Hard Questions: “Why do you allow evil and suffering if you don’t have to?”
Review: “Isn’t it intolerant to say you’re the only true God?”
"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."
Keller: Christianity is the most exclusive-sounding but the most inclusive-acting of all religions.
Antioch: called them Christians because the faith crossed all ethnic lines.
The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion.
--G.K. Chesterton
1. Does the presence of evil mean that there is no God?
2. Who is evil?
3. What is God doing about evil?
1. Does the presence of evil mean that there is no God?
a. Some argue that a GOOD God, if He existed, would necessarily eradicate all evil. If evil continues to exist, therefore, then either the God who exists is NOT GOOD, or there is no god at all.
This is not necessarily true.
b. Assertion is not proof: Alvin Plantinga: God, Freedom and Evil
A good thing/person always eliminates evil as far as it can.
“There are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do.”
BUT, an omnipotent person cannot create a square circle, etc.
There are no non-logical limits to what an omnipotent god can do.
God cannot make false claims true.
Therefore, there ARE LIMITS to what an omnipotent god is able to do.
There are circumstances where an omnipotent God cannot eliminate an evil without also eliminating a more important good.
Social workers struggle with this: should we remove an endangered child from a family that has the potential to provide more good for the child than any foster or adoptive family?
Bottom line: it is NOT logically necessary that a good God eliminate all immediately.
What if…
God is omniscient, omnipotent, and wholly good… and
God creates a world containing evil and has a good reason for doing so?
Augustine:
As a runaway horse is better than a stone which does not run away because it lacks self-movement and sense perception, so the creature is more excellent which sins by free will than that which does not sin only because it has no free will.
BUT, we need NOT KNOW WHY God might choose to create a world in which evil exists in order to believe that an ALL-POWERFUL GOD could do such a thing without being self-contradictory.
c. The more intriguing question is not why is there evil? But why is there good? Why do I recognize beauty? Why is truth attractive? Why is purpose satisfying? In a random, godless universe why should any of us care whether truth, beauty, order or purpose exist?
2. Who is evil?
a. Romans 3:10–18 [Isa. 53]
“as it is written,
“There Is None Righteous, Not Even One; There Is None Who Understands,
There Is None Who Seeks For God; All Have Turned Aside, Together They Have Become Useless;
There Is None Who Does Good, There Is Not Even One.”
“Their Throat Is An Open Grave, With Their Tongues They Keep Deceiving,”
“The Poison Of Asps Is Under Their Lips”; “Whose Mouth Is Full Of Cursing And Bitterness”;
“Their Feet Are Swift To Shed Blood, Destruction And Misery Are In Their Paths, And The Path Of Peace Have They Not Known.” “There Is No Fear Of God Before Their Eyes.””
b. GK Chesterton:
…after seeing a series of articles on "What's Wrong with the World?" Chesterton sent a letter to the editor. "Dear Sir: Regarding your article 'What's Wrong with the World?'
I am. Yours truly, G. K. Chesterton."
c. Lee Strobel—I won’t ask God what He’s going to do about evil, for fear that He might ask me the same question.
3. What is God doing about evil?
1. The Psalmists ask God how long evil will reign.
Psa 13:1—“How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou forget me forever?
How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?”
2. The narratives tell the story of what God has done and is doing to address the problem and the presence of evil.
3. At least three expressions of evil and divine response:
a. Idolatry
b. What wicked people do.
c. What the Satan does.
Evil and the Justice of God, NT Wright
The OT isn’t written in order simply to “tell us about God” in the abstract. It isn’t designed primarily to provide information, to satisfy the inquiring mind. It’s written to tell the story of what God has done, is doing and will do about evil.
4. The Occurrence and Visibility of Sin and Evil.
a. Fall in the Garden, the Tower of Babel, etc.
5. God’s reaction:
i. The Call of Abraham: a promise of restoration.
a. Abraham is flawed.
b. Israel is clearly part of the Problem of Evil.
c. Individuals within Israel and all nations are personally sinful, idolatrous, etc.
ii. David and his dynasty are to be seen as God’s answer to the problem of evil. They will bring judgment and justice to the world. And yet the writers are all too aware of the puzzle and ambiguity of saying such a thing. The greatest royal psalm, Psalm 89, juxtaposes 37 verses of celebration of the wonderful things God will do through the Davidic king with 14 verses asking plaintively why it’s all gone wrong. The psalm then ends with a single verse blessing YHWH forever. That is the classic OT picture. Here are the promises; here is the problem; God remains sovereign over the paradox.
iii. A SERVANT will stand for justice and salvation…Isaiah 40-55.
