The Sixth Commandment

Yesterday we spoke on the sixth commandment--"You shall not murder"

The following is a brief outline of the approach we took in our discussion of the subject.

1. What does it forbid?

- It forbids the personal taking of innocent life.
- It forbids the act of suicide.*

2. What does it not forbid?

- It does not forbid the killing in capital punishment. (Genesis 9:5-6; Romans 13:4)
- It does not forbid the killing in self-defense.* (Sermon on the Mount)
- It does not forbid the killing in times of war.*

3. What does the Sermon on the Mount contribute to the discussion? (Matthew 5:21-26)

- The harboring of anger and malice and hatred is in essence the same as the act of murder.
- This type of anger/malice/hatred interrupts our worship and must be dealt with through reconciliation with the other party.
- Jesus dealt with the "spirit" of the commandment and the root/heart matter that underlies the breaking of the commandment.

4. What is the positive side of the commandment?

- Respect and Honor life from beginning to end.
- Love our neighbor--seek the well-being and the good of our neighbor even if we are inconvenienced (go the second mile, turn the other cheek, etc.)

5. What are two biblical examples? (negative and positive)

- Cain & Abel -- Cain represents someone who broke the commandment--the letter and the spirit
- The Good Samaritan -- He represents someone who embodied the keeping of the positive aspect of the commandment

*****The asterisks are present to denote sensitive subjects or subjects that need further exploration and study--and, that I am seeking to do myself. I encourage you to join me in this exploration of God's Word and bringing our thinking in line with it.

Music in Worship

Here is an interesting tid-bit from RC Sproul about music in worship...

"Just as with the issue of instrumentation, there is controversy regarding the issue of singing in worship. The controversy erupts when we ask what types of songs are appropriate for use in the context of worship. Most of us would agree that what we want in worship is good music, not bad music. However, for some people, "good" music means classical and traditional music, while for others it means contemporary music.

It would be the nadir of arrogance to assume that all the good music, the kind that is suitable to be used in the church, has already been composed, and that only the innovations of the past are worthwhile for worship. We can't determine the aesthetic value of music based upon how long ago it was written or composed. It is also a mistake to think that the only good music is new music, and that if it isn't new, it isn't good.

It is instructive to remember that most of the hymns that are now well-received in the church as part of the classic depository of hymnody were considered innovative at one time. In fact, many hymn writers borrowed from the musical styles that were popular in the secular world of their day, put them into a Christian context, and introduced them into the life of the church. In some cases, people raised objections to certain styles of music being used in the church. For instance, one of the most beloved hymn writers in fundamentalist circles, Fanny Crosby, consciously used the musical style that was popular in the bars of her day, and it was scandalous to people. It is an undeniable truth that when musical forms and styles change in the secular world, the new styles inevitably find their way into the church."

Just something to think about when we are more concerned about style instead of substance...

Manhood

Yesterday, we preached on the subject of biblical manhood--primarily directed toward the men. The tone was certainly strong--but, for good reason--it is time for men to start acting like men, not sissies, but biblical men--like Jesus.

I am certainly in no way advocating male chauvinism or acting like cavemen who hit their "women" over the head with a club--regardless of how the world might perceive the sermon--but, a return to biblical manhood that does not abdicate the leadership that God has primarily given to men, husbands, and fathers following after Jesus with our whole hearts desiring to lead our families and churches as God, through the power of the transforming gospel, has called us to lead and serve and love.

Here are the portraits of manhood typically displayed in our culture today...

1. Junior High boys going through puberty all over again (think King of Queens; Everybody loves Raymond)
2. Commercials that feature 5 men riding in a big truck with one of them singing “I feel like a woman”
3. Young men in their mid-twenties trying to prolong adolescence who refuse to grow up playing more video games than working or looking for a wife and a job
4. Boy bands who act effeminate and look like sissies whose voices hadn’t changed—result of the feminization of boys in our culture
5. Men who rule like iron-fisted tyrants demanding obedience without a loving relationship with their children or wife like a slave-driver
6. Men who treat women with dishonor and disrespect; like toys and prizes to be won—these guys are just plain jerks
7. Men who are in love with their jobs or hobbies instead of their wives—they are disconnected from their families trying to lead from a distance
8. Men who think the answer to everything is to just beat someone up
9. Men who are cowards refusing to lead their families and their churches—willing to give up the call upon their lives

How do we regain a sense of respect for biblical manhood...

