In the coming weeks, Lord willing, I’ll be posting short clips from each of the messages with links to the full sermon videos. For now, here are the seventeen principles I’ll be interacting with:

1. The church is the possession of Christ, who is the Mediator of the New Covenant.
Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27

2. As Mediator of the New Covenant, Christ is the Head of the church.
Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18

3. Because the church is Christ’s possession and He is its Head, the principles governing the church are not a matter of human preference, but of divine revelation.
Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:18

4. The universal church possesses a spiritual unity in Christ and in the Holy Scriptures.
Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20; I Timothy 3:15; II John 9

5. The Lord gave no permanent universal, national or regional offices to His church. The office of elder (presbyter/episkopos) is clearly local in authority and function; thus, Reformed church government is presbyterial, since the church is governed by elders, not by broader assemblies.
Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5

6. In its subjection to its heavenly Head, the local church is governed by Christ from heaven, by means of His Word and Spirit, with the keys of the kingdom which He has given it for that purpose; and it is not subject to rule by sister churches who, with it, are subject to the one Christ.
Matthew 16:19; Acts 20:28-32; Titus 1:5

7. Federative relationships do not belong to the essence or being of the church; rather, they serve the well-being of the church. However, even though churches stand distinctly next to one another, they do not thereby stand disconnectedly alongside one another. Entrance into and departure from a federative relationship is strictly a voluntary matter.
Acts 15:1-35; Romans. 15:25-27; Colossians 4:16; Titus 1:5; Revelation 1:11, 20

8. The exercise of a federative relationship is possible only on the basis of unity in faith and in confession.
I Corinthians 10:14-22; Gal. 1:6-9; Ephesians 4:16-17

9. Member churches meet together in consultation to guard against human imperfections and to benefit from the wisdom of a multitude of counselors in the broader assemblies. The decisions of such assemblies derive their authority from their conformity to the Word of God.
Proverbs 11:14; Acts 15:1-35; I Corinthians 13:9-10; II Timothy 3:16-17

10. In order to manifest our spiritual unity, local churches should seek the broadest possible contacts with other like-minded churches for their mutual edification and as an effective witness to the world.
John 17:21-23; Ephesians 4:1-6

11. The church is mandated to exercise its ministry of reconciliation by proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18-21

12. Christ cares for His church through the office-bearers whom He chooses.
Acts 6:2-3; I Timothy 3:1,8; 5:17

13. The Scriptures encourage a thorough theological training for the ministers of the Word.
I Timothy 4:16; II Timothy 2:14-16; 3:14; 4:1-5

14. Being the chosen and redeemed people of God, the church, under the supervision of the elders, is called to worship Him according to the Scriptural principles governing worship.
Leviticus 10:1-3; Deuteronomy 12:29-32; Psalm 95:1,2,6; Psalm 100:4; John 4:24; I Peter 2:9

15. Since the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, it is called through the teaching ministry to build up the people of God in faith.
Deuteronomy 11:19; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Timothy 4:6; II Timothy 2:2; 3:16-17

16. Christian discipline, arising from God’s love for His people, is exercised in the church to correct and strengthen the people of God, maintain the unity and the purity of the church of Christ, and thereby bring honor and glory to God’s name.
I Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:13; Hebrews 12:7-11

17. The exercise of Christian discipline is first of all a personal duty of every child of God, but when discipline by the church becomes necessary, it must be exercised by the elders of the church, the bearers of the keys of the kingdom.
Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 5:13; I Peter 5:1-3

I just got back from getting my vehicle inspected at a mechanic shop (a yearly requirement in PA). While the mechanic was checking my car over another “technician” must have been eying me suspiciously as I sat in the shop on a broken-down ATV reading Sean Lucas’ little booklet What is Church Government in preparation for a sermon series I’m working through. With no warning, he suddenly blurted out from across the shop: “Are you from the FBI er’ somethin’?”

Bewildered, I turned my head in his direction. “A-Are you talking to me?” I asked.

“Yep”

“No, I’m not, why do you ask?”

“You just look kinda surfistercated,” he said.

Now to appreciate just how weird this was to me, I was wearing old flip-flops, cargo shorts and a print t-shirt. (After my “accuser” and I got to talking a bit I realized that it was the fact that I was reading that roused his suspicion about me.)

This experience got me thinking about how silly it is to suppose that we can reach people by dressing a certain way. Unless we are prepared to change our wardrobe every time we move from one demographic to the next (or unless we are only interested in reaching one particular demographic) this approach is simply ridiculous. The fact is, this experience was counter-cultural even though the shop was a mere 10 minutes from my house. Wearing the right clothes will never bridge cultural gaps, only the gospel will.

For more information visit the 2010 conference page.

The talk I will be delivering is entitled, Grace is not Futile: Martin Luther on the Bondage of the Will. The Bondage of the Will is held by many to be the most significant thing that Martin Luther ever wrote. In fact, he could wish that all his other works were burned besides this one and the Catechism.

This book deals with the issues of free will and the grace of God. For Luther this was the main issue that sparked the Reformation. He considers all other doctrines as, “trifles.” This was the “hinge on which all turns.”