YHWH’s Servant, the one through whom YHWH’s purpose of justice and salvation will be carried out.
iv. A Son of Man, corresponding to the Servant, comes to bring saving justice. Dan. 7:13
v. Book of Job… whereas Israel was…emphatically guilty, the whole point of the book of Job is that Job was innocent. The normal analysis of the exile was that Israel thoroughly deserved it; the whole point of Job is that Job didn’t.
…it is a contest between Satan and Job. Satan is trying to get Job in his power, to demonstrate that humans are not worth God’s trouble, while Job for his part continues to insist both that God ought ot be just and that he himself is in the right.
vi. God’s justice:
Isaiah 10:5-19---he used pagan Assyria to punish Israel
He punished pagan Assyria.
Psalms 76:10 “For the wrath of man shall praise Thee;
NTW: And yet ever since the garden, ever since God’s grief over Noah, ever since Babel and Abraham, the story has been about the messy way in which God has had to work to bring the world out of the mess.
CONCLUSION
Imagine there’s no evil……NTW: it’s not so “easy if you try”; precisely because of our muddled thinking about evil itself, we find it hard to imagine a world from which evil had been removed.
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us 4Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
TAKEWAYS Forgiveness and Reconciliation
pp. 132-33: Miroslav Volf,Exclusion and Embrace
…faced with the question of how he, as a Croatian Baptist, could love his Serbian Orthodox neighbor after all the terrible things the Serbs had done to his country.
Volf’s basic argument is this: Whether we are dealing with international relations or one-on-one
personal relations, evil must be named and confronted.
…Only when that has been done, when both evil and the evildoer have been identified as what and who they are—this is what Volf means by “exclusion”—can there be the second move toward “embrace”: the embrace of the one who has deeply hurt and wounded us or me.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Isn’t it intolerant to say you’re the only true God?
Hard Questions: “Isn’t it intolerant to say you’re the only true God?”
Deut 6:1-16
Joanna Sears and Brian Lima are engaged to be married! The date for the wedding is Dec 11.
1. Establish “exclusive” claims of the Bible and of Jesus.
a. Exodus 20:2-3—“no other gods before me…”
““I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
b. The nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the one, true God…
i. Psa. 22:27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD [YHWH], And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
ii. Is. 2:2 Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
iii. Rev. 15:4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”
c. Jesus, John 14:6“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
2. Explain the tension between divine sovereignty and human autonomy.
a. God is sovereign.
b. Humanity wants to be sovereign.
c. This can only be resolved by a human choice—acknowledge that YOU ARE GOD AND I AM NOT.
3. God is tolerant, God is intolerant.
a. God is tolerant:
i. patient, so that we have full opportunity to seek Him, repent, and choose Him.
b. God is intolerant:
i. patience does not cover the worship of other gods.
ii. He claims to have created what we might call “other gods,” fallen angels the Scripture calls “demons,” and intends to put an end to them after time.
c. Foundation of our tolerance: Matt. 22:37-39
“‘You Shall Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart, And With All Your Soul, And With All Your Mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.’”
4. Our tolerant/intolerant rocker can reflect God’s.
a. We are tolerant of people with whom we disagree.
i. We must not hate people.
b. We are intolerant of ideas that contradict the truths that God has given us about Himself and His good intentions.
2 Corinthians 10:5–6 NASB
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…
i. We aggressively demolish “speculations” and “every arrogant obstacle” as we take “every thought captive.”
ii. Paul is arguing that all philosophies that degrade Christ’s death on the Cross reflect pridefulness: humanity declaring that we are fully autonomous, fully competent; we have no need for God.
iii. We do this NOT with physical violence (2Cor 5:3—we do not war according to the flesh), but by contesting ideas!
THIS HAS PROFOUND PRACTICALITY
"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."
“Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting that.”
…why should it bother me that someone thinks I’m wrong?”
Google: or the name Gregory Koukl
When Tolerance Is Intolerant Gregory Koukl
“Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?” They agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the “intolerant” one—and asked the same question: “Is this a view?” They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than Jews is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than Christians. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because “tolerance” turns out to be gibberish.
