The Shepherd as Theologian: Accurately Interpreting and Applying God's Word for God's People

“No profession in the world suffers more from a serious lack of clarity, when it comes to the basic requirements of the job, as the pastorate/eldership. Everyone but pastors seem to know what their job is. In fact, if we are honest, clergy malpractice goes on everywhere, all the time. It is ubiquitous. It is pandemic. There is widespread confusion about what it means to be a pastor/church leader, and widespread indifference to biblical duties. As a result, the church has no concept of what the pastor is to be or do. One thing is clear. Most pastors have no interest in being theologians, nor do their congregations expect them to be. The devolution of theology and biblical scholarship as a serious matter for Christians can be traced back to the absence of doctrine and careful biblical scholarship from the pulpit. This is a dereliction of duty. This is clergy malpractice. The pastorate is no longer an intellectual calling, and no longer do pastors/elders provide serious intellectual leadership. Instead today’s pastors merely manage programs. They give uplifting talks, apply culturally invented principles, and put their energy into everything but biblical scholarship- everything but an intense study of the text, which yield sound doctrine.” All of this contradicts the clear direction of the New Testament Scriptures (note 2 Timothy 1:14; 2:1-2, 15; 4:1-5; Jude 3). 

From John MacArthur's book- The Shepherd as Theologian.

The Shepherd as Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision

The Evangelical Church in America is, by in large, "a mile wide and an inch deep" yet relatively few seem to notice or even care. What does the God of the Word think of this trend? "By New Testament standards, pastors/elders are, whether they like it or not, the appointed theological leaders of the church; the theological integrity of the church will seldom ever rise above its pastors/leaders, no matter how astute the local university's religion department. And insofar as pastors have largely lost their ability to provide theological leadership, and indeed no longer see doing so as part of their vocation, the theological integrity of our congregations has suffered considerably. But most significantly, as an inevitable consequence, with the collapse of theological integrity in our churches, a corresponding erosion of ethical integrity has followed (for examples- note Galatians, 1 Corinthians, and James)... Correct understanding can't get us all the way there, but wrong understanding is often all that is needed to shipwreck one's faith. And it is the pastor's sacred duty, above all others, to guard the theological integrity of the people of God." Hiestand- (see Titus 1:5-11; 2:1, 15; 3:1, 8; 1 Timothy 1:5-11, 18-20; 3:1-2; 4:13-16; 5:7; 17-18; 6:2-5; to name but a few proof texts).

Pastors/elders must also shepherd, lead, oversee, and care for the spiritual needs of the flock BUT never at the expense of fulfilling the God-ordained role of being a shepherd-theologian within the local church.

Join us Sunday at Lake Country Bible Church as we consider "The Anatomy of a Biblical Church" and specifically address the role theology/doctrine plays in the maturation process of ordinary believers (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Why Do Pastors and Elders Need to be Biblical Scholars?

"We must NOT make the mistake of making evangelism the enemy of theology or discipleship the enemy of edifying scholarship... Historically, pastors were as 'comfortable with books and learning as with the aches/pains of the soul.' Elders/pastors are called to be both shepherds and theologians! 

But Why?

Right thinking about God exists to serve right feelings for God. Logic exists for the sake of love. Christian zeal must be according to biblical knowledge (Romans 10:1-2)... Thinking hard about biblical truth is the means through which the Holy Spirit opens us to the truth (2 Tim. 2:15)... The great commandment of Loving God includes our minds. Truth received through the mind stirs the religious affections of Spirit-filled saints!

Paul reasoned with his unsaved audience in Acts 17 and he regularly employed rhetorical questions in his inspired epistles (1 Cor. 6:2, 9, 15, 19). He assumed that believers would use their minds in effort to think biblically about something. Jesus utilizes/assumes logic in Luke 12:54-27...

2 Cor. 4:2- I want to to be this kind of preacher. I want to stand before God on the last day (2 Tim. 4:1) and say, "I did my all to be faithful and let people think of me what they wanted to think. I don't want to be the kind of pastor who's always watching what people are going to say and then governing what comes out of his mouth by what people are going to say...."

2 Tim. 2:15- It takes hard mental work to rightly handle the Word of God. Don't let anybody ever tell you that hard mental work is unspiritual. We are using our minds to understand God's Word, and we are depending in prayer upon the Holy Spirit to guide our minds... Reading a substantial book is hard mental work. Such is true of the infallible Word of God! (2 Peter 3:16f).

How Jesus Runs His Church (The Master's Plan for the Church)

"Why Church Members (Sometimes) Need Biblical Overseers Looking Over Their Shoulder?" is the title of Sunday's sermon at Lake Country Bible Church.

This summer we have worked hard trying to establish a comprehensive shepherdology, a robust sheepology, and a clearly defined ecclesiology (doctrine of the church).  We have considered numerous New Testament passages that have been ripe with practical implications for shepherd-leaders and sheep alike!  Lord-willing, this Sunday will be no different.

Along the way the Scriptures have underscored the primacy of the local church and the essential need for biblical shepherd-leaders.

The Outline of Sunday's message is as follows: I) The Four Main Proof Texts.  II) Three Key Terms.  III) Two Ways this Biblical Teaching Ought to Impact the Specific Duties of Local Church Elders/Pastors.  IV) How Biblically Informed Sheep Ought to View their Local Church "Overseers?" 

This sermon is part 15 of a related expositional series on 

"How Jesus Runs His Church" (i.e. the Master's Plan for the Church).

Sermon 1 (5/26/19)- By Whose Authority? How Jesus Governs the Universe.
Romans 13; Eph. 6; Heb. 13:17

Sermon 2 (6/2/19)- By Whose Authority?  How Jesus Runs the Church.
Selected Scriptures.

Sermon 3 (6/9/19)- The Biblical, Historical, and Apostolic Precedent of Elder-led Churches
Acts 1-28 and Selected Scriptures.

Sermon 4 (6/16/19)- Sheepology 101: Embracing the Good Shepherd's Plan for My Life and His Church.   
Selected Scriptures

Sermon 5 (6/23/19)-  Sheepology 101: Embracing the Good Shepherd's Plan for My Life and His Church.  Part 2
Selected Scriptures

Sermon 6 (6/30/19)- "You Cannot Do it Alone!" Why Every Church Needs Multiple Shepherds
Exodus 18:13-27; 1 Peter 5:1-4

Sermon 7 (7/7/19)-  The Elder's Mandate: Shepherd the Flock of God Among You
1 Peter 5:1-5  (pt. 1)

“You Cannot Do It Alone!” Why Every Church Needs Multiple Shepherds

“You Cannot Do It Alone!” 

Why Every Church Needs Multiple Shepherds: 

Exodus 18:13-27; 1 Peter 5:1-4 

“Now these things happened as examples for us. They were written down for our instruction.”

(1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrew 13:7; Romans 15:4) 

Ex. 18:13-27- what was true back then, is true now. This narrative illustrates two important lessons


1)


2)

Sermon Outline of 1 Peter 5:1-4 

I) The _______________________ Shepherding Mandate.

