to be a big part of what is going on-even when He seems to say nothing at all. To hear the rest, come worship with us at Cash Creek this Sunday at 11AM.
Restoration
Most great civilizations at one time or another face a certain tragedy from which their actions on particular matters can have a significant bearing on the future. For our country one such moment took place ten years ago when we faced the most horrific act of war on our soil since the Civil War. At times of tragedy, such as that, we have the opportunity to act in such a way to restore a way of life that seemed to be altered. In a span of a decade, we have found little restoration even in the face of justice to our enemies. Things will never be quite the same as they were on September 10, 20o1.
When we think about national tragedies in this light, and when we draw our attention to the narrative of Scripture, we come to the end of the Kings-Chronicles era of history that ends in absolute tragedy and the overthrow and capture of Judah. Life was not the same for the Jews who were dispersed in Assyria and Babylon. Yet in the dawn of the Persian empire, we find a second chance by God’s grace for His people. They return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and to return to a way of life that marked their very existence as God’s chosen people. Life was not exactly rosy after the temple was rebuilt and the wall was erected. Neither were as great as the original. So how do the people act? How do they reconcile a current reality with the national tragedy that befell them years before. This is the subject of Ezra-Nehemiah. Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah each play a role in the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. They have a new opportunity of life, albeit in a very controlled, benevolent dictatorial way, but, nonetheless a new chance to rebuild the familiar. God’s graciousness is at work here. His relentless faithfulness to these people is astounding. God worked it out so His people would return and the long awaited Messiah could fulfill the prophecies of old. Even though life was different for the Jews, their independence was gone, God still brought about His wonderful purpose in Jesus Christ.
God’s dedication to His people is wonderfully good and unmerited. When reading Ezra-Nehemiah, we see a people who come back to rebuild, and like usual, they get off track. It seems they are faithful for awhile, but sinfulness corrupts. Even though we see faithlessness, apathy, sin and even hedonism, we see a God who nonetheless is determined to keep His covenant promise with David to bring about the Messiah in his lineage. When we tie ourselves to the reality of what God is doing in His church, we find ourselves marked by similar characteristics. However, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are a new creation living under grace that should afford us the desire to be like Christ. Christ is everything to us including an example of personal sacrifice and devotion that is rarely mimicked in His followers. Be Christ-like in Christ’s body (the church) for Christ’s sake.
Apostasy
This week we continue in our sermon series, Finding God’s Purposes in the Metanarrative of Scripture. This week we encounter both books of Kings and both books of the Chronicler. To be sure there is plenty to be said of each of these, however, I want to trace a common theme through these books that eventually leads to a progressively clearer understanding of God’s redemptive purpose. We begin at the height of the Davidic kingdom in the early reign of Solomon. Something happens in Solomon’s life that seems to set a precedent for all the descendants thereafter. Solomon’s lust for life overtook his desire for Yahweh, and he passed the kingdom to Rehoboam in a shaky way. After the mere 22 verses of Rehoboam’s reign, the united monarchy became divided into Israel (10 northern tribes) and Judah (2 southern tribes). This sparked a line of kings and prophets who would call them back to Yahweh amidst rebellion and idol worship. Both Kings and Chronicles give a history of the events during these several hundred years that serve as a reminder of God’s relentless dedication to those whom He has chosen.
The barage of kings and the accounts of their lusts for power and sex remind us of something very important. Apostasy happens when someone who is within the accepted orthodox understanding goes away or is enticed in other areas to such an extent that he has gone away from the one, true, living God. Mnay of the kings fell victim to this. God’s covenant with Abraham and David is marked not only by man’s waywardness, but thankfully, it is also marked by God’s faithfulness. Even though David and his descendants rebel and are justly punished during the time of the exile, He is still faithful to His promise. When we find ourselves in the wilderness of apostasy and rebellion against God, and we will feel there is no way back, He makes a way back by leading us to a cross where the penalty of our sins is unjustly paid for by the perfectly, righteous Christ.
