More Than You Can Handle

By / Sep 9

One Sunday morning one of my fellow pastors shared in his sermon this lie many Christians believe: “God will never give you more than you can handle.” He argued that God actually consistently gives us more than we can handle to show us and remind us that our faith must be in Jesus, not ourselves.

I couldn’t agree more with him. The idea that God will not give us more than we can handle is a prideful belief if you think about it. The idea is about us and our capacity to bear trials, struggles, pain, or whatever else needs “handled”. It limits God as a distant figure setting up life and then leaving us to our own devices to solve the issues He gives us. Just this idea alone points to the absurdity of this view, but let’s get practical. What happens when you cannot handle what God has given you? What happens when life is too hard and when you’ve had too much? Are you a bad Christian? Is God a bad God? Certainly not.

God often gives more than we can handle, and He moves the most in these seasons of our life. For me, my greatest growth in faith came in a time that was too much to handle. When I was 17, I was nominal in my faith. I wanted to live for God in the future, but in the present, I wanted to play sports and make people like me. I was not headed in a good direction. But thank God, He gave me more than I could handle.

The fall of my senior year my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was the most difficult thing I could imagine. I constantly thought, “Why me and my family God?” I didn’t think things could get worse, until they did. The following spring, while my dad’s health was rapidly declining, my grandmother suffered a major heart attack, I had surgery on a broken foot, and my 10-year-old brother was on life support awaiting a heart transplant. Later in the summer, my father passed away and my younger brother, who by God’s grace was given a new heart, had extensive brain damage. I originally thought the cancer diagnosis alone was too much to handle, but it was only the beginning. I can honestly say that God gave me too much to handle. I hit rock bottom. And while it sounds crazy, I am thankful for it and would not change this season of my life if given the chance. In this season, God drew me to Himself more closely than I ever had been before.

In the darkest moment of my life, at rock bottom, when God had given me way more than I could handle, it was not my strength that got me through, but His. He was right there with me. I learned to lean on and depend on him more than ever. I had a peace I could never explain other than God was with me and while everything around me – my life, my family, and my future – were crashing down, He was not going anywhere. One verse I clung to in that season was James 1:2-4:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

This verse meant so much to me because it gave me hope that God was working in the worst moments of my life. It gave meaning to my suffering. It gave purpose to my plight.  It reminded me that God was not abandoning me but strengthening me. I can honestly say that it was because of this season in my life that I am a pastor today. I thank God that He gave me more than I could handle.

Do not believe the lie that God will not give you more than you can handle. You will be severely disappointed or worse, miss out on a closer walk with Him because you constantly run from anything difficult. God works in the moments that are too hard for us to handle. It is in these moments that we realize how desperate we are for Him and how helpless we are on our own. God will consistently give you more than you can handle. Here are a few verses to hold onto during those seasons of life:

  • 2 Corinthians 4:17: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
  • Romans 5:3-4: Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
  • Psalms 119:7: It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
  • Hebrews 2:10: For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
  • Philippians 3:10: that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

When life comes crumbling down, God does not. Run to him. Cling to Him. If you are struggling right now, know that God is working. You are not alone. He is with you. His church is with you. God will give us more than we can handle, but He will also see us through the other side with a stronger faith.



The Bondage of Absolute Self-Autonomy

By / Sep 8

There is no doubt that one of the gold standard virtues of modern society is the pursuit of absolute self-autonomy. The gospel of “be true to yourself” and “look within yourself” attempts to promote and promise true liberty, ultimate purpose and meaning, and societal flourishing with no strings attached or any negative repercussions.

On the surface, it sounds like good news. From a distance, it appears to be pro-humanity in all its nonrestrictive, progressive creeds and confessions, replacing sacred liturgy with its own secular ones. In elevating human emotion and imagination over and above absolute truth, it ascribes more worth to human creativity than to the Creator of humanity. This is the gospel of absolute autonomy. After all, any worldview or religious practice that would minimize the absolute autonomy of the self must be anti-human happiness and goodness, right?

Only if we allow ourselves to be fooled by the fashionable guise of light and liberty (2 Corinthians 11:14). While on the surface absolute autonomy appears as freedom, there is further bondage below. Absolute autonomy is not good news; it is bad news. Not only is it bad news, but false news. Only the true, good news of the gospel can offer freedom. Only in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection can we hope to break free from the bondage, brokenness, and alienation that absolute autonomy promises to deliver us from.

Here are three gospel truths that can dispel the current cultural mirage of absolute autonomy.

CREATED IN HIS IMAGE

First, we are created in God’s image.

“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).” I can only imagine the expression and the gasps and whispers of the heavenly hosts in this moment of creation. God had created everything else by His word and now he creates man in His very image. What a high privilege to bestow on man. Not even the angels in heaven received this title: Image of God.

And so, from the start, our very being and nature is stamped with God’s being and nature.

One of the most glorious, mysterious doctrines of all of Scripture is the Trinity. One God, three separate persons. Or as Athanasius beautifully articulated: “We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.” In other words, God has eternally existed as one – yet not alone. And if we are made in this God’s image, then something of that nature finds itself in us and the pursuit of absolute self-autonomy proves blasphemous at worst and trivial at best. In doing so, we deny the nature of God and the nature of self.

CREATED FOR COMMUNION

Second, we were created for a person.