“Be egalitarian regarding persons.” = “civility”, “respect”
“Be elitist regarding ideas”
Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.
The irony is that according to the classical notion of tolerance, you can’t tolerate someone unless you disagree with him. We don’t “tolerate” people who share our views. They’re on our side. There’s nothing to “put up” with. Tolerance is reserved for those who we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat them decently and with respect.
Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you’re called intolerant no matter how you treat them.
Most of what passes for tolerance today is intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word “intolerant” are unwilling to be challenged by other views, to grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It’s easier to hurl an insult—“you intolerant bigot”—than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, “tolerance” has become intolerance.
TAKEAWAYS
1. It’s okay to disagree!
2. Our faith is based on the exclusive claims of Jesus Himself.
3. Our love for those who disagree is foundational to their faith.
4. Our tolerance is a tolerance of PEOPLE;
PEOPLE ARE WORTH LOVING; IDEAS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
5. If there is no reason to fear other views, then I can be single-minded in my devotion to Christ.
Deut 6:1-16
Joanna Sears and Brian Lima are engaged to be married! The date for the wedding is Dec 11.
1. Establish “exclusive” claims of the Bible and of Jesus.
a. Exodus 20:2-3—“no other gods before me…”
““I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
b. The nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the one, true God…
i. Psa. 22:27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD [YHWH], And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
ii. Is. 2:2 Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
iii. Rev. 15:4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”
c. Jesus, John 14:6“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
2. Explain the tension between divine sovereignty and human autonomy.
a. God is sovereign.
b. Humanity wants to be sovereign.
c. This can only be resolved by a human choice—acknowledge that YOU ARE GOD AND I AM NOT.
3. God is tolerant, God is intolerant.
a. God is tolerant:
i. patient, so that we have full opportunity to seek Him, repent, and choose Him.
b. God is intolerant:
i. patience does not cover the worship of other gods.
ii. He claims to have created what we might call “other gods,” fallen angels the Scripture calls “demons,” and intends to put an end to them after time.
c. Foundation of our tolerance: Matt. 22:37-39
“‘You Shall Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart, And With All Your Soul, And With All Your Mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.’”
4. Our tolerant/intolerant rocker can reflect God’s.
a. We are tolerant of people with whom we disagree.
i. We must not hate people.
b. We are intolerant of ideas that contradict the truths that God has given us about Himself and His good intentions.
2 Corinthians 10:5–6 NASB
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…
i. We aggressively demolish “speculations” and “every arrogant obstacle” as we take “every thought captive.”
ii. Paul is arguing that all philosophies that degrade Christ’s death on the Cross reflect pridefulness: humanity declaring that we are fully autonomous, fully competent; we have no need for God.
iii. We do this NOT with physical violence (2Cor 5:3—we do not war according to the flesh), but by contesting ideas!
THIS HAS PROFOUND PRACTICALITY
"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."
“Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting that.”
…why should it bother me that someone thinks I’m wrong?”
Google:
When Tolerance Is Intolerant Gregory Koukl
“Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?” They agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the “intolerant” one—and asked the same question: “Is this a view?” They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than Jews is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than Christians. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because “tolerance” turns out to be gibberish.
“Be egalitarian regarding persons.” = “civility”, “respect”
“Be elitist regarding ideas”
Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.
The irony is that according to the classical notion of tolerance, you can’t tolerate someone unless you disagree with him. We don’t “tolerate” people who share our views. They’re on our side. There’s nothing to “put up” with. Tolerance is reserved for those who we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat them decently and with respect.
Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you’re called intolerant no matter how you treat them.
Most of what passes for tolerance today is intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word “intolerant” are unwilling to be challenged by other views, to grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It’s easier to hurl an insult—“you intolerant bigot”—than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, “tolerance” has become intolerance.
TAKEAWAYS
1. It’s okay to disagree!
2. Our faith is based on the exclusive claims of Jesus Himself.
3. Our love for those who disagree is foundational to their faith.
4. Our tolerance is a tolerance of PEOPLE;
PEOPLE ARE WORTH LOVING; IDEAS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
5. If there is no reason to fear other views, then I can be single-minded in my devotion to Christ.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
How Can We Trust The Bible?
Hard Questions: “How can we trust the Bible – Don’t you know what’s in there?!”