Martin Luther is my hero. I love this man! He was courageous, Christ-centered, heart felt, passionate, Gospel-centered, and focused on the glory of God – this book shows us what made him tick. Yes, the grace of God in salvation and the freedom of our will is controversial, but for Luther it was the heartbeat that strengthened him to stand against all odds for the sake of Jesus.

That’s what I want to get to. What is that? How do we see that? How do we get beyond controversy and get to the glory of this doctrine? Luther will help us. He wrestled with these things! If you struggle with the sovereignty of God in salvation, Luther is your man!

Join us for this evening of teaching, food, and fellowship. It will be held at Tunkhannock Baptist Church on the corner of Bridge St. and Church St, right across from the Post Office in Tunkhannock, PA. The event begins at 6:30PM and refreshments and time of fellowship will follow.

If you have questions or would like to bring refreshments to the event please email info@lifereformation.org

We hope to see you there!

“If you knew you would have 20% less income next year, what area of your current budget would be most affected?” In other words, what would you cut back? Eating out? Movies?

Then he asks, “Why not cut back, without being forced to, for the sake of Christian giving?”

The first is a reflection on Jesus’ walk to Calvary:

“Yonder they conduct the Man of Sorrows! One cannot reflect who it is thus laden with the accursed tree, without feeling surprise and astonishment. But it is well for us that he traversed this path… Had he shrunk back from this fatal path, His road to suffering would have represented to us that on which, when dying we should have quitted the world. Instead of soldiers, the emissaries of Satan would have escorted us; instead of the accursed tree, the curse of the law itself; instead of fetters, the bands of eternal wrath would have encircled us and despair would have lashed us with its fiery scourge. Now, on the contrary, angels of peace sent by Eternal Love will at length bear us on a path of light, illumined by heavenly promises, to Abraham’s bosom. To whom are we indebted to this? Solely to the Man who totters yonder under the most awful of all burdens; and who carries away with Him everything which stood opposite to us and threatened us with destruction (p. 304)”

The second is a reflection on the soldiers stripping Christ at Calvary:

“The executioners then take the Lamb of God between them, and begin their horrid occupation by tearing, with rude hands, the clothes from off His body. There He stands, whose garment once was the light, and the stars of heaven the fringe of His robe, covered only with the crimson of His blood, and divested of all that adorned Him, not only before men, but also in His character as Surety, before God–reminding us of Adam in paradise, only that instead of hiding Himself behind the trees at the voice of God, He cheerfully goes toward it; reminding us also of the Old Testament high priest, His mysterious type, who, before he entered into the most holy place to make atonement, exchanged his rich attire for a simple white robe” (329).

One of the social highlights of my year happened this spring. I didn’t attend a high-profile conference or speak to a group of “dignitaries.” Instead, I had the privilege of sitting on the grass surrounded by twenty high-schoolers sharing in one the most honest and sincere conversations I’ve had in some time.

I asked a few teens if they would help me write an article on some of their family struggles. Our discussion centered around several questions that could be summed up in one: “What would you like your parents to understand about you?” This conversation was not designed to be a complaint session but, rather, the questions were carefully asked and, for the most part, thoughtfully and respectfully answered. Wanting to avoid the bandwagon effect, I asked the students to write down their answers first before we discussed them. Notwithstanding this safeguard, their answers were strikingly similar.

This article will seem rather lop-sided. It is. Remember, this is just one side of what, ideally, would be a two-way conversation. But I believe if parents would take these concerns seriously, they might hear themselves reading in a younger voice, reminiscent of when they were teenagers.

What follows are five things your teens would like you to know but may not be telling you. Take these points for what they are worth, but keep in mind that they come from the real words of real teenagers who are quite likely similar to yours.

You Don’t Understand Me

This may sound like a line right out of a punk-rock song but several teens lamented that their parents have “forgotten what it’s like to be teenagers.” According to one teen, her parents only know her according to her likes and dislikes (an okay way to know a restaurant menu but not a person). One especially insightful teen would like to remind her parents that she’s still trying to figure out who she is and could really use some help. Perhaps the first line of help her parents might take would be to spend some time getting to know her more intimately.

On a related note, several of the teens expressed frustration over being compared with their siblings. As important as groups are to teenagers, they still desire to be known as individuals. Many parents have defended themselves by insisting: “I treat all of my children exactly the same.” Given the reality of human complexity and diversity, this approach is probably counter-productive.

There is comfort in being known. The Psalmist rejoices that God has searched him and has known him (Psalm 139:1). In a similar way, your teenager desires to be truly known by you.

You Treat Me Like A Child

In the interest of disclosure, some of the teens admitted they kind of like playing the “kid card” when it’s convenient (as in, “Don’t expect too much of me, I’m just a kid”). In some sense teenagers are children. Parents should not expect the same level of performance from them as they would from themselves or other adults. Several of the teens expressed anguish over the too-high expectations of their parents.  Could it be that overly-ambitious parents tend to push their teens to be equally overly-ambitious? One teen is getting the message from her folks that participation in more activities makes a better person.