The Apostle Paul writes, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16) In other words, we were created by Jesus for Jesus. Our personhood is so inexplicably bound to the second person of the Trinity that attempting absolute autonomy frustrates our true nature

Deeply woven in the imago Dei is this longing to know and be known by someone. And not just anyone, for we all know the fleeting emotions that come with new relationships, or the inevitable moment when someone lets us down or fails to live up to our expectations. Or when someone does not handle our own frailty or short comings in a manner that they should have. We need not look any further than the woman at the well who seemed to go from husband to husband, seeking to know and be fully known until she came face to face with the man she was truly meant for (John 4:1-26). While we are created for fellowship with other people, no mere person is going to satisfy the deep well of our hearts except the person of Jesus.

This also means we were not made for philosophies, revolutions, or moral shifts, no matter how liberating or plausible they might appear to be. Anything or anyone less than the One who Thomas called his Lord and his God (John 20:28) will not do. Simply put, we were created to be in communion with our Creator. The missing puzzle piece to our human heart is not more of self, but more of the Son, whom God appointed the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2). The One in whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily (Colossians 1:19; 2:9) and the One who fills and makes whole our fractured humanity (Colossians 2:10).

CREATED FOR FELLOWSHIP

Third, we were created to be a people. Being in communion with our creator also means being in fellowship with one another. I have had the privilege of preaching through the book of Ephesians over the past few months and one of the primary emphases of Paul’s letter is God’s people, the church. “So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)

Absolute autonomy not only alienates us from our Creator, but it isolates us from being in fellowship with other image bearers. It robs us of true gospel community. It facilitates a further divide and estrangement that the work of Christ on the cross healed and did away with. If each individual has their own truth; their own path; their own choices, then tragically, they are on their own. Loneliness is their only companion.

But Ephesians has a radically different vision for God’s people. It gives us a picture of a new society comprised of various individuals that can only grow into their true selves in Christ together. And only together, with all the saints, can this kind of self-discovery take place. This is what Paul means when he later writes “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) The gospel offers us a family that can perpetually remind us of who we are, what our purpose is, and what our final goal is: the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ.

Instead of leaving one another to ourselves to do what is right in our own eyes and figure it all out for ourselves according to the law of self-autonomy, Christ gives us one another according to the gospel of grace.

In the end, absolute self-autonomy is an empty promise that will leave us with an empty heart. Only an empty tomb and a risen Savior can help us find our true selves.



The Compatibility Question: Churches Make Better Aquariums than Pantries

By / Sep 2

“Do you think you’re a good fit for this church?”

Nat’s heart rate increased and it became harder to swallow. Self-preservation kicks in at questions like this. The honest answer was, “No. No, he didn’t think he was a good fit for this church.”

But an honest answer might mean no way to pay his mortgage.

He’d relocated his wife and young children to be a part of this church. His wife was pregnant with his third child and they’d left a healthy church 300 miles away so he could begin his first full-time ministry role as a youth pastor.

THE PANTRY

We’re trying to integrate homeschooling with grocery shopping in our house. We haven’t figured it out quite yet, but in theory our kids will learn math while simultaneously putting it in practice in the real world.

Did someone eat the last of the Cheerios? Let’s replace them. The Triscuits are stale? “We don’t like Triscuits, dad.” Great, we’ll throw them out and their spot on the pantry shelf will be filled by Goldfish instead. After all, “kids loves the fishes ‘cause they’re so delicious.”

A similar philosophy was driving the church that brought Nat on staff.

We need a youth pastor. Our former youth pastor “had to be let go” leaving an empty slot on the pantry shelf. Let’s try and fill it with someone new. Take out the Triscuits replace them with Goldfish.

It works well for perishables that will be consumed, why wouldn’t it work for people in the church?

THE PROBLEM

The problem is, the Church exists so people don’t perish, and consumption of people is a damnable offense (Gal. 5:15).

This is a great model for organizing a pantry of items to be consumed, but an awful model for organizing a population of people in the church.

On the front end of hiring a staff member a church tends to ask questions revolving around the candidate’s character (is he godly?), calling (does she have a clear sense of direction from the Lord?), competency (can he get the job done with excellence?), and coachability (is she teachable?). Questions are asked to quantify whether they meet expectations in each of these areas, and likely some Bible verses are cited to show where each of these qualifications can be found in Scripture.

But are we missing a bigger piece of the puzzle? The intuitive (and as such, much less quantifiable) sense of whether or not the candidate is a “good fit” for the existing people within the church body?

The church is, after all, much more akin to an aquarium than it is a pantry.

The Cheerios don’t have to get along with the Triscuits because their shelf life is short-lived and they exist merely for consumption. Never the case with the souls of our people.

THE PEDESTAL

Thankfully, in Nat’s case, it all worked out (Rom. 8:28). But to quote the popular political trope: “mistakes were made.”

In retrospect the hiring committee would’ve served him—and, more importantly, their people —better if they’d taken more time to get to know him and ask more questions.

Introducing new people to a growing community—especially if they’ll be tasked with leading that community—requires patience, prayer, and personal investment. We’re not just replacing one item on a shelf for another, we’re cultivating ecosystems. While the church, like a pantry, requires organization, it is always an organism before an organization (1 Cor. 12:18). Before placing someone on the pedestal of leadership, proper time should be invested in making sure the candidate is a good fit.

