 Church
What does the word “church” mean? This word that we use today to refer to the buildings that Christians meet in or for the Christian gathering itself comes from the Scottish or Old English word “kirk” which is derived from a Greek term meaning “the house/ residence belonging to the Lord.” The only times this Greek term is used in the New Testament is in reference to the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians 11:20) and the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10), interestingly enough neither of these are referring to a place or a meeting. Of course, I began thinking about the term as I have been processing the violence happening in our country. I am writing this piece on Thursday, September 11, 2025. On the twenty fourth anniversary of the horrific attacks made on our country yet mourning the evil taking place right now in our land. Yesterday afternoon I was reengaging with some news after being disconnected for a couple of days and really just learning the details of the murder of the Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska who was brutally stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was appalling to think about how callous and cold blood this murder was. However, as I was considering this atrocity on Facebook and X, the news broke about the assasination of Charlie Kirk. I watched the video! It seemed surreal and it still does that a person on a college campus just talking with people about ideas would be murdered. I have not been an avid follower of Charlie Kirk. I have listened to many clips of exchanges he has had with opponents over the years and I watched much of his coverage of the 2024 election night. I knew that he was an outspoken Christian and conservative political activist. But this is different than even the President being shot at last year or other politicians being under attack because even as those acts of violence are just as wrong, the twisted logic of the assailants is obviously to keep them from those positions of power and influence. But Charlie Kirk wasn’t a politician or a candidate. He was well spoken, articulate Christian with the character, courage, and commitment to communicate his ideas passionately and persuasively. This is not ok. The slaying of an innocent young woman named Iryna Zarutska on a subway is not ok. The deliberate murder of a young man named Charlie Kirk, who simply argued for his values and work to advance the truth, is not ok. So what should we as Christians do about it? Pray But what should we pray for? First, it is right and righteous to pray for the just judge of all the world to bring about justice. It is ok for you to agree with David in Psalm 11 and ask for what he asks for. 11:1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, 2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; 3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous;he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. Notice the underlined portions of the texts above. When the wicked are set on the destruction of God’s people we can call on God not only for vengeance but also for judgement and justice. Notice especially verse 6, this is what is called an imprecatory prayer. David is calling on God to punish the wicked for their wicked deeds. We should also be praying for mercy and blessing for those harmed and victimized. We must pray for Erika Kirk and her children who have lost a husband and father. We should also seek God for extended family and true friends and those who knew and loved this brother in Christ. Also we should be urged to pray for awakening in our country. By awakening I am referring to the true and rapid conversion of multitudes to Christ. The problem in our culture is that it is full of believers, who believe lies about their bodies, their autonomy, their identity and their souls. We must pray that the Lord would open their hearts, give sight to their eyes, and give them faith to repent of believing these lies and to trust in the truth of Jesus. Proclaim But for that to happen we must tell them! We must open our mouths and tell them about the truth about Christ Jesus. That He is god in the flesh. That He lived a perfect and sinless life. That He died and paid the full penalty for sin for everyone who believes in Him! And that He rose from the grave to give life to all believers. We must tell people this is good news! We must tell them that Jesus is the King and call them all to trust Him, submit to Him, and obey Him! Praise God Charlie Kirk is with the Lord! But remember that the word “kirk” means “belongs to the Lord”. This is the Lord Jesus’ world! It’s His kingdom! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:30-31)!