(1 Peter 5:1-3) 

II) The Eternally Glorious ____________________.

(1 Peter 5:4) 

As a humble, battle-tested leader the Apostle Peter empathizes with the lesser known church elders from Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:1-2) which is now Turkey.

The Three-fold Basis of Peter’s Shepherding Mandate 

We have:

A) A ______________________ Calling

(1 Peter 5:1a) 

B) A ________________________ Witness

(1 Peter 5:1b) 

C) A _______________________ Reward

(1 Peter 5:1; 1:6-7) 

What's Next at Lake Country Bible Church?

Over the past two years it has been my joy and privilege to feed the people of God that make up Lake Country Bible Church. I am truly blessed to minister to such a humble (Isaiah 66:2) and hungry congregation (1 Peter 2:2-3). We believe that, by God’s design, the expository pulpit is the rudder of the church and we covet your faithful prayer partnership!

Here is a summary of where we have been and what we believe is on the preaching horizon:

After 18 years of faithful ministry our founding pastor, Pastor Sal Massa, retired in May of 2017. Pastor Sal had begun a verse-by-verse study of Revelation but was unable to complete this great prophecy before he retired. In order to enhance shepherding/preaching continuity between my predecessor and I, and in effort to not leave the sheep hanging (the end of the story is the very best part), I committed to finishing this expository study.

Sunday morning (5/19/19) marks the end of a long and rewarding journey. My prayer is that we will not forget the many lessons that the Holy Spirit has taught us along the way. By Divine design, the prophesied future is intended to impact the here and now. The Christian life does not make sense without this future hope. God calls His saints to live each day in the light of Christ’s imminent return. That is the heart and soul of biblical “eschatology;” (studies related to the end times).

As we transition into our summer schedule, we are going to begin a new sermon series. I have attached a tentative schedule of what will be covered over the next few months. This new series will highlight what King Jesus expects from those who shepherd and lead His flock. It will also address the primacy of the local church, the need for meaningful membership, and what the Lord expects from “the people of his pasture” in terms of their relationship with local church pastors and elders. The current plan is to begin a new book study after the busy summer season end.

In addition to what has been taught during our worship service a number of men have been teaching the Psalms on Wednesday night. Before his retirement Pastor Ray worked through the Minor and Major Prophets.

Our Women Teaching Women ministry has enjoyed two studies through the book of James and Habakkuk. The College and Career group has worked their way through 1 Peter and the book of Acts. In addition to these offerings, during the Sunday School hour we have recently worked through Galatians, the Spiritual Disciplines, and an Old and New Testament study on biblical manhood and womanhood.

As a reminder we do not offer Sunday School during the summer months and our worship service begins at 9:30 AM. Our summer schedule begins May 26th and ends September 1st.

Together for the gospel,

Pastor Caleb Kolstad

Forthcoming Sermon Series 

Summer 2019 at Lake Country Bible Church

How Jesus Governs the Universe; Rom. 13; Eph. 6; Heb. 13:17

How Jesus Runs His Church- Selected Scriptures. 

Why These 66 Books and No More? How We Received the Bible

Have you ever looked at your Bible and wondered, “How do we know that these 66 books, and no others, comprise the inspired Word of God?”

That is a critically important question, since there are many today who would deny that these 66 books truly make up the complete canon of Scripture.

The Roman Catholic Church, for example, claims that the Apocryphal books which were written during the inter-testamental period (between the Old and New Testaments) ought to be included in the Bible. Cult groups like the Mormons want to add their own books to the Bible—like the Book of Mormon, The Doctrines and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. And then there are popular books and movies, like The Da Vinci Code, that claim centuries after these books were written Christians (like Constantine) determined what was in the Bible.

So, how do we know that “all Scripture” consists of these 66 books? How do we know that the Bible we hold in our hands is the complete Word of God?

There are a number of ways we could answer such questions; in fact, we could spend weeks studying the doctrine of canonicity, carefully walking through the relevant biblical and historical details. And there are many helpful books that can guide you through that wealth of information.

But in this article, I would like to offer a simple answer that I hope will be helpful – because it gets to the heart of the matter.

It is this: We believe in the 39 books of the Old Testament, because the Lord Jesus Christ affirmed the Old Testament. And we believe in the 27 books of the New Testament, because the Lord Jesus Christ authorized His apostles to write the New Testament.

The doctrine of canonicity is grounded in the lordship of Jesus Christ. If we believe in Him and submit to His authority, then we will simultaneously believe in and submit to His Word. Because Jesus affirmed the Old Testament canon, we affirm it with Him. Because He authorized His apostles to write the New Testament, we also embrace it.

Prepared to Stand Alone- The Faithful Example of J.C. Ryle

"John Charles Ryle was born of well-to-do parents at Macclesfield on 10 May 1816. After a period of private schooling, he entered Eton in February 1828, where he excelled at rowing and cricket. Going up to Christ Church, Oxford in October 1834, he continued his sporting prowess, and captained the First Eleven in his second and third years, achieving a personal 10-wicket bowling triumph in the 1836 Varsity match at Lords (which Oxford won by 121 runs).

Various circumstances and incidents in his own and others’ lives had awakened Ryle to the knowledge that all was not well with his soul, but matters came to a head not long before he took his Finals in 1837. He was struck down with a serious chest infection, and for the first time in fourteen years he turned to his Bible and prayer. Then one Sunday, arriving late to church he was in time to hear the reading of Ephesians chapter two. As he listened, he felt that the Lord was speaking directly to his soul. His eyes were opened when he heard verse 8, ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.’ He was converted through hearing the Word of God, without comment or sermon.

Ryle took a first in Classics, but turned down the college fellowship which was offered. His intention was a career in politics, and he went to London to study law, thinking this would be a help to him. However, he had to give this up after six months due to a recurrence of his chest problems, caused by the London smog. When his father’s bank crashed in 1841, Ryle had to give up all hope of a political career, as he now had no money behind him.

With his Oxford degree, Ryle could enter the ministry of the Church of England, and it was to this he turned, being ordained by Charles Sumner, Bishop of Winchester on 21st December 1841. Long afterwards Ryle wrote, ‘I have not the least doubt, it was all for the best. If I had not been ruined, I should never have been a clergyman, never have preached a sermon, or written a tract or book.’

8 Marks of Authentic Worship

How shall we formulate a biblical definition of worship for our time?

A bewildering array of definitions has already been proposed in the ever-expanding literature on the topic. Neither the First [the Old] nor the New Testament tried to capture the concept with a single word. We may characterize constituent parts of worship as mystery, celebration, life, dialogue, offering, or eschatological fulfillment, but to define biblical worship is to confine it.

At best we may try to describe the phenomena.