Even a novice fishkeeper knows a lot of thought and intentionality goes into introducing new fish into an aquarium. Is it salt water or fresh water? Is it a predatory species? Aggressive and territorial? What temperature is required for the fish to thrive? These are just a sampling of the sort of questions asked when a fishkeeper increases the population in their aquarium. Disaster ensues if a predator is introduced.

Nat was no predator, but the process of bringing him on board didn’t properly safeguard its people from the possibility that he was. A few communal conversations and the congregation as a whole would’ve had an opportunity to get to know him on the front end instead of chewing up and spitting out one more well-intentioned young leader.

THE PRACTICALITIES

So what does this look like in the real world? It looks like wise shepherding (1 Pet. 5:2). The wise shepherd knows his sheep and knows how to care for them (John 10:27). By all means inspect the character (1 Tim. 3), the calling (1 Tim. 6:12), the competency (Deut. 1:13), and the coachability (2 Tim. 2:2) of your candidates. But go one step further and explore their compatibility with your current church culture.

Ask questions about their philosophy of ministry. Will he micromanage? Is she legalistic? Will he seek to prioritize people and relationships or programs and events? Which of these methods best describes your current church community?

In many cases, a church may be making a new hire because a previous staff person left a void. Are you hoping to see the ministry maintained and continue as is? Or are you hoping to see a change in direction? If the latter, slow way down, communicate to the new candidate exactly where you came from, where you are now, and where you’re hoping to see the ministry go in the future.

Like most situations involving people, Nat’s transition was messy and, at times, confusing. He felt like he failed to meet their expectations. Thanks to vulnerable relationships with others in ministry he was reminded that he was clear and upfront about his goals and vision for the ministry from the beginning. In other words, it wasn’t his failure to deliver, as much as it was their failure to communicate their own expectations and needs.

Let me repeat one last time: patience and prayer is invaluable in hiring outside staff. For their sake and the sake of your congregation. Just like an aquarium, consider giving them (and your people) ample time to acclimate to the water. I know of one pastor who waited eight months from his hire date to relocate to his new church, and as lead pastor, he didn’t preach until two months later! That slow process is much better suited to the aquarium like ecosystems of real people than the stale stock of a pantry. Over a decade later, he’s still serving the same church and both are thriving. If only these stories were more common.

For those on both ends of the church hiring process this sort of deliberate slowing down and open communication is sure to pay huge dividends in the end. Take the time to encourage the folks on both ends to make sure the water is just right before introducing a new species.

Perhaps the greatest irony with Nat’s story is that the analogy of church compatibility that borrows from the world of aquariums as opposed to pantries is one he first heard from the pastor that ultimately ended up terminating him. He could be bitter about this, but instead chose to believe God was teaching him how not to repeat the same mistakes.

There’s a real danger that in treating our churches like pantries we stock the shelves too quickly and end up with some junk food—or worse yet, we mix the metaphor, and introduce a predator—and someone gets consumed.



After Church Discipline: Comfort After Removing a Loved One from Membership

By / Sep 1

With a heavy heart, I walked into the church building knowing what was about to take place. As a church, we were gathering together to exercise the final step of church discipline: removal from membership. When the call to vote came, I cast my head down and raised my hand to vote for removal.

Some of the hardest moments in my Christian life have been removing someone from fellowship because of their unrepentant sin. Just hearing about removing someone from membership is discouraging and knowing that someone is living in disobedience towards God and pursuing their sin can discourage us in our faith. Having close friends, family, and pastors pursuing their sin brings despair that hits even harder. But through this heaviness of heart, we must fulfill the biblical command to practice church discipline. Our goal in discipline is not to condemn, but to restore. Thus, we don’t forsake church discipline just because it grieves us.

The first time I voted to remove someone from fellowship was a good friend of mine and it was devastating. Questions flooded my mind. Was there more I could have done? Are they lost forever? How do I speak to them? Will we ever have the same relationship? Why am I so burdened by this? Why haven’t I reached out since we removed them from fellowship? I asked myself many more questions that brought out shame, guilt, and further despair.

My desire in writing this is for the sake of anyone facing these same questions and feelings. We can take great comfort in God and His Word, trusting in His sovereignty over these circumstances. Here are some points of comfort for those who have, along with their local church, fulfilled their duty in removing individuals from fellowship with the church.

  1. They are not too far gone

My wife and I voted to remove a family member from our church a few years ago. The days that followed were heavy for us, but I’ll never forget what one of our pastors said, “They are not too far gone.” A burden was lifted from us by this statement alone. We were preparing to live the rest of our lives as if they would never return to the Lord. We wondered what this looked like as supporters of their disfellowship with the church when we were to see them at holidays, family gatherings, or even when we spoke about our faith. Would they be bitter toward us? Would they resent our decision to support Scripture, despite them being family? Yet, we were reminded of the fact that they are not too far gone. When pondering on those you’ve recently removed from fellowship, remember that though they are far from God now, we shouldn’t assume God isn’t working to bring them back. Take comfort in the fact that God brings his lost sheep back to himself.

  1. You’re probably not guilty of doing too little

Perhaps you’re in a position like the one that I have faced. You blame yourself for not doing enough; you could have met with them more, prayed for them more frequently and sincerely, or even rebuked and corrected them in the hope of their restoration prior to disfellowship. Although these efforts are commendable, doing more doesn’t guarantee you’ll be successful in your efforts. Rather, if you’ve been a faithful church member to them and if you’ve followed what is outlined in Scripture concerning church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:9-13), then you needn’t worry about having done too little. If by your witness they don’t repent, you are not guilty. If after confronting them with 2-3 witnesses they don’t repent, you are not guilty. If after bringing them before the church and they don’t repent, you are not guilty. You’ve been faithful to do what God has instructed you to do. Their unrepentance is not your guilt to bear. Take comfort in your obedience to the Lord.