1. Standing in the gap for one’s family spiritually (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
2. Loving, honoring, and leading our wives sacrificially and graciously in the same way that Jesus loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-32; 1 Peter 3:7)
3. Getting angry at the right things for the right reasons at the right time (Nehemiah 13; John 2:12-16 (Jesus cleanses temple); Paul & Peter)
4. Not allowing the culture to dictate to us what manhood means or to take our little boys and turn them into sissies, but taking our lead from Jesus, the Apostles, and other men who love Jesus (Romans 12:2)
5. Being humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6) – not weakness, but strength under control

Guys, it begins with confession and repentance for our lack of biblical manhood so far while falling on our faces before God crying out for His grace and mercy to begin afresh and anew following after Jesus.

May it begin today.

"He descended into Hell"

Someone heard this phrase while on World Changers. Here are a few thoughts...

The phrase comes from the Apostles Creed:

The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.Amen.

Now, for some thoughts in outline form...

Major Passages – Acts 2:31; Ephesians 4:9-10; 1 Peter 3:18-19

Positions
1. Jesus actually descended into hell (Augustine)
2. Hell and Purgatory (Thomas Aquinas) to put to shame unbelievers and to give those in purgatory hope
3. Symbolic understanding of the totality of Jesus’ suffering and what it meant for us (John Calvin)
4. "That is, continued in the state of the dead, and under the power of death, until the third day." (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

Primarily has to do with what happened to Jesus between Jesus’ death and resurrection. Where was he during that time? (cf. Luke 23:43 – “today you will be with me in paradise”)

Piper – “I think it means that when these people were alive in the days of Noah, in the Spirit Christ spoke to them through the preaching of Noah; and now they are in prison.”

From: http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/apostles_creed.html

In the English New Testament, also, the word "hell" has not in every place the same meaning. It represents two different nouns in the original Greek—Gehenna and Hades. Gehenna was the name of a deep, narrow valley, bordered by precipitous rocks, in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by human sacrifices in the time of idolatrous kings, and afterwards became the depository of city refuse and of the offal of the temple sacrifices. The other noun, rendered by the same English word Hell, is Hades, which means "covered," "unseen" or "hidden." Hades is the abode of disembodied spirits until the resurrection. The Jews believed it to consist of two parts, one blissful, which they termed Paradise—the abode of the faithful; the other Gehenna, in which the wicked are retained for judgment. Lazarus and Dives were both in Hades, but separated from each other by an impassable gulf, the one in an abode of comfort, the other in a place of torment.[117]

As long as the spirit tabernacles in the body there are tokens of its presence in the visible life which is sustained through its union with the body. But when it departs from its dwelling-place in the flesh, death and corruption begin their work on the body. Death is complete only when the spirit has departed, and it is probable that this statement in the Creed was meant to express in the fullest terms that Christ's death was real. As man He had taken to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul, and when His body was crucified and dead, His spirit passed, as other human spirits pass at death, into Hades. It is not without a meaning that we read, "When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he gave up the ghost."[118] Ghost is simply spirit, and in His case, as in that of every man, there was a true departure of the soul from the body at death. It was with His spirit that His last thought in life was occupied. He knew that though it was to depart from the battered, bruised tabernacle of His body, it was not to pass out of His Father's sight or His Father's care. "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,"[119] were His last words on the cross.

The descent into hell is not referred to in the Westminster Confession, but in the Larger Catechism this statement is found: "Christ's humiliation after His death consisted in His being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death, till the third day, which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, 'He descended into hell'"[120] What the Westminster Divines meant was, that while Christ's body was laid in the grave His spirit passed from the visible to the invisible world, that, as He shared the common lot of men in the death and burial of His body, so He shared their common lot in passing as a spirit into the abode of spirits. The statement of this clause follows naturally what is said of the body of Jesus in that which precedes it. As His body was crucified, dead, and buried, so His spirit passed into the abode of spirits. "In all things it behoved him to be made like unto His brethren."

Sure, it is strange language, but hopefully this will be helpful.

The Sabbath

In preparation for today's sermon on "How does a Christian Keep the Sabbath", it became very evident that there are a wide-variety of understandings about the 4th commandment.