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 Delegation
One of the important elements which is at play in our journey toward maturity is our understanding of the relationship between authority and responsibility. This is most evident in the relationship between parents and their children. When children are young the parents have virtually unlimited authority, but they also have responsibility for the wellbeing, safety, and actions of the children. For example, if a small child breaks a piece of art in another person's home or business the responsibility to make restitution in that situation belongs not to the child but to the parent who bears responsibility for that child. This is the same principle that supports our concept of delegation. If a king or president or boss gives a subordinate subject, citizen, or employee instruction to do something or conduct some business the authority of the subordinate is coming from the leader and the responsibility for the followers actions is on the leader. In today’s post, I would like to consider how this same principle was applied in other contexts in the Bible and how it is applied in a broader context to our relationship with the Lord. Consequences In 2 Samuel 13, we find one of the more gritty and dark episodes in the Bible. King David’s son Amnon is overcome with lust for his half-sister Tamar and he violates her. Her full brother Absalom is then set on avenging the wrong done to his sister. Absalom devised a cunning plan to murder his brother Amnon. But the actual bloodshed was not at Absalom’s hand but rather the deed was carried out by his servants. So should Absalom or the servants be held responsible for this wicked deed? Also, why did the servants do something that was so obviously wrong? I believe the answer is found in the principle of delegation that I mentioned earlier. In verse 28 of the chapter Absalom tells his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” Notice that the servants are acting on the authority of their master and the responsibility of this action is primarily on Absalom because with his command he took the responsibility as well. Encouragement The wording that Absalom used probably sounds familiar to you. This same language is used in other places in the Old Testament. The most famous is probably when the Lord was commanding Joshua to lead His people into the promised land (Joshua 1:1-9). In this passage God is calling Joshua to be strong and courageous, as well as to devote himself to be obedient to God’s word. In verse 9, God issues the same words of delegation to Joshua. Joshua should have confidence in the accomplishment of everything that God is sending Him to do because the authority is the Lord’s and the responsibility is the Lord’s. When we walk in honest obedience to the sure word of God (2 Peter 1:16-21), we ought to have the confidence of servants bearing the authority of Christ who bears the responsibility for His commands. Promises A part of what God was doing when speaking this way to Joshua was to imply the promise of His presence and ultimate success. Much later, when Jesus was about to go to the cross and He knew His disciples would be confused and scattered, He comforted them with a promise that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:1-6). Jesus promised them that He would come again to receive them to Himself and take them to be with Him. Jesus told the disciples that in the house of God are many dwelling places and sealed this promise with the words, “If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.” These great and precious promises that Jesus was giving to His disciples carried His omnipotent authority, and He bore all the responsibility for the reliability of these words.  Good Intentions
There is a well known saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I interpret that to mean that we can easily be convinced to use questionable or even overtly sinful means to accomplish what we believe is a good result. This is the classic idea of the ends justifying the means. The reality is that this is a dangerous slippery slope that has caused the downfall of many people. I recently heard the testimony of a woman who spent five years in prison. She was a religious woman and would have been considered upper middle class. Do you want to know what she was convicted of? Loan fraud. As I listened to her share her story, she was now impressively willing to take responsibility for her wrong doing and had clearly forgiven those who had sinned against her. But she also spoke about how everyone (the loan officers, real estate agents, etc.) were constantly telling her that they were not doing anything wrong flipping these real estate deals, but she always knew it didn’t feel right. However, even though it didn’t seem right, the results of financial gain and the shady reassurance of these ‘allies’ pushed her past the warnings of her conscience and cost her five years away from her husband and children. Honesty One thing that we must acknowledge from the beginning of any discussion about clarity is that we must be fully committed to radical honesty (Proverbs 16:17-18). One of the things that wars against clarity especially in interpersonal communication is the desire to hide something or deceive someone. It can be as simple as trying to protect an image or reputation or as sinister as covering up a horrible crime but the motive is the same. The motive I am talking about is pride. Pride causes us to avoid those things that we think will make us feel ashamed and promote things even if not true that we think will make us feel loved, accepted, or accomplished. But in the justice of God it is usually the very words of pride and arrogance which the Lord uses to bring down and destroy those who boast even while in their sin (Psalm 59:11-13). Since this is the case, the old adage