Psa. 19:7-14
Three needs to be addressed:
1. For the believer who has been deeply shaken by someone else’s questions.
2. For the believer who wants to answer questions genuinely blocking faith in a friend.
3. For the skeptic who hears that there are such problems in the Bible and wants answers before proceeding.
Importance of Scripture:
1. Our means of knowing the Story.
2. The medium of knowing about Jesus and his life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
3. The source of all our hope.
Authority & Reliability of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Hebrews 4:12 NASB
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Credibility of Scripture
1. Questions about the history narrated in the Bible.
2. Questions about the miracles described in the Bible.
3. Questions about the apparent contradictions in the Bible.
4. Questions about the ethics of…
a. Hoping for the deaths of babies among the Babylonians
b. God’s desire both for the repentance and for the destruction of the wicked.
Objections to the reliability and therefore the potential authority of the Bible fall into three categories:
1. Premodern objections:
a. Muslims and Hindus will object to the Bible based on their commitment to their own sacred writings.
b. A typical objection by Muslims…Jews and Christians changed the story.
Solution: In 1948, scrolls and scroll fragments were discovered near the Dead Sea in Palestine; those scrolls confirmed the content of the Old Testament Hebrew texts and are dated some 1,000 years before the earliest documents previously known. They preceded the time of Jesus, so there were no Christians around to change the stories in the Old Testament. The earliest New Testament documents were close enough in date to the first century original documents that “changing the story” would have been impossible: there were too many eye-witnesses still living to get away with invention.
2. Modern objections:
a. Historical contradictions: Luke’s record of Jesus’ birth declares that Quirinius was the Governor: prote = “prior”, or an early role of Quirinius there, now lost to us.
b. Scientific impossibilities:
Joshua stopped the sun in the sky to extend the time required to win a battle? 10:12-14
3. Postmodern objections:
a. Who can know what the Bible says, since everything is a matter of interpretation?
i. Either—everyone seems to have a different take on the same statements.
ii. Or—words have no meaning in themselves, only the reader gives meaning.
1. Rooted in Nietzsche and Wittgenstein—since there is no God who can declare reality and therefore give meaning to words, there can be no meaning intrinsically a part of words.
2. BUT—if there is no meaning other than the meaning that I give a text, how could you object to any meaning that I give to the text????
b. Who can teach me, since teaching implies knowing and implies authority and all authority is an EXPRESSION of POWER and is therefore wrong.
i. All the problems of the world stem from this desire to exert power over other human beings.
ii. BUT—how can YOU, then, TEACH me that NO ONE teach anyone else; do YOU have a special authority over us, to TEACH US that WE CAN’T TEACH or exert influence over others?
iii. If there were a BENEVOLENT GOD, wouldn’t it be right and moral if He were to teach us, to influence us to care for the earth, to care for one another, to love Him back?
c. Can’t we all just get along? What about unethical commands in Scripture/what about vengeance verbalized?
i. The perceived difficulties are many…
Psa. 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one,
How blessed will be the one who repays you
With the recompense with which you have repaid us.
Psa. 137:9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.
ii. BUT—careful attention, reading the NT for insight, considering the wisdom of others who have given their lives to similarly careful study of Scripture…
1. Hard Sayings of the Bible, by Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce and Manfred T. Brauch.
2. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Gleason Archer
3. Big Book of Bible Difficulties, The: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation, Thomas Howe & Norman L. Geisler
4. Is The Bible Intolerant? Amy Orr-Ewing
4. Practical objections:
a. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
b. Love your neighbour as yourself: encourage, nurture, care for, weep with, rejoice with…
c. Take up your cross and follow me.
d. Give ten percent of your income (22.3), give generously.
GK. Chesterton: not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but that it has been found hard and not tried.
Consequently, many reject the Bible’s authority because of its moral demands, only using supposed historical, scientific issues as smokescreen.
1. Make sure you understand the question
2. Make sure you understand the questions behind the question.
3. Make sure you are reading the Bible…in order to love the Bible…
Jeremiah 15:16 NASB
“Thy words were found and I ate them,
And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Thy name,
O Lord God of hosts.”
Psa. 19:7-14
Three needs to be addressed:
1. For the believer who has been deeply shaken by someone else’s questions.
2. For the believer who wants to answer questions genuinely blocking faith in a friend.
3. For the skeptic who hears that there are such problems in the Bible and wants answers before proceeding.
Importance of Scripture:
1. Our means of knowing the Story.
2. The medium of knowing about Jesus and his life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
3. The source of all our hope.
Authority & Reliability of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Hebrews 4:12 NASB
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Credibility of Scripture
1. Questions about the history narrated in the Bible.
2. Questions about the miracles described in the Bible.
3. Questions about the apparent contradictions in the Bible.
4. Questions about the ethics of…
a. Hoping for the deaths of babies among the Babylonians
b. God’s desire both for the repentance and for the destruction of the wicked.