  1. You are not alone

There are two comforts that exist for you to consider in helping you ease the burden of church discipline: the Church and prayer. The Church is a great comfort because you know that you are not alone in pleading to the Lord for their repentance. Because of the Church you are not alone in reaching out to those who are removed from fellowship. And when it feels overwhelming, you have the Church to lean onto for comfort. Ultimately, you are led to prayer personally and corporately. 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us that we can cast all our burdens on God because he cares for us. Take comfort because you have the Church to lean on and God to rest in.

  1. Discipline comes from the Lord

The first question of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” One line of the answer has provided immense comfort for my own personal life, and I believe it applies here. “[Jesus] also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.” How comforting is it to know that the Father’s will is actively engaged in working all things for our salvation? In purging the evil from among us (1 Cor. 5:13), our goal is not to cast someone aside for the final judgment.
Rather, our aim is to be the ones used by the Lord to ensure that all things are working together for their salvation. Personally, I see disfellowshipping a member not as a judgment on their salvation (though this act does remove those who clearly had a false confession of faith), but rather as a statement of discipline. Think of the relationship of a parent and a child. A child who is rebellious against their parents doesn’t lose the status of child. No, the parents discipline the child, and the child remains a child. In the same way, the Father uses the Church to discipline his children (See Heb. 12:3-13). Take comfort that the Lord disciplines those whom he loves (Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6).

  1. Restoration does happen

Here’s the best news of all, God does restore those whom he is disciplining. A friend recently commented on 1 John 2:1, “John is more sure that Christ is forgiving than he is that you won’t sin.” Our forgiving God is restoring those who are his and forgiving them of their sin. Don’t be dismayed that all don’t return to the Lord, but take great comfort in the fact that the Lord is restoring his sheep to the flock. Find peace in the gospel, which leads us to trust that even the worst of sinners who repent and have faith in our Triune God are being sanctified (Phil. 1:6).
As time has passed, the Lord has used his Word and the Church to remind me that those who fulfill their duty of church discipline have great comfort in their time of lament. Whether we struggle with guilt, feeling alone, or doubt, we can have hope in the comforting, restoring God who is making sinners whole.



Though My Flesh May Fail: Reflections on Chronic Suffering from the Hospital Bed

By / Aug 30

“You have dysentery.” My common fate on the old Oregon Trail computer game became reality three years ago in Madagascar when my doctor spoke these words to me. As much as I wanted to laugh at how ironic it was to struggle with such an old disease as dysentery, I was in pain.

Little did I know then that this illness would set me on a trajectory of doctors’ visits, medical diagnoses, and hospital stays for the next three years, leading up to this very day where I sit once again in isolation at St. Luke’s East Hospital, missing my family and wondering why they can’t design hospital beds to be more comfortable.

I’m a firm believer in the sovereignty of God’s grace. I believe everything that happens to the believer is for good. After receiving an autoimmune diagnosis and seeing the subsequent bills roll in, though, this conviction has been put to the test.

Amidst temptations to doubt, God continues to reveal His good purposes for me in my affliction. As I sit in my hospital bed today, three lessons stand out among the rest as reminders of the sovereignty of God’s grace and His goodness in my life.

1. Your present trajectory does not determine your eternal reality.

Beginning in the fall of 2020, my life seemed to be on a negative trajectory. A house fire displacing our family for six months, the loss of my job and financial stability, and an autoimmune diagnosis hit us all in the span of a few months. Health, home, career, and finances- all taken away before we knew what hit us.

Any onlooker to the situation would quickly—and rightly—surmise that we were in a tough spot, in all senses of the phrase- emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

And in that season, Psalm 73 became my refrain.

“My feet had almost stumbled… For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…For they have no pangs until death…They are not in trouble as others are…Behold, these are the wicked; always as ease.”

Why do the wicked prosper? So often, prosperity seems to attend the wicked while the Christian seems to go from bad to worse. I often wonder, “How can this be?” Anticipating my question, God answers…

“But when I thought how to understand this; it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end… Truly you set them in slippery places.”

For the Christian, God saves us not only from our sin, but He also saves us from all other saviors. During this season, I began to see that I found more comfort, identity, and satisfaction in my home, health, and finances than I had previously realized.

As Thomas Brooks said in The Crook in the Lot, “If there’s any part of my portion in this life where, in the midst of all others, one is disposed to nestle in, the thorn will readily be laid there. There the trial will be taken for there is the grand competition with Christ. We find our greatest cross where we expected our greatest comfort.”

In other words, God will have no rivals for worship in our hearts. Our thorns are God’s means of keeping us in Christ.

These earthly possessions proved to be terrible saviors, possessing no power to give what they promise. They never satisfy. The rich never have enough. The home never comforts enough. The healthy still get sick. Ease is a wicked temptress and an empty savior. The wicked may prosper, but the Psalmist teaches how I can respond.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Take heart, Christian. Though it may seem as if life is headed in the wrong direction, rest in the wisdom of God. While affluence may grow for the wicked, they are in slippery places. In His grace, God keeps us from great temptations. We may actually be closer to where we need to be than if the affliction were simply removed.