is true, honesty truly is the best policy. Simplicity The second enemy of clarity is complexity. This happens when we begin to compound ideas and concepts not in any way that is incorrect or dishonest but in a way that is necessarily technical. Complexity is often employed in an effort to convey profundity or intelligence. Ironically, the best teachers and communicators are not those who make their message more difficult to understand but rather those who make everything easier to understand. Precision My point is not to say that everything needs to be dumbed down to the most elementary level, but that we should use normal language to be as clear as possible. This also means that we need to be willing to explain our words for the purpose of being understood. For example, if we are discussing the reality that God is all powerful it is ok to use the term omnipotent but we also need to be sure that we are being understood. Teammates know the signs and the plays but a rookie must be taught the playbook and symbols for success to be achieved. People often criticize those in the church for employing Christianese language. However, any group is going to develop terminology and expressions unique to their shared beliefs and experiences and Christians are no different. The important part is about the context in which the language is used. For example, in a Christian meeting or Bible study where all or most of the participants understand the nuanced language this terminology can be very effective to help keep the understanding clear and preceding. But in evangelistic scenarios especially outside the church meeting the exception should be to need to use the common vernacular speech. This is because the goal should always be to be understood and not to conceal or deceive (Colossians 4:3-4).  Happiness
Last week we considered the type of sadness and mourning that should be the experience of believers. In this week’s post I want to consider those things which ought to be the reason for our rejoicing and the basis for our happiness. Remember that old hymn that encourages us to count our blessings and name them one by one. Just as there is a godly way and reason for grief, there is also a godly way and reason for us to enjoy happiness. Count Your Many Blessings In Jesus’ famous teaching from the mountain, He gave a list of those who despite their present carnal circumstances are truly blessed (Matthew 5:3-12)! Considering each of those points the Lord points the audience not only to the present experience but also to the sure outcome. Those who are poor in Spirit will own the Kingdom of heaven, those who mourn will be comforted, those who have an appetite for righteousness will be satisfied, those who are merciful will receive mercy, those who are pure shall see God, those who make peace will be called God’s children, those who are persecuted will also possess the Kingdom! Then Jesus says “Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven!” Jesus tells us that we ought to be glad because there is a reward for His people. The more we contemplate the value and beauty of these promised rewards the happier we should become, assuming we truly believe that we will receive these rewards. We also should strive all the more to live as those who are destined to receive these things. Gladiness in God One thing that we ought always to be glad about is the mere existence of God. God in and of Himself is a reason to be glad. All His attributes, actions, and affections are reasons for us to rejoice. Whether we are meditating on God’s goodness and love or His anger and judgment, the reality remains that we ought to be glad in the reign of such a holy, righteous, and perfect God (Psalm 9:1-2). An honest spiritually minded assessment of comparative religions will show that the God described and revealed in the Bible is unique and distinct from all the false and fictitious gods in the world. Whether they are the product of the imagination of men or a deliberate lie from the evil one those deities are insufficient to compare with the true God. Joy in Jesus All believers also ought to rejoice that we have received salvation through Christ (1 Peter 4:12-14). God did not owe us hope or salvation but Jesus came and redeemed us for Himself, for His own possession. It should be the greatest joy and happiness to belong heart and soul to our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-14). Even the proclamation and sharing of the good news is reason for rejoicing. The message of the gospel is not a somber message but a happy message reflecting the love of God and revealing peace with God. Remember the gospel is good news (Isaiah 5:6-10)! It should be delivered as a message of hope and joy. Even at Jesus’ birth you will remember that the heavenly host announced to the shepherds good tidings of great joy (Luke 2:8-20). So even in the midst of temporary struggles and hardships we can look to Jesus and rejoice in Him!  Sorrow of the Soul
Animals, and other creatures that God has made, act according to instinct and based primarily on fulfilling their primal needs such as food, rest, or mating. However, even in the wild these creatures have been observed to exhibit behaviors that seem to convey happiness, excitement, sadness, or even grief. Many domesticated animals, including pets, livestock, and those kept in unnatural habitats such as zoos, develop even more humanistic behavior around emotional stimulation probably as a result of unintended environmental training. But one of the things that separates humanity from the rest of creation is that when Adam was created he was made not just a body but a living soul (Genesis 2:5-7). Other creatures, at least among the natural creations, do not have souls. This means that even if their body or brain can comprehend some levels of emotional intelligence the deeper experience goes deeper than emotion to the immaterial part of us called our soul. At some point we may consider the brighter side of these experiences but in this post I want to consider our experience of sadness and grief as believers. