Not as it seems...

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"Things are not always what they seem."

We have all heard those those common platitudes for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. I think I found a new context for them though: Easter.

We are working through Luke's Gospel at our church and the way Luke has been portraying Jesus' final days - and even his death - has reminded me of how with God's plan, things aren't always how they appear to be. 

A couple parts stick out to me as "seeming" to be one thing but a totally different reality is true. 

Jesus' Trials - Who is in control?

This is certainly true of Jesus' arrest and trials (Luke 22:47-23:25). The Sanhedrin lead the way to apprehend Jesus and they do their best to trump up charges against him. Pilate and Herod also get their chances to evaluate him as political authorities. While they find him innocent, it is the crowds (compelled by the religious leaders) who stir things up so much that Pilate finds no other choice than to go against his judgment and send Jesus to the cross. 

In all of this, Jesus remains steadfast. He quickly shuts down Peter's attempt to fight the arresting party in the Garden. He affirms the truth even when it makes things worse for him. And as he hangs on the cross, it is Jesus himself who gives up his own spirit. His life is not taken from him, he relinquishes it on his own accord. 

He wrestled with his destiny in the Garden. Now, when his end draws near, he willingly and willfully completes his agonizing mission.

Appearances can be deceiving. The political powers may seem to be controlling these events but God is the one pulling the strings. As John records Jesus saying, 
"Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."

Jesus' Death - An Unjust, Tragic Loss of Life?

From just the facts of this case, Jesus' execution by the Romans seems to be an awful travesty of justice. Herod and Pilate all find him innocent. One of the criminals hanging next to him recognizes his righteousness. And the centurion in charge of the crucifixion realizes Jesus was the guiltless Son of God. 

Even in the death scene itself, Luke describes a scene actually filled with grace, hope, and life. Jesus comforts (and warns) the mourners on his way to Golgotha (23:26-31). He forgives those who are killing him and grants salvation to the penitent thief dying next to him (23:32-43). 

Beyond the physical event, we know that spiritually his death purchases our redemption, satisfies God's justice, and provides eternal life through faith (Mark 10:45, Rom. 3:25, John 3:16). 

The cruel injustice that he endured provided our salvation. 

Saturday and Sunday - Dark Times of Sorrow?

Luke ends the Crucifixion account by mentioning the women disciples who were observing his death and his burial. He pivots immediately to the resurrection by describing these same women as they prepare to anoint Jesus' body after the Sabbath has ended.

Their actions/reactions are normal and honorable. And yet their grief is about to be transformed. 

For it was over Saturday and the early morning hours that God was vindicating his Son and redeeming humanity. By the time the women get to the tomb, Jesus was raised - and when he was raised, he once for all conquered sin and death. 

What seemed like a terrible loss was actually an occasion for the greatest victory God could have accomplished. 

The Passion Week and Easter itself offer so many examples of how God's plan included reversals, upended expectations, and reality not being how things appeared to be. 

Paul has this in mind when he says in 1 Corinthians 1:

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

I am used to the changes of moods that accompany this Holy Week. Christians appropriately transition from somberness, to lament, to celebration as we remember what Christ went through. However this year, these highlights from Luke's Gospel have given me a more consistent joyful perspective. We can be eternally grateful that in the apparent "defeat", God was working out our redemptive victory.

A Sermon Snippet about a Music Monday

 Ok, it's not Monday. But this blog started with two themes. I originally wrote either about stuff I found interesting in my sermon prep or about music.

Today, I dust off the mothballs of both of those subjects in a special combo post.

This coming Sunday I'll be preaching on Luke 14:1-24 which includes Jesus' parable about a banquet. The story he tells describes a man inviting his friends to a celebration. But the story takes a turn:

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.

The host then sends his emissaries out to gather up anyone and everyone to his banquet. Jesus then gives away some of the symbolism by concluding that "not one of those who were invited will be invited will get a taste of my banquet."

The story conveys God's fervent desire to bring in people to his future Kingdom banquet of blessing. But it also highlights the "good" excuses many employ to avoid committing to Christ and His Kingdom.

At face value, you wouldn't think this is a natural passage for a song. 

But you would be wrong. Thanks to my second and third grade education at Warsaw Christian School, I have this earworm permanently lodged in my brain:

It's catchy, memorable, and upbeat - even if the content isn't exactly truly happy-happy-joy-joy.