Pagan worship focuses on corporate and individual cultic efforts seeking to mollify the gods and secure their blessing. Today many Christians’ understanding of worship differs little from that of pagans, except perhaps that God is singular and the forms of worship come from traditions more or less rooted in the Scriptures. Largely divorced from life, such worship represents a pattern of religious activities driven by a deep-seated sense of obligation to God and a concern to win His favor. But this understanding is unbiblical; it separates worship from daily life and compartmentalizes human existence into the sacred and the secular.

To account for the dimensions of worship reflected in the Scriptures, we need a much more comprehensive explanation. In simplest terms, worship is ‘the human response to God.’ However, to reflect the complexity of the biblical picture, I propose the following:

True worship involves reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign in response to His gracious revelation of Himself and in accord with His will.

This is not so much a definition of worship as a description of the phenomena. Let me lay the groundwork with some brief commentary.

FIRST, THE SCRIPTURES CALL FOR WORSHIP THAT IS TRUE AS OPPOSED TO FALSE.

Everyone worships. The problem is that not everyone worships truly.

Those who direct their worship to gods other than the God revealed in Scripture or who worship the living God in ways contrary to His revealed will worship falsely. Whether we interpret obedience ‘before YHWH’ in everyday conduct cultically or ethically (Deut. 6:25), to walk before Him in truth and faithfulness with our whole heart, mind, and being (1 Kings 2:4) demands integrity: consistency between confession and practice and consistency between what God seeks and what we present.

SECOND, TRUE WORSHIP INVOLVES REVERENT AWE.

What I Value Most in Preaching

"A sermon is very much a jar of clay; even the best are far from perfect. Even though they bear the flaws of the preacher, God is still pleased to graciously work through humble servants and their earthly efforts (1 Cor. 1:21; Col. 1:28; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).

The more I preach, the more I witness confirmation that the Spirit must supernaturally illuminate the Word of God in the hearts of people in spite of my feeble attempt to explain and apply it. I don’t think there’s a formula or process that can guarantee this, other than actually preaching from the Scriptures.

I’ve recently been asked what I value in a sermon. The more I thought about it, I figured I should put these values down on paper if only for the purposes of accountability. So, upon reflection, here are 6 values I hope are reflected in my preaching.  It is my goal that my sermons would be:

1) Expositional– An expositional sermon is one in which the main idea of a text of Scripture is the primary point of the sermon, and ideally the sermon would show the congregation how (here’s a nice summary by Mike Bullmore on expositional preaching). This is where all the original language, grammar, history, genre awareness, and literary analysis pay off in studying a passage.

2) Informed by Biblical Theology– The sermon’s content and main idea should be nuanced in light of the whole of the Scriptures. It’s easy to become so focused on the passage in question that the forest of Scripture is lost. In this I want to be aware of NT/OT connections, as well as the way certain themes are developed in the whole of the canon.

3) Saturated with Pastoral Exhortations– Local Church pastors are commended to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort" the flock with "great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  One will benefit from listening to the likes of John MacArthur.  Just realize that as a local church pastor he is preaching a specific message to his congregation.  A sermon should be infused with examples of how the passage should be believed, applied, and/or obeyed. Shepherds are called to pastor the flock through the pulpit ministry of the church.  As a sheep you want to come to worship with this expectation.  You should expect your toes will be stepped on and should be grateful for such correction (see Proverbs 9:8).

Is “Missions” Undermining the Great Commission?

"The final marching orders of Jesus to his church in Matthew 28:18–20 and Acts 1:8 are where we derive the term “Great Commission” from. Here is that specific task, given to Christ’s church, with the expectation of fulfillment:

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18–20)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

For our times, though, the clarity of that task seems to have been replaced by a degree of fuzziness, usually encapsulated in the word “missions.” Missions has become a catch-all that can mean whatever we want it to mean. Missional churches, missional communities, missional living, people on mission, my neighborhood is my mission field, short-term missions, long-term missions; the list is never ending as to what qualifies as mission or missions. What once was commonly understood to mean taking the gospel to the unreached people groups, while having to cross significant obstacles (new languages and cultures, severe climates and countries, governments hostile to Christianity, etc.), has now been swept up into the kaleidoscope of “missions.”

An Eye-Opening Comment

Exodus and God’s Eternal Plans (pt. 2)

In part 1 of this series, God established a theology of salvation in Exodus 1-2 by raising up a deliverer and initiating deliverance. In the following chapters, we observe God’s revelation of this salvation. The details of the text present rich theology ingrained into these familiar passages. 

PHARAOH ATTEMPTS TO STEAL GOD’S GLORY

Exodus 5 opens with Pharaoh’s insolent speech. The king of Egypt questions the supremacy of God: “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Ex 5:2). He also asserts himself in the place of God when he declares, “Thus says Pharaoh,” (Ex 5:10) an intentional mockery of “Thus says the Lord.” Pharaoh believes God is nothing, insults His words, and claims to be divine.

In his audacity, Pharaoh commands, “let the labor be heavier on the men” (Ex 5:9). The word for “let the labor be heavier” is the word “glory.” Pharaoh is essentially saying, “Let me demonstrate my glory by placing Israel under hard labor.” With these arrogant words, Pharaoh is both stealing God’s glory and disputing His authority.

Pharaoh repeats this offense when he hardens his heart. The word used for “harden” is the same word “glorify” (כבד). The use of this word exhibits the attempts of Pharaoh to harbor his own glory rather than attribute glory to God. God has once again been challenged by Pharaoh, as he arrogantly asserts that he deserves all glory. 

GOD REVEALS HIS POWER

In response to this affront, God reveals Himself more fully. With plagues He devastates Egypt, the world’s first superpower.

These plagues unveil His glory and supremacy in the following 4 ways: 

1. The plagues display God as Creator.

Why are there ten plagues? The number “ten” points back to the creation account in Genesis. When God creates the world, He speaks ten times (Genesis 1:3–30). Another set of “ten” in Exodus confirms this association. The ten commandments are called in Hebrew literally the ten “words,” or ten “speakings.” This again refers to the ten times God spoke in creation. The ten plagues parallel this logic. They show in sum that God is Creator; He is absolutely supreme.

2. The plagues establish the lordship of God over the world.

Encouragement for Those at the Crossroads of Life: College Bound

I do not want you to experience what too many church kids have experienced.   Many adults will have their deepest regrets in regard to the choices they make from age 18 to 26. These years are the crossroads of life. You decide many things during these years – will I continue to worship God outside my parents’ influence? Will I still gather with God’s people in worship on the Lord’s day? Am I going to work hard to earn a living? Am I going to be generous with what I have? With whom will I choose to spend my life?

Sadly, many have walked away from the faith during these critical years, never to return. My desire and prayer is that this will not be your story.

Whether you go to school in the bubble of a Christian college or a secular university; whether you are headed into the workplace or taking a gap year – the danger remains the same.

I want to give you three words that will help you handle your newfound freedom and maximize it for your spiritual growth.

PURPOSE

Purpose is word number one. Too many students transitioning from high school to college lack purpose. They don’t know the why behind what they’re doing. They don’t even know why they’re going to school except that it’s expected. Most don’t know why they’re here on the planet.If you waste your days, you waste your life

It is sad to see these college years lived with such a lack of purpose. If you don’t understand your purpose in these pivotal years, you will waste an extraordinary portion of your life that could have been maximized for your future self and for the glory of God.

