New Husbands: Farm for Joy

By / Nov 21

I recently gave the “best man speech” for one of my boyhood best friends. Instead of telling inside stories that only two people in the room understood, I wanted to give him a meaningful charge – one that he could take with him into the future. Similarly, I hope that these words will encourage other young men who are stepping into the great mystery of marriage.

The role of a husband is to cultivate joy. Notice that I did not say “conjure joy” or “create joy.” You can’t conjure or create joy any more than you can conjure or create a corn stalk in a field. But you can cultivate it. You can prepare for it, plant it, water it, feed it, protect it, and harvest it.

If you’re a husband, you’re a farmer. You’re a farmer of joy. Consider these four ways to cultivate joy in your new home.

1. The first way to cultivate joy is to sacrifice for your wife. She is worth your love, your commitment, and your many sacrifices. And there will be a lot of them. If there aren’t, you’re not doing it right. There will be small sacrifices like daily chores and dropped hobbies, and consequential sacrifices like forfeited job opportunities and friendships that wane – all because you are married to her. Let me tell you now, these sacrifices are normal and noble. A marriage is like an investment account: invest as much as you can as early as you can and as often as you can, and it will pay you back with interest. Sacrifice for your bride, and you will reap a reward of joy in the end.

2. The second way to cultivate joy is to incline yourself towards action. When an issue presents itself in your home, go about fixing it as soon as you can. When an opportunity presents itself for your family, chase after it before the moment escapes. When a mediocre day is in your midst, do your best to make it either productive or pleasant, or best of all, both. A joyful home is full of purpose and passion, neither of which will happen without action.

3. The third way to cultivate joy is to pursue children. That’s right – get on with your business! Fine, fine – take a little time if you want, but not too much. The ease of childlessness can suck you in; don’t let it get ahold of you. Of course, some couples cannot have children, and God will supply them with joy from his own bounty, even if through tears. But if you are able, you will be shocked at how much joy children can bring into your DINK life. Jerry Seinfeld was asked once if he had any regrets in life. His only answer, “I wish I had more kids.” If you want joy, then my friend, what you want is kids. Start cultivating.

4. Lastly, to cultivate joy in your home, you must have the key ingredient – the je ne sais quoi. This is a French phrase that means, “I do not know what.” The phrase is used to express the unknown essence of something that makes it so special, so distinct that it cannot be put into words. Like a key ingredient in a recipe that makes the dessert pop, but it cannot be discerned. Do you want to know the key ingredient to the joy recipe? Jesus. Jesus is the je ne sais quoi of joy. You have him, you have joy. It is as simple as that. Cultivate lots of Jesus in your new marriage.

My friend, you are starting a new chapter of life. You’re the man of your own house now. You will make your own memories and you will establish new family traditions with your new bride. But the most important thing you will do is develop a new culture. As you start this new home, farm for joy and reap the future harvest!



Fulfill Your Ministry: An Installation Charge

By / Nov 18

Each time a congregation votes in a new member, the church is demonstrating what they believe about the gospel and what it means to be a Christian. Similarly, when a church votes in a new pastor, the church is testifying to what they believe about ministry and what it means to be a shepherd of God’s flock. Just like in the case of voting in a new member, voting in a new pastor presents a unique opportunity for teaching and instruction. 

A useful means of instructing the congregation on the office of pastor is to hold an installation service, or to have a set apart time within the service, to publicly recognize the appointment of a new elder(s). An installation service or segment of a service has many benefits including “clarify[ing] and underscor[ing] the responsibility the pastor has toward the church and the responsibility the church has toward the pastor.”[1] Such a service provides a formal setting for thanking God for the gift of godly shepherds, stating commitments toward one another, and for the men and the church to be exhorted in their God-given roles. Whether you’ve appointed a new senior pastor into a vocational position or affirmed a new non-staff pastor into a lay position, an installation service can serve as a ceremony of celebration and consecration.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to deliver an installation charge. The charge was aimed at reminding the elders of their role as shepherds, exhorting the elders (and the church) to fulfill their calling, and encouraging the elders with the grandeur of the office. Below is my installation charge to the new elders at Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, MO. I hope you find it encouraging and thought-provoking as you think through publicly recognizing elders. 

Brothers, we love you and we come to this moment thankful that God the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders (Acts 20) to oversee this congregation and shepherd its members toward eternity by personal godliness, preaching, praying, equipping, and leading. May this charge encourage you all in the task of faithful shepherding. 

First, I remind you brothers that fulfilling your office is contingent on you remaining an “example to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). Your holiness is your greatest spiritual asset and failing to be above reproach will be your greatest spiritual hindrance. What you do is important and defined, but who you are is determinative. The God we preach must be the God we love. The Bible we preach must be the Bible that we believe and adhere to. The pattern of sound living in which we exhort must be the lives we ourselves are living. 

We need you to be the same men in private as you are in public. “Pay close attention” (1 Tmothy 4:16) to your lives. Remain sobered by the fact that those “who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). Continue to pursue the Christian qualities necessary for the office of elder. Be models to the church “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Be men of God worthy of Christlike imitation. Continue to train yourself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). Commit to growing spiritually and pastorally. May your gifts never be higher in proportion than your godliness. Don’t lose sight of the primacy of character for the office. We serve as pastors in the King’s kingdom and our King sees all and knows all. Pastor for His sake. 

Second, pastors, do not forget your own household which qualifies you to care for God’s church (1 Timothy 3:4–5). Love your wives. Enjoy your children. Water your family in the Scripture (Eph 5). Your family is your first pastorate. Your children need you as a father. Your wife needs you as a friend and leader. Other men can pastor this church; other men cannot love your wife and children as you can. May your family be the most blessed people from your ministry. 