2. God has no aimless thorns.

“Though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trails.” (1 Peter 1:6, emphasis mine)

God will not unnecessarily keep you in humbling circumstances. When the end purpose for the affliction is attained, we can be sure the affliction will be taken away.

And while He may have 10,000 purposes for a single affliction, we can rest assured that His purposes are good. Again, our thorns are His means of keeping us.

Just as a fence around a playground frees children to run fast with no fear of the cars on the street, our thorns enable us to enjoy Jesus more than anything else we could find in this life.

And since I still struggle with my chronic illness, I can be sure that God is still at work— removing heart idols in me and possibly working something outside of myself that I’m completely unaware of.

Let this be your confidence, Christian— God is more committed to your Christlikeness than you are. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on that day.” No matter what. He will do whatever it takes to ensure your conformity to Christ and your dwelling with Him for eternity. No matter how painful.

As C.S. Lewis said so profoundly, “We don’t doubt God’s goodness, we just don’t realize how painful it might be.”

So, in the midst of your chronic suffering, remember that God has no aimless thorns. Each thorn perfectly meets its mark exactly as He intends for the duration He determines. Each one will accomplish all He desires. Learn to seek God in the struggle with the thorn. See how He might be using it to conform you to the image of Christ and prepare you for eternity with Him.

3. Chronic suffering gives opportunity for resurrection living.

“We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:11)

At the hospital, a friend asked, “How are you not frustrated right now? I feel like everyone else in your situation would be angry that the doctors can’t find a solution.”

I believe there’s great opportunity for gospel witness through resurrection living. Time and time again in Scripture, God chooses the weak in the world to shame the strong. A life of suffering with joy gives a great testimony to the beauty of the gospel of Jesus.

And in this way, there is great purpose in affliction. Life springing forth out of death in my life is but a small window into the good news of Jesus – the One who became the only true source of life by His death.

So, in my suffering, God has been kind to quickly remind me that the place of dependence on Him is the best place to be. Sickness keeps me close to Christ. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked to be humbled by a different set of circumstances, but I’m learning to trust that His ways are better than mine.

As my flesh fails me, God has promised to renew my spirit day by day. And in this way—life out of death—the gospel is proclaimed. And in that, I rejoice.



Sometimes I Struggle With the Bible

By / Aug 24

Sometimes I struggle with the Bible.

When I read Scripture, potential distractions abound. So many things seem more urgent and alluring—things like email, text messages, social media, the day’s news cycle, to-do lists, the latest Netflix series or music release, or opportunities to connect with actual, in the flesh human beings.

Boredom can set in. True, it is all God’s Word—what an amazing gift! But when it comes time to plod through Leviticus, or those long lists of who begat whom and who is in this tribe or that tribe, or trying to make sense of laws that feel more dated than relevant, or engaging the darker parts—rape, incest, family dysfunction, bloody wars, lying and stealing, backbiting, pettiness, and frustrated prayers—natural instinct says there might be a better use of time.

I also find the Bible perplexing. Children die for the sins of their parents. Entire people groups are oppressed and abused and enslaved by people in power. Weak and innocent people suffer while ugly-hearted people prosper. God saves some and passes over others. Two well-meaning men get struck dead for touching the ark of God. And the list goes on. These and other unnerving depictions can feel less like inspiration and more like cable news.

I relate to what Mark Twain allegedly said, that “it ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me; it’s the parts that I do understand.”

It is comforting to know that one of my personal heroes, C.S. Lewis, shared similar feelings about the more perplexing parts of the Bible. Reflecting on Psalm 19:10, where King David compares Scripture to a treasure of fine gold and a taste sweeter than honey, Lewis wrote:

“This was to me at first very mysterious. ‘Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery’—I can understand that a man can, and must, respect these ‘statutes,’ and try to obey them, and assent to them in his heart. But it is very hard to find how they could be, so to speak, delicious, how they exhilarate…they may obey, they may still respect the statute. But surely it could be more aptly compared to the dentist’s forceps or the front line than to anything enjoyable and sweet.”

Indeed, honest Bible readers—even skilled teachers of the Bible like C.S. Lewis—have found parts of it difficult, puzzling, mystifying, and even offensive. As much as we can rejoice in, get inspired by, and find comfort in certain parts of the Bible, other parts will disturb us—namely, the parts that contradict our feelings, instincts, hopes, dreams, traditions, and cultural values. I recently saw a quote that said, “Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself. They reject it because it contradicts them.”

The Apostle Paul, whose life completely upended when the Word of God came to him on the road to Damascus, wrote things such as:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Jesus, too, emphasized the centrality of God’s Word in the lives of believers when he said that we are to love God not only with our hearts, but also with our minds (Luke 10:27). He described the revealed will of his Father as his food and drink (John 4:34), resisted Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture, saying, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:1-11), quoted the Psalms from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Luke 23:46), and emphasized to his followers that abiding in him and abiding in Scripture are one and the same (John 15:7-10).

To put it another way, we simply cannot separate life in Christ from a life that is utterly saturated with and dominated by Scripture. Fulfilling our calling to love and enjoy God with everything that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, stands or falls on whether (or not) we become people of The Book.

Editor’s Note: This article originally was originally published at scottsauls.com. 



Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary: An Interview with Patrick Schreiner

By / Aug 15

Patrick Schreiner serves as Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary. His latest publication, Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary, focuses on the theological and exegetical concerns of the book of Acts. Throughout the commentary, Schreiner gives careful attention to both the scholarly information and practical applications of this New Testament book.