If you wrote yourself a letter 20 years from now, I’m confident that you would tell yourself to live these years with purpose, to be mindful of the tremendous opportunities and freedoms at your fingertips, and to use these in a way that would bring God the most glory and your soul the deepest growth.

Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-16, writes,  Be careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.

This verse first tells you to be mindful of how you walk.

This is one of the most abundant metaphors in the New Testament – walking. It’s just one foot in front of the other. The Christian life is about getting up each day in order to be obedient to Jesus.

The Christian life is not ordinarily filled with the exhilarating sweeps and swoops of a rollercoaster, nor daily do we experience the majestic peaks and dark valleys of the Himalayas. Instead, the majority of the Christian life is spent walking – one foot in front of the other. It requires consistency, balance, and care as you find your footing."

Then the author defines the Christian walk as it relates to time.   "In these transitional years, you have the opportunity to harness the time to benefit your soul. Time is ticking; the clock is turning. Another day has passed, and with it, a myriad of opportunities that, when judgment day comes, you will wish you would have seized.

The author tells you to redeem the time. But you likely do not think of an hour as something to redeem. The word redeem comes from slavery. Slavery was far different in the ancient world than the evils with which we relate the term. Slavery was a condition that people could be bought out of – or redeemed from.

Redemption is an intriguing word to use in reference to time. It’s as if to say you could buy back time. The word for time used is one that refers to periods of time – epochs, ages, stages, or moments. It refers to longer sections of time; not so much measurable units as periods of life.

However, do not make too much of the distinction between stages of time and minutes of time, because stages are made of minutes. Seconds become minutes and minutes become hours and hours become weeks and weeks months and months years and years decades and decades lifetimes. If you waste your days, you waste your life.

This does not mean that you must nail down every detail of your future life. The Bible warns against this kind of thinking. But a wise man plans. In Proverbs, the wise man plans how he will sow seed and harvest it to yield a profit. Planning is deeply biblical.

This can be done in simple ways – like not changing your major 700 times; like finishing the classes you start; like learning to be responsible with the small amounts of money you have. All these habits you train yourself in today will later pay dividends.

None of this is flashy. But before you can be the next Hudson Taylor, you must understand that Hudson Taylor had his act together. And that’s what I’m pleading with you to do.

I’m telling you the truth. I’m telling you what I believe you would tell yourself decades from now: to use these years better than you would have. 

PROGRESS

Too many young Christians don’t make enough of the word progress.

The Mandate of Biblical Inerrancy, Authority, and Sufficiency: Expository Preaching

"Preaching ought to reflect our conviction that God’s Word is infallible, inerrant, and If we believe that “all Scripture is inspired by God” and inerrant, must we not be equally committed to the reality that it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17)? Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher

Paul gave this mandate to Timothy: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim 4:1-2, emphasis added). Any form of preaching that ignores that intended purpose and design of God falls short of the divine plan.

The only logical response to inerrant Scripture is to preach expositionally. By expositionally, I mean preaching in such a way that the meaning of the Bible passage is presented entirely and exactly as it was intended by God. Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher.

GOD’S WORD IS INFALLIBLE AND INERRANT

Too often, preaching does not reflect the reality that God’s word is infallible and inerrant. In fact, there is a discernable trend in contemporary evangelicalism away from biblical preaching and a drift toward an experience-centered, pragmatic, topical approach in the pulpit.

Many evangelicals hold to limited inerrancy, but they cannot have their cake (trustworthy Scripture) and eat it too (limited inerrancy). If the Bible is unable to produce a sound doctrine of Scripture, then it is thus incapable of producing, with any degree of believability or credibility, a doctrine about any other matter. If the human writers of Scripture have erred in their understanding of Holy Writ’s purity, then they have disqualified themselves as writers for any other area of God’s revealed truth. If they are so disqualified in all areas, then every preacher is thoroughly robbed of any confidence and conviction concerning the alleged true message he would be relaying for God.

Exodus and God’s Eternal Plans (Pt. 1)

In our study of the Bible, we suffer from over-familiarity—an attitude that says, “I know this. I’ve heard this before.” This is the dilemma of the book of Exodus. We know the book’s stories: Moses, the ten plagues, the Ten Commandments, the golden calf, and the tabernacle. We tend to sprint through narrative passages when their stories are familiar to us.

But, we ought to pause for one compelling reason: narratives contain theology.

In the Scriptures, history is the basis for theology. When we read, we need not only to look for the facts of what happens, but also for the reasons why. What is God doing in narratives as He moves people and maneuvers situations? This approach to reading narrative passages provides a glimpse into the theology that is developing and the character of God that is being displayed.

Let’s examine the familiar passage of Exodus 1-2 and see what rich theological truths can be gleaned.

A THEOLOGY OF A DELIVERER

The book of Exodus has an epic beginning. In the first verses, the list of names of descendants and offspring are quoted from Genesis 46, where God expounds how He has kept the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant includes three major promises: land, seed, and blessing. This hook in Exodus 1 highlights the promise of seed—a promise that traces back as far as Genesis 3:15, where God promises that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. By opening Exodus with these verses, God is saying, “I’m continuing my plan for Israel. I’m moving forward with Genesis 3:15.”

Israel was not crying out to anyone. They were not praying to God

Did the Old Testament Prophets Know What They Were Saying?

"When reading Scripture, the tendency of many Christians is to think in terms of what this verse means to me. What the Bible means to a given individual, however, is completely irrelevant, for the true meaning of Scripture is found not in the subjective impression of the contemporary reader but rather in the specific intention of the original author. For this reason, we often speak of “authorial intent” as the goal of Bible interpretation.

But this only raises a further question: exactly whose intent are we seeking to ascertain? The intent of the human author or the intent of the divine author? Or is it possible that there is actually no tangible difference between the two? Herein lies one of the key issues in the field of hermeneutics today—the question of whether the human intention and divine intention of Scripture are one and the same.

A Closer Look at a Difficult Passage
Some interpreters point to 1 Peter 1:10 as evidence of a sharp distinction between of the human and divine intention of OT prophecy. In this passage, the apostle Peter writes:  (10) As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, (11) seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. (12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

According to this view, 1 Peter 1:10-12 teaches that the OT prophets did not understand the meaning of their own prophecies. For this reason, it is said, the human and divine intent of Scripture cannot be regarded as one and the same.

The Daring Mission of William Tyndale

"Many people misunderstand the main point of the Reformation. It wasn’t a worship war between the Roman Catholic Church and those who were protesting. It wasn’t a mere protest. It certainly wasn't a petty squabble over insignificant truths.  It was about God raising up faithful men who would protect the gospel of Jesus Christ from the perversion of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church...