Summer hiatus and what’s coming up
Following the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, AZ, in June of this year, I took a summer hiatus from blogging at HighlyExalted to refresh, refocus and recharge. The summer was filled with many new things for me and my family. I spent some time on vacation with my wife where we got to relax for a while. I devoted some extra time to my current church ministry at Cash Creek. The Lord taught me some valuable and hard lessons this summer. One of which is His faithfulness. As I look back on the summer and really the past year or so, I have seen God work in ways that astound me. He reaffirmed to me through His Word that, indeed, He is sovereign over all things. Even when my spiritual eyesight fools my feeble mind, His providence is evident. Believe it or not, Jesus has a vested interest in His church. After all, why shouldn’t He? He died for it. As I leave summer behind, I am renewed by the Holy Spirit and look forward to the rest of God’s unfolding plan for ministry. I am so thankful for our Lord’s compassion and abounding grace in my life.
What’s coming up…
- Regular sermon previews will continue this week. This will be an effort to get everyone’s mind engaged and prepared for worship each Sunday morning.
- I started a new sermon series back in July (see an older post for details), and I will periodically publish a few notes and outlines for any of you who are interested in “Finding God’s Purposes in the Meta-Narrative of Scripture.”
- Look for a monthly or biweekly focus on worship in the near future. In these posts, I will showcase a particular hymn or spiritual song and tell how this encourages our understanding of important biblical doctrines. My prayer is that this segment will help spur our worship to deeper fathoms of biblical understanding.
- I now serve on the Board of Directors at Marsha’s Place in Henderson, KY. Marsha’s Place is a pregnancy resource center that ministers to women who are pregnant in the community. Be looking for more articles on this issue including related items such as adoption.
My conversation with Thom Rainer
At the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention, I met with Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. He and I met at the Sheraton-Phoenix Hotel in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona for a conversation about the Southern Baptist Convention and LifeWay. Below is a transcript of our conversation delineated by our respective initials.
NRC: Describe your responsibilities at the annual meeting.
TR: My responsibilities at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting include reporting to the messengers about LifeWay’s operations and future plans. LifeWay also runs an exhibit and store in the exhibition hall. While at the convention LifeWay’s executive committee meets to discuss several items. This year all the SBC entity heads are signing a “Unity” document so I have those responsibilities as well.
NRC: How many years have you been a part of the largest deliberative body in the country?
TR: I have attended the Southern Baptist Convention every year since 1984 with the exception of two years when I had family related reasons that prevented me from attending.
NRC: The period of time in the late 1970s and the 1980s was a contentious time for our convention. What are some of the best things that came from what has been termed as the “conservative resurgence?”
TR: The best thing that came from the conservative resurgence was a return to biblical theology. I was a student at SBTS in the 1980s and the denomination had taken a sharp turn to the left and the seminaries followed suit. That’s not hearsay, I was there in the classrooms. To say there was not a problem would be like sticking your head in the sand. I would not be a southern Baptist today had it not been for a conservative resurgence. We owe much to those heroes who have gone before us. I was very much a foot soldier in the conservative resurgence.
NRC: What issues (theological or otherwise) will the SBC wrestle with in 2021?
TR: You are asking me to be a prophet. I don’t have a clue what we are going to discuss in 2011. But I will try and give you a trajectory. If we continue to go in the same path we will be discussing how to allocate missions funds and playing the blame game when it comes to low numbers of baptisms. Again, I cannot predict the future and this is not a prophecy just a guess if the current trend continues.
NRC: It’s been reported that the overall number of baptisms in the last year has declined. You and I know that God is doing some amazing things within the convention – new leadership at NAMB and IMB, record numbers of seminary graduates, renewed emphasis on church planting, and a refocus on the Great Commission and Great Commandment. You have written books on church growth strategies. But what weaknesses exist in the convention? Is there one thing you can point to and say, “This is the reason we are not seeing overall baptisms increase.”
TR: Yeah. Me. You. We need to be sharing our faith more. Look, we are not a large organization trying to propagate an intuitional bureaucracy. Even above the institution of the church, the problem lies with individuals. It is not solved in LifeWay, NAMB or the seminaries, the issue lies in the individuals in the local church.
NRC: You have served as the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and what was then Church Growth. How did your experience in academia prepare you for your current role as President and CEO of LifeWay?