The cartoon animation artwork was not part of the presentation in the late 80's/early 90's but it's perfectly fitting to my memory. 

I have no deeper thoughts or comments, other than what I'll share in my message. But this is really 10/10, no notes. Cheers to the creative mind that took the challenge of putting this parable to music and authoring this little ditty. 

On Lament and Lamentations

For thousands of years, the people of God utilized the spiritual practice of lament to express their struggles and draw closer to the Lord. 

Apart from liturgical worship, lament has fallen out of favor with modern-day Christians. I don't have any hard data on it, but my theory is that we prefer cheap confession and quick restoration, choosing whatever path of least resistance will allow us to fear better about ourselves as quickly as possible. 

We don't like to sit with our pain and grief. We don't like to wrestle with the shame of our own mistakes and that is why lament is often neglected. Raw and honest lamentations won't write many best selling books or create very many hit songs for Christian radio. 

When we survey our holy Scripture, we'll discover lament all over the place: Job, Psalms, the Prophets, and Jesus himself offers up laments. And what those examples reveal to us is that God uses lament as part of our healing process. God meets us in our lament and uses it to draw us back to himself.

Mark Vroegop, a pastor who did actually write a book on lament, defines it as "a prayer in pain that leads to trust." I also like Jacob Wright's description that lament grieves "a past of violence, a present moment of suffering and torment, and a future that does not have certain answers." (h/t Scott McKnight).

We prefer our quick-fixes and black-and-white answers. Lament offers none of that. But what it does offer is better. Because until we can come to grips with how truly awful the bad side of life is, we won't be able to fully appreciate how beautiful the good news of Jesus is.

So for the next few weeks, I'm going to share some of the key spiritual truths that the book of Lamentations specifically has to teach us. They are lessons and truths that we might otherwise miss if we try our own shortcuts past suffering.

The first is a self-evident truth, that it is ok to complain to God in our misery. 

The fact that Lamentations is included in God's Word establishes this truth. This book - along with the plethora of other instances - reveals that we have the freedom to express our pain honestly to God. 

It is a collection of poems written after the Babylonian exile of 587/6 BC. 587 was the culmination of Babylon's domination of Judah. It is forever etched in Israel's history because these conquering forces destroyed two locations once thought to be 'invincible' - the Temple and Jerusalem. Jerusalem as a capital and the Temple specifically were seen as symbols of God's abiding presence and protection. Two places that would never be touched by heathen armies. Judah had seen their northern counterparts succumb to invading armies. But that was different. The southern Kingdom had the proper Temple and the true throne of David.

Things didn't work out for Judah though. Their sins and rebellion went unchecked and they turned to political alliances time and time again rather than seek spiritual reform.

Lamentations expresses the raw emotion of desperation and horror after the atrocities of these events took place. 

Lamentations is upfront about the 'cause' of all of this too. It recognizes that the people's sin brought this on themselves (1:18, 3:42-48). These were self-inflicted wounds and yet still they lament. 

God didn't ignore their pleas. He didn't mock their prayers as 'too little, too late'. He heard them. He included them in Scripture and eventually he did bring them redemption - punishing their punishers and ultimately bringing Jesus the Messiah. 

But don't miss the fact that Lamentations gives us permission to complain to God in our misery. He invites and encourages it. He meets us in all of it. 

When you feel like you're drowning in your troubles, don't hold back and don't try to hold it in. Take it to God. He's a good confidant and a patient listener. And he'll answer our cries with his presence...and there will be nothing else that will compare.

A Song for Good Friday

Is this the kingdom or just a hit n' miss?

A misdirection, lost in all this desperation...

It'll be a day like this one

When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found 

Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?

Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?

It'll be a day like this one when the world caves in.

Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing
Are there any left who hasn't kiss the enemy?
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

Does justice never find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?

And nothing is okay
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in

These lyrics are portions of Switchfoot's "The Blues" from their Nothing is Sound album.

While not written with Easter in mind, I find that it pretty accurately reflects the events, the appearance, and the mood of that first Good Friday. It was a day in which apparent darkness belied the light that was coming. A day where apparent defeat was transformed into victory. 

The sky fell down and the hungry and poor and deserted were found. 

Justice did find us, the wicked did lose. 

And nothing was ok until the world caved in.

Tuesday Theology Thoughts - When Not to Take the Bible Literally (?!?)