Objections to the reliability and therefore the potential authority of the Bible fall into three categories:
1. Premodern objections:
a. Muslims and Hindus will object to the Bible based on their commitment to their own sacred writings.
b. A typical objection by Muslims…Jews and Christians changed the story.
Solution: In 1948, scrolls and scroll fragments were discovered near the Dead Sea in Palestine; those scrolls confirmed the content of the Old Testament Hebrew texts and are dated some 1,000 years before the earliest documents previously known. They preceded the time of Jesus, so there were no Christians around to change the stories in the Old Testament. The earliest New Testament documents were close enough in date to the first century original documents that “changing the story” would have been impossible: there were too many eye-witnesses still living to get away with invention.
2. Modern objections:
a. Historical contradictions: Luke’s record of Jesus’ birth declares that Quirinius was the Governor: prote = “prior”, or an early role of Quirinius there, now lost to us.
b. Scientific impossibilities:
Joshua stopped the sun in the sky to extend the time required to win a battle? 10:12-14
3. Postmodern objections:
a. Who can know what the Bible says, since everything is a matter of interpretation?
i. Either—everyone seems to have a different take on the same statements.
ii. Or—words have no meaning in themselves, only the reader gives meaning.
1. Rooted in Nietzsche and Wittgenstein—since there is no God who can declare reality and therefore give meaning to words, there can be no meaning intrinsically a part of words.
2. BUT—if there is no meaning other than the meaning that I give a text, how could you object to any meaning that I give to the text????
b. Who can teach me, since teaching implies knowing and implies authority and all authority is an EXPRESSION of POWER and is therefore wrong.
i. All the problems of the world stem from this desire to exert power over other human beings.
ii. BUT—how can YOU, then, TEACH me that NO ONE teach anyone else; do YOU have a special authority over us, to TEACH US that WE CAN’T TEACH or exert influence over others?
iii. If there were a BENEVOLENT GOD, wouldn’t it be right and moral if He were to teach us, to influence us to care for the earth, to care for one another, to love Him back?
c. Can’t we all just get along? What about unethical commands in Scripture/what about vengeance verbalized?
i. The perceived difficulties are many…
Psa. 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one,
How blessed will be the one who repays you
With the recompense with which you have repaid us.
Psa. 137:9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.
ii. BUT—careful attention, reading the NT for insight, considering the wisdom of others who have given their lives to similarly careful study of Scripture…
1. Hard Sayings of the Bible, by Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce and Manfred T. Brauch.
2. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Gleason Archer
3. Big Book of Bible Difficulties, The: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation, Thomas Howe & Norman L. Geisler
4. Is The Bible Intolerant? Amy Orr-Ewing
4. Practical objections:
a. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
b. Love your neighbour as yourself: encourage, nurture, care for, weep with, rejoice with…
c. Take up your cross and follow me.
d. Give ten percent of your income (22.3), give generously.
GK. Chesterton: not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but that it has been found hard and not tried.
Consequently, many reject the Bible’s authority because of its moral demands, only using supposed historical, scientific issues as smokescreen.
1. Make sure you understand the question
2. Make sure you understand the questions behind the question.
3. Make sure you are reading the Bible…in order to love the Bible…
Jeremiah 15:16 NASB
“Thy words were found and I ate them,
And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Thy name,
O Lord God of hosts.”
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Deacons: How does this work?
Deconstructing Church: Form for the Function
* Membership
1. In faith, a part of the Body of Christ
2. In place, a part of a local assembly of believers.
3. In practice…
a. Confirm our faith “in front” of other faithful ones
b. Affirm our accountability to others of the same faith
c. No membership: missing both confirmation and accountability
d. Fill out the form today!