Brothers, remember also that the distinguishing qualification of pastors is being “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24–25). Devote yourself to the ministry of the Word. Feed us the truth. Protect the church from error and those whose behavior contradicts the message of the gospel. As Paul exhorts, “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that you may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Commit to leading the church to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). “Preach the word” in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:1–2). The Scripture is profitable, teach it. The gospel is powerful, preach it. Remember that only Jesus Christ in the gospel can save sinners. Call upon people to repent of their sins and trust in God’s Son for divine forgiveness. Do the work of an evangelist. And let us not forget the goodness of the gospel ourselves. Our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20); before we are God’s ministers, we are God’s children most foundationally. Our Father has called us to this work to deepen our fellowship with Him. All of us are unworthy.

Dear friends, recall as well that God’s Word “accomplishes that which He purposes, and shall succeed in the thing for which He sends it” (Isaiah 55:10–11). Labor in the word and in teaching (1 Timothy 5:17). Give yourself “the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). “Keep a close watch on your teaching” (1 Timothy 4:16). Expound the whole counsel of God for the good of the saints (Acts 20:27). Paul tells Timothy to “practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15). And yet remember that God gives spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). He gives the increase. Our task is to be faithful; God’s work is to bring fruit.

Furthermore, be devoted to the ministry of prayer. Make supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18). Like the apostles we are called to devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). Therefore, listen to God and talk with God in close communion as you daily fellowship with Him. And bring the needs of the members here before our loving Father. We acknowledge in prayer that we lack the spiritual power, discernment, and energy to fulfill our role. Cast yourselves regularly on the mercies of God in dependent prayer. God is your friend, provider, and refuge. He has called you to this task and will enable you to fulfill it with faithfulness. Our spiritual battle, Ephesians 6 teaches, is not “against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil and then heavenly places.” Let us be men who pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

Give oversight for the spiritual well-being of the church. Aim at a humble, teachable, fruitful, informed, and happy leadership. Carry out your ministry not because of outward pressures but because of inward desire and Godward pleasure. Shepherd to see God’s agenda, not man’s agenda, carried out. Resolve to be found faithful amidst unforeseen dangers and difficulties, physical suffering, relational discouragement, persistent temptation, pastoral sorrow, governmental persecution, and other challenges that might accompany your pastoral ministry. God’s grace is sufficient for every weakness of ministry. 

Work with divinely supplied energy to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). “Keeping watch over the souls of this flock” (Hebrews 13:17) is one of our chief duties as shepherds. Let us know the lives of these members and invest in their souls. “Equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until they attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:11-13). Give yourself to the training of other faithful men. Paul says, “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Labor with “great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Pastor with a heavenly perspective. The glory coming in the return of our Lord will make up for every toil in ministry. Shepherding is a high calling, but it is doable in the Lord’s power, relying on the Lord’s promises. Your chief shepherd will shepherd you to shepherd the church. 

Finally, think much upon Christ. He is the overseer of your souls who bought the church with his precious blood (Acts 20) and who is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23). In God’s strength, be the qualified men God has called you to be as elders: oversee this congregation and shepherd its members toward eternity by personal godliness, preaching, praying, equipping, and leading. Do so in unity and love with the other pastors appointed here. Together, brothers, we can share the joys and the burdens of ministry. This congregation will be better taught, shepherded, and equipped as a result of our collective eldership.

So, in the spirit of 2 Timothy 4, “I 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, [by his grace and for his glory]: fulfill your ministry.”

Church, as these men fulfill their God-given responsibilities, be subject to them (1 Peter 5:5) and obey them (Hebrews 13:17) in the Lord. We will benefit as these men fulfill their calling with joy (v. 17). Pray for them, emulate them, and thank God for them. Respect them and “esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). Let us “share all good things with these men who teach” (Galatians 6:6). These elders have been given to us as gifts (Ephesians 4). Let us steward their ministries and families so that we can be their joy and crown. 

 

[1] https://www.9marks.org/answer/what-should-installation-service-seek-accomplish/. 



Four Practical Ways to Cultivate Personal Evangelism

By / Nov 18

Let’s be honest, evangelism can be intimidating. For most, it can induce certain anxiety that can be crippling. It is easy to leave this high call that every believer has to a select few – elders, extroverts, or “experts.” Where does this intimidation come from when it comes to evangelism?

In some cases, personality is certainly at play. Not everyone has a “golden retriever” personality that jumps at the opportunity of engaging people, whether familiar or stranger. And it would be naïve to say we can eliminate all feelings of nervousness when it comes to this endeavor. Even the most personable and outgoing person feels a gut nervousness when engaging people with the gospel message.

But I think even more than natural bents and dispositions, more than a general nervousness – the fear biggest factor in evangelism comes primarily from misunderstandings of what evangelism is.

I have recently been working through a mid-week Bible study on biblical evangelism at the church I currently serve at. From the beginning, I wanted us to understand what evangelism was not in order for us to understand what it is, and how we can further cultivate personal evangelism. Consider this list of examples I used of what evangelism is not:

  • Evangelism is not apologetics
  • Evangelism is not conversion
  • Evangelism is not a specific method
  • Evangelism is not a program
  • Evangelism is not a personality type

All of these misconceptions of evangelism only serve to further fuel the general nervousness we all have about engaging people with the gospel message. Not all of us are gifted apologists; none of us have the power to convert anyone, and not all of us have the same approach to people. And that is okay! Why? Because evangelism is much simpler. To borrow from Mack Stiles, evangelism is simply: “Teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade.”[1] Notice how that definition alleviates the pressure to be impressive at any of the above. If you are interested in unpacking that definition further, I encourage you to pick up a copy of this short, helpful book on evangelism.

But with that definition in mind, what are some practical ways we can all cultivate personal evangelism in our lives? Here are four.

1. Pray for Them

One of the most remarkable scenes in the book of Acts is in chapter four, just after Peter and John are released from prison. “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30) I find this passage both comforting and challenging.