It is one of those verses that has always left me unsettled. I've heard it taught to be 100% true at face value for here-and-now and I affirmed that for a long time. 

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," - 2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) 

Suffering and being persecuted for our faith in Christ is a common theme in the New Testament. See John 15:20, Romans 12:14, 1 Corinthians 4:12, the entire books of Acts and 1 Peter for starters.   

These passages cause my unsettledness to rise up in my gut like spiritual acid reflux because I look at my 42 years on this earth and I don't relate. I committed my life to Christ at the age of 4-5 and as long as I can remember have loved Jesus and wanted to live for him. I have not been persecuted. I have not had to suffer for Christ. 

Is something wrong with me? Am I not doing it right? Do I not desire to live a godly life enough? Was Paul wrong? 

All are questions that flash into my head as I try to figure it all out. I can't just dismiss 2 Timothy 3:12 as a verse out of context because there are so many others that imply the same thing. 

In preparing for this past Sunday's message on 1 Peter 3:13-22, I think an answer revealed itself that solves the interpretive tension (for me at least). And it all paid off by going back to the basics.

Whether you are interpreting, studying, or just reading the Bible, it is essential to remember that the Bible was written to people living in a world much different than ours. It was written for our benefit, but it's not a 1:1 proposition. 

There are differences to be accounted for. Principles to be discerned and applications to be made at the end of the process.

The differences to account for with 2 Timothy (or any of these other passages)?

• Christianity was a new emerging faith at the time 1 Timothy was written (likely early to mid-60's AD). 
• Christians were the cultural minority by a large margin.
• Christianity was drawing widespread suspicion and social hostility in the Roman Empire. Outright persecution of Christians was beginning to occur and would swell in the coming years thanks to Nero. 
• Christians faced the loss of their freedoms, livelihoods, social relationships, and even lives because they worshipped Jesus.

None of the above are true of the USA in 2022. 

Can we scour the headlines of the past twenty years or so and find some exceptions? I will grant that it is possible, but rare.

So I am now quite comfortable in concluding that suffering and persecution are not prescribed for us right now like it was then. Things could always change of course. 

And more importantly, while we may not have to suffer for Christ, we are called to other acts of obedience that may prove painful. We need to sacrifice for Christ for one. Our time, money, attention, priorities, and lifestyle are all things we are called to as disciples (Mark 8:34-38). Secondly, we need to surrender things in our lives for Christ like sinful habits and activities that hinder our spiritual progress (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

These things are not unrelated to suffering. I would compare them to this:

Surrender would be the outer ring. It is a voluntary decision to "suffer" in a sense. But it is not exactly what the NT speaks about when talking about trials, persecution, and suffering.

Sacrifices are also voluntary choices, but are often things we do or don't do in addition to the fundamental things we surrender to Christ when we are redeemed. These can be tough to commit to and experience but have a positive intent.

Suffering is the center of the target. These are specifically things we must endure that are not self-inflicted or personal choices. They come from the outside and are not thrust upon us for redemptive purposes or intentions by those directly involved. God does use them for good ends of course.

So when I encounter a passage like 2 Timothy 3:12 or 1 Peter 3:13-22, I should have enough humility to understand that this doesn't directly relate to me. It may apply to our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan or China but I should not totally equate my sacrifices to their sufferings. 

You may still be thinking, "But Lee, Paul says 'all' Christians seeking to live godly lives will be persecuted. Don't you take that literally? Doesn't the Bible mean 'all' when it says 'all'?"

Remember, he's writing to a particular audience at a particular time in history that is greatly different than today. 

Also take note that he does qualify to an extent in 3:13. 3:12 is not a finished sentence, Paul's full thought is,

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."  

He's not making a sweeping statement about the rest of history moving forward here. He is describing their current cultural climate and preparing Timothy to lead in it - see 3:14-4:5.

I find it rewarding when I can process through tensions I find in God's Word. I hope this all makes sense to you the intrepid reader who has made it this far. I may end up editing this later but I'd hope it might caution you from adopting the kind of "persecution complex" that is rampant in American Christianity today.

Sermon Snippets: The Bible Says What?

A common critique of the Christian faith in general and Scripture specifically is that Christians pick and choose what they want to believe and obey and what they don't. 