However, one thing is clear--regardless of how strict one is on their understanding--the busyness of life, or at least of what we call life, is breathtaking--literally.

I believe that the real problem is not necessarily busyness itself--though we seem to take much pride in "outbusy" other families--but being busy about the wrong things--things that have temporary value pulling our hearts away from exulting ("making much of") over Jesus in and through all areas of life every day.

For many of us, to exult over Jesus in the mundane and ordinary things of life is never even considered--if it is, it is more of an afterthought such as, "Oh, I hope Jesus is pleased."

Enter the Sabbath...

Though I want to stay away from a legalistic, Pharisee-like mentality, I wonder if we have been too careless in our application, or lack of application, of the Sabbath--"Well, I have freedom in Christ. As long as I give Jesus that hour (two hours, maybe) on Sunday, I'm good the rest of the week. Everyday is the same," many might say (Romans 14) (not with words, but certainly with actions and participation in activities).

And, though I agree everyday is "the Lord's Day" (Romans 12:1-2), I am becoming more convinced of our need to build Sabbath back into our lives--certainly to reduce the busyness, but more importantly to refocus on Jesus and the ultimate things in life.

This refocusing and regrouping (more than just a couple of hours a week on a Sunday) could help us in exulting over Jesus other days of the week. Maybe this is what we mean by having a "daily walk" with Jesus?

I wonder...

Religion vs. Gospel

I found these summaries aver at Betweent the Times. They are from Tim Keller:

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”-simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life-family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

These are very good--I'm very religious.

Repentance is in order.

Mama

One year ago today at 7:45 AM, my mama went to be with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8). The year has flown by, the memories have flooded my mind, and the pain is certainly still here. It won't leave until I see Jesus myself.

Through it all, Jesus has proven Himself "faithful and true" to be present in the midst of the pain and the tears (even the ones today). Some days have been easier than others, but no day has been without a memory (or a hundred).

Her legacy of faithfulness to Jesus and love for Jesus will live on in her children and grandchildren because of her character and the teaching she gave to us all--even the "whuppins" (if you're from the south, you know what I mean), of which I deserved every one I'm sure (2 Timothy 1:5).

Boy, I sure do miss her.

Job said, "For I know that my redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth."

Jesus is the rock and refuge in the midst of the pain and suffering--He is the sovereign King of the universe in the midst of the trouble--He is the all-sufficient Savior that rescues from the pit--Jesus is...

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord"

"Praise the name of Jesus, praise the name Jesus
He's my rock, He's my fortress, He's my deliverer, in Him will I trust
Praise the name of Jesus"

Adversity--#2

This time from "The Peacemaker" by Ken Sande--

"God uses conflict to stretch and challenge you in carefully tailored ways. This process is sometimes referred to as the "ABC of spiritual growth": Adversity Builds Character. As you worry less about going through conflict and focus more on growing through conflict, you will enhance that process and experience the incomparable blessing of being conformed to the likeness of Christ" (p. 37)

The wording was intriguing--"going through" instead of "growing through" conflict.

Praise God for His providential sovereignty over our lives--in the good and the bad!

Adversity--

p. 228 - "The Discipline of Grace"

"This is the design of God in all of the adversity and heartache we experience in this life. There is no such thing as random or chance events in our lives. All pain we experience is intended to move us closer to the goal of being holy as He is holy."

How do we respond to adversity in our lives? Do we turn inward toward the pride of self-pity (though we should never deny the reality of the pain), or do we turn toward the one who has suffered worse than we ever will to sustain us by his grace?

Quote from John Owen

From "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges in his chapter on "The Discipline of Adversity" (p. 226)

John Owen said that to submit to the Father of our spirits denotes,

"an acquiescence in His sovereign right to do what He will with us His own; a renunciation of self-will; an acknowledgment of His righteousness and wisdom in all His dealings with us; a sense of His care and love, with a due apprehension of the end of His chastisements; a diligent application of ourselves unto His mind and will, or to what He calls us to in an especial manner at that season; a keeping of our souls by persevering faith from weariness and despondency; a full resignation of ourselves to His will, as to the matter, manner, times, and continuance of our afflictions."