How was this possible? It was necessary to bring the Bible out of the shadows. For ages, the Bible had been locked away in a dungeon and the religion of Rome insisted that people could only hear the Word of God spoken in Latin (even though people couldn’t understand it). They were certainly not permitted to have the Bible in their own homes. Therefore, the protection of the purity of the gospel came through a rediscovery of God’s Word.

Standing upon the shoulders of Martin Luther was another man—William Tyndale. He was born in 1494 in rural western England. At age 12, he entered a preparatory grammar school at Oxford University. He learned grammar, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, rhetoric, logic, and philosophy. He had a gift for the languages and made great progress as he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1512 and his master’s degree in 1515.

While studying theology, he came into contact with the writings of Martin Luther. In 1521, Tyndale stepped away from academic atmosphere in order to pursue his thoughts on the Reformation. During this time, he would be called upon to preach in small churches. His beliefs were aligning with Luther and people were noticing it. He would have meals with priests often and he became appalled at their ignorance and false doctrines.

Whatever Happened to Expository Preaching (pt. 2)

In his book, He Is Not Silent, Dr. Al Mohler raises a provocative question: “If you picked an evangelical church at random and attended a Sunday morning service there, how likely is it that you would hear a faithful expository sermon, one that takes its message and its structure from the biblical text?”  In most communities the odds would not be very good. As Dr. Steven Lawson has suggested, when it comes to solid Bible preaching there is nothing short of a famine in the land.

In the eyes of many, expository preaching is simply no longer relevant because it fails to connect in any kind of meaningful way with the average person in today’s culture. This criticism, of course, is hardly new. Back in 1928, a prominent liberal Baptist minister named Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote an article for Harper’s Magazine entitled, “What’s the Matter with Preaching?” In the article, Fosdick wrote:  Many preachers indulge habitually in what they call expository sermons. They take a passage from Scripture, and, proceeding on the assumption that the people attending the church that morning are deeply concerned about what the passage means, they spend their half hour or more on historical exposition of the verse or the chapter, ending with some attendant practical applications to the auditors. Could any procedure be more surely predestined to dullness and futility? Who seriously supposes that, as a matter of fact, one in a hundred of the congregation cares (to start with) what Moses, Isaiah, Paul, or John meant in those special verses, or came to church deeply concerned about it. Nobody else who talks to the public so assumes that the vital interests of the people are located in the meaning of words spoken 2000 years ago.

Fosdick himself died in 1969, but his view of expository preaching lives on. Many still see it as the epitome of dullness and futility. Many still insist that it fails to connect to the vital interests of the average person in the congregation. Many still believe it is doomed to failure because it hasn’t kept up with the evolving needs of contemporary culture.

According to Mohler, this rapid decline of expository preaching has been one of most troubling developments of the last several decades.  Numerous influential voices within evangelicalism are suggesting that the age of the expository sermon is now past. In its place, some contemporary preachers now substitute messages intentionally designed to reach secular or superficial congregations—messages that avoid preaching a biblical text and thus avoid a potentially embarrassing confrontation with biblical truth.

Various alternatives to expository preaching may indeed connect with the masses and fill the pews, but at what cost? Time will eventually tell.

Article written by Pastor by Matt Waymeyer

Whatever Happened to Expository Preaching (pt. 1)

In September of 1982—more than a decade before the rise of the Internet—journalist Allen Neuharth launched a newspaper that would revolutionize the world of print media. What made USA Today so unique is that its approach and design were based on the most thorough market research ever performed on behalf of a newspaper. By surveying readers about their likes and dislikes, Neuharth was able to present the news in a way that catered to the desires of his potential audience.

In his research, Neuharth discovered that people liked lots of color, lots of pictures, and lots of graphics. They wanted short, easy-to-read articles that didn’t continue on a later page. They wanted less international news and more human interest stories. In short, they wanted something that reminded them more of television than a newspaper. So that’s what he gave them. And even though critics began referring to USA Today as “the junk food of journalism,” the end product was an amazing success, at least in terms of circulation.

Unfortunately, many churches today have taken a similar approach to designing their worship services. The trends reveal that people want less doctrine and more drama, less preaching and more props, less declaration and more dialogue. They want short, easy-to-listen-to sermons that don’t get too deep and that don’t focus too much on God and not enough on me. In short, they want something that reminds them of the Sunday morning edition of USA Today. And that’s exactly what they’re given.

The Shepherd Preacher

In his new memoir Outsider Looking In, Gary Wills, leftist intellectual and former conservative journalist, made an interesting observation about politicians who try to become academics after they leave office. 

 “Politicians live for contact with people. They lose the gift for contemplation, or research, or simple reading. Being alone with a book is a way to die for many of them.”

Real shepherds know the sheep, live with the sheep, and even eat the same sheep food. This sort of life demands both public engagement with real people and meaningful private moments alone with piles of books. In churches we have code language that goes something like this. If the guy is warm and friendly but can’t preach to save his life, it is said of him that “he has a pastor’s heart.” Conversely, many wonderfully skilled expositors are nothing more than full-time conference speakers who drop into their congregations most Sundays and deliver a conference-like message. In short, if our vocation hovers anywhere near the end of Ephesians 4:11 we need to embrace the full weight of what it means to be a pastor and the commitment involved for those who are called to teach the Word. Are you a pastor or a teacher? The answer should be “both.”  God calls pastors to shepherd the flock with their fellow elders (1 Peter 5) and to preach and teach the whole counsel of God (1-2 Timothy)

Will You Pray For Me?

Looking up with tears in his eyes, he could only mumble the words, “Will you pray for me?” He was a fellow pastor in a nearby town that I had agreed to meet for lunch. When he initially called, he indicated that he was straining under the weight of problems in his congregation. To be honest, the problems in his church are not uncommon because sin has a way of finding a home in every flock. Struggling marriages, difficult deacons, wayward children, job losses, deaths, and an occasional “anonymous email” had greatly increased the burdens of ministry for this brother.

The truth is, this story could be repeated thousands of times over. It is safe to assume that the leadership of your church has and will face many unique challenges to their ministry. Will you commit to pray for your leaders? I hope the answer to this question is “yes” but I also know that many struggle with how to pray for church leaders. Scripture is replete with examples and encouragements to pray for those who minister the Word. This is especially pronounced in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Against the backdrop of this ministry we learn how to pray for ministers of the gospel.

As Paul concludes the last chapters of his letter to the church at Rome, he says something that we should not easily pass over. In light of surmounting opposition in Judea, Paul petitions the Roman church, “strive together with me in your prayers” (Romans 15:30). In the context we learn that Paul wanted to partner with this church for his missionary journeys but he also knew that they could spiritually refresh his spirits. As he does here, Paul often attached the prayers of the people to the importance of his ministry of the Word (cf. Romans 15:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1). There are at least three requests that Paul continually brings to the churches.

1. Pray that the Word is Received

Church leaders are called on to do many things but one thing they must do is teach the Word (1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:9). In the course of any given week this takes place over lunch, in counseling, at bedsides, and from pulpits. Pastors are not called to give opinions but to faithfully shepherd the flock of God as heralds of God’s Word (1 Peter 1:1). Notice how Paul calls the church at Ephesus to pray:  “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19).