"You believe _____________ is a sin, but don't condemn wearing clothes of mixed fabrics as Leviticus 19:19 prohibits."

It is an oft-used "gotcha" by non-believers to point out our obvious and blatant hypocrisy.

Except it is an argument that doesn't hold water.

Almost every example critics use in their "gotcha's" comes from the Old Testament Law. And upon closer inspection, both the context of the Law and the content of the laws themselves reveals that we are not being hypocritically selective in what rules we follow and what rules we ignore.

The context of the Law reminds us that God gave Israel these commands to abide by after He freed them from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. The Law was meant to give them a national identity as they lived before Him, holy and set apart from their middle eastern neighbors. The broader Biblical context of the Law is also instructive. The Law is no longer determinative for those who follow Christ (Galatians 3). Jesus himself fulfilled the Law and becomes the true interpreter of the Law, able to define what continues to apply and what no longer has bearing on us (Matthew 5:17-48).

The content of the laws themselves is also important. While we aren't given every purpose, reason, or cultural backdrop behind these commands - we see the Israelites were repeatedly told to do these things to "be holy" (Lev. 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7,26, 21:8). And we also do know enough about their cultural background to know that many of their dietary restrictions and things like tattoo prohibitions were about avoiding the behaviors of pagan religious rituals of the nations around them.

Most of those realities are different for us 3,500 years later. Holiness still matters (1 Peter 1:16) but how it is lived out has changed. Thankfully we can eat bacon and lobster now because God has instituted the New Covenant to replace the Old Covenant that was founded on the Law (Acts 10:9-16). 

So yes, I probably do believe ____________ is wrong because the Bible says so and I am probably wearing clothing with mixed fabrics. But that doesn't make me a hypocrite. It makes me an informed follower of Jesus and astute student of Scripture.

For further reading on this, much of the above is indebted to Dan Kimball's recent book, How (Not) To Read the Bible (Zondervan 2020).

Faith and Doubt

I am 41 almost 42 years old. 

I've read the Bible since I was a kid and have seriously studied it since I was 17. And still there are times where I go, "Hmm, never seen that before."

The latest example came this week as I prepped for my sermon on the aftermath of the resurrection, in Matthew 28 - appropriately one week after Easter.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Did you catch that? "they worshipped him; but some doubted." 

It is no secret that the disciple Thomas doubted (see John 20) and his story is instructive on its own. But this implies there were more "doubters". And Thomas' account is actually more about disbelief. The term used here is about uncertainty, hesitation, and being unsure. Without splitting too many hairs, these comments are not about unbelief-related doubt but about confusion-related doubt.

And who can blame them? They'd just been through a roller-coaster of a week, filled with hopeful celebrations and the starkest of traumas. The "too-good-to-be-true news" turns out to be real and they worship. Some clearly are still trying to process it all and have genuine doubts - unsure about what it all means, what has happened, and what is to come.

The incredible thing about this part of the story is Jesus' response. We know he graciously warns Thomas about "unbelief" but in this description regarding these doubts, he offers something different. He does not rebuke them for denying him (looking at you Peter) or abandoning him in the Garden (looking at the other 10 of you). He reassures them by focusing them on his supreme authority and empowering them for their mission: 

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

One takeaway from this new observation is that faith and doubt can go together. Some view doubt as an enemy or the opposite of faith. It is as if we must have all the answers to all the questions or we aren't right with God. I don't think so. I think doubt/uncertainty is inherent to faith. Like the father seeking healing for his son in Mark 9:24, we will honestly say sometimes "I believe, but help my unbelief". 

Jesus isn't threatened by our hesitations, confusion, or for that matter our unbelief. He offers us himself -  the supreme King of the Universe - not to give us all the answers, but to encourage us that he's in control. He has a purpose for us and he will be with us. 

There will always be an element of ambiguity to life of faith in Jesus. There will be things we don't know, can't know, and will never know. He will take care of that stuff - and take care of us. And he will welcome our struggle with doubt even if it gets mixed in with our worship. 

Our human nature won't like the tension of faith and doubt. If we turn it over to Jesus, we can learn to live with it.

Wednesday Wisdom

 ANNOUNCEMENT: Given my changing personal schedule, it looks like I will be switching to either "Tuesday Thoughts" or "Wednesday Wisdom" from my traditional "Music Mondays" feature. I anticipate still incorporating musical thoughts, memories, and opinions but I will probably tackle a more diverse range of subjects here.