Comforting, because there is a prayer for boldness that implies a dependency on God to keep them from giving into fear, anxiety, and nervousness that we all have to some degree. It is a comfort to know even the early church who witnessed signs, miracles, and wonders needed to pray for boldness. Challenging, because the church is not simply waiting for opportunities to walk through the door but is intentionally praying for evangelistic opportunities. On the top of the prayer list for this group of believers is gospel conversations and boldness to teach the gospel with the aim to persuade.

2. Be Willing to Take Them

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:9-10) We all know what it is like to pray for something audacious and faith-stretching and God actually answers. Although we prayed for it, we do not always expect it to happen. But when we pray for something that involves the gospel message coming to bear on the soul of an image-bearer, then we should expect that prayer to be answered with an urgency similar to that of Paul’s in these verses.

Notice the urgency Paul had in taking this gospel opportunity– the text says, “Immediately we sought to go into Macedonia.” In other words, Paul and his team didn’t drag their feet or avoid this present need. This was a “full-send” moment. Here we have a model for how we should approach gospel doors that open for us, especially when we prayed for them – we run through them!

While we may not experience a supernatural vision, we do have a great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). And those final words of Jesus then are for us today. Jesus’ last words are lasting words. It is one thing to pray for these opportunities and another thing to take them with immediacy when they come.

3. Embrace the Weird and Uncomfortable

Acts 16:16-24 narrate a scene for us where Paul and Silas are confronted with a girl who “has a spirit of divination” and brought her owners “much gain by fortune-telling.” (Acts 16:16). This girl followed Paul and Silas around, mocking and crying out against them. Talk about a seemingly weird individual and situation. Yet Paul turns around and engages her with the name of Jesus, demanding the spirit to come out of her. This of course lands both of them a beating and in prison with their feet fastened in stocks (Acts 16:22-24). Talk about uncomfortable. Paul could have easily steered clear of this situation and saved himself and Silas from the weird encounter and uncomfortable beating and imprisonment. But he didn’t. He counted the gospel message and this girl to whom he delivered it more worthy than his own comfort.

While some of us may not experience this level of spiritual warfare and physical harm in our endeavor to evangelize, it is no doubt that evangelism will often put us in weird and uncomfortable situations. We might be looked at or thought of as weird, or backward. And evangelism might land us in uncomfortable situations. Worse, we might be rejected and seen as threats to people’s way of life, especially if that way of life is supplying someone with much “gain”.  But if we are going to cultivate personal evangelism in our lives and churches, we have to be willing to embrace the weird and uncomfortable.

4. Invite People into Your Home

The end of Acts gives us a glimpse into Paul’s two-year house arrest ministry in Rome. Awaiting trial, Paul is engaged in gospel labor. Luke concludes with this: “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” (Acts 28:30-31)

Paul’s confinement to his rental house did not become a hindrance to evangelism. Instead, it became the place for evangelism. Imagine instead of waiting for gospel doors to open, we opened the doors of our home and made these spaces fertile ground for gospel conversations. Inviting people to church can be good but inviting people into our homes is even better. Street evangelism and door-knocking can have their place, but living room evangelism and dinner table evangelism, and front-porch evangelism might breed evangelistic opportunities just as organic as the spaces they are taking place in.

Notice how these four suggestions do not require a large program, charismatic personalities, or methods to memorize. A simple yes and commitment to the mission of King Jesus where we are at is all it takes.

[1] Stiles, J. Mack. Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus (Wheaton: Crossway, 2015) 26



Prayer Moves the Plot Forward: A Meditation on Ruth

By / Nov 17

No Christian would deny the importance of prayer, but many of us silently go through seasons when motivation to pray is all but absent. On the other hand, nothing revives our desire to pray like seeing our prayers answered. When God allows us to see the direct connection between our prayers and His intervention, our prayers flow. Answered prayer fuels more prayer.

One of the greatest biblical witnesses to answered prayer—and therefore a source the Spirit can use to invigorate our prayer life—comes from a surprising source: the book of Ruth. Ruth beautifully portrays God’s faithfulness to His (and every) people and God’s power in preserving a faithful remnant even in the darkest generations. But if we have eyes to see, Ruth also gives perhaps the clearest demonstration of answered prayer in all of Scripture. From beginning to end, the story hinges on prayer.

The best way to see the primacy of prayer in Ruth is to take time to read the whole book, noting each prayer. The book of Ruth records no fewer than a dozen prayers of blessing, petition, and praise (1:6, 1:8-9, 2:4, 2:14, 2:19, 2:20, 3:10, 4:11-12, 4:14). The prayers are often simple and easy to overlook as greetings. A closer analysis, however, sees the prayers in Ruth as the track along which the story runs.

The God Who Hears and Provides

From the outset, the author of Ruth describes God as the one who heard the prayers of His people and responded to their needs (Ruth 1:6). Many read the opening verses as background information, minor but necessary points to explain why Naomi left and returned to Bethlehem. But a sensitive reader will recognize this verse as an intentional description of God’s character that sets the stage for the entire story. God heard the prayers of his people. He is a God who acts on behalf of those who call on His name. Had God not paid attention to his people’s need, Ruth and Naomi would never have traveled back to Bethlehem, and their story of redemption would never have unfolded. The initial description of God subtly foreshadows answers to come.

The God Who Hears and Protects

Next, consider Boaz’s blessings over Ruth in 2:12 in 3:10. At their first meeting in the field, Boaz recognized Ruth’s sacrifice and devotion, and he prayed that God would reward her fully for her faithfulness. In time, the reader comes to see the beauty of God’s answer. God would indeed bless Ruth richly and provide her a full reward, including protection under His wings. And he would use Boaz to bring it about. Later, when Ruth uncovered Boaz’s feet and made her request at the threshing floor, Boaz recognized Ruth’s virtue and once again proclaimed a blessing over her. Boaz’s blessing hastened the story to its climax. Boaz awoke and immediately acted to bring Ruth into his home as his wife. In doing so, Boaz provided and embodied the very protection he had prayed over Ruth in 2:14.