Though Paul’s apostolic ministry is markedly different from that of elders today, the bottom line is the same, “that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly.” Pray that your leaders will speak with boldness, clarity, conviction, and pastoral compassion from God’s Word. Also, that they would dispense this ministry as they “ought to speak.” The temptation to “tickle ears” is great so pastors must be diligent (2 Timothy 2:3). Pray that your church will receive the Word with obedience and joy (1 Thessalonians 1:13; Hebrews 13:17).

2. Pray that the Word is Clear

“HE’S IN A BETTER PLACE:” FACTORS CHRISTIANS NEED TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE SPEAKING

Immediately after he passed away, a nurse came in and made an empty attempt at comfort, “He’s in a better place” she said. As soon as the words were uttered they seemed to bounce around the room with nowhere to comfortably land. For the sake of context, this was spoken to a dear woman, only nanoseconds removed from the loss of her husband and best friend of forty-eight years. Better place? Really? Is it wise to tell a woman who has just lost the closest of human relationships that your husband is better off because he’s no longer here with you? Regardless of intentions and whatever this might mean, I’m convinced that Christians can do better.

Now this is not to open a discussion on the nature of heaven. I believe that “heaven is for real,” not because some four year old has an out of body experience and lives to tell about it. Heaven, like hell, is real because the Bible assumes the veracity of both. Christians are often easily duped into throwing out the Bible and taking up second-hand experiences as proof of this and that. We should remember that the Bible is sufficient reason enough to believe that after our earthly existence, our souls will be immediately present with Christ and will await a future resurrection of our bodies in which the ultimate destination (i.e., place) becomes a new heaven a new earth. This I know because the Bible tells me so.

Could this be what that poor nurse was getting at? Was she attempting to emphasize that, “he’s in a better place”? If so, it would seem that the weight of scripture would be on her side. The great Apostle surely indicates as much, stating that to be absent from the body is “to be at home with the Lord” (emphasis mine, 2 Cor 5:8). Also, we believe in the immortality of the soul so if it’s not here then it has to be somewhere. So if this were her intention she would be theologically correct on a number of points. However, I don’t think this is what she was aiming for.

Is It Sunday Yet?

Is it Sunday yet?  The Lord's Day should be the best day of the week.  By the grace of God, for my family it certainly is.

This coming Sunday we prayerfully anticipate another morning of vibrant Christian fellowship.  Spirit-filled praise.  Edifying, and sometimes humorous and/or tearful, conversations.  And focused expository listening.

The believers that make up Lake Country Bible Church are full of Christian joy and hope.  Our founding pastor worked hard to ensure that this fellowship was Word-centered; without losing our identity of also being a loving family of believers.  Pastor Sal believed that the Lord's Church is to be known for its commitment to Christ-like love (John 13), absolute truth/sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Eph. 4:11-16), and "good deeds" (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 2:10).  It's both/and rather than either/or.

During the 9 AM Sunday School hour our children/teens will be in stage of life focused classes.  Our wonderful teachers will highlight biblical truth using Answers in Genesis material.  One of our elders (Dave) will lead the adults in prayer and then continue his excellent series through Galatians.

At 10:15 AM the entire congregation will come together for our corporate worship service:

1) We will sing a number of praise songs and hymns (Col. 3:16; "Jesus Shall Reign;" "10,000 Reasons;" "His Mercy is More;" "Before the Throne of God Above;" and "By Faith.")

5 Principles for Evangelical Leadership

Time for a confession: I once thought an evangelical leader had to be a good marketer. Sensing a call to serve the church vocationally during high school, and since most pastors I knew were polished message crafters and used slick methods, I set out to study marketing in college to prepare for ministry in “seeker-sensitive” churches. Leaders in the church were studying the latest advertising trends and picking up gleanings from sociological research to ensure we could pull the correct “felt need” levers. Focus group theology sounded about right to me. My colleagues and I headed to seminars and sought to take those best practices back to our student ministry. Better sound system. Skits and videos. Rocking bands. Smoke machines. We chided those who didn’t “get it” and grew impatient with those who we perceived were anemic about reaching the lost. God’s kingdom depended on us. If we did not act now, God’s purposes in this world would be thwarted.

Enter the ministries of John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul. I cannot remember which came first, but they were my mentors in the faith. It was transformative. They articulated a robust understanding of the authority of Scripture, the finished work of the cross of Christ, the Lordship of Jesus in the life of His disciples, and a high view of gospel preaching, God-centered theology and church life that was, at least to me, radical. Zeal for evangelism was bolstered by an unshakable confidence in the God who works through His un-thwartable Word. Gone was the tiring treadmill of pursuing the next best thing. They introduced me to a chorus of evangelical leaders calling the church to the pursuit of God as He sovereignly worked out his purposes in this world.

Iain Murray recently released a biography of John MacArthur. (Do try to pick up a copy.) In the opening of that book, he uses some of Dr. MacArthur’s teaching to illustrate five qualities of an evangelical leader. We asked Mr. Murray if we could reprint a portion and he graciously agreed. Twenty years ago, this wise counsel would have saved me several years of heading down an unfruitful path. Perhaps it can do the same for another generation.

Please Do Not Reimagine Worship

"Recently I observed an advertisement for a bank and it was a commercial that talked about how their new design was “banking reimagined.” It was not the typical banking atmosphere. It was complete with a coffee shop, modern seating, and appeared to be more of a lounge than a bank. It is very common within evangelical circles to hear people talking about how they have reimagined church or reimagined worship. This typically means they have redesigned it for a modern audience with a fresh new look or purpose. It would do us well to remember that God doesn’t need our imagination to repackage worship. He has given us everything we need in the Scriptures in order to detail they way in which God should be approached in worship.

The Archbishop of Canterbury (William Temple) in the 1440s described the purpose and functionality of worship. He said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” In other words, while we are impacted, changed, and beneficiaries as a result of worship—we must view worship as primarily centered upon God.

The primary audience for our worship is God himself. It’s not the congregation, because the congregation is called by God to engage as participants in worship. It’s not the seeker who is coming looking for God, for that person doesn’t truly exist. The true seeker is God himself. Therefore, in our weekly worship as a gathered church—our worship is offered up to God since he alone is the primary audience. Therefore, that means that we must take our worship of God seriously.

If The Radical Left Takes Over, You Can Kiss Your Freedoms Goodbye

"The pattern is as predictable as it is obvious. When the left (especially the far left) talks about freedom, it means freedom for those who conform. When it talks about diversity, it means my way or the highway. Political correctness is to be enforced. Dissent will not be tolerated. So much for the left bringing “liberation.”

Shutting Down Dissenting Views

Of course, the left will say to us, “No, you are the ones who require conformity. You are the ones who refuse to recognize marriage when it’s different than what you’re used to. You are the ones who want to forbid a woman from having control over her own body. It is our side, the left, which loves freedom.”