If you read my last entry, you know that I've started a sermon series going through The Sermon on the Mount of Matthew 5-7. I'm taking the Beatitudes one by one and last Sunday we studied 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy."

Mercy is a concept I know from growing up in church but it first registered in my mind from TV, specifically Uncle Jesse on Full House. 

  

From the show's inception, he employed the catchphrase "Have Mercy!" whenever something good happened or his girlfriend/wife Aunt Becky gave him some loving, family-appropriate affection.

It was funny but even as a kid I knew it didn't quite jive with what mercy actually is.

Later on, I learned the oft-cited definition of mercy as it relates to the concept of grace. Grace is "getting what you don't deserve" while mercy is "not getting what you do deserve."

When reading through Scripture, it becomes quickly apparent that the above definition is too simple. Mercy is more than the absence of something. Mercy is something that is active, demonstrated, given and received (Hosea 6:6, James 2:12-13, etc.).

Mercy is the Good Samaritan. Mercy is raising Lazarus from the dead. Mercy is operating a local food pantry. Mercy can even be lived out by getting a COVID vaccine. In his commentary on The Sermon on the Mount, Scot McKnight defines the merciful this way, "The 'merciful' are those who...because they have experienced God's merciful love, empathize and show compassion to others."

During this week, we've seen political and national turmoil chaotically descend on the nation of Afghanistan as our nation has withdrawn our military presence. Heartbreaking images have flooded the news and social media as people desperately try to flee the coming darkness that is Taliban rule. I pray that our government leaders change course and act in mercy towards those people. 

Outside of prayer, it feels like there's little someone like me can do to really make a difference in that situation. But the overwhelming scope of the latest tragedy should not stifle my impulse to be merciful. Instead, to quote Ernie Johnson, I'm going to ask myself "what can I do today to make someone else's life better today?"

Music Mondays/Sermon Snippets

So I went the entire month of July without posting here. In retrospect, I'll call it an unintentional blogging sabbatical. 

This month has been filled with hot weather, family get-togethers, church events, yard work, our denomination's national conference, a mini-vacation...and now we are getting into August all of the sudden.

As I've traditionally done in the past, this summer I switched to a sermon series that lends itself to people's summer schedule (ie, traveling-vacation-inconsistent church attendance). I picked "The Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5-7 and am in the middle of the Beatitudes. 

Yesterday brought us to, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" in Matt. 5:4. Like many of these other sayings, Jesus doesn't seem to make worldly sense with this assertion. I had some extra time to prepare leading up to this and providentially I kept finding myself personally confronted with lamentable situations.

I'm convinced more and more that mourning/lament are the most ignored part of Christian discipleship in our modern times. Read Scripture with an eye for this and you'll find it everywhere. Whether it's mourning over the death of faithful saints (Gen. 50), the deplorable condition of God's city (Nehemiah 1ff), the depraved condition of God's people (Lamentations 1, all the Prophets), or simply suffering injustice (Ps. 22, 86), lament is an integral part of what it means to walk with God. It's not just about being sad. It is about seeing how the world is not as it should be - but still trusting in God to make it all right.

This brings me to our music for today. A Facebook memories reminder pointed me in this direction. Of all the modern CCM artists out there, I find Jars of Clay to have utilized this lament genre as much as anyone. Here are a couple examples I find notable and meaningful. 

If you find yourself in a time of lament, grief, or mourning - may you find God's comfort and consolation. And may we all learn to patiently protest the present while confident of God's future reconciliation.

Sermon Snippets

I always try to "practice what I preach" but yesterday offered a perfect opportunity to test that out.

My sermon passage was Hebrews 4, which largely focuses on entering "God's rest". We all love our rest - who doesn't love a nap?

In context, "God's rest" is more than a nap of course. He references it in relation to the entering the Promised Land in the Exodus (4:1-2,9-10). But also connects it back to Genesis 2 when God finished his creating our world (4:4). He also implies that it is something we can experience or discover today (4:7). Some have seen it as our reward of heaven when we die, others believe it to be God's full realization of his Kingdom at the end of the ages. Others define it as a state-of-being we believers can enjoy now (See Guthrie's NIV Application Commentary on Hebrews, pg. 151-155)

So what is it? Which of those options best captures what "God's rest" is?