The God Who Hears and Heals

In both 2:19 and 2:20, Naomi responded to Boaz’s kindness to Ruth by praying that God would bless the man who showed her favor. Once again, Naomi’s prayer planted a seed that would eventually grow to fruition. God would indeed bless Boaz, both immediately with an abundant harvest (3:7) and permanently by making him the progenitor of the kingly line. For Naomi, her prayer represented a turning point towards healing. Rather than considering herself irredeemably afflicted by God (1:20-21), she began to experience the first fruits of God’s ultimate healing and blessing (4:14-17).

The God Who Hears and Redeems

Finally, the elders of Bethlehem invoked a triple-blessing over Ruth, Boaz, and their future child. They asked God to make Ruth like Leah and Rachel, the great matriarchs of the tribes of Israel. For Ruth the Moabitess, nothing would solidify her standing as an adopted-but-true- Israelite more than identification with these matriarchs. The elders also prayed that Boaz’s name would become great and his house strong. God answered the prayer emphatically by making Boaz the great-grandfather of a king, and God would make Boaz one of the most well-known Bethlehemite in Old Testament history. And finally, the elders asked God to bless Ruth with offspring. Nearly as soon as the blessings were spoken, the story records God’s faithfulness in bringing them about. God himself opened Ruth’s womb and caused her to conceive (4:13). The child would grow, and Ruth and Boaz would become the mother and father of the house of King David (4:18-22) and the eternal house of King Jesus (Mt 1:5-6).

Connecting the Dots

And those are but a sample of the prayers God answered in the book of Ruth. Each prayer—even those so neatly tucked away they often escape notice—was a hinge upon which the story turned. From beginning to end, and at every point in the middle, God heard and answered the prayers of his people. Even the simplest blessings changed lives and brought God’s purposes to pass. Prayers moved the plot forward.

As a final encouragement, consider that those offering the prayers had no awareness how God was using their prayers to forward His plans. They prayed in faith—even bitter faith—trusting God would hear and perhaps answer. And in his own perfect timing and unexpected way, God did. Only in hindsight could they connect the dots.

The same is true for us. At any given moment, we, too, may struggle to see how God is using our prayers to shape His story in our lives. But when we lose heart and the seasons come when the last thing we want to do is pray, we can look to Ruth as a reminder that God is using our prayer to bring about His intervention, protection, and redemption. May the prayers God answered in Ruth lead us to offer our own in faith.



Spiritual Gloom and Psalm 42

By / Nov 14

If you’re like me, you may recall seasons of vibrancy and zeal in your Christian life. Spiritual disciplines come easy: time in God’s Word is fruitful, prayer is often, the gap between each journal entry is minimal, and fellowship brings glee. The streams of God’s endless love and grace that flow from the fount of Christ are delightful to drink.

But if you’re like me, you may also recall seasons of spiritual gloom, where dullness and indifference paralyze your pursuit of God’s glory. Spiritual disciplines become arduous. God, although as near as ever, feels farther to reach. Christ’s splendor and grandeur seemingly lose their spectral colors.

Spiritual gloom is a sickness suffered by so many. The author of Psalm 42 also suffered from this spiritual sickness. He was a worship leader separated from temple worship and God’s presence because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, forced into exile from his home and God. During his exile, he recounts the deep, soul-wrenching spiritual pangs of spiritual gloom—how he yearns to delight in God’s presence once more.

Psalm 42 is a tear-jerking lament that captures the soul’s dire need for God’s presence. But it’s also a Psalm shimmering with glimmers bright enough to repaint spiritual “gray-ness” with the colorful array of hope in the living God. It’s a Psalm littered with remedies reliable enough to cure the sickness of spiritual gloom.

Remedy #1: Thirst for God.

The Psalmist illustrates his spiritual longing and proclaims his severe thirst for God. Comparable to a deer panting for water, the writer’s soul longs for the Lord. The inner depths of his being are parched from lack of communion with the Divine. He reiterates his desperation in verse two: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” He thirsts for the living God. God, compared to a flowing stream, is also declared as living. Such a declaration has the reader consider streams that never run dry during arid seasons. Streams of “living water” are what these streams are called. Thus, the Psalmist pants for God, who is the Living Water able to quench the drought in his soul.[1]

Spiritual complacency is poisonous in the Christian life. It will intoxicate believers and trick them into waiting for the next “spiritual high,” where they’ll enjoy brief moments of divulging on God’s Word and practicing the spiritual disciplines. Psalm 42 is a soft rebuke to that mindset. Instead, believers must echo the Psalmist and embrace their thirst for God, driving us to dunk our heads into the Living Water, knowing that we’ll always be satisfied. When you don’t feel thirsty, pray for thirst. And when you thirst, race to the flowing streams knowing the waters will flood your soul.

Remedy #2: Remember God’s faithfulness.

Remembrance is a central theme in Psalm 42. Throughout the Psalm, memories of worship, fellowship, and communion with God leap to the worship leader’s mind, giving him hope to press on in his spiritual gloom. He remembers leading the masses in worship (42:4a), singing songs of praise (42:4b), and praising God in His presence (42:4b). Ultimately, he recounts the faithfulness of God. Memories of God’s faithfulness warm the cold heart of the Psalmist as he waits to commune with the Divine once again. Yet, spiritual destitution loomed over him.

I remember going through a season of spiritual gloom last year. Daily devotions that were once fruitful were dry. I fought daily to enjoy communing with the Lord through spiritual disciplines. I confess that a portion of my daily devotion that season was another item I “checked off” my daily list. It was grueling. Waves of spiritual sadness and longing for a rekindled desire for the Lord pained my heart. I eventually started to read and reread Psalm 42, prompting me to reflect on God’s faithfulness in my life. His faithfulness soothed me in my spiritual despair and spurred me to delight in the Lord again. My apparent drought and gloom ended.

