In the darkness of Jesus persecution at the hands of wicked men, God is communicating the gospel. When Pilate released Barabbas in the place of Christ and scourged Christ in the place of Barabbas (Mark 15:15) he is, unknowingly, illustrating the good news: Christ secured our salvation by being penalized in our place.
Deep in unfathomable mines of never failing skill, [God] treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will! (William Cowper, 1772).
I’m presently attending the seventh Synod of the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA), the federation to which I belong (a Synod is a gathering of cooperating churches called for the purpose of mutual edification and shepherding). This evening Pastor Dennis Royall preached a sermon at the opening worship service entitled “The Wide-Open Gates of Zion” from Psalm 87.
He reminded us that the church (referred to in the Psalm as “Zion”) is the God appointed means of gospel proclamation, nourishment and worship. The message was particularly applicable in our culture that is inherently opposed to “overly-institutional” religious expressions. Perhaps in acknowledgment to this pervasive cultural sentiment Pastor Royall acknowledged that the church is filled with hypocrites and is too often characterized by conflict.
In spite of this sad reality, I was encouraged by the observation that the church is not great because of its size or the great attributes of its members but simply because God has chosen to dwell among her (v. 2). This fact alone should cause us to love the church since, after all, “the Lord loves the gates of Zion.”
I wonder how our churches would change if we began to truly love the church; not only the universal church (a somewhat amorphous concept for many of us) but our particular churches, troubled though they are.
Those who feel disenfranchised toward the church (don’t we all, at times?) would benefit from reading Psalm 87 and begin seeing the church from God’s perspective.
Below is a theoretical conversation between someone who is trusting for salvation in grace alone (GA) and someone who professes to be a believer but is ultimately trusting in their own works’ righteousness (WR) to get them into heaven. This conversation is based on the teaching of the Heidelberg Catechim, Lord’s Day 24.
GA: “Why do you think that God will let you into heaven”
WR: “Well, I do try to do the right thing and in the end I think I’m a pretty good person.”
GA: “But do you know that God does not use “pretty good” as his standard; he uses perfection. Jesus himself says, ‘Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect’ (Matt. 5:48).”
WR: “Well, nobody’s perfect!”
GA: “That’s not true. There is one who is perfect, Jesus Christ. The only way to achieve God’s holy standard of perfection is to receive the perfect righteousness of Christ by trusting him alone.”
WR: “Okay, well I already do trust in Christ.”
GA: “That’s not what you said earlier. You said that you were trusting in being pretty good to get into heaven. If you are trusting in yourself then you are not trusting in Christ. Saving trust in Christ is absolutely exclusive!
The Gospel works to undo us so that we give ourselves up into the grace of God and find comfort, not in our achievements but in God’s reward of pure grace!
Right now I am reading The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline it’s by Jonathan Leeman and it comes from 9 Marks.
I like it. He brings some very interesting points. First, he interacts with our cultural misunderstands of individuality, love, and authority. He argues that the church needs to define love to the world. Second, he sets forth biblical understands of love and authority. Lastly, he applies these biblical definitions to membership and discipline.
It’s a very good read.
What are you reading?
Here is a clip from a sermon I preached on 6-13-10. How do we guard the Gospel of Jesus from falsehood that is common in our time? It comes from Matthew 9:9-17:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Last week I spent a wonderful hour chatting with ten high school students on the Campus of George Fox University in Newburg, Oregon. We were attending together the Reformed Youth Services (RYS) National Convention.
On this particular evening, rather than use their free time to play games the students agreed to chat with me about how they relate to their pastors. (The questions I asked were carefully designed to yield general information rather than personal and pointed criticisms of their pastors.) I was greatly helped by the time we spent together.
Of the several questions we discussed I found the answers to this one the most insightful: “How likely are you to share a personal sin with your pastor?” Read More
It is easy to wag the finger at Peter when he three times denies knowing the Lord Jesus. But as the old saying goes, “when you point the finger at others there are three more pointing back at you.” Most Christians have experienced a pain similar to Peter’s after failing to acknowledge their friendship to Christ. So, how can we avoid denying Christ?
One of the most pathetic and ridiculous displays of personal resolve was that of Peter on the night in which Jesus was betrayed. In the face of Jesus’ sober prediction that Peter would stumble over him, Peter flexes the muscle of good intention only to fall flat a few hours later. Sound like anyone you know?
One distinctive Protestant doctrine is “the priesthood of all believers.” The Bible teaches that believers share in the anointing of Christ (Cf. 1 John 2:20-29). Christ himself was anointed to be God’s mediating officer, fulfilling the Old Testament offices of prophet priest and king. Based on all this, it is reasonable for Christian men to take seriously their role as priests. One implication of this role is that Christian men should be approachable.
Feedback Friday: Three Portraits of Leadership
In Mark 15:1-15 three portraits of leadership emerge. The gist of the passage is that Jesus is standing trial before Pilate while the Sanhedrin, or Jewish leaders accuse him of many things and eventually rile up the crowd enough to sway Pilate away from his conviction of Jesus’ innocence.
1. The leadership of the Chief Priests. The members of the Sanhedrin provide a portrait of abusive, authoritarian leadership. They strong-arm their people into making a 180 degree turn from the position they held a week before at Jesus’ triumphant entry. Strong leaders can be very persuasive. The chief priests were able to turn this crowd against Jesus who only a few days earlier received him as their king. The danger in overly-strong leadership is that sometimes you might be wrong and if you manipulate your people to follow you your guilt will be double.
2. The leadership of the Pilate. Pilate provides a portrait of abdicating, people-pleasing leadership. At Jesus’ trial, Pilate repeatedly tests the waters of popular opinion. He bases his decisions not on the moral absolutes which steer his convictions but on poll numbers. Sometimes it is prudent, as a leader, to test the waters; especially when the issue is divisive and not absolutely black and white morally. But not when the answer is so obvious, as it is here.
3. The leadership of Christ. In the face of this failed leadership we see Christ quietly, faithfully, lovingly doing what needs to be done. That’s real leadership. He doesn’t defend himself in the face of accusations. He doesn’t lash out erratically when his subjects cross him. He doesn’t quit his call when his mission becomes unpopular.
In the darkest night light shines the more clearly!
How do you struggle with leadership?