Trueman on Pandering to Youthfulness

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Carl Trueman has written a good piece on how too often churches and pastors pander to the culture in an immature effort to be Cool - or “hip.” He starts with a humorous discussion of baldness. I encourage you to check it out.

Trueman is really on to something. We need to get over ourselves and get more caught up with God. My generation is really too concerned with appearing young. We need to lead the way in showing that the goal is to grow in wisdom and grace as we age in years- not to follow Peter Pan in a puerile pursuit of being forever young. Idolizing youth is adolescent.

Pondering the Omnipotence of God

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I am looking over my notes for Sunday School in the morning. We are covering the doctrine of God and are currently discussing some of his attributes. Last week we discussed God’s omnipresence and omniscience, so in the morning I am to cover omnipotence. What an exhilarating, awe-inspiring topic!

I was just reading Dagg’s section on this in his Manual of Theology and
came across this quote:

We are filled with awe in contemplating the omnipotence of God. When we hear the voice of his thunder in the heavens, or feel the earth quake under the tread of his foot, how do solemn thoughts of things divine fill our minds! From the rending cloud, and the quaking earth, let us look back to the power which brought creation into being, and forward to that display of his power which we are to witness on the last day. Such a being, who will not fear?

The whole section is helpful. Dagg goes on to note that all of the universe is under God’s “immediate and perfect control.” He helpful contrasts our power which causes a finger to move and God’s will which launches planets into orbit “with a force which the cannon-ball gives
but a very faint conception.”

So much could be said here but let me briefly note some benefits of thinking deeply on this truth about God:

  • As C. J. Mahaney notes, thinking of God’s power in contrast to our weakness cultivates humility
  • As noted by Dagg knowing the overwhelming power of this God to whom we will all give account cultivates the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Surely it is the height of folly to scorn such a God and good proof of wisdom to submit to such a One.
  • This is the fountainhead of assurance, certainty and stability. God is the bedrock of faith and He cannot be forced to change. My salvation is secure because God has declared and no one is ‘big enough or bad enough’ to reverse or resist his decree. (see Rom 8:33-34)
  • This is the basis of courage. How shall we obey God in spite of those who would intimidate and threaten us? By being convinced that God reigns, that His will will triumph, and that we would rather spurn any man than spurn this God. By being convinced that he is able to keep that which we have committed to Him (2 Timothy 1:12; cf. 2 Timothy 4:17-18). If this all powerful God is with us, who can stand against us?! (Rom 8:31-19).

Student response, Pastors

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I have a quote from a student response to an assignment in my survey class today. I have not addressed issues surrounding pastoral ministry in this class so far. However, the students in reading Mark Strom’s Symphony of Scripture were asked to respond to this question from Strom:

Peter described leaders as shepherd in 1 Peter 5:1-4. What do the pictures of Jesus as the Good Shepherd (see John 10) and the one who washed feet suggest about the way church leaders should function? Do you see many leaders acting this way?

One student wrote this:

I don’t think church leaders today act like shepherds for Christianity. Leaders seem to be more wrapped up in how big their church is and how they need bigger offerings to support their church fund.

Of course this is not true of all pastors, but this is the perception of too many. May we, each in our own sphere, provide a different model, showing to those around us the way of Christ.

Evangelizing our Children

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The Baptist & Reflector, the TN Baptist paper, last week ran a brief article I wrote on presenting the gospel to our children. The article grew out of an earlier post here on John Brown’s book of questions and answers on the Westminster catechism. The article does not say anything all that earth shattering. I simply wanted to show people the forthrightness which used to characterize the way believers explained the gospel to their children. Brown is so clear in presenting the desperate plight of lost humanity and just as clear in presenting the glories of the gospel. May we do the same with our own children.

Rejoice, the Lord is King!

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I mentioned in a previous post having preached last week in our chapel on Psalm 97. Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Rejoice, the Lord is King” is a wonderful exposition of the truth of this psalm. The ground of all our joy is the fact that “Jesus, the savior reigns”. This hymn is rich for meditation as it communicates these biblical truths, particularly the benefits of knowing God’s providence. Here are the lyrics including verses typically left out of hymnals.

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’ archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Mor­al and Sac­red Po­ems, 1744

With Wolfe in Canada

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With Wolfe in Canada, Or the Winning of a Continent, G. A. Henty
(Blackie and Son, 1886; Preston/Speed Publications, 1999)
Hb., 353 pp.
Ages 11+

I am a Henty fan having enjoyed a number of his books (I have commented on our experience of reading one previously). However, this one was disappointing on several levels. The story meanders seeming as if he wanted to include too many different things. Several chapters do not really discuss the main character but pause to tell the history. Of course part of what I want is the history but detaching the history from the character makes the history more detached. These portions then read more as compilations of data rather than an engaging retelling of the historical story. With so many unusual names of people and places it is hard to follow. It was hard for me to follow so I was pleased with my boys’ perseverance just to hang in there. The fact that there are good adventure moments helped. Such moments are just too few. The book could probably be helpfully abridged.