It may be a combination of all of them in reality. God's rest will ultimately be established in the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21-22). And except for the last generation, we will all have to experience death ourselves before we see that day.

And yet, Jesus promises "abundant life" in the here-and-now to those who follow him (John 10:10). Our burden of sin is relieved by faith in Christ. Our never-ending pursuit of significance is eliminated when we understand how Christ transforms our identity and has determined our significance. In that sense, God's rest can be experienced in the present. 

With this latter point in mind, I tried to enjoy some of God's blessings and "rest" yesterday. The day started with worship - and worship has always been part of God's Sabbath design. But beyond that - with the sun shining and a young family at home - God's rest looked a lot like this:

Steaks on the grill, marinated with my own special sauce concoction. I overcooked the a little, but sides of veggies and a baked potato made for a filling meal. Time with the boys and the wife was fun, if not also chaotic as it can be with two toddlers. Time for a nap did open up, which felt good. Some NBA All-Star basketball to end the night? Sure, I'll take it.

It wasn't a perfect day necessarily. It was a good day though. 

Enjoy the "rest" God provides. And be sure to heed the message of Hebrews 4, which is, be sure find that "rest" through obediently trusting God's Word. 

 

Music Mondays + Sermon Snippets

Yesterday was unique in the sense that Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday. 

Naturally, this pastor chose to prepare a topical sermon on love. I eschewed the theme of romantic love, though I believe Scripture has much to say on that topic. I decided instead to focus on God's love for us. 

The verses of Ephesians 3:17-19 had come to mind early in my preparation process, especially the part where Paul prays that we "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...".

Have you ever thought about how wide God's love is? How long it stretches? How high it reaches? How deep it goes?

I tried to answer those questions in the message and, in doing so, many great songs kept popping up into my head. 

This one in particular stood out above the rest and I ended up quoting it in my conclusion. 

It is such a great song that pays proper tribute to the amazing love of God towards us. I am always captured by the lyrics of the second verse which state:

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky

Some songs begin with their most powerful and profound statements. This one waits until the second verse to use incredible imagery to capture the limitless nature of God's love for us.

The love of God - it shall forevermore endure, the saints and angels song!

Music Mondays + Sermon Snippets

We are beginning a sermon series in Hebrews and I'm going to do my best to regularly highlight songs that fit the passage. I imagine this will be harder in some parts than others, but I guess we will see.

The winter storm forced us to cancel our service yesterday, though I still shared my sermon in truncated form with a co-starring appearance from our son. 

It was no surprise that Tate's presence was a little distracting, at least to this speaker. It's a little ironic given that our passage, Heb. 1:1-4, is all about tuning into Jesus as the only voice worth tuning into. 

One of the songs our worship team was going to lead us with was an "oldie" I remember from my college days. It's a simple chorus - one that fits the 7/11 repetitious stereotype. And yet, in it's simplicity, it fits the tone of the introductory verses of Hebrews. 

There are many other more popular and more loved songs that focus on Christ and elevate His name. But something about this one seemed just right. May all the other voices fade away and we commit ourselves anew to worshipping and obedience.

Worship at Home - January 3rd

 Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. Psalm 113-118 is referred to as the "Egyptian Hallel". What is the significance of that? What does that name refer to?
2. Who does God look out for according to Ps. 113?
3. What major event in the Old Testament is Ps. 114 referring to? What greater New Testament event does that foreshadow?
4. What are false idols in our day that compete for our loyalty and allegiance (Ps.115)?
5. What difference can these truths make in my outlook, my actions, my faith?

Worship Songs

Devotional Reading

- Monday: Psalm 113

- Tuesday: Psalm 114

- Wednesday: Psalm 115

- Thursday: Psalm 116

- Friday: Psalm 117

- Saturday: Psalm 118

Making Golden Calves out of Bronze Serpents

In my sermon prep last week in 2 Kings 17-20, a detail popped out to me as I was working through the text. 

In describing the spiritual reforms King Hezekiah implemented, the author makes this note in 18:4

"He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan."

If that reference doesn't ring a bell, there's a short little story in Numbers 21:4-8 of the Israelites growing impatient on their Exodus journey to the Promised Land. God sends snakes in their camp as punishment - and then provides a solution, having Moses craft a snake made of bronze. Anyone who was bitten could look at the serpent and live. Jesus even references it to predict his own sacrificial death in John 3:13-15.