* Leadership
1. No leader is indispensable; leadership is.
2. Leaders are made, not born.
a. We are renewing our commitment to apprenticeship; each serving role must have an apprentice learning and sharing the work.
b. We must make sure to limit the number of slots taken up by long-termers, so that everyone gets a chance to serve; HIGH percentage of volunteers here.
c. We are developing leaders quietly: 14 in the first group, 15 in the second group;
i. Servant Leadership & what it means to be and do church
ii. Biblical studies
iii. Biblical theology—putting Scripture together
d. Mike will be deepening the commitment to training SG leaders;
e. Joe is developing leaders among teens and young adults.
f. Sara is training and mentoring worship leaders and musicians.
* Deacons
1. Qualifications: 1 Tim. 3:8ff.
2. Identification: Qualified men and women are recognized by the congregation, affirmed by the Elders (Acts 6:6), then released to do their work (no mention either in Acts 6 or 1 Timothy 3 of design or form, only the function and qualifications).
3. We formerly recognized deacons; they formed a board and joined with the Elders to form a General Board. That ended in 1994, with adoption of a new constitution. We have no wish to restore a Deacon Board and a General Board. It’s good to have a simple, rather than a hierarchical organization.
4. We do need to more personally connect to those who cannot be a part of a small group.
a. What if? We identified men and women to look after those not in small groups?
b. What if? We identified those who serve us already in diaconate roles?
c. What if? We did all this following the pattern of Acts 6?
i. The need is identified by the congregation.
ii. The elders/apostles respond with a clear set of qualifications.
iii. The congregation identifies those people who are qualified.
iv. The new serving leaders do their work.
1. No mention of any structure; no committees.
2. We can rightly conclude that those who are serving may choose to establish forms, but are not required to do so.
d. What roles are needed?
i. Ceiling—need a Facility Team.
ii. Tech Team—rotation for worship services and special events.
e. How are the deacons to work together?
i. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT Work under leadership of Elders
ii. Work with Staff
iii. Focus on functions, describe a form that is effective.
Elders
1. Qualifications in Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Acts 6:4 (apostles)
a.
Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
2. Identification: Qualified candidates are appointed by the current Elders.
a. Qualifications, recognition by serving leaders.
b. Nominating committee consists of two elected members, three board members and the senior pastor; names are considered, interviewed, and presented to the congregation.
c. Congregation affirms the list at our Annual General Meeting.
i. Accountability: who can challenge the decisions or behaviour of elders?
ii. Decisions: Acts 15:22
σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ = “with the whole church”
iii. Character and Behaviour:
1Tim. 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
(addressed to Timothy, as a leader among the elders; this may mean that the team of elders should consider charges against a fellow elder to be false unless they are confirmed by two or three witnesses—nevertheless, the principle is established that a charge against an elder can be leveled and, if confirmed by several witnesses, would be considered by the group of elders).
3. Structure
a. Shepherd the flock/Oversee the function and form of the congregation.
i. Prayer for the saints
ii. Teaching of the Word
b. Fiduciary responsibilities as required by the government.
(1 Corinthians 12:14–27 NASB)
Questions??
* Membership
1. In faith, a part of the Body of Christ
2. In place, a part of a local assembly of believers.
3. In practice…
a. Confirm our faith “in front” of other faithful ones
b. Affirm our accountability to others of the same faith
c. No membership: missing both confirmation and accountability
d. Fill out the form today!
* Leadership
1. No leader is indispensable; leadership is.
2. Leaders are made, not born.
a. We are renewing our commitment to apprenticeship; each serving role must have an apprentice learning and sharing the work.
b. We must make sure to limit the number of slots taken up by long-termers, so that everyone gets a chance to serve; HIGH percentage of volunteers here.
c. We are developing leaders quietly: 14 in the first group, 15 in the second group;
i. Servant Leadership & what it means to be and do church
ii. Biblical studies
iii. Biblical theology—putting Scripture together
d. Mike will be deepening the commitment to training SG leaders;
e. Joe is developing leaders among teens and young adults.
f. Sara is training and mentoring worship leaders and musicians.
* Deacons
1. Qualifications: 1 Tim. 3:8ff.
2. Identification: Qualified men and women are recognized by the congregation, affirmed by the Elders (Acts 6:6), then released to do their work (no mention either in Acts 6 or 1 Timothy 3 of design or form, only the function and qualifications).
3. We formerly recognized deacons; they formed a board and joined with the Elders to form a General Board. That ended in 1994, with adoption of a new constitution. We have no wish to restore a Deacon Board and a General Board. It’s good to have a simple, rather than a hierarchical organization.