The title is a bit misleading also since Wolfe only shows up at the end. The main character spends more time in America and Britain than in Canada. He does drop in at key historical events so he is with George Washington during Braddock’s disastrous defeat as well as being involved in various other battles of the French and Indian War.

There are good morals found in the story particularly courage, honesty, and mercy towards those who wrong us. One of the best episodes is early on when the main character James defends a young girl by trouncing a bully who knocked the girl down. My boys still talk about that scene. So the book is helpful in this way, but there are other books that do this as well with stories that are more compelling. I could not help comparing this book with Douglas Bond’s Crown and Covenant Series. Bond is far superior not only in quality of story but even more so in showing the faith as an integral part of the life of the characters.

So, we would not really recommend this book. It is not as good as many other Henty novels. Older readers can appreciate it and learn much history along the way.

Two New Books from B&H Academic

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It is really encouraging to see the high quality of books now being published by B&H. Two recent books I have been looking at are Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics and Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective: An Introductory Christology.Passionate Conviction, edited by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig, is a collection of addresses from the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the C. S. Lewis Institute and the Christian Apologetics program at Biola. The essays are divided into six categories: Why apologetics?, God, Jesus, Comparative Religions, Postmodernism and relativism, and Practical application. The contributors are top flight scholars such as, in addition to the editors, Craig Evans, Charles Quarles, N. T. Wright, J. P. Moreland, and Francis Beckwith. These are helpful essays.

Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective, edited by Fred Sanders and Klaus Issler, is a collection of 6 essays dealing with the person and work of Christ in light of the Trinity as a whole. These are significant, helpful essays of serious theological work. Bruce Ware contributed a chapter titled, “Christ’s Work, A Work of the Trinity.” I have been particularly intrigued with Donald Fairbairn essay on the Patristic witness to the unity of Christ. Fairbairn, a significant Patristics scholar, corrects a common error in the understanding of the debates about Christ’s person and nature. Particularly Fairbairn seeks to rehabilitate Cyril of Alexandria arguing that Cyril was “the Christian church’s most significant Christological teacher” (80). These essays are not light reading but they are informative and helpful.

May we continue to see such substantive, thoughtful, helpful materials form B&H in the future.

Groothuis on Techno Temptation

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Doug Groothuis has posted at his blog a column he wrote for the Denver Seminary Magazine. It is well worth the read. He addresses the problem of plagiarizing sermons and the problem of relying on the ease of technology to look up verses rather than really learning the Bible for ourselves. The first issue has been discussed here before. The second has not. But every time I read great preachers of old or open A. T. Robertson’s big grammar I am reminded that the references these men made to other scriptures were not culled from a quick computer search but flowed out of their deep awareness of Scripture. Technology has benefits, but as all things has its limitations. Let us beware the temptation of the appearance of biblical awareness with out the reality which is what shapes the soul and leads us in Christ-likeness. I encourage you to read Groothuis’ article.

HT: JT

Leupold on Psalm 97

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Today I was privileged to preach in chapel here at Union, and I preached on Psalm 97 which is a wonderful exhortation to rejoice in the sovereignty of God. I may post some thoughts from the Psalm in the future, but here I will simply post a few quotes from H. C. Leupold’s Exposition of The Psalms. I did not quote these in the sermon, but I appreciated them in the preparation. I was also pleased to “discover” Leupold. I have not really heard much of his work, though I have seen it around. I picked up this volume second hand and have been pleased with it. I am always on the look out for good material on the Psalms. Leupold is older now, but he engages the text seriously, commenting on the Hebrew text while also commenting theologically for the church today.

vv. 2-3- “Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries all around.” (ESV)
Leupold comments: “This brief description is blinding in its brilliance, but such a God is our Lord.” (688)

On v. 3- “There is no good reason for changing ‘His adversaries’ to ‘His steps’ in the Hebrew text and giving another meaning to the verb. It would appear to be a part of the trend of modern thinking to remove every possible trace of divine wrath from the concept of the deity.” (690)

On v. 10- “O you who love the LORD, hate evil!” (ESV)
Leupold comments: “Those interpreters who believe that an exhortation to hate all evil is out of place at this point will alter the text to arrive at the result: ‘The Lord loves those who hate evil’ (RSV). In place of the forceful statement of the Hebrew text a mild platitude is obtained by such a change.” (691)

Burk on Osteen

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Those who have been in my classes (at school or church) know of my concern about the influence of Joel Osteen. Denny Burk has written a good post interacting with Osteen’s appearance on 60 Minutes. Too few people note the serious danger inherent in Osteen’s ministry. Some see the shallowness and assume no one will really be taken in by this. Others note his popularity but say that while they may not agree with him on everything he is not saying anything really wrong. Both of these are mistaken. Pastors, we are commanded to guard the flock by warning them about false teaching (Acts 20:28-29; Titus 1:9).

I encourage you to check out Denny’s analysis. Here are his closing words:

Listen to Joel Osteen at your own risk. He is peddling death. And he is affable enough to make you feel like it’s life. But do not be deceived. Nothing could be further from the truth.

James Grant provides helpful links on this topic here.