So here in the time of Hezekiah, we learn a) Israel had kept this item b) they had begun to worship it and 3) the King ordered it's destruction. 

What are we to infer from these things?

Well, with a), it was not inappropriate for them to have kept this "icon" that reminded them of God's grace. We know that the Ark of the Covenant was a physical item meant to portray (and seat) God's divine presence. And the Ark itself held other items of special notoriety, namely Moses' staff, manna, and the 10 Commandment tablets. 

Point b) and c) naturally go together as one causes the other. Technically, the passage stops short of stating that out-and-out worship was being observed in the presence of the bronze artifact. Yet the context is clear that Hezekiah was not going to stand for anything that went beyond Yahweh-prescribed worship. 

I find it fascinating how b) follows a) though. Maybe convicting is the better word. Doesn't this feel totally normal for the human experience? Human beings were given a visible sign as part of God's gracious assistance and they start to ascribe special value to the statue itself? Of course we did. 

Early on in church history, the Eastern Orthodox and Western portions of Christianity split over issues including the use of images and iconography. Roman Catholic cathedrals around the world feature exhibits (for lack of a better term) of various alleged items of significant objects of historical Christian events. Evangelical churches aren't often that direct. But we like to put a cross prominently on everything and often take great pride in our architecture and building environment. We often glorify experiences - camps, missions trips, the eucharist - making them the main thing rather than the actual experience of knowing God. 

I'm not equating these examples nor am I outright condemning them. To be honest, this is a half-baked idea. I'm not fully sure of what big application I want to make here other than, we better take care not to make idols out of symbols or memorials. Don't hedge your bets with other rituals or let good tokens of grace turn into superstitious lucky charms. Bronze serpents can easily turn into golden calves if we don't keep the main thing the main thing.

P.S. If I really wanted to stir up some stuff, I might question whether or not we Americans do this with our flag, i.e., do we worry about "disrespecting the flag" as an object instead of focusing on what the flag represents - freedom, independence etc?

Christians and Leaders and Christian Leaders

Having devoted much of my life to studying God's Word, I will occasionally stumble upon a randomly interesting observation. One such observation came up in my prep for yesterday's sermon and since it's been an entire month since I posted, I figured I would try fleshing it out some more here.

My randomly "profound" idea? 

Christians have often had a weird relationship with their leaders.

It is as if we are on a constant search for the person God is raising up "for such a time as this". Whether it be a political candidate or a new pastor/spiritual leader, we are often all-too eager to fall head-over-heels for someone. And the higher the stakes, the higher the pedestal we put them on. 

This then leads to leader-worship, where some start to believe that since God's hand is on that individual, since he sovereignly put them in that position, that makes them untouchable. They are infallible, impervious to mistakes, you can't really criticize them because God's favor has rested on them.

Maybe we don't theologically believe those things are absolutely true but practically we treat them as such. We will jump all over the smallest misstep of an opponent while turning a blind eye to exceptionally problematic issues with our leader(s). 

This is not a new phenomena. Israel's history is littered with kings who operated according to such beliefs. In the middle ages, there was the doctrine of "the divine right of kings". The American concept of "Manifest Destiny" can probably linked to this concept too. 

When we buy into this perspective that venerates our leaders, we fail to understand that God's favor is not some sort of force-field that makes them invulnerable and perfect. 

Even if God's divine appointment could be proven, it is not cover for anything and everything they might do or say. Read about David's life, especially the last part of his reign. Or Joash in 2 Kings 11-12. It is all too easy for imperfect human beings to lose their way. 

Only one leader in all of human history has a spotless record. And he was God-in-human-flesh. And he was crucified.

Let me just wrap this up by encouraging us all to do two things:

1. Pray for our leaders. Christians are commanded to (1 Tim. 2) of course. Yet we should do so because we realize they are put on a pedestal that comes with a heavy weight. We should pray because we realize how easy it is to trip up. 
   
   
2. Don't be blindly loyal to anyone but Jesus. If my favorite pastor or my preferred political candidate messes up, I should be wise enough to recognize it and give voice to my disapproval. Jesus alone is worthy of our complete allegiance because he has not and will not let us down.

We have often had a weird relationship with our leaders. Doing these two things will allow us to live within the tension of supporting those God has put over us but not blindly following them into whatever folly they may be chasing.