God’s faithfulness ought to be the anthem among Christians enduring spiritual gloom. No spiritual depression or decline can overshadow the mountain of God’s faithfulness. In our highest of highs and lowest of lows, God’s faithfulness should resound in our hearts. We ought to recount God’s faithful love shown for us in Christ. We should reflect upon the spiritual blessings believers have in Christ. We should dwell upon the gift of the Holy Spirit. We must reflect on the many mercies given to us by the Most High, that such memories sway the distressed, gloomy souls of the spiritually downtrodden.

Remedy #3: Hope in God.

Psalm 42 is sectioned by two desperate self-rebukes to a downtrodden soul with a singular message: hope in God (Ps 42:5-6a, 11). Although separated from his worship and his people’s rhythmic fellowship, the soul of the Psalmist can boast an assured hope in God. And his hope will one day be realized: that he shall again praise his God, his salvation.

Christians can hope in God in seasons of spiritual sadness. Why? Because the God of the cosmos is a God in whom we can hope. The transcendent God stepped into a world that abandoned hope and embraced sin, incarnating as an infant. He walked the earth, showing compassion to all, teaching the masses about the kingdom of God, and performing miracles. He was the hope of God in a groaning world. And just when His death appeared a lost hope, He rose again in a blazing glory of triumph, declaring victory over sin and death and securing humanity’s ransom.

We can hope in God because He quenched our thirst. We can hope in God because He’s faithful. We can hope in God because we will one day praise Jesus Christ as we kneel before Him, the Lamb, and worship Him amongst a great multitude from every nation and tongue, extolling Him as we recount His faithfulness and glory.

[1] Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms Volume 1, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 671.



Thoughts on Longevity

By / Nov 10

Like most toddlers, my childhood was not marked with patience. It was too natural to demand immediate gratification. I wish I could say this was a former vice long left behind by the years of personal growth, but like many others, patience has sometimes felt like an elusive virtue. In my formative years, this impatience had trained me to think only in the short-term. I couldn’t wait to have a car when I became old enough to drive. I couldn’t wait to graduate high school and move off to college. I was all too eager to discover my major in college and thus my trajectory for a life. I couldn’t wait to find a wife, get married, and become an adult. Looking back now, I want most of these moments back; to learn to live in the present and relish its blessings.

Bygone days and reminiscing are not my point. I simply want to illustrate that many of us can identify with this impatient push to have immediate success and gratification whatever our individual and momentary desires may be. My real point is this: over the years of ‘trying’ to fight impatience, most of us have developed subtle and unhelpful habits. Chief among these incidental habits is a training of the mind to think in only short-term intervals. Decision-making, worldview, and success have all been framed by the impatient gene we carry in our flesh. This certainly influences all of life, but I wonder if it is one of the most common culprits of ministry displeasure in the church today?

As I prepared for the ministry, I remember an older pastor counseling me to keep my ministry and my personal life separate. The two were not to be the same thing. I tried to live by that advice for as long as I could until I realized that it was impossible. God doesn’t call my abilities (or lack thereof) to the ministry; He calls me to the ministry. This means our lives – the good and bad habits we form, the experiences that define us, our general dispositions – have enormous influence upon our ministries. If we have conditioned our minds to think in the short-term only, we will find that most of ministry is not only unsatisfying, but deeply unsettling. We will find that we view ministry in the short-term as well.

Before you know it, we will be running from ministry to ministry or program to program trying to satisfy the here-and-now moments. We will see every drop of conflict as a world-changing tsunami demanding immediate attention. We will live, not in a sense of biblical urgency, but in a hamster wheel of exhaustion trying to keep up with the ever-changing trends of the world. That is no way to last in ministry. That is no way to succeed in ministry.

Let me offer an alternative. Instead of seeing the world in the short-term, what if we did ministry with our eyes set on the long-term? Instead of short burst of programmatic “success,” what if we engaged in the slow, painstaking work of laying stones for a solid foundation? Such work may not yield fast fruit, but it will yield sustainable fruit. When the fast fruit has sprung up and withered for lack of root, the sustainable fruit from a long-term oriented ministry will last long after we are laid in the grave.

As a pastor, I have two goals in my decision-making: the health of the church now and the health of the church in the future after I’m in heaven. I ask, “Is this healthy for the people now? Will this set the church up for long-term health in the future?” The things I do to today I want to see benefiting the church tomorrow. I want to train people over a long haul. I want them to see that walking with God is a lifetime commitment and not simply done in short bursts of effort followed by slow seasons of complacency. I want to redefine what success is: slow and steady faithfulness with each step being deliberate for the future, not just immediate gratification.

I believe this will liberate many pastors and churches from burnout and discouragement. Instead of spinning the ministry wheels trying to one-up the latest and greatest effort, pastors can breathe a breath of fresh air knowing that the tried-and-true disciplines of the church, though requiring long-term commitments, perspectives, and diligence, will actually breed a healthier church than otherwise. Things like preaching faithfully, prayer, evangelism, and community, though less flashy, are all that God requires for faithfulness. More than that, they are often the only things that God will use to build His church.

Instead of planning with immediacy in mind, consider the trajectory that your ministry sets for the church in the long-run. Are you bouncing from one thing to the next, training your people to chase glittering, immediate gratification? Or are you training your people to progress faithfully and steadily toward the shores of heaven; to see the Christian life as a marathon and not a sprint? Are you training your people to persevere, to be standing in the end, and to increase in faithfulness, or are you setting them up for burnout?

Pastor, your job is to shepherd God’s people to the grave. Minister with heaven in mind and you will not go wrong.