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn It is the natural state of things for people to be happy because they are experiencing great victories or pleasures. But, as Jesus teaches these first century Jews, who are still under the obligation to the old covenant and its law, He flips the understanding around (Matthew 5:4). The question that we should be asking is how is it that they are happy? And what is it that they are mourning? In God’s covenant with Israel, He had given clear stipulations about how the nation would be blessed if they were faithful and how they would be cursed if they were disobedient. Therefore, what these mourners are sorrowful over is the unfaithfulness of the people to the commands of God. Also, the reason that they will be comforted is because their tears are the fruit of their faithful hearts. As we consider mourning as believers we must realize that as those who trust in Christ it is right for us to be sorrowful over sin. First, it is right as those who because of the work of grace in our lives are eager to repent, to mourn therefore over our own sin. We desire obedience and love Christ’s commands, so we should expect to experience sorrow over even the simplest or slightest actual sin. However, like the blessed ones of this old covenant age who Jesus was teaching, we also ought to grieve the sins of other people, especially the sins of the church. When brothers or sisters sin whether against us or others we ought to be sad. Not because Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to save them but because the testimony has been hindered. Jesus is glorified through the obedience of His people. Godly Grief The Apostle Paul tells us that godly grief leads us to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). But the righteous grief of believers also accompanies genuine love and care. We are grieved over broken relationships, church division, and strife among believers because of the people. The grief is both a natural and supernatural reaction in direct proportion to how much we have loved. You and I are probably not driven to tears over every catastrophe that scrolls by in our feed but we are broken over the same things when they happen to those we know and love. The only way to avoid grief and sorrow on this side of heaven is to live your life completely void of love for anyone and that price is simply too high!  The Rest of the Story Last week we began to consider the idea of vocation and calling. Now, calling is a much bigger subject than just ministry vocations. Whatever the Lord has given you to do for the blessing of others and the support of your family is a calling (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12). But today I want to resume our consideration of calling in relationship to ministry. The objective nature of the New Testament instructions about the competency, character, and accountability of those leading God’s people in the church should clearly take precedence over a personal, subjective experience of calling. In this post I want to consider these three categories of competency, character, and accountability as it relates to the role of pastor in our Lord’s churches (1 Timothy 3:1-7). Gifting A shepherd has a couple of primary roles. One is that he must be able to lead the flock to feed on the best grass and the refreshing waters (Psalm 23:1-2). The equivalent for pastoral ministry is that he must be able to teach the Scriptures accurately and effectively (Titus 1:9). In addition, he must be able to retain the confidence of the congregation to obey those things taught in the Scripture. This means that simply being a good communicator or powerful orator does not make someone a qualified pastor. The man must also be someone that the sheep can trust so that when they cannot see the path or the pasture that it leads to, they can trust him as he faithfully follows the direction of the Lord in the Bible (2 Timothy 1:13). One of the tragedies in our modern culture, especially in the so called “Bible Belt,” is that pastors are held stereotypically in such low esteem because so many who have taken the title have dishonored the Lord through their lazy, lavish, or licentious lifestyles. This leads us to our second area of consideration. Character Most of the qualifications given in the Scripture for the kind of man who can serve well as a pastor are about the man’s character not his gifting or competency. I think that this is because so much of applied discipleship is learned through imitation of a God’s life more than the implementation of rhetorical instructions. These character qualifications listed in both 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, are behaviors that reveal a person who is producing the fruit of the Spirit in their daily life (Galatians 5). It is also important to point out that these character qualifications are not something that only elite Christians can attain. To the contrary, the point is that these are the normal qualities of a mature believer whether elder or not (2 Peter 1:3-8). Pastors are not supposed to be superchristians but all believers are supposed to be growing in Christ, in maturity, holiness, and godliness. Without this example among the leadership the flock won’t know how to live in this godly manner (Hebrews 13:7-8). Responsibility The under shepherd is a leader but not a lord or a king or an owner. The sheep belong to the master who owns both the flock and the servant. This is important because the world considers status and position in leadership terms as places that get privilege and authority. However, Jesus clearly teaches His disciples that