Home Worship 5/17/20

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. How does Paul describe his calling in 15:15-16 - what is his goal?
2. Read this article as it relates to Paul's mention of "Illyricum". What are the options for what he's saying? When would he have ministered there?
3. How does Paul taking the collection to Jerusalem picture the Gospel in his estimation - 15:25-27?
4. What warning does he give as he wraps things up in 16:17-18?
5. Who does Paul want to be the focus as he ends his letter - 16:25-27?

Worship Songs

Devotional Guide

Let's take a look at other endings Paul writes in his letters to other churches.

Monday - 1 Corinthians 16:10-24

Tuesday - Galatians 6:11-18

Wednesday - Colossians 4:7-18

Thursday - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Friday - 2 Timothy 4:6-22

Saturday - Titus 3:9-15

Home Worship 5/10/20

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. What specifically can the "strong" in faith do that the "weak" cannot - 14:2-3, 5-6?
2. What are Paul's specific commands to each side of the issue - 14:1-4,13; 15:1,7?
3. What are non-essential issues of our day that Christians often get hung up on?
   
4. What kinds of sacrifices does Paul ask the strong to make in 14:19-23?
   
5. Who is the example to follow - 15:3-6?

Worship Songs

Devotional Guide

Monday - Romans 14:1-12

Tuesday - Romans 14:13-23

Wednesday - Romans 15:1-13

Thursday - 1 Corinthians 8

Friday - 1 Corinthians 9

Saturday - 1 Corinthians 10

Home Worship - 5/3/20

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. Who are some examples, from the Bible and elsewhere, of people who blessed their persecutors (12:14)?
2. Who are some examples of people of "low position" whom you can reach out to (12:16)?
3. Why does Paul tell us not to get even in 12:19?
4. Why should we submit to our government (13:1-2)?
5. What example does he give of how we can do this (13:6-7)? What are other ways you can think of?

I'd highly recommend reading this post by Pastor Jordan Muck with summarizes well the biblical foundation for how we ought to interact with our governing powers.

I would also encourage you to become familiar with the life stories of Paul Schneider, Franz Jagerstatter, and Dietrich Bonhoffer. 

Highly recommended viewing - A Hidden Life which tells the story of Mr. Jagerstatter.

Worship Songs

Devotional Guide

Monday - Romans 12:14-13:7

Tuesday - Daniel 6

Wednesday - Acts 4

Thursday - Matthew 5:38-42

Friday - Matthew 17:24-27

Saturday - 1 Peter 2:11-25

Home Worship - 4/26/20

Here's this week's Worship Supplement to go along with our message in Romans 11.

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. What three words are used to describe our sacrifice of ourselves to God in 12:1?
   
2. What might it look like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? What things could we do to renew our minds?
   
3. What metaphor does Paul give to encourage us to think of ourselves with "sober judgment" - 12:4-5? How does that relate to our giftedness in 12:6-8?
   
4. What command ties 12:9-13 and 13:8-10 together?
   
5. Why is remaining dedicated to God so crucial according to 13:11-14?

Worship Songs

Devotional Guide

Monday - Romans 12:1-13

Tuesday - Romans 13:8-14

Wednesday - 1 Corinthians 12:1-13

Thursday 1 Corinthians 12:14-31

Friday - 1 Corinthians 13

Saturday - 1 Thessalonians 5

Home Worship - 4/19/20

Here's this week's Worship Supplement to go along with our message in Romans 11.

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. What evidence does Paul give that God hasn't outright rejected Israel? 11:1-6
2. What is God's purpose in allowing Israel's rejection?  11:11
3. What does Paul hope to do as he preaches Jesus to the Gentiles? 11:13-14
4. How can we be sure God will draw Israel back to himself?  11:28-29
5. Given God's plan to redeem both Jew and Gentile, how should we respond?  11:33-36

Worship Songs

Weekly Devotional Guide

• Monday - 1 Kings 19
• Tuesday - Psalm 69
• Wednesday - Psalm 92
• Thursday - Isaiah 29:1-10
• Friday - Isaiah 29:11-14
• Saturday - John 15:1-17

If you wanted some good perspective from a Christian journalist and author, I'd encourage you to also read this article that I find to be a convicting yet fair assessment of our response as Christ-followers: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/are-we-christians-the-rich-young-ruler-covid-19/