My Church or the Kingdom?

The following is from Ray Ortlund's blogsite (available here) where he responds to an interesting statement sometimes stated out loud but most often thought especially by those we call the "lone rangers" of Christianity who 'attend church' but never becomes committed enough to become a part of the local assembly of believers. (One often wonders if they are committed to anything.)




"My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom."

Every heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive.

Suppose I said, "My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander."

If I said that, would you think, "Wow, Ray is so committed"? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?

If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.

We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference very day.

posted by john d.

Faith, Hope, Love

Another exerpt from the "Reminiscences" regarding street preacher Robert Flockhart by James Robertson.

"As his end drew near, his thoughts appeared to dwell the more delightedly on 'the things that are above'. For instance, one afternoon when heaven was the theme of our conversation, he remarked that 'Faith, Hope, and Love will be our good company all the way up to the door of our Father's house. But there Faith will make her bow, and retire, saying, 'You'll not need me more, for you're now to see Him as he is, without a veil'. And Hope, too, will say, 'Farewell! I've been glad to get you guided this length. And now, when I've served your turn, I must see after other pilgrims coming the same road.' But Love will smile and say, 'You and I are not to part that way. No, no! I'm going in to stay with you to all eternity'.



Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"




(From Autobiography of Robert Flockhart - The Street Preacher, publ. Baker Book House, 1977)

posted by john d.

The Use of the Law in Conversion

The following is taken from "Reminiscences" by James Robinson on the life of Robert Flockhart and dated December 1857. Mr. Robinson had been requested by Dr. Guthrie to contribute some record of Mr. Flockhart's last years of his life and kindly responded.

One of the first remarks Robert Flockhard made to Mr. Robinson when they first met was when they were speaking of how difficult it is to awaken reflection and produce conviction in the minds of the ungodly, when he (Flockhart) stated he had almost always found the most alarming subjects the most useful, and he added, " You never saw a woman sewing without a needle? She would come but poor speed if she only sewed with the thread. So, I think, when we're dealing with sinners, we must put in the needle of the law first; for the fact is, they're sleeping sound, and they need to be wakened up with something sharp. But when we've got the needle of the law fairly in; we may draw as long a thread as you like of Gospel consolation after it."

(From "Autobiography of Robert Flockhart - The Street Preacher" published by Baker Book House, 1977)

posted by john d.

Ecclesiastes 6:11

The more the words, the less the meaning

and how does that profit anyone?

posted by john d.

Do We Chose Christ?

Is it permissable to encourage unbelievers to "choose" Christ? This was a question posed by Dan Phillips at the Pyromanicacs blogsite. Periodically he presents a question for the purpose of sparking a debate among readers and recently posted the question, "Are Calvinists obliged to snort, jeer and mock at every use of the verb choose (or decide) where God is not the subject?" In other words is the proclamation to the unregenerate to choose to follow Christ or other such verbage legitimate knowing that they are dead in sin, unable to choose, etc.

Three responses were offered and I thought I'd post them for your enlightenment.

The first response:

An anonymous hymnist in the late nineteenth century wrote, "I sought the Lord, and afterwards I knew he moved my heart to seek him." I believe that is the experience of most Christians - even most Calvinists. It is certainly mine. So why would I suddenly expect a new believer to know right away what I only knew “afterward”? The gospel message ends with “Come and believe,” and that involves choice. It is only through growth in grace that we come to perceive the sovereign action by which God led us to that choice. As with any of the finely balanced truths which surround the doctrine of conversion, the truth about decisions can easily be twisted. When an evangelist says, “The decision is now yours; God has done His part and you must do the rest,” he speaks an untruth about the God who saves, but if he says merely, “It’s time for you to decide to turn away from sin and to trust in Jesus,” is he really saying anything more than “Choose this day whom you will serve”?

Another response:

It's funny that it's OK to say that we are commanding people to obey the Gospel, and when they do we get offended that they would say so. If they are cut to the heart, and ask 'what shall I do?', tell them what they should do, and help them do it. If you're rather not call that a decision, well, don't let you semantics get in the way of their repentance.

And finally:

Upon first realizing I believed the doctrines of grace, I often made this mistake. Ive also tried to explain the doctrines of grace in a way that misses the point that: We do choose Him. He wants His elect to choose Him. Now, the fact that they are totally incapable of choosing Him without His divine calling does not change the fact that being elect means we WILL call upon the name of the Lord! The issue is not whether you chose, praise be to God He makes Himself lovely in our eyes and stirs us to WANT Him. the issue is why did you choose? And I think that conversation can be had in a way that does not discourage or minimize their "decision" but causes them to rejoice in the goodness of God all the more!

posted by john d.

Evaluating The Message

Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City (Pastored by Tim Keller) uses a form to evaluate a preachers message. While I think it may seem to be too formal it does have the ability for a preacher to gain a sense of his effectiveness (humanly speaking) in reaching his intended audience.

The form is divided into two main sections. First, Faithfulness to Scripture and to God - which is intended to determine the preachers theological accuracy; Second, Message Delivery and Communication - questions related to the preacher's communication abilities and connection with the intended audience - the congregation. The responses can vary from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

My thoughts are in italics.


FAITHFULNESS TO SCRIPTURE AND GOD.

1. The preaching assertions (points) were clearly rooted in the text and squared with the whole teaching of scripture. [indicating the message adheres to the context of the text and the analogy of faith]

2. The central theme was an illustration of Christ - the message was clearly all about Jesus. [after all, the Scriptures are the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ to His people]

3. The speaker seemed aware of God, not just his sermon and the audience. [the Holy Spirit must accompany the message]

4. The speaker avoided moralizing or psychologizing, and distinguished these from the gospel.

5. The goal was to get people face-to-face with God, rather than merely instruct. [the priority is to know God]

6. Christ and His finished work were applied as the practical solution to any problem.

MESSAGE DELIVERY AND COMMUNICATION

7. It was clear where the preacher was driving - and the progression of points was traceable. [as opposed to rambling and overly repetitive]

8. The points were presented in a fresh, wise, and striking way (as opposed to boring & cliche). [if the first six questions are in the affirmative then the message will be anything but boring]

9. At the end of the preaching, the main point was both clear and persuasive. [not based only on the authority of the preacher]

10. It was clear the speaker understood the hearers’ hopes, fears, problems, concerns, etc.

11. The central metaphor or "hook" was gripping. [interesting might be a better description]

12. Jesus was made visible, not just taught about.

13. There was a balance of warmth, love and humility on the one hand and force, power and authority on the other. [the emphasis is upon balance]

14. The notes followed the message and enhanced comprehension. [not everyone provides notes or outlines to their sermons but I think it might be helpful to the hearer both during the message or afterwards for discussion]

For those more interested the form can be viewed in it's entirety here.


So, what do you think?

posted by john d.