leadership in His kingdom is far different (Matthew 20:25-28). In this text, Jesus teaches His disciples that in His kingdom economy the great ones are the servants and the leaders are the slaves. Jesus Himself set this example by coming to serve and not to be served. So, when we consider the accountability of the pastors of the Lord’s churches we must recognize that their authority rests on their responsibility before the Lord. In the Scriptures believers are commanded to obey and submit to their leaders because the leaders will have to give account for the souls under their ministry. This is a grave and sobering reality for anyone who takes this responsibility and it is why men should watch their doctrine and their lifestyles carefully. Honestly, for anyone who takes seriously the commands and instructions of Scripture the weight is too great for any man to truly bear but in humility the Spirit strengthens His servants for the good of His people. Praise the Lord for only He can truly shepherd His people.  Vocation
Our English word “vocation” is derived from the Latin word for calling, which is a synonym of the Greek term ‘kletos’ or ‘kaleo.’ These words refer to using your voice to call out to someone or to extend an invitation. The Apostles, especially Paul, used these words to refer to the calling that Jesus has placed on them as Apostles and the calling to salvation that we have received as believers (1 Corinthians 1:1-2;26). This has also led to the understanding that men who God would use in the service of His people as pastors or deacons are called in a unique way. However, we should note that vocation should and does refer to far more than what would usually be referred to as the sacred work of fulfilling one of the offices in the New Covenant assemblies (Colossians 3:23). If we are working hard as unto the Lord whatever work we are doing is for His glory and to provide for the blessing of our own lives and families which is according to His will. In this way, we must understand that all moral and legal employment is sacred work. Farmers, welders, bankers, Law enforcement officers, truckers, teachers, home makers, and most any other vocations that we could consider should be understood by us as sacred work for the Lord. Today, I want to consider the concept of calling in ministry and the requirements that come not from tradition or historic practice or pragmatic policies, but from the Scriptures. Desire When most Christians today speak about calling into “the ministry,” they are probably expressing to their own church fellowship that they have experienced a subjective call to “become a preacher” or to the pastoral office. However, this is not really derived from any example in Scripture. The original disciples who Jesus made into Apostles were not discerning a merely subjective sense that God wants them to surrender to this work. Rather, they were objectively called by Jesus to follow Him and then objectively appointed to be apostles (Mark 3:13-19). Even the conversion and calling of the Apostle Paul which was more dramatic and sensational still followed this clear objective pattern (Acts 9:1-22). I am not saying that there is no internal subjective reality to entering the work of serving a pastor/ teacher in the church. I only want to note that objective reality is more important than the individual's own personal experience. The internal experience of the person who should be considered for this kind of ministry is the experience of a desire and aspiration to do this work (1 Timothy 3:1). Most men in the modern age who have at any time sought advice about whether they should enter into vocational church work have been met with the statement, “If you can do anything else and be happy, then don’t do it.” I was given this advice, and I have given this advice, but I must admit I think it’s wrong. If you don’t want to teach or shepherd God’s people then don’t. But if you do have a desire to go to that office, that is a good thing. A man with this aspiration should seek to discern not the secret will of God but rather his own motives. So long as the motives are not sinful, such as a desire for power or attention or something like that, then he should proceed to consider if he has the objective requirements of the office. But the consideration of these qualifications deserves a post on its own. So we will end today with an old fashioned, to be continued…  Longevity Last week I wrote a little tribute to the legacy of Dr. John MacArthur. As I said in that post, the long duration of his faithfulness, not just in ministry, but in one place and one church is something to be commended. This week I want to think about what endurance should look like for all Christians, according to what the Bible says. In addition, what are the keys to enduring faithfully over the long haul in our walk with the Lord? Of course, the first prerequisite to perseverance in the faith is that a person must be in the faith. Modern culture is full of people who have mental beliefs that do not translate into moral or behavioral change. But our actions will always, eventually demonstrate our true convictions. Without a true relationship with the Father, we cannot grow in our connection with Him. Without a true devotion to Jesus, we cannot grow in our commitment to Him. And without being truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we cannot continue to walk with Him. Confidence But assuming that we are born again people who have trusted in Jesus and receive the promised Holy Spirit, then we must understand that saving faith is also living faith (Ephesians 1:11-14). Now, the use of the adjective “living” implies that there is activity. So every true Christian is actively growing in their personal faith and in the fellowship of the body of Christ, called the local church. While it is possible for a true believer to go through seasons when the growth is shorter and slower, the trajectory of the Christian life should always be toward holiness and godliness (2 Peter 3:11-14). Persistence Now that we are living in this dynamic active faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus and animated in us through the working of the Holy Spirit, we must seek to persist in submission and obedience. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church, he urged them in the middle of an extended section explaining justification by faith, to understand the chain reaction from suffering to hope (Romans 5:1-5). In these verses, he says that suffering produces endurance. One of the major struggles for our society today is that we have no tolerance for struggle. This means that we usually can find some diversion or distraction to ease the experience of our struggles. The problem is that once the rough edge is blunted and dulled we no longer get the point. Suffering was intended to produce endurance that would build the character of Christ in us. But when we are able to avoid these hardships we tend to lose the personal gains (2 Peter 1:8-11). A patient and persistent pursuit of Christ through trials and tribulations will be the instrument in God’s hand to bring to maturity in Jesus! Hope One of the greatest hindrances to our endurance is a loss of hope. When we stop believing that our situation can or will ever get better. This lack of hope is also accompanied by a loss of control. But this is the crucial point where we must begin to trust fully in God’s purposes and promises, regardless of the dire circumstances that we see with our eyes. Rather, with eyes of faith we must fix our gaze on Jesus knowing that His power will accomplish His good will. The goal of our endurance is not just to survive our current struggle, but to thrive through the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, we can endure any difficulty because our hope is sure because it is founded, not in some fanciful fairytale or modern theoretical system, but on the sure word of God (Hebrews 11:1-6).  Qualifications
This week, one of the most impactful and prominent pastors and Bible teachers in the world went to be with the Lord. I must admit my own naivete, because I expected my social media threads to be full of praise and appreciation for both the man and his ministry, which was of course exactly what I found. However, some have also taken this solemn occasion to slander and attack this faithful brother because of the failures and problems they had with his teaching and ministry. I am of course talking about the longtime pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, John MacArthur. Before I begin to share how the Lord has blessed and benefited me through Dr. MacArthur’s ministry, I want to express condolences to his family and those who knew this brother in real life and are grieving with the true hope of Christ. I didn’t know John MacArthur, but like so many I was privileged to learn from his preaching and his pen. I also want to express sadness that anyone would feel this to be an appropriate time to complain and criticize his life and ministry. With that being said I did not agree with MacArthur on everything or maybe even on most things but in this post I want to focus on a few of the most helpful and beneficial things I learned from this faithful brother in the Lord. One last important qualification, the Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians against the kind of preacher preference or celebrity culture that elevates the instrument too highly. Who is MacArthur? Who Sproul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each… but God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:4-7;21-23)! It is on this basis I express my gratitude to Jesus for these blessings conveyed through His servant John! Biblical Exposition I remember when I first encountered faithful biblical exposition in a local church where I served teaching youth at Scotland First Baptist Church. Our pastor was a faithful man leading us verse by verse through books of Scripture. I must admit in those early days I was so ignorant of Christian influence that I didn’t know the difference between C. H. Spurgeon and John MacArthur. But later, as I became more well acquainted with the teaching of Grace To You, I also deeply appreciated how MacArthur was tenaciously welded to the text. We are all fallible and imperfect teachers but it always has seemed safest to me to stay as near the very words of the Bible as possible so if I’m wrong the hearer has the word itself to correct any error. MacArthur made no apology for what Scripture said on any topic. He studied long and taught strong, the text to those under his ministry. Biblical Lordship The most personally impactful aspect of John MacArthur’s teaching for me was his strong voice proclaiming the lordship of Christ, particularly in salvation. The book of his that had the greatest influence on me was “The Gospel According to Jesus” where MacArthur shows so clearly the tangible and Biblical fruit of truly knowing Jesus as Saviour AND Lord! This book was one of the works that helped me think through both my own subjective experience of salvation and my theological understanding of this central Christian doctrine. Biblical Confidence If nothing else MacArthur was one who had a steadfast faith. Once he believed that he had understood the instructions and teaching from God about salvation, evangelism, discipleship, ecclesiology, eschatology, or any matter of truth or practice he would stop at nothing to teach, obey, and live according to that faith. As I mentioned earlier in some of these areas I don’t agree with his conclusions but his faithfulness is exceedingly commendable. One area where this faithfulness is manifested clearly is in his longevity not only in ministry