Still, the reality is that teens are quickly becoming adults and they do rightly expect an increasingly more mature relationship with their parents. When this doesn’t happen, frustration and disillusionment set in. According to one frustrated teen: “My parents think I don’t have a say until I’m an adult.” My suspicion is that many of our teens have heard a variation on the phrase “Just wait till you get into the real world” one too many times. They want to remind their parents that they do live in the real world and really do have problems. Trivialization of this fact causes pain.

One of the great challenges of family life is succeeding in helping children develop into wise adults. The oft-quoted proverb on child-rearing (22:6) begins with the word “train.” The word implies that the relationship between the trainer and trainee will change as the latter matures.

You Don’t Spend Enough Time with Me

This might be surprising. With few exceptions, teens want more independence. But they are also yearning for closeness, even with their parents. Several teens claimed to spend less than fifteen minutes a week in meaningful, personal interaction with their parents. Social commentators remind us that as connected as teens are today, they are as lonely as ever. One sixteen year old said that he and his parents only communicate at dinner and in the car. Teenagers can tell when family time is conveniently squeezed into these otherwise “unproductive” time slots.

Some families’ schedules are simply too hectic to allow for any real heart-to-heart time. One of the most foundational texts on child-rearing strongly implies that real training and growth requires spending considerable time together (Deut. 6:7).

Seventy-five percent of the teens I talked with wished the main provider of their family worked less. A young man, whose dad works hard to provide his family with all the “stuff” of the good life, still notices how much he isn’t home. Another noted: “I don’t like it when my mom isn’t around to hang out with me.”

A few years ago at a parenting conference, I heard Paul Tripp challenge breadwinners to consider taking a demotion, trading in their new cars and homes for older, less luxurious ones and begin recapturing the hearts and calendars of their kids. Not every provider will have to respond so drastically. It might be enough to say “no” to one or two non-family obligations per week and schedule some family time instead. The burden upon breadwinners differs from one situation to another. But remember that a father’s main duty to his child is to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). It is difficult to fulfill this duty and pursue the American dream at the same time.

As an encouragement, one teen summed up what others may be feeling: “I don’t care about money…I love my dad more than anyone in the whole world and would like him around more.” Contrary to the impressions they sometimes give, most teens don’t want more stuff. They want you. Buck the current trend of busyness and consider ways of making yourself more available to them.

I Want to Communicate Better with You

You might be inclined to respond, “Well, then why don’t you?” A typical teen’s answer: “I’m afraid of a negative response.” Young people want to communicate openly but many have realized that they can avoid a lecture if they just keep their discouragements and fears and sins to themselves.

Let’s make this concrete. How would you respond if your son had the courage to tell you that he recently struggled with pornography? How different would your response be if the same revelation came from a close friend? Remember, as your teens grow up, they begin to move into the position of becoming your peer.

On the other hand, teens also regret not being as open as they know they should be. They know that, despite how they are received, they owe a debt of honesty to their folks. If this is true of your teen, it might not take much on your part to facilitate the kind of honesty and openness you both desire.

I Don’t Have Everything Together

The teens honestly admitted their short-comings in their relationships with their parents. The character failures they listed will sound familiar to you: I’m disrespectful, impatient, stubborn, irresponsible and overly blunt. I have a quick-triggered tongue and a negative attitude. I regularly fail to communicate and get easily angered. I don’t know about you, but that list reminds me of someone: ME! As a parent I don’t have everything together either. How much energy do we, like our teens, expend trying to put up a façade? One way to begin dismantling that façade is to implement James 5:16, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…”

Regrettably, an “us-versus-them” mentality seems to exist between many parents and teens. A helpful question both “sides” should ask is, “In what way am I contributing to this conflict?” God knows that parents may provoke many of the disagreeable traits listed above. He, therefore, warns especially fathers to examine their own hand in their children’s faults (Eph. 6:4).

Most of the teens either hinted at or explicitly affirmed their love for their parents. Most of them didn’t give the impression that their parents were failing them. Still, if the above is any indication, parents and teens could use some help.

What Can Parents Do?

Read Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp (P&R, 2001). Off hand, I cannot think of a book, in any category, that has been more helpful to me than this one. One of the simplest suggestions he gives parents is to pursue their teens. “Don’t ever let them view you as being outside of their functional world” (80).

Talk to your teen about some of the issues raised here, but don’t announce to him that the two of you are going to “have a talk” about your relational problems. Instead, plan an intentional, quiet moment with him (Deut. 6:7), tell him that you really value your relationship and want to be more open, honest and involved. Ask for his forgiveness for your part in the distance that has developed between you. Then ask a few simple questions with the intention of NOT following up his answers with a lecture. Instead, you might hear your teen out, thank him for his openness, and pray together seeking God’s forgiveness and intervention. In the coming weeks, continue to talk and pray and rejoice as you see the Lord causing your relationship to flourish.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it’s easy or trendy or popular. It’s because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It’s because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It’s not because we want more of the same.