TR: Theological fidelity was the biggest thing I learned while serving as Dean of the Graham School. What I mean by that is when Dr. Mohler came to SBTS it was when it was a very much mixed up and messed up place. So the Graham school was an opportunity to start fresh with faculty who were committed to teaching the word of God. While helping start the Graham school I developed the skill of entrepreneurship. We thought outside of the box in terms of education. We were the first to look at alternative delivery systems. We had a weekend MDiv and that was transformative back then. DMins became cohorts. Now we see those systems as commonplace. One key thing that was valuable was the importance of biblical theology. Jimmy Draper [my predecessor] was the reformer at LifeWay. He did a great job, and I came in and used the foundation that Dr. Draper had to challenged the organization to explore deeper issues. My experience as the Graham School dean taught me about theological fidelity. Since coming to LifeWay I have tried to cast a vision that is faithful to that. We are now simulcasting David Platt with six hours of intensive theological training. I want LifeWay to be the knowledge organization in Christian research.
NRC: You and your son have written the first significant research piece on the millennial generation. Your own children are of the millennial generation. What surprised you about the millennials?
TR: Overwhelming desire to say connected to their families. Many only want to marry once.
NRC: Give me your vision for B&H Publishing? What competitive advantage does B&H retain in the Christian publishing market?
TR: The big competitive advantage B&H Publishing has is the fact that it is anchored in SBC doctrine. We are owned by the SBC, and we must stay true to the SBC. Another thing that B&H is doing is leading in the digital world especially in the “app” world. As for the vision of B&H we want B&H to be the best biblical solution for life with the best delivery system available.
NRC: What are the challenges the Church Resources division of LifeWay face? (FU: Just because a church is Southern Baptist doesn’t necessarily mean it uses LifeWay Sunday School material. What do you think about that and how does LifeWay respond in a marketplace of alternatives)?
TR: The ongoing challenge is the dated material. Church are not buying as much. 20 yrs ago churches by and large bought dated materials. Now instead of 100% of classes using dated material 100% of the time we are seeing a change in churches. Only 50% of the classes are using dated material 50% of the time.
NRC: You will not be the President and CEO of LifeWay forever (unless the Lord returns first). When the Lord moves you to a new area of service in the convention or you retire, what do you want LifeWay to look like?
TR: Let’s look at 10 years from now. LifeWay will be a much more digital organization. Our delivery system will be radically different. I hope LifeWay will be a more knowledge center in terms of research. I hope we get to the point where our attitude is not ‘let’s make a product and hope the church will buy it,’ rather, let’s reverse course and listen to what God is doing in the church and then make products to aid that.
NRC: How is LifeWay directly involved in the Great Commission?
TR: We have employee mission trips, and we contribute to the Cooperative Program.
NRC: You are an entity head of the largest Protestant denomination in the country. You were the founding dean of the Graham school, your credits include countless books and articles for and about the church. Your name is widely-known in Southern Baptist life. Your books are found in bookstores across the country. How do you maintain humility in your life and ministry?
TR: Wow. You make me sound really good. I give credit to my wife. If you ask my sons and I think they are poor judges, they said I did two things: I allowed them to chart their own path with the Lord. I never told them they had to serve the local church but all three do serve in local churches. I let God direct their paths. I sure have messed up a lot; I traveled a lot and tried to take them with me. But I have a wife that really makes me look good.
NRC: If your tweets are any indication of your focus and your passion, I would have to pinpoint your love and concern for your family as a critical part of who you are. As someone who will be married in a few weeks, I am interested in how it is you minister to your family.
TR: I am married. My wife is a great supporter. Frankly, I don’t think I do maintain humility. Someone who thinks so probably isn’t humble. I can be an arrogant jerk. I struggle with my prayer time; my mind is going in a thousand different directions. My boys keep me humble. I have all kinds of checks and balances in my life. But I give my wife credit.
Engaging Exposition
The preacher has a weighty responsibility in delivering to a church the Word of God. Many aspects of the preacher’s job are unseen by typical church members but must not be ignored by the preacher. The preacher is viewed once or twice a week in a formal context, but what is behind that once or twice a week presentation of the Word? Danny Akin, Bill Curtis and Stephen Rummage attempt to pull back the curtain into a preacher’s study life and to exhort preachers to compelling and faithful expository preaching in their 2011 B&H book, Engaging Exposition. David Platt put it best in the foreword when he said, “They have clearly wed together responsible hermeneutics with relevant homiletics to guide preachers and teachers from the preparation of a messages to the delivery of a sermon.” Not since 19th century southern baptist statesman, seminary professor and widely-sought preacher, John A. Broadus, wrote his text On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, have we seen a more convincing and useful book on the preaching ministry.