4. We do need to more personally connect to those who cannot be a part of a small group.
a. What if? We identified men and women to look after those not in small groups?
b. What if? We identified those who serve us already in diaconate roles?
c. What if? We did all this following the pattern of Acts 6?
i. The need is identified by the congregation.
ii. The elders/apostles respond with a clear set of qualifications.
iii. The congregation identifies those people who are qualified.
iv. The new serving leaders do their work.
1. No mention of any structure; no committees.
2. We can rightly conclude that those who are serving may choose to establish forms, but are not required to do so.
d. What roles are needed?
i. Ceiling—need a Facility Team.
ii. Tech Team—rotation for worship services and special events.
e. How are the deacons to work together?
i. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT Work under leadership of Elders
ii. Work with Staff
iii. Focus on functions, describe a form that is effective.
Elders
1. Qualifications in Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Acts 6:4 (apostles)
a.
Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
2. Identification: Qualified candidates are appointed by the current Elders.
a. Qualifications, recognition by serving leaders.
b. Nominating committee consists of two elected members, three board members and the senior pastor; names are considered, interviewed, and presented to the congregation.
c. Congregation affirms the list at our Annual General Meeting.
i. Accountability: who can challenge the decisions or behaviour of elders?
ii. Decisions: Acts 15:22
σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ = “with the whole church”
iii. Character and Behaviour:
1Tim. 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
(addressed to Timothy, as a leader among the elders; this may mean that the team of elders should consider charges against a fellow elder to be false unless they are confirmed by two or three witnesses—nevertheless, the principle is established that a charge against an elder can be leveled and, if confirmed by several witnesses, would be considered by the group of elders).
3. Structure
a. Shepherd the flock/Oversee the function and form of the congregation.
i. Prayer for the saints
ii. Teaching of the Word
b. Fiduciary responsibilities as required by the government.
(1 Corinthians 12:14–27 NASB)
Questions??
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Deconstructing Elders
Deconstructing Elders
1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9
Markers: for them; how to recognize them, respond to them, serve with them;
for us; how am I doing on this quest to incarnate Jesus/become like Jesus/serve like Jesus?
1. We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
Hebrews 13:17 NASB “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
EBC, Leon Morris
“They keep watch over you” is more literally “they keep watch for your souls,”
They are concerned, because they must render account. Leaders are responsible, and God will call them to account one day. The writer pleads that the readers will so act that keeping watch will be a thing of joy for the leaders
The alternative is for them to do it with “groaning” (stenazontes ; NIV, “a burden”), which, he says, would be “of no advantage” for the readers.
NIBC, DONALD A. HAGNER
But obedience to the leaders is not merely for the sake of making their work easier. The failure to submit to them cannot benefit the readers. Indeed, the implication of this understatement is that disobedience and insubordination will put the readers in peril.
APPLICATION:
• Pray for the Elders—have them come to the front and lay hands on them.
• Confession and affirmation-- Confess any spirit of rebellion, etc.
a. Past difficulty with oppressive leaders,
b. or soft leaders
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
2. We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
Titus 1:5-9 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
1 Timothy 3:1–7 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
a. They are placed in leadership because of their character.
b. They lead or influence us by their modeling.
Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments, David Lim
Though the main task of the elders …was to build up the Christian community so that all members discovered and used their spiritual gifts; they also served as exemplars in doing evangelism (2 Tim 4:5; cf. 1 Pet 5:3), just as Paul set this evangelistic concern as a model for the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:18–28). One of their qualifications for church “office” was a good reputation before unbelievers (1 Tim 3:1–7).
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
3. We are to aspire to the same spiritual marks of maturity.
a. “It’s a fine work” you aspire to…
b. It’s an impossible standard…grace functions to rework every niche.
i. Above reproach
ii. Husband of one wife
iii. Temperate--
iv. Prudent
v. Respectable
vi. Hospitable
vii. Able to teach—only gifting on the list?
1. Apt to teach
2. Titus 1: holding fast the faithful word…
a. able both to exhort in sound doctrine and
b. to refute those who contradict
viii. not addicted to wine
ix. not pugnacious
x. gentle
xi. uncontentious,
xii. free from the love of money
xiii. Household managed well
xiv. Keeping children under control with all dignity
xv. Not a new convert (not listed in the requirements on Crete, where all were new converts)
xvi. Good reputation with those outside the church, avoiding reproach & the snare of the devil.
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
We are to aspire to the same spiritual marks of maturity.