4 Keys to Healing from Betrayal

By / Oct 27

Partnership in the gospel is a gift from God. Few passages in Scripture remind me of this more than reading of Paul’s goodbye to the Ephesian elders in Miletus in Acts 20:36-38:

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

While gospel-centered friendship is a sweet gift, it also can be a great source of pain when it goes away. Some of my tightest hugs have been with believers leaving to take the name of Jesus overseas, knowing we will most likely not reunite this side of eternity. Ministry is full of gospel goodbyes, and I have had my fair share.

Taking a new job, moving to a different place, or entering a new stage of life often alters relationship rhythms. But how should we respond when separation between friends occurs not by weeping together through the night but with an unceremonious, dry-eyed goodbye? When someone does not walk away from the faith—they just walk away from you?

In the past few years, I’ve experienced betrayal by other believers that left me breathless. We live in a digital, fast-paced age where there is hardly time to mourn the division in our churches or personal lives before the next dissension occurs. If you find yourself trying to catch your breath, here are four encouragements for you to pause and reflect upon as you seek healing in the Lord:

Humble yourself.

As one who has experienced it, I know one of the worst questions to ask a person who feels betrayed is, “Are you sure they sinned against you?” Even so, I think it is an important question for believers ask ourselves as we evaluate how to move forward in prayer and reconciliation with one another.

What one person may receive as a personal betrayal may actually be another believer’s obedience to God’s calling.

It can be easy to forget that not all decisions revolve around us. For example if a pastor prayerfully pursues a position in another place, it could be a temptation for some congregants to view the move as a personal abandonment rather than a movement of God. Assuming the worst of others’ intentions allows a root of bitterness that could eventually grow to choke out the relationship.

There is a better way! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can trust God through difficult situations and lovingly seek understanding. It is appropriate to be honest about feelings, ask questions, and take the person’s previously displayed character into account. But it is essential to recognize that relationships are a gift that can be given, changed, and taken away by God.

People who genuinely submit their lives to Jesus do not usually make decisions to be malicious. They make them based on their understanding of God, His Word, and the world. These choices form from their own conscience, convictions, wounds, sins, and experiences. Combine those factors with a broken world and the result? Even the best intentions (or truly holy actions) can still hurt. Processing pain from someone else’s decision does not mean the decision was inherently wrong or sinful.

Have grace for them.

That all sounds good in theory. But what if it is personal?

Betrayal from another believer hurts. It cuts especially deep because the blood of Jesus binds us in love. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we break bread together, walk with one another through joys and sorrows, and share the same Holy Spirit. In God, we are family. To share in such intimacy only to experience a betrayal of trust is devastating.

Releasing this kind of hurt to God requires us acknowledging that even someone who stands justified before God through the blood of Christ is still a sinner in the process of being sanctified by the grace of God.

Recognizing people are sinful does not mean we have license to villainize them. Do they slander you? Spew lies or hatred? Mock your ministry? God will hold them accountable for these actions. It’s easy to justify pride or retribution by labeling it as a desire for justice. But regardless of how much pain we endure at the hands of others—believers or unbelievers— we need not look further than the nail-pierced hands of Jesus to know forgiveness is possible. Who are we to withhold it when God so graciously extends it to us through the blood of His Son?

Humans are all sinful, and no matter how hard we try, we will fail in this broken world before we reach heaven. Romans 5:6-8 reminds us that the peace with God we experience through faith is not because of anything in us, rather:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

For this reason, we should be willing to demonstrate the grace God poured upon us to others so they might remember the gospel. Though their sin may still elicit consequences like loss of trust or removal from leadership, we can still pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us to be kind, speak truth, and show grace even when the offender does not.

Have grace for yourself.

There are always two sides to a betrayal. I am confident we have all been on both.

Do you find yourself in the position of the betrayer rather than the betrayed? Confess your sin before God and find healing in confessing to others (James 5:16). If you have made mistakes or there is truth to the words of your hurt brother or sister, you may want to run from or deny the reality of the situation. Denial is dangerous for you and unloving to them. Instead, lean on the truth that no matter how badly you’ve messed up, you are not outside of God’s grace. Cherish the reality that according to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”

If you are the one who is hurt and need to distance yourself from a relationship because it no longer produces fruit for the Kingdom, there is grace for you as well. That person’s life does not rise and fall on your decisions, and if it does, that relationship may be an idol for them. Sometimes the most loving thing is to help break that idolatry by refusing to enable them. You can recognize your bond in the body of Christ without being best friends. If your loving distance is unforgivable in their eyes, pray for them from afar and trust God to work in their life even if you no longer are part of it.

Trust the character of God.

God our Father is just. When people act unjustly, God knows. When we act unjustly, God knows. You may not have seen it coming, but God did. Before the foundation of the world, He foreknew our sinfulness and ordained for His Son to bear the wrath we deserve (Isaiah 53:10).

The only sinless person ever to walk the earth was betrayed.

Our Savior experienced betrayal from his closest friends on earth. Imagine: the friends he shared meals with, traveled long distances with, and shared the gospel beside abandoned him in his darkest hours. These men knew Jesus. They were his disciples. They were his friends.

Jesus experienced betrayal by his friends, by previous followers, by crowds that had at one time praised him. Yet he still faced the path before him, praying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). The Son’s fulfillment of the Father’s will meant bearing scorn from the world. Christ was let bleeding to an instrument of torture and died, uttering to his Father: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

It was the sins of his betrayers that Jesus atoned for on the cross. His blood atones for the sins of fellow believers just as much as it atones for yours.

So, look to Jesus as you heal from betrayal. Whether you are processing pain caused by a friend turning against you or find yourself in the process of your own repentance, know God alone is wholly trustworthy. His sovereign hand lovingly holds you through your failures and the failures of others.