Akin, Curtis and Rummage collaborate together to write the most definitive and helpful preaching text in the last century. Its scope is incredible, and its contents are weighty. Bill Curtis leads off by going through essential hermeneutical principles that should guide every good preacher’s Bible study. Curtis examines various genres and language mechanics that will help the preacher better understand authorial intent and method. He also gives practical guides to developing sermon outlines centered around specific literary genres. Curtis also makes much of context in terms of not only cultural, political, locale and roles but also a theological context that is essential in expository preaching. Curtis claims that, “Theology is the final contextual element to consider as you conclude the inquiry stage of exegesis.” Bible exegesis will lead the expositor to a theological end that the Holy Spirit will use in His ministry to the hearers. Another topic that Curtis introduces is the “main idea of the text” (MIT). He traces through a path centered around the text involving inspection, inquiry and investigation that leads to the MIT.
In the next section, Danny Akin transitions by addressing the idea of developing the MIT and structuring issues in the sermon. Akin provides clarity on the abuse and misuse of illustration and preaching the preacher and not the text. He writes about the “art” of illustration and its appropriateness and inappropriateness. Akin employs and evangelistic fervor when writing about sermon craft. Akin also puts forth the answers to common questions involving biblical messages.
In a third and final section, Stephen Rummage provides expertise in sermon delivery. He lays the groundwork for the all-important discussion on why delivery is important. Readers will be introduced to articulation technique, body gestures and style management. Rummage provides excellent instruction in the part of sermon craft that many could stand to benefit. Rummage rounds out the book with a strong exhortation and plea for preachers to demonstrate a consistency between what is said behind the pulpit and what is said and done outside the pulpit.
This book is for any Bible preacher or teacher. It combines elements of hermeneutics, exposition and delivery to form what could easily be a three volume work for each man called of God to be His mouthpiece. However, the authors do so in a singular volume that is thorough but not excessive. The preacher’s task is one of great enormity and must done so with such care as not to mishandle the Word or bring detraction to the listener. The preaching ministry is supreme in the church and must never be taken lightly by a preacher or a congregation. Engaging Exposition is a useful tool for each preacher to read once a year as to refresh one with the importance of the urgent task at hand (Romans 10:17).
Quick reflections on SBC 2011
Few national organizations come together year after year with a singular mission as extensive and as impactful as the Southern Baptist Convention. The United States Senate is widely known as America’s greatest deliberative body. However, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is by far America’s largest deliberative body. For two days in June, the SBC assembles in a predetermined location for the purpose of cooperating for the good of the represented Southern Baptist churches. In the “hay day” of the convention, as many as 40,000 Southern Baptists would assemble for the purpose of such cooperation with respect to missions. Despite a 4,800 messenger attendance, the lowest convention attendance in almost 60 years, this week’s assembly represented a pivotal point of change. Three of the major SBC entities have new leaders and fresh visions for cooperation as encouraged by the messengers of the 2010 convention in Orlando. This year’s meeting was a sobering look at the reality of the convention. Hard things to hear were said, but we pray they were heard. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) executive, Kevin Ezell, brought the reality of the truth of the number of church plants and how a church is defined. Ezell brought to the table an honest conversation of the present but an optimistic vision for the future. Ezell called the convention back to a Great Commission refocus on church planting in unreached areas of North America. With limited funds hard decisions must be made. The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) brought a shift in ministry priorities to the convention. Ezell’s job was not easy, but he was able to free up millions of dollars to help plant new churches. The chatter leading up to the SBC revolved around Ezell’s nine month tenure as NAMB’s visionary. Ezell’s critics have accused him of being anti-Cooperative Program, uncaring and insensitive-all of which are erroneous. Ezell has set the pace for NAMB for years to come in response to the convention’s direction. A natural tension exists between church planting and church revitalization. Both come with rewards and challenges. Ed Stetzer mentioned that the average local church lifespan is 80 years. He also said that churches 17 years or younger see the most growth in terms of baptisms. However, we cannot ignore the churches who have had faithful witnesses for decades and who need help. In many cases, churches who need revitalization are in locations that are not population centers. We already see many of these churches close. As a matter of fact, Ed Stetzer told a attendees at a NAMB luncheon that we are not planting enough churches to maintain the pace with churches who are naturally dying. We are not keeping up with our rate of attrition. All this sets the stage for a very a different face to the SBC in 15 years. Across the American landscape, we are going to see new SBC churches planted at a rate higher than the rate of attrition. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, made the claim during the Pastor’s Conference that mature churches are churches who plant churches. It’s often difficult for some to imagine a small church planting churches. Johnny Hunt exhorted the Pastor’s Conference that the size of the church does not matter, it is the size of the God they serve. He suggested that smaller churches cooperate together to plant churches. Many of the speakers gave testimony to how God reached them through the efforts of Southern Baptist church plants.