Of this new commentary, Joseph R. Dodson, Associate Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, said, “As one who has taught courses in Acts, I have lost count as to how many commentaries I have read on the book. Nevertheless, having read this one, I can honestly say that I have a new favorite.”

Alan J. Thompson, Head of the New Testament team at Sydney Missionary and Bible College, also said, “Readers will have their imaginations stirred and their hearts encouraged as they journey with Dr. Schreiner through Luke’s ever-relevant account of the triune God’s saving purposes in the spread of the word to Israel and the nations.”

In a recent interview, Schreiner answered a few questions about his latest publication and the importance of the book of Acts.

BF: What was your approach in writing this commentary on Acts?

PS: There are a lot of good commentaries on Acts so I had to think of how I could make mine unique. Thankfully the series this book is a part of (Christian Standard Series) is concerned with theology and the great tradition. So in my introduction I give my method which includes the following:

First, it is a theological reading. Modern biblical commentaries tend to be primarily concerned with the “natural history” of the biblical text: authorship, history, reception. But these questions do not always address how the text is the word of God for today.

Second, it is a narratival reading. Luke wrote a narrative (diēgēsis) of Jesus and the early church. We must pay close attention to the structure, speeches, and the way Luke decides to frame his story. Luke writes an orderly sequence for Theophilus – one that is carefully structured and put together and communicates a message through form and style.

Third, it is a canonical reading. The narrative of Luke does not begin in Acts 1 nor even Luke 1, but spans from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.

Fourth, it is a historical reading. Luke writes about events eyewitnesses handed down to him and he carefully investigated his sources to come to an accurate understanding of the proceedings.

Fifth, it is a creedal and ecclesial reading. The rule of faith was my compass in the readings of Acts. My aim will not be to push the boundaries of the doctrine of the early church, but to read within them. Doctrinal boundaries do more to enlighten a reading than diminish them. Ultimately, my reading was ecclesial. Acts lays out the story of the early church to encourage the church.

This isn’t your first publication on the book of Acts. What has been most enriching about the time you’ve spent studying this New Testament book?

I loved studying Acts for multiple years. I was encouraged to be reminded that the mission of God will be accomplished despite human failings. It is so evident in Acts that people don’t have it figured out, but God has a plan. I also appreciated seeing how integral Acts is to the New Testament. It stands as a hinge between the life of Jesus in the Gospels and the Epistles. In one way, it continues the story of Jesus, in another way it introduces us to the story of the church. My book on the theology of Acts is basically a summary of my theology of Acts, but the commentary is where you get the text-by-text exegesis.

How would you summarize the theology of the book of Acts?

Proposals for a theological center or theological heart of Acts twist in a variety of directions. Many claim Acts focuses on the Spirit. Others say it is the word, which becomes almost a character in Acts with arms and legs. Other claim it is the church. Others affirm Acts is about the transition from Peter to Paul. More recent proposals focus on the continued work of Jesus. Elements of truth persist in each of these proposals.

But rather than claiming one outdoes the others, it is better to recognize they all relate to one another. For example, one can’t speak about the Spirit according to Acts without putting it in the frame of the risen Christ. One can’t speak of Christ without speaking of the Father’s plan. One can’t speak about the witness of the apostles without relating it to the empowering of the Spirit. This book is most fundamentally about the mission of the triune God.

I chose seven themes to summarize Luke’s main theological aims, though certainly many more could be added: (1) God the Father orchestrates; through (2) Christ, who lives and rules; and (3) through the empowering Spirit; (4) causing the word to multiply; (5) bringing salvation to all; (6) forming the church; which (7) witnesses to the ends of the earth. Luke emphasizes all of these themes in different ways, but my order is purposeful––a Lukan logic exists. The triune God stands at the head because the remaining themes flow from God the Father’s plan, centered on the risen and enthroned Jesus, and the empowerment of the Spirit.

Why is the book of Acts so important for the church today?

Acts is a model, a prototype, an exemplar for the renewal of the church. It gives guidance concerning the founding of the church and its priorities at that point and thus gives guidance for the church in every age. We proclaim the same message, we “do” church in the same way, and we still rely on the same Spirit. While Acts is not a manual for church practices, it is the bedrock from which we must begin our education into God’s mission through the church.

What do you hope pastors and ministry leaders gain from reading through this commentary?

I hope pastors and ministry leaders will see the book of Acts not only as a historical account of what happened in the past but a narrative that we are still a part of. The story of Acts is not finished, it continues with you and me. This is the story of the founding of what is most precious to Jesus: his church. He values this body so much that he was willing to die for her. We likewise must take up our cross and pour out our lives so that others can hear the message of the healing power of Jesus.

 

Editors Note: Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary will be available for purchase on 09/01/2022.



Spurgeon the Pastor: An Interview with Geoff Chang

By / Aug 9

Geoff Chang serves as Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary. In his latest book, Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry, Chang focuses on an often-overlooked aspect of Spurgeon’s life, his pastoral ecclesiology. He addresses topics such as church gatherings, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, church membership, congregationalism, pastoral training, and more.

In the book’s summary, Chang writes, “Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, was a pastor to well over 5,000 people in a day long before “mega-churches” were the norm. But you might be surprised to know that Spurgeon’s vision for ministry was not pragmatic. He did not borrow best practices from the business leaders in his day. Rather, his ministry was decidedly, staunchly biblical and theological in nature- and it was a ministry vision we ought to adopt more than a century later.”