 



A Plea to Church Members: Give Your Pastor Grace

By / Oct 27

A few days ago I was scrolling through my Timehop and I came across a tweet that I had retweeted from Ray Ortlund in which he said, “If your pastor loves the Lord, is faithful to his wife, preaches Jesus from the Bible, don’t hassle him. If he’s imperfect in some ways, don’t fix him. Who can flourish under that scrutiny? Instead, get down on your knees and thank God. He gave you your pastor (Eph 4:11-12).”

This is a good word no matter the season. Pastors reading that would give a hearty “amen” to such sage advice year-round. But there is no greater time to take this advice as a church member than right now.

We find ourselves in an incredibly strange and taxing time. I do not need to recount the ways in which our world causes us to be anxious, for you are well aware. At the height of our anxiety is the present pandemic which has caused us all to change our lifestyles for the greater good. But even something as impartial as an unseen virus has become political fodder and subject to conspiracy theories.

On top of the stress of coronavirus, opinions offered uncensored across social media. When it comes to the reopening of churches and how pastors lead during a pandemic, the opinions are legion. Some think churches should re-open ASAP, others think we should wait awhile. Guess who is caught in the middle of every opinion about what the church should and should not do in the midst of the pandemic?

Your pastor.

I have been privileged enough to study theology and pastoral ministry on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level and I have not once taken a class called, “Pastoring in a Pandemic.” Why? Because no such class exists.

My point is thus: all of us are navigating this for the first time. There is no playbook on how to lead when a global pandemic is ravaging communities in which the best course of action is to do nothing and stay home. Questions abound concerning when is the right time to re-open the churches for in person gatherings. Is there a right or wrong answer? I don’t know, but I do know your pastor is under incredible stress about what is the right thing to do.

While coronavirus caused many people to slow down and do less, I promise this is not the case with your pastor. In fact, your pastor may be working harder than ever in an attempt to shepherd his flock from a distance all the while keeping them connected and provide content to minister to their souls. Add to this the prospect of opening too quickly and putting members at risk of illness and you have a “perfect storm” for pastoral stress.

Many members might not realize this, and they may be genuinely trying to help by offering critique or advice, or maybe they think they are the only ones doing it, not realizing he is hearing things from multiple people. That adds even more stress.

But wait, there’s more.

On top of all of that, your pastor and church are being compared to other churches in town. “Fourth Baptist Church has already re-opened, why haven’t we?” or the opposite, “Maybe we re-opened too fast. I’m not going to attend for a long time. Other churches are being more cautious.” Or the classicly unhelpful “People have been saying…” or “Brother Demas thinks we should have opened a long time ago and this is all blown out of proportion.”

What is your pastor to do? Pastoral ministry is already a highly criticized, stressful calling. Add a pandemic and you may have a pastor who is questioning his calling and/or is on the brink of burnout—a dangerous place to be, for sure.

I have seen pastors admit this on social media platforms. Many comments and replies are supportive, offering prayer and an ear. Others suggest the pastor should “suck it up,” or compare them to others who “have it much worse.” How helpful is that?

I tell you all of this to offer a simple plea in these strange times: give your pastor grace. He needs it, he hurts, he’s stressed about doing the right thing in a moment where there is no playbook, he loves his people, he wants what’s best for the physical and spiritual well-being of the people Christ has called him to shepherd, and he is trying his best. Would you give him grace?

Consider Hebrews 13:7, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Or, right before Paul talks about God giving churches pastors in order to equip them for the work of ministry, he commands his readers in Ephesus (and us) to patiently bear with one another in love (Eph 4:2).

So brothers and sisters, be patient, be loving, bear burdens (don’t add to them), and remember the grace you would want to receive and then give it to your pastor. He needs your support and encouragement now more than ever, would you lovingly offer it to him? Because he desperately wants to give it to you, but may find it difficult when he’s ministering with “groaning,” which “is not advantage to you.”

Give him grace.



Gospel Appropriation

By / Oct 27

I used to dream of skydiving. There was something about jumping out of an airplane that just seemed like the right thing to do (I was a teenager!). To my surprise, and after much persuading, I actually convinced my parents to pay for the big jump as a high school graduation gift.

I couldn’t believe it; dreams were coming true. I imagined standing at the open door of the plane nervous as ever, jumping into apparent nothingness, feeling the freedom rush by me at 9.8 m/s ², and experiencing a level of excitement that could only be matched by the fear of impending death at any moment – compelling, right? But I can’t truly be considered a thrill seeker because I never made the jump.

The price was paid, but I didn’t take advantage of the gift. Things came up, excuses were made, and I never pulled the trigger, or the chute in this instance. I didn’t experience the joy I imagined the jump would bring. And the sad thing was, I had no reason not to! Nothing stood in my way. I was like a child sitting in front of their presents on Christmas morning, refusing to open them for fear of disappointment or concern with what others would think of my reaction. And to this day, I still haven’t made the jump, which now seems like far less of a great idea than I originally imagined.

As I think back on this experience, I’m reminded that I’m not unique. So many people in the world fail to take full advantage of the gifts right in front of them. Whether it be with something as small as letting your coupon for a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich expire or forgetting to use your pre-paid monthly subscription service, we often fail to take full advantage of the good things in life that cost us nothing.

The same is true for Christians. As Richard Lovelace wrote:

“Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives… In their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for justification…

Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther’s platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in that quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude.” 

Christian, God has given you the greatest gift – union with Christ and all the benefits therein. In His life, we have fullness of joy, a peace that transcends understanding, a home in the love of the Father. Christ becomes our righteousness, wisdom, peace, and hope; and the Spirit becomes our comforter, friend, and helper. And yet, we don’t always appropriate the full benefits of this gift into our lives. We’re far too easily frustrated, frenetic, and frantic.

Jesus offers a word of correction for us on this journey with Him – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him” (Col. 2:8). Simple, yet profound. Basically, the way in which we received Christ as Lord and Savior should now be the operating principle for real life today.