But that objection misses the point.

Our argument is that marriage in our society has a certain meaning and history and function. To tamper with that is to tamper with our foundations.

But if two men or two women want to live together, that’s their choice. We simply don’t want to be required to validate or celebrate that choice.

When it comes to abortion, notice that, despite our abhorrence of that sinful practice, we’re not forcibly stopping women from having abortions. We’re arguing that no one has the right to terminate the life of an innocent baby and we’re advocating a change in the laws and the culture through political and persuasive means.

How Can I Pray for My Spouse?

How Can I Pray for My Spouse?

Praying for our spouse combines the two most important relationships in our lives: our covenant with God and our covenant with our spouse. These two covenants are the bedrock of creation before the fall, and the marriage covenant in particular is the primary illustration for understanding much of redemptive history (Eph. 5:22–33). It is only fitting that our marriages would be marked by that same activity—prayer—that marks Christ’s marriage to the church.

But just as pride was the sin that undermined both Edenic covenants, it skews our prayers for our spouse. So often our prayers for our spouse start with what we want changed about them. But Scripture teaches that we are going to be the biggest influence for sanctification in our spouse’s life. A husband who prays for his wife that she would be loved by a husband who grows in holiness all his days prays a good prayer and is its own answer. The biggest answer God may provide as we pray for our spouse may be to change us, not him or her.

But there is a place to consider what specifically we can pray for our spouse. Second Peter 3:18 is a great place to start: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Pray for your spouse’s growth in the grace of Jesus, that repentance and deep joy in the gospel would mark his or her life. Pray for your spouse’s increasing knowledge of Jesus, that his or her study of the Bible, at home and under Lord’s Day preaching, would reveal more truth to him or her about our great Savior.

The Irrelevance of Hell

In our postmodern culture that plays by the "tolerance rules" of modern times, we have been taught to be “nice” and to pursue happiness at all costs. After all, if we can’t say anything nice, we shouldn’t say anything at all. For the majority of people within our urbane culture, hell is the sort of topic that is not discussed in the local coffee shop nor is it the center of attention in Sunday sermons. Let’s face it—hell is not relevant to a sophisticated culture. But, why has hell become irrelevant?  Consider the following three reasons why next to no one is talking or thinking about hell anymore:

Our Culture Loves Itself To Death

It is not excuse that our culture is filled with self-love. We enjoy making much of our amusements and entertainment is almost viewed as a basic human right in our culture. We have trivia shows, all sorts of game shows, and even shows that spotlight other people’s funny videos designed to keep us laughing. Neil Postman, in his classic work, Amusing Ourselves To Death, observes the following:

Everything in our background has prepared us to know and resist a prison when the gates begin to close around us . . . But what if there are no cries of anguish to be heard? Who is prepared to take arms against a sea of amusements? To whom do we complain, and when, and in what tone of voice, when serious discourse dissolves into giggles? What is the antidote to a culture’s being drained by laughter? [1]

Just fifty years ago, funeral directors anticipated lengthy mourning periods for family gatherings at the funeral home. Today, the typical funeral is over from start to finish within a couple of hours. Historically speaking, after the death of a loved one, families would mourn for days or weeks, but today’s culture is quick to acknowledge the death—but families are quick to jump right back into the typical fast-paced ruts of life immediately afterwards. Nothing can stop entertainment—not even death!

Within a culture of entertainment, not very much is going to be said about hell. In fact, even when people die who weren’t religious and didn’t have a life committed to Christ—it’s common to hear their close friends and family reassuring everyone that their loved one is in a better place now. Heaven is real, but hell has been relegated to a mythological land fit for the story books. The culture that loves entertainment hates hell and such a culture supports the idea of universalism—where everyone dies and goes to the great Disney World in the sky. For that reason, hell has become irrelevant within our entertainment saturated culture.

Preachers Today Fear Man

Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

When I read Carl Trueman’s Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow I found it to be quite insightful. This short book offers some great insights into various topics including preaching. Here are a few excerpts from Professor Trueman’s book (republished by Christian Focus Publications).

The sermon: God’s Method

For those, however, standing in the line of the Reformers, humanity, even in its highest natural spiritual exercises, is in a state of utter rebellion against God, and no elaborate string of words, no compelling argument, no passionate speech will ever bring a single individual to Christ. It is only as those words bring with them the Holy Spirit of God bearing witness to Christ that the sermon becomes adequate to its task. Thus, we preach, we speak the words of God not because this is the marketing method most likely to appeal to the unbeliever but simply because this is God’s appointed means of coming to individuals and bringing them to faith. Indeed, precisely because it is so weak and hopeless by the world’s standards, it brings that much more glory to God when souls are saved and lives turned round through this medium.

Of course we must use language with which the congregation is familiar; of course we must be aware that we are talking to people in the twenty-first century and not the sixteenth; and of course we must be culturally sensitive in what we say; but preach we must because this is God’s chosen means of spreading the news of the kingdom. Preaching is not just a communication technique, and must never be considered as such; it is bringing the very words of God to bear upon the life and needs of sinners and of the congregations of God’s people. For this reason, if for no other, the sermon must remain central in our worship…..

When preaching fails

Christian Fellowship in the Local Church is NOT Optional

One of the foundational truths of the church is the understanding that the church isn’t the campus, brick and mortar, stained glass and steeple. The church is the body of people who meet together on a specific campus/location, united together through Jesus Christ, and meet together for the right worship of the true God.  God gives spiritual gifts to each believer to use within the context of the local church (1 Cor. 12-14; 1 Peter 4:10-11).  One of the necessities of an authentic church is true fellowship. Genuine fellowship is not an optional thing for the church. There are many reasons why true Christian fellowship is necessary in the life of the local church, but I want to focus on the following three reasons.

The Priority of Fellowship in the Early Church

In Acts 2:42, we see the early church described as a devoted church. In one verse, four key elements are mentioned regarding the church’s worship. They were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship – κοινωνία, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. It’s vitally important that we see the level of priority placed upon fellowship by the early church.

The first time we see the Greek term κοινωνία (translated fellowship in Acts 2:42) used in the New Testament is in Acts 2 as Luke describes the early church immediately after the 3,000 people were born again and baptized as followers of Christ. This word means, “close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship, close relationship, marked by intimacy.” True Christian fellowship transcends “hello” in the hallway or a slap on the back on Sunday.

The early church spent time together in worship, in the temple meeting people, over meals in their homes, and out in the community through evangelistic efforts. They prioritized Christian fellowship highly. They were living in hostile times where threats were common and death was promised for the sake of the gospel. They valued the close fellowship of their Christian community in ways that we often don’t see in the church today. They didn’t avoid one another. They didn’t minimize true fellowship. They exemplified Christian care and their intimate community was possible through their bond in Jesus Christ.