but in the same church. Of course, MacArthur is well known for his writing, broadcasting of teaching, leading a college and a seminary. But what is most impressive to a humble pastor in the trenches of ministry, is his decades of faithful service to one church home. Many pastors don’t have the option of this because of no fault of their own. In all cases is it the Lord who wills the redeployment of His servants from one place to another. But Dr. MacArthur’s tenure at Grace Community Church is extraordinarily admirable. Finally, at the end of his life he had no regrets. Having given his whole life to the task of teaching the Bible to people verse by verse, he was able at the very end to say that he wouldn’t change anything. He would not have softened his tone. He would not have avoided the battles. He would not have changed his schedule. He would not have sought to save himself from the pain of investing in people who disappointed him or even attacked him. He had no regrets! “I would never change anything. A life of exhausting my understanding of scripture has yielded fruit in my life, my wife's, my children, my family, my church, and far beyond. I'm only as useful as I am attuned to the truth that comes from heaven.” -John MacArthur (Video) “I realize I'm on the last lap. That takes on a new meaning when you know you're on the short end of the candle, but I am. All thanks and praise to God for everything he's allowed me to be a part of and everything he's accomplished by his word in these years of ministry. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” -John MacArthur (Video)  Assumptions
I just discovered a new podcast. The first episode dealt with a controversial issue regarding the existence of mountain lions or panthers in the natural state. If anyone is interested, it is called The Bear Grease Podcast with Clay Newcomb. I have had an interest in this subject ever since my late teenage years, so I listened intently. However, what caught my attention more than the stories of sightings, the compiling of evidence, or the objections from biologists or Arkansas Game and Fish commission personnel, was the insight into the psychology surrounding people's disposition toward the existence of these creatures. One of the officials being interviewed mentioned that many of the stories or accounts about the animals come from people who already had an opinion, and their experience is then interpreted in such a way as to confirm what they already thought was true. We see this all the time in politics and sports. If a person's preferred candidate is caught in some compromising scandal it's easy to assume that the evidence has been altered or the story has been wrongly reported. On the other hand, if the other side is found with even the least hint of impropriety then of course all the allegations and charges are certainly true. In sports, it is very difficult to be objective about calls being made by the referees or umpires because we are convinced even before the play has happened that it should go our way. Go to any high school ball game of any sport and sit on the home side and my point is self validating. But do we also do this with our spiritual beliefs? Have we concluded that certain assumptions must be true and then gone into the Scriptures or into our experience to seek to prove our point? Are the things that seem so obvious to us obvious because those are the lenses that we are using to evaluate the evidence? Traditions Have you ever wondered why the Pharisees, scribes, and priests did not recognize or receive Jesus as the promised Messiah? In hindsight it seems pretty clear the many ways that Jesus fulfilled prophecies and the law through His life and ministry. There may be many reasons, including the desire to preserve their own power over the regular Jewish people, which was threatened by the perceived radical teachings of this itinerant rabbi from Nazareth. Of course, Jesus also compares them to the blind reading the blind (Matthew 15:1-14). His point is that they have become blinded by their own doctrinal precision and long held traditions so that when God sent the promised hope to them they were incapable of rendering an accurate judgement about Jesus. You see, they had already formed a preconceived view of what the Messiah would be like and act like and Jesus did not fit their paradigm. So instead of reevaluating their own preconceptions, they simply concluded that He was not the Christ they were looking for. I actually think that they knew on some level that Jesus was the Christ, which is what makes their rejection of Him such a horrible and heinous sin (John 15:21-25). The point is that their bias was so strong that even with the confirmation of the miracles and ministry of Jesus they would not believe even what they knew was actually true. The cost to their worldview and traditions was simply too high for them to submit to the truth. Self Evaluation But what about me? It's easy to recognize the faulty assumptions of other people, but what about the assumptions I am making? This may be even more probable for someone who is already predisposed against traditions, because it can become easy to assume that all the traditions are wrong. However, Jesus did not chastise the Pharisees for keeping the good tradition but rather for rejecting the clear commands of God (Matthew 23:23). In the famous extended teaching of Jesus, which has been labeled the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus gives a clear warning meant to cause the prudent to examine one’s self first before judging other people. Since Jesus gave us this insightful warning I want to be careful about my own tendency toward confirmation bias and seek to be even more diligent to lay aside any anachronistic assumptions or personal persuasions in pursuit of the pure truth of God’s word. I hope you will join me! |