The other strategic focus was engaging and planting churches amongst the unreached (unengaged) people groups of the world. During the convention sermon, David Platt passionately exhorted the messengers to action in reaching some of the most Gospel-resistant areas of the world. Platt highlighted the incredible Gospel need around the world where there is no Gospel work. We may have many lost people in our communities who need to be saved and perhaps even on our church membership rolls, but those people at least have access to the Gospel. Many around the world cannot find a Bible in their own language. International missions is not an option to consider it is a command to be obeyed. When we consider the reality of technology and resources at our disposable it is possible to engage the unreached people groups – all 3,800 of them. If we would just mobilize our efforts and resources to that end, we could possibly see the hastening of Christ’s return. In light of that and the scriptural reality of what Jesus said about His return in connection to the Gospel being preached everywhere and the fact we have the resources to do so may lead us to the conclusion that we do not want to really see Christ return. Platt drew the final conclusion that Christ’s return is not about us it is about Him being highly exalted and worshipped by people of every tribe and tongue. Do we long to see Christ adored in this way? Are we really longing for His glory? These questions beg a heart check on all believers. Tom Elliff, newly elected leader of the International Mission Board (IMB), gave in a final presentation following the commissioning of dozens of new missionaries a call to each of the churches represented in the SBC to begin engaging the unreached people groups of the world. Hundreds of people came forward to commit to that end. The reality of that commitment will be played out in the months and years to come as churches realize they are the ones called to go to the nations and not the IMB.
This convention will be pivotal in the future of Southern Baptist missions. Throughout the weekend, one could sense a profound unity that has been absent in recent conventions. Is God on the brink of doing something great with Southern Baptists? Will we continue to yield to His Lordship and reach the lost? God will do what He wants with our without us. Let us join our hearts in prayer that God may be glorified in our churches and that we may cooperate together to reach the lost world with the healing balm of the Gospel.
Finding God’s Purpose in the Meta-Narrative of the Bible
Have you felt beleaguered when thinking about your Bible reading habits? Is it hard for you to really understand or get excited about Leviticus? Numbers? Habakkuk? Jude? If you said, “yes” to any of these, this sermon series is for you. God has a wonderful and graceful purpose that He has woven throughout Scripture that points toward His sovereign purpose. Rest assured, Leviticus has a purpose. Micah has a purpose. Hebrews has a purpose. At the end of the year-long study, it is my earnest prayer and hope that God will captivate your heart for His Word, draw you closer to Him, and as a result know Him better.
The Bible is a unique compilation of writings of various genres that God has used to give testimony to Christ and to reveal His will. Our Bible study time is often “cherry-picked” from seemingly random spots in the Bible. As a result, we often have a disjointed understanding of the Bible and the common themes that are traced throughout Scripture. As Baptists who believe the Bible is God’s inerrant Word it behooves us to commit significant study to Scripture in order to know God better through His Son.
This sermon series is designed to equip believers with a level of biblical literacy that will marry the understanding of God’s sovereign acts of grace with the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to make disciples. From this simple equation of biblical command, we will gain a more comprehensive understanding of God’s sovereign purposes as revealed to us in His Word. It is my prayer that the church will be blessed and will be fruitful as a result of this year-long endeavor.
Each sermon in this series will be accompanied by a family ministry guide/summary for in-home, family worship that will be made available to participants each week. Collect all in order to have a complete outline of the Bible and a great discipleship tool for your family for years to come.