The Need for Vibrant Relationships

If you read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, you see that Christian is constantly in need of a true friend to journey with him. When he was in the dungeon of Doubting Castle, Hopeful was there by his side. If you read Tolkien, you will see him reference the Fellowship all through his writings. C.S. Lewis also put a spotlight on the importance of fellowship all throughout The Chronicles of Narnia. Most importantly, if you read the Bible, you will see from beginning to end, the people of God are pictured as a togetherpeople.

God has designed us with the need for intimate relationships. It’s a very common thing to see people referencing their “work family” or their “ball team family” on social media. The point they’re driving home is that they’ve worked diligently to build an intimate group of people who are committed to one another and have a common bond that unites them. Sadly, it’s becoming a normal thing to see many Christians speak that way about their circle of friends outside of the church while their understanding of church has been reduced to a building and a seat to occupy on Sunday. Why are so many people willing to forsake the fellowship of the church?

Dual Authorship in Matthew 1:22 and 2:15

"Although God is ultimately the source of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16), He chose to use human authors as the instruments through which He set forth His written revelation. In using these men to record His Word, God did not suppress the individual personalities or writing styles of the human writers, but rather He used them to communicate precisely what He was pleased to reveal through them. The Bible, then, has a divine author and a human author.

Commonly known as the dual authorship of Scripture, this doctrine is most clearly taught in Peter’s second epistle, where the apostle describes the writing of Scripture as the process in which “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21b). According to Peter, human prophets spoke or wrote the Scriptures, but as they did so, they were superintended by the Holy Spirit in such a way that their very words were from God Himself.

This same understanding of dual authorship is also seen in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically where the apostle introduces quotations from the OT in Matthew 1:22 and 2:15, describing them as “what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.” In this description, Matthew uses two prepositional phrases to modify the verb “was spoken.” According to Matthew 1:22 and 2:15, these OT prophecies were spoken “by [hupo] the Lord,” and they were spoken “through [dia] the prophet.” Both prepositions in these verses (hupo and dia) are used to indicate the personal means by which the action of the verb is accomplished, often referred to as agency. There is, however, a subtle but significant distinction between the use of these two prepositions, and this distinction makes a helpful contribution to our understanding of the dual authorship of Scripture.

Honoring the Dignity and Value of Women: A Biblical Perspective

It’s no secret, nor is it unclear. The Bible teaches things about women that clash with our fallen contemporary culture. Women may not function in the role of a pastor/elder (1 Tim. 2:12). Wives are to submit to their husbands as the church does to Christ (Eph. 5:22-24). Seasoned women are to shepherd younger women to, among other things, be “workers at home…[and] subject to their own husbands” (Titus 2:5).

Consequently, culture often reviles God’s word on the grounds that the Bible holds women as inferior to men. And the irony is, that contemporary western culture values women lower than just about any time and people in history. Yet, that same culture accuses the Bible of a low, insulting view of women. But, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, God’s inerrant word of the 66 books of the Bible regards women higher than any other ideology, religion, philosophy, or system in history. Nothing teaches a higher view of women than biblical Christianity. Here are ten reasons why:

1. Women are created in God’s image, making them infinitely valuable.

The value and equality of women is a frequently discussed topic in recent days. Various reasons are put forth for the value of women. For many in our day, a women’s value is grounded in her ability and opportunity to do everything a man does. For others, her value is in possessing equal, or greater, income as/than a man. Those reasons are, ironically, oppressive to women: if she doesn’t achieve some subjective cultural standard, then her worth is inferior. That’s a yoke they should not have to bear.

The Bible takes a different route altogether. A woman is infinitely valuable, not because of what she does or makes, but because of who she is:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:26-27).

Women are God’s image-bearers. That gives them inherent infinite worth, regardless of their abilities and achievements. The Bible does not hold up a socio-moral-economic bar and say to women, “If you can reach this, then you are valuable.” Women are valuable because they bear the image of God.

2. The Bible forbids the killing of women.

In most cultures around the world, women beyond birth are not allowed to be killed. However, in the United States, for example, it is perfectly legal to kill women at any point between conception and birth. The United States has permitted roughly 60 million of such people to be killed since Roe v. Wade. About half of all births are female. So, the United States has allowed for the killing of roughly 30 million women since 1973. To say that this is unspeakably shameful treatment of women is an understatement. The Bible forbids such treatment of women (Exod. 20:13).

3. The Bible forbids the sexual exploitation of women.

Should Christians Not be Known for What They are Against?

You’ve heard it said. “I don’t want to be known for what I am against, but what I am for.” “Christians should be known for what they are for, not against.”

It sounds good and noble. After all, a ministry or person that only speaks of what they are against is missing out on much of the content and emphasis of the Bible. Often these are self-proclaimed discernment ministries who do little more than step on others as they stand higher. In so doing, they have veered from Scripture. Pastors are to preach the inspired, inerrant text of Scripture. We will have to twist, avoid, and misinterpret much Scripture if we only speak in terms of opposition.

But more to the point. Should Christians avoid being known for what they are against? Here are a few thoughts for consideration.

1) That’s not the way to wisely approach life in general.

Imagine a mom who takes this ideology. “Yeah, kids, I don’t want to be known in my mothering for what I’m against. So, you know that Twinkie-Koolaid-Cheetos diet you keep mentioning? I don’t want to be known as against that anymore. Go for it. Oh, and I don’t want to be known for being against you running out into the street, having to come home before dark, and taking indiscretionary time on the internet, so, go ahead.”

Consider a salesman who did not want to be known for what he was against in his job. “Hi Mr. Client. I don’t want to be known for what I’m against, so, honestly, all of the inferior products out there are excellent too. Just invest in whatever one. I am for all of them.”

Imagine an oncologist who did not want to be known for what they were against. “Well, I don’t want to be known for what I am against, Mr. Patient. So, I’m not going to take a firm stance against tumors, metastasis, and cancerous growths. I want to be among the oncologists who, instead, are known for what they are for.”

A post Genesis 2 society requires that we be known for what we are against. Faithfulness, generally in life, requires being against things. To be faithful, a mom will need to be against things. To be a faithful salesman requires being against things. Faithfulness as an oncologist necessitates being known for being against things. In every sphere of life, the goal is faithfulness. That is generally how we seek to operate. That will mean sometimes being forthings, sometimes being against things, and always faithfulness to God and love for people in the task.

2. To construct and conduct a good, stable society, we must be known for being against things.

To promote and propagate a loving, flourishing society, we must be against things. And it should be known that we are against things, as a society.

50 Passages: Why Biblical Counseling?

“What are the foundational Scriptures upon which you founded and based your church's biblical counseling ministry?”

Collated below are the fifty passages listed most often.

Psalm 1:1-2
Proverbs 15:23
Proverbs 18:13, 21
Proverbs 25:11
Proverbs 27:6
Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 11:1-4
Isaiah 55:11
Matthew 22:34-40
Matthew 28:16-20
Mark 12:30-31
John 1:1-18
John 6:32-33
John 8:38
John 10:10
John 14:15-31
John 17:1-26
Acts 2:40-47
Acts 20:17-38
Romans 6:1-14