4. Dealing with me: my own spiritual state.
Recognize their servant’s hearts and service to our own good.
HOPE: CR Story—
APPLICATIONS
a. Look to Jesus, who said he came to serve.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”
i. The One whom we will serve for all eternity said that he came here to serve first.
ii. He served until the end.
iii. As we look to Christ, the Spirit of Christ promises to reconstruct us into the character of Jesus.
1. The Spirit will make us Servants.
2. When the Spirit makes a servant, that servant serves to the end.
b. Look to Jesus, whom the Holy Spirit will reproduce in each life.
c. Identify your own gifts for serving.
i. Look to the Word for definitions: Eph. 4; Romans 12
ii. Practice those gifts till the end.
d. Engage yourself and your gifts with being and doing church.
1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9
Markers: for them; how to recognize them, respond to them, serve with them;
for us; how am I doing on this quest to incarnate Jesus/become like Jesus/serve like Jesus?
1. We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
Hebrews 13:17 NASB “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
EBC, Leon Morris
“They keep watch over you” is more literally “they keep watch for your souls,”
They are concerned, because they must render account. Leaders are responsible, and God will call them to account one day. The writer pleads that the readers will so act that keeping watch will be a thing of joy for the leaders
The alternative is for them to do it with “groaning” (stenazontes ; NIV, “a burden”), which, he says, would be “of no advantage” for the readers.
NIBC, DONALD A. HAGNER
But obedience to the leaders is not merely for the sake of making their work easier. The failure to submit to them cannot benefit the readers. Indeed, the implication of this understatement is that disobedience and insubordination will put the readers in peril.
APPLICATION:
• Pray for the Elders—have them come to the front and lay hands on them.
• Confession and affirmation-- Confess any spirit of rebellion, etc.
a. Past difficulty with oppressive leaders,
b. or soft leaders
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
2. We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
Titus 1:5-9 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
1 Timothy 3:1–7 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
a. They are placed in leadership because of their character.
b. They lead or influence us by their modeling.
Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments, David Lim
Though the main task of the elders …was to build up the Christian community so that all members discovered and used their spiritual gifts; they also served as exemplars in doing evangelism (2 Tim 4:5; cf. 1 Pet 5:3), just as Paul set this evangelistic concern as a model for the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:18–28). One of their qualifications for church “office” was a good reputation before unbelievers (1 Tim 3:1–7).
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
3. We are to aspire to the same spiritual marks of maturity.
a. “It’s a fine work” you aspire to…
b. It’s an impossible standard…grace functions to rework every niche.
i. Above reproach
ii. Husband of one wife
iii. Temperate--
iv. Prudent
v. Respectable
vi. Hospitable
vii. Able to teach—only gifting on the list?
1. Apt to teach
2. Titus 1: holding fast the faithful word…
a. able both to exhort in sound doctrine and
b. to refute those who contradict
viii. not addicted to wine
ix. not pugnacious
x. gentle
xi. uncontentious,
xii. free from the love of money
xiii. Household managed well
xiv. Keeping children under control with all dignity
xv. Not a new convert (not listed in the requirements on Crete, where all were new converts)
xvi. Good reputation with those outside the church, avoiding reproach & the snare of the devil.
We are to follow those whom God has placed in charge of our souls.
We are to carefully recognize those who should lead us.
We are to aspire to the same spiritual marks of maturity.
4. Dealing with me: my own spiritual state.
Recognize their servant’s hearts and service to our own good.
HOPE: CR Story—
APPLICATIONS
a. Look to Jesus, who said he came to serve.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”
i. The One whom we will serve for all eternity said that he came here to serve first.
ii. He served until the end.
iii. As we look to Christ, the Spirit of Christ promises to reconstruct us into the character of Jesus.
1. The Spirit will make us Servants.
2. When the Spirit makes a servant, that servant serves to the end.
b. Look to Jesus, whom the Holy Spirit will reproduce in each life.
c. Identify your own gifts for serving.
i. Look to the Word for definitions: Eph. 4; Romans 12
ii. Practice those gifts till the end.
d. Engage yourself and your gifts with being and doing church.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Deconstructing Deacons: Deacons R Us!
Deconstructing Deacons:
Deacons R Us? Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 3:8-13
It’s time for us to DECONSTRUCT CHURCH, to reexamine the point of church in Jesus’ own words, from Paul’s direct statements as to the meaning of church.