A “Men’s Retreat” for Real Men (current and aspiring)
March 27, 2009
This weekend is our annual men’s retreat – a wonderful time of playing hard and hearing what the Word of God says to men and boys in particular. I look forward to it with great anticipation and thankfulness.
The most recent PCA Christian Education magazine Equip had a brief article on the importance of a strong men’s ministry in the church. Here’s just a paragraph from that article:
Our sons need to grow up in churches where men have an identifiable presence as a band of brothers committed to being warriors in the spiritual battle together. They need to see in the men’s ministry that the church is a place for men; and their masculine longings to compete, to be a warrior, to win, to take the hill for their commanding officer are fulfilled in their calling to follow Christ. They need to be around men in the church who remind them that we are called by God to participate in nothing less than His grand plan of redemption for the universe, following King Jesus in the conquest of this entire world, spreading His kingdom geographically to the ends of the earth and spiritually to the very gates of hell itself. Our passion as His followers is to see all of life redeemed, across the globe, for His honor and glory. Our calling is to something a little bigger than being a nice guy.
Eternal Praise to an Infinitely Good God
March 24, 2009
I’ve been contemplating Psalm 145 this morning. We’ve been singing portions of this Psalm during our worship over the last few weeks. It is a Psalm full of declarations of God’s goodness, righteousness, grace and mercy. Particularly striking, however, are the first three verses.
I will extol you, my God and King,and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
According to David there will be no end to the praises given to God. Because his greatness is unsearchable, because it is beyond man’s capacity to fully understand it, the saints in heaven will never exhaust their praises given to God.
Earthly praise for earthly things will always end, because there are limits to earthly goodness. But God’s goodness, the riches of his grace, the wonders of his mercy, the scope of his glory – all of these are infinite and unsearchable by our human minds, and therefore our praises to God simply cannot end.
A Gospel that “creates, deepens, and inflames the faith”
March 18, 2009
As of late I’ve been reading Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity, honestly one of the more significant and challenging books I’ve read in some time.
Horton’s overarching purpose is to expose the “Christless” Christianity that is so ubiquitous today, and offer instead a profoundly Christ-centered understanding of the faith. This means we never simply “assume” the gospel and move on to bigger and better things, but we always place the gospel, the biblical message of God’s redemptive work through Christ, at the forefront of who we are and what we proclaim.
I’m not done reading yet, so I’ll reserve most of my comments until later, but today I was particularly struck by his description of what church life would look like if the church faithfully answered her calling to proclaim Christ and the glorious redeeming work of God seriously. Under this model, believers go to church primarily, not to give, do, or act, but to receive – to be fed by the news (good news!) of God’s action on our behalf. Horton asks us to imagine a scenario in church life in which…
God gathers his people together in a covenantal event to judge and to justify, to kill and to make alive. The emphasis is on God’s work for us – the Father’s gracious plan, the Son’s saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work of bringing life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of Christ. The preaching focuses on God’s work in the history of redemption from Genesis through Revelation, and sinners are swept into this unfolding drama. Trained and ordained to mine the riches of Scripture for the benefit of God’s people, ministers try to push their own agendas, opinions, and personalities to the background so that God’s Word will be clearly proclaimed. In this preaching, the people once again are simply receivers – recipients of grace. Similarly, in baptism, they do not baptize themselves; they are baptized. In the Lord’s Supper, they do not prepare and cook the meal; they do not contribute to the fare; but they are guests who simply enjoy the bread of heaven. As this gospel creates, deepens, and inflames faith, a profound sense of praise and thanksgiving fills hearts, leading to good works among the saints and in the world throughout the week. Having been served by God in the public assembly, the people are then servants of each other and their neighbors in the world. Pursuing their callings in the world with vigor and dedication, they win the respect of outsiders. Because they have been served well themselves – especially by pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons – they are able to share the Good News of Christ in well-informed and natural ways. And because they have been relieved of numerous burdens to spend all of their energy on church-related ministries throughout the week, they have more time to serve their families, neighbors, and coworkers in the world (pp. 189-190).
As I read Horton’s words I am already growing anxious for Sunday, for that gathering of God’s elect in which we hear of Christ’s redeeming work and how we’ve been swept into that story through the actions of God himself. Already I grow anxious to feed once again on Christ at the Lord’s Table where God reminds us of the true union we have with him.
The Kingdom of Heaven: Not for indulging “the ease of triflers”
March 11, 2009
This week I was thankful for some helfpul comments from one of our members in light of last Sunday’s sermon on Luke 13:22-30. In this passage Jesus commands, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (vs. 24). Part of the comments I received pointed me to Matthew Henry’s words concerning a similar passage in Matthew in which Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mt. 11:12):
An importunate multitude. This violence denotes a strength, and vigor, and earnestness of desire and endeavor, in those who followed John’s ministry, else they would not have come so far to attend upon it. It shows us also, what fervency and zeal are required of all those who design to make heaven of their religion. Note, they who would enter into the kingdom of heaven must strive to enter; that kingdom suffers a holy violence; self must be denied, the bent and bias, the frame and temper, of the mind must be altered, there are hard sufferings to be undergone, a force to be put upon the corrupt nature; we must run, and wrestle, and fight, and be in an agony, and all little enough to win such a prize, and to get over such opposition from without and from within. The violent take it by force. They who will have an interest in the great salvation are carried out towards it with a strong desire, will have it upon any terms, and not think them hard, nor quit their hold without a blessing, Gen. 32:26. They who will make their calling and election sure must give diligence. The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the ease of triflers, but to be the rest of them that labor. It is a blessed sight; Oh that we could see a greater number, not with an angry contention thrusting others out of the kingdom of heaven, but with a holy contention thrusting themselves into it!
Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Mt. 11:7
A Review of ‘John Calvin’ by Simonetta Carr
March 5, 2009
As a parent, I am always looking for reading resources for my children which are true to the Christian faith without being preachy or moralistic. One such new resource, for ages 7-10, is in the church library: John Calvin by Simonetta Carr and beautifully illustrated by Emanuele Taglietti. This new book is the first in a proposed series, the ‘Christian Biographes for Young Readers’ series, from Reformation Heritage Books. Augustine, John Knox, and B. B. Warfield are among other anticipated volumes. This one came out first in honor of the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth (July 10, 1509).
The book has much to commend. Clearly written, Mrs. Carr deftly and ably distills Calvin’s life and writings, highlighting the main points, noting his weaknesses, and drawing some important lessons from Calvin and the Reformation. In addition, she casts the story within the larger historic framework of the Reformation and Europe, noting important reformers like Martin Bucer and Theodore Beza as well as Roman Catholic foils such as Cardinal Sadoleto. The illustrations and pictures add depth to the story, giving clarity to Calvin’s home, Geneva, and the Geneva Academy in Calvin’s day. The broad layout, chapter tabs, time line, and ‘Did You Know’ section at the end all make the book user-friendly, adding depth to the story and explaining some things not common to us today. One such word was a game Calvin often played called ‘quoits’ similar to our game of horseshoes.
While this book is written for pre-teen children, most everyone would benefit from reading this book. It gives a concise, abridged version of Calvin’s life and importance. Certainly all who are members of a church named in honor of this great reformer should have a working knowledge of his life. This book will provide that. Also, children will certainly benefit from hearing of a man who lived a life well spent. Calvin worked hard, studied hard, and produced vast resources which the church still uses today. Calvin is definitely a model for young children to emulate.
I would encourage you to check out this book to read to your children or have your children read it. While this serves as an introduction to Calvin’s life, it may be a springboard to reading other hisitorical Reformation accounts as well. Happy reading!