In other words, what directs your head, heart, and hands today? Not only in the quiet moments, but when things go wrong. When you get cut off on the highway or when you get sick again, what moves and motivates your heart then? What would make you satisfied? Is it Jesus – His Word and His love for you? Or is it something lesser that moves you in those moments, such as a desire for different circumstances, the fear of man, or the pursuit of ease/comfort in life?

I’m convinced, along with Lovelace, that Christians oftentimes fall into the latter group rather than the former. Namely, we often operate out of a pursuit of something less than Jesus in hopes to gain something that only Jesus can give. This pursuit is evidenced by what seems to be an increased anxiety, dissatisfaction, and internal “striving after” or “rush” rather than “resting in” or “calm,” even for Christians!

What would it look like for us to pivot the focus of our hearts from the pursuit of something we don’t have to the enjoyment of all we do have in Christ? How might we take the first steps into this life with Christ and walk everyday with Him as our Lord, rather than something else directing our hearts?

While much could be said to answer these questions, I’ll simply offer one thought: We can only enjoy someone rightly to the extent that we know them truly. For Christians, then, we can only enjoy Jesus in our lives rightly – and find our satisfaction in Him alone rather than lesser things –to the extent that we know Him truly.

Christian, you have the Word of God. If you long to be satisfied in Christ alone, if you long to “relax into trust” by appropriating the work of Christ into your life, then engage with the Lord in His Word. Take full advantage of all the gifts given to you in Christ. Meditate on all His excellencies you see in the Word throughout the day, moment-by-moment. Trust that only He can provide you with what your soul most deeply desires. As you do, I believe you will grow to relax and delight in Christ as you were meant to all your days.



Why the Church?

By / Oct 26

“Unchurched Christian” is not a biblical category. Ask Paul, John, or Peter what they think about unchurched Christians and they would have responded, “Why are you calling them Christians, if they are not a part of the church?”

The New Testament does not have a vision of the Christian life outside of the church, the local church. But there are many professing Christians today who seek to be committed to Christ with no commitment to the church. They do not believe in organized religion. They claim the church is full of hypocrites. They have experienced church hurt. They cannot find a faithful, biblical church. They do not find the church necessary, supportive, or beneficial. So they follow Christ but forsake the church.

It is wrong. It is unbiblical. It is non-Christian. You cannot have a high view of Christ and a low view of the church at the same time. Jesus declared, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The church belongs to Jesus. Christ himself is building the church. And nothing can defeat the church of Christ.

Christ is the head of the church. And he does not have out-of-body experiences. To submit to the authority of Jesus Christ over your life is to live in fellowship with the church.

Here are nine reasons why you should have a high view of the church…

Faith in God is practiced in spiritual community. The unbelieving society we live in regularly claims that faith is a private matter. But this is not the truth. Indeed, faith is a personal matter. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). But personal faith is not private faith. True faith is lived in spiritual community with others. In the Old Testament, the faith community was the nation of Israel. In the New Testament, it is the church, a new community in Christ that transcends gender, race, or status (Galatians 3:28). To live in faith in Christ is to live in fellowship with the church.

The church is the household of God. Writing to Timothy in Ephesus, Paul called the church “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). In salvation, we are born again and adopted into the family of God. But a newborn child needs to become a part of a household for nourishment, fellowship, and protection. The church is the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). More than that, it is God’s household. To reject the church is to reject the means of care the Lord has provided for his redeemed children.

Church membership brings assurance of salvation. A Christian is one who has professed saving-faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But that personal profession must be made to and among the church for there to be true assurance. In the New Testament letters, the two essential marks of true conversion are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love for all the saints. Christian fellowship is as essential to true assurance as personal faith. Love for the saints demonstrates faith in Christ. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers,” wrote the Apostle John, “whoever does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14).

The church is spiritually united to Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus called would-be disciples to follow him. But the actual relationship between Christ and his follows is greater, deeper, and higher than that: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). No other religion speaks of the relationship between its leader and adherents that way. But this is the spiritual union between Christ and the church. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. This spiritual union with Christ is what binds us together as the church. The indwelling presence of the Life-Giver King resides within each us and has made us one in Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. The church is often rejected because of things members of the church do or do not do. But no leader or member of the church is the standard by which we measure what the church should be. Christ is the standard. He is the head of the church. The church is the body of Christ. The church is safe and secure in him, as you cannot drown with your head above water. “The church is full of hypocrites,” it is complained. But Christ is no hypocrite! And if Christ is not a hypocrite, he is worthy of our trust and obedience, even if he tells us to go hang out with a bunch of hypocrites!

The church is the most valuable thing on earth. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the flock of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). The church is God’s flock, purchased by the blood of Christ. There is no institution in the world more valuable than that – not family, nor business, not government. There are many worthy causes in the world that deserve our support. But no worldly cause should usurp our commitment to the church for which Christ died. The church is the hope of the world.

The church is the outworking of God’s eternal purpose. This scripture is not a haphazard collection of stories, poetry, and letters. It is the unfolding of a divine plan. This plan of God was initiated in eternity past. It will be fully accomplished in eternity future. The church is essential to the eternal purpose of God. Paul declared “the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:9-10). The church is not incidental to the plan of God. It is the platform of the glory of God in the heavenly places.

The church is an earthly expression of heaven. What do you think heaven is like? To answer that question, turn to scripture, not near-death fantasies. For all we do not know about heaven, scripture makes it clear that heaven will be filled with the glory of God. In this regard, the church is to be a reflection of heaven on earth. Church growth experts advise pastors to shape the church around desires of the culture. But this only makes the church like the world. The church should be shaped around the character of God. Only the church can display the truth, love, and holiness of God, as it is in heaven.

Your sanctification is a community project. Hebrews counsels, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25) This is why is we must not neglect to meet together with the church for corporate and public worship. Many Christians feel it is no big deal if they miss a Sunday or two. However, scripture teaches, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).