Given as food for thought--

What God is Teaching Me

God has blessed me in the last couple of months to have a friend come alongside me through what is called a "coaching" relationship.

It has been of the utmost benefit to me, personally and ministerially. God has truly used my friend to uncover some "rocks" that I did not want to uncover about myself or my ministry as a pastor, particularly in the area of my teaching ministry and leadership.

It has pointed me toward much needed confession and repentance in my life. God has used it more times than not to humble me--and He continues to do so.

I am very appreciative to my friend for his willingness to be used of the Lord to help and encourage a bumbling beggar like me along the journey to serve Jesus humbly and all-out.

The Holy Spirit has been at work to show me many places where I need to grow, places where my heart is not where it ought to be.

It has affected my relationships with people--some in the church where I have the privilege to serve.

For that, I am deeply sorry, and I pray that God will bring about restoration and reconciliation where necessary and a renewed sense of camaraderie for the mission of our church, specifically for those to whom this particular part applies.

The Holy Spirit has also shown me the deep-rooted performance mentality that I have concerning ministry and my own relationship with the Lord--instead of one grounded in grace--sure, I've preached it and taught it, but have struggled to live it.

I guess I always knew this existed in my life, but it took a friend's penetrating questions guided by the Holy Spirit to draw it out into the open where it could be dealt with.

God is dealing with it through the books I am presently reading as they draw my attention to wonderful grace of the cross and the dependence upon the Holy Spirit being saturated with scripture.

I will be quick to say I have NOT arrived--thank God for the little kid's song "He's still workin' on me to make me what I ought to be."

This is a constant struggle for me--daily.

There is still much for me to learn and much room for me to grow.

By God's grace, He will accomplish it (Philippians 1:6).

General Musing this Morning

I just finished reading a good article in SBC Life by Roger S. Oldham on the Holy Spirit, particularly his role in salvation.

He pointed out four activities of the Holy Spirit in salvation:
1) Convincing (John 16:8-11)
2) Regenerating
3) Adopting
4) Sealing

Having been thinking quite a bit about sanctification lately (reading "Future Grace" by John Piper and "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges), this article helped continue to focus my attention on the dependence and reliance upon the Holy Spirit in me that is necessary to grow in Christ-likeness.

Philippians 1:6 has consistently been on my mind lately. God is at work to complete what He started by the "free will of the wind" (John Piper).

This morning the Lord has brought to mind through more reading and meditating Philippians 2:12-13. As I write this, my mind is also turned to the salvation and sanctification and glorification chain of Romans 8:29-30.

Our awesome God is at work in our lives to transform us into the image of His dear Son.

A few gleanings from "Future Grace"

Here are a few quotes I read this morning reading John Piper's "Future Grace."

p. 107
"Don't miss the connection between the two halves of this great verse. Notice the "therefore:" All the promises of God are Yes in Christ. Therefore we pray Amen through him, to God's glory. To make sure we see it, let's turn the two halves around: When we pray, we say Amen to God through Christ, because God has said Amen to all his promises in Christ. Prayer is the confident plea for God to make good on his promises of future grace for Christ's sake. Prayer links our faith in future grace with the foundation of it all, Jesus Christ."

p. 108
"O Lord,I promise that by your grace my future will be a future of unfailing yes to you. I consecrate myself to forsake the No and the Maybe and the Not Now of my unbelief. And I say Yes to everything in your Yes to me. I pledge myself to a holy dissatisfaction until my thoughts and my words and my deeds express the radical holiness that comes from the wonderful, joyful freedom of living by faith in guaranteed future grace. Amen. And I do mean, AMEN!"

Let's ponder together the reality of living by faith in God's grace to complete the good work that he started in us (Philippians 1:6).

What Four Year Old Boys Remind you of...

This morning while shaving, my four year old son, Carter, decided it would be funny to pull my underarm hairs (I know, some think that is gross, but to a four year old little boy, it is hilarious).

And, it reminded me that being a daddy is AWESOME--there is nothing like it in the world. And, dads, being a good, godly dad and making a lot of money are not necessarily the same thing. In fact, sometimes, they are diametrically opposed to one another.

I am so thankful for my dad and the grace that God has given me to be a dad. I will never live up to all that God desires for me in this area, but by his grace, I'll give it all I have.

Dads, we're in this together for the glory of God.