In a recent interview, Chang answered a few questions about his new book and the life and ministry of Spurgeon.

BF: Why should pastors and ministry leaders study Charles Haddon Spurgeon? 

GC: The main reason is because Spurgeon sought to teach and apply what he saw in the Bible. My contention in the book is that Spurgeon was driven in his ministry by biblical and theological principles, rather than the latest fads or pragmatism.  We may not agree with all his conclusions, but insofar as he sought to be faithful, he remains a model for us today. What’s striking about his ministry is that he pastored during a time of widespread nominalism, theological downgrade, but also remarkable revival. And yet in those challenging times, Spurgeon persevered in faithfulness to Scripture, both in his preaching and shepherding. And so, he is a worthwhile friend for us to get to know.

In the book, you give a comprehensive overview of Spurgeon’s pastoral ecclesiology, with each chapter focusing on a different aspect of his ministry. Through your studies, how would you summarize his philosophy of pastoral ministry?

 One way to summarize Spurgeon’s philosophy of ministry would be that it was firmly rooted in his evangelical Calvinism. Spurgeon’s confidence lay not in human ability, but in God’s sovereign power to save, through the means that He has appointed.

Practically, this meant, first and foremost, that the faithful preaching of the Word was his most important duty. Because it is through the Word that God acts. It is through the Word that the lost are saved and the church is built up. As busy as he was with all kinds of other responsibilities, Spurgeon saw to it that his pulpit ministry never failed, but he preached excellent, faithful, gospel-rich sermons throughout his entire ministry.

However, Spurgeon knew that his preaching was only half of the work. If God is sovereign, then it is the duty of God’s people to pray. Apart from the prayers of the church, Spurgeon had little hope that his preaching would amount to anything. So he urged his people to pray and prioritized the weekly prayer meeting, along with numerous other prayer meetings throughout the week.

And then having prayed, Spurgeon urged his people to join him in proclaiming the gospel. We know much about Spurgeon’s ministry, but the church itself also became an engine for gospel ministry throughout London and into the rest of the world. All of this activity flowed from a robust confidence in God’s sovereign grace.

What may readers be surprised to learn about Spurgeon’s life as a pastor in this book?

My guess is that many readers will assume that because Spurgeon’s church was so large, it basically functioned more as a preaching station rather than a church. But this was certainly not the case. Spurgeon took seriously his calling as a pastor, and he took seriously the fact that they were a church. This means that even as the church membership reached 5,000, he was still thinking about how to keep track of his members, organize visitation, maintain meaningful membership, and much more. And all this before cell phones and email!

How have you seen the continued development of Spurgeon scholarship influence the lives of pastors, ministry leaders, and church members?

The latest Spurgeon scholarship continues to show us a fuller, more well-rounded view of Spurgeon, going beyond the familiar anecdotes and remarkable figures, presenting to us Spurgeon as he really was. Ray Rhodes’ work on Susannah Spurgeon and her marriage to Charles has provided a brand-new look at his private life. It has been a great encouragement for many pastors not to neglect their marriage, even amid the pressures of ministry. Recent works on Spurgeon’s battle with depression have also proved to be a great comfort for those facing similar challenges.

I love the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon series that we have been working on here in the Spurgeon Library, because through these early sermons we can trace Spurgeon’s growth as a preacher, and we can read his sermons when was just a village pastor. What encourages me about these sermons is that even before he was a celebrity, he was faithfully preaching excellent, theological, gospel-rich sermons, even when his audience was made up of simple farmers and villagers. Thanks to the work of the Spurgeon Library and Midwestern Seminary, we have all kinds of new scholarship coming down the pipeline that will continue to bring out new insights and resources from Spurgeon’s life and ministry.

What do you hope pastors and ministry leaders gain from reading Spurgeon the Pastor?

 In learning from Spurgeon’s example, my hope is that pastors and church leaders will grow to love the church, the Bride of Christ, and be ever more committed to shepherding her faithfully according to God’s Word.

 

Editor’s Note: Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry is now available for purchase.



The True and Better Leonardo

By / Aug 2

The world recognizes Leonardo da Vinci as one of history’s great artists, arguably the greatest ever. His Mona Lisa is the most famous painting the world will ever know. He never finally finished the picture. He was still working on it at the time of his death. Leonardo kept it with him, moving it from city to city, never handing it over to the one who commissioned it, because he was never done perfecting it. He tinkered and touched up and remade it throughout his last years of life. He even went to the lengths of painting the undergarments so that the proper texture was visible on the outer garment. He was meticulous and discerning. He researched the muscles of lips on corpses to get the smile just right—a smile that has sparked conversation since its revealing so many years ago. Is she smiling or not? Look at her eyes, and it appears the answer is yes. Look at her mouth, and it becomes debatable. Who could paint such a face full of motion? Only Leonardo because he alone cared enough to research the exact movements of the human mouth. He was never finished until the painting attained a specific and intentional character. So too is God.

In his book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis says about God something we see in Leonardo’s intention with his art. “We are, not metaphorically but in very truth, a Divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character.” Just as a Leonardo worked on the Mona Lisa (and, in fact, many of his other paintings—he was a meticulous procrastinator and denier of deadlines), so too is God working on us all our lives. We are never off his mind. Even as he goes about upholding the world, spinning the stars, balancing the weights of the universe, his purposes are for our fully-formed character aligned to his.

God is the true and better Leonardo. But rather than taking a blank canvas and layering paint drop by drop, he takes a soiled heart, made hard by sin, and softens it, reworks it, in fact, remakes it into his image. His art is not of the kind to hang on a wall for admiration. It’s the kind that stands in the hall, shouting down the corridors the glory of the artist. He’s creating not a showpiece but sons and daughters for himself. And if he’s producing such characters for his own enjoyment and pleasure, to share a part in his joy and gladness, why would he be content with any remaining sin or spot or imperfection? Why stop with good enough when he has all the holiness, righteousness, and goodness at his disposal? Indeed he will not stop. Every painting goes through a stage of harm, one in which the picture appears a blurry mess and incomplete disaster. But over time, at least for Leonardo, the lines became the proper amount of blurry as to look real, the eyes reached the appropriate depth as to become a welcoming gaze, the perspective and optics arrived at their maturity as to come alive. So too in the hand of God shall we one day arrive.

Editor’s Note: This article originally published at Things of the Sort. 



Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh: An Interview with Thomas S. Kidd

By / Jul 4

Thomas S. Kidd serves as research professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His latest book, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (Yale University Press, 2022), is a revelatory new biography of Thomas Jefferson, focusing on his ethical and spiritual life.

Timothy Larsen said of the book, “Set aside everything you think you know about Thomas Jefferson and religion, and read this book.”

Russell Moore said, “In this long-awaited book, Thomas Kidd, one of the world’s most respected historians, portrays for us a compellingly complicated human being- who through both genius and will, and despite grave flaws, gave us a country we could not recognize apart from him.”

Karen Swallow Prior also commented, “I don’t know a scholar more able than Thomas Kidd to bring breadth, depth, and moral clarity to a treatment of a figure as significant and complicated as Thomas Jefferson- and to do so with vivid, compelling prose that will engage a broad audience of readers.”

James Byrd said that this book “will make an outstanding contribution to scholarship on Jefferson.”

Kevin R.C. Gutzman also stated, “Thomas Kidd gives us the Thomas Jefferson we need right now.”

Recently, Dr. Kidd joined us to answer a few questions about his latest book.

BF: As you state, your latest book is a “narrative of Jefferson’s moral universe more than a traditional biography.” What prompted you to take on Thomas Jefferson as your latest subject and to discuss him from this angle?

TK: There has been increasing controversy in recent years about the Founding Fathers generally, and Jefferson specifically, much of which has to do with moral questions. Many wonder how to reconcile the Jefferson who said that slavery was wrong, and who wrote that “all men are created equal,” with the Jefferson who owned hundreds of people as slaves. “Hypocrisy” is an easy and somewhat deserved reaction to Jefferson’s inconsistency, but I don’t think hypocrisy is a very helpful answer historically when trying to understand the enigma of Jefferson’s beliefs and contradictory life. In this book, I hope I offer a genuinely new approach by trying to understand how Jefferson’s religious and ethical views synced with how he actually lived.

In the book, you describe several tensions in Jefferson’s life. What are some of these tensions, and how do you hope readers will respond to hearing the story of Jefferson’s ethical life?

The most familiar tension is between Jefferson’s belief in God-given equality, and his deep investment in the enslavement of African Americans. A related tension is Jefferson’s constant touting of the virtue of frugality, or living within one’s means, and the disastrous state of his personal finances. Finally – and the one that may be of most interest to the Midwestern Seminary community – is Jefferson’s virtual obsession with the Bible, and his brazen deletion of the miraculous content from the Gospels in the “Jefferson Bible.”

I hope that when confronting as perplexing a character as Jefferson, readers will steer clear both of patriotic apologetics, and of today’s temptation to cancel those in our national past who have manifest failings and sins. It’s much better, I think, to ponder (in Jefferson’s case) how someone who did terrible things could also be used for great good in American history, most notably his articulation of our God-given rights and equality, and his championing of religious liberty.

Jefferson’s religious beliefs often did not help him politically. His convictions even led him to cut out sections from the New Testament to form the “Jefferson Bible.” Can you tell us more about the origins of the Jefferson Bible, and how Jefferson’s contradictory spiritual convictions can serve as a warning for Christians today?

 A lot of Bible readers implicitly cut out parts of Scripture they don’t like. But Jefferson literally did so, with scissors. He was an early example of what became “higher criticism” of Scripture, or the assumption that some parts of the Bible are erroneous, unreliable, or are later additions. Jefferson’s Jesus became a great teacher of ethics, but not the resurrected Son of God. The warning here is that as soon as we place our own standards of reason above any part of the Word of God, we are on a slippery slope.

As you’ve mentioned, Thomas Jefferson can serve as a needed example for us today. What are some of the other ways, possibly missed in a traditional biography, that Jefferson’s ethical life can give us lessons for our current cultural moment?

One of our biggest cultural challenges is knowing what to do with historical figures who were once widely revered, such as Jefferson, but who engaged in behavior we see as appalling and immoral, such as enslaving people. Somehow we have to be able to clearly repudiate these actions, while also not casually assuming that we are morally superior because we denounce (or cancel) such people. A proper Christian reaction to the terrible failings of people in history is sober humility, not pride or “virtue signaling.”

 

Editor’s Note: Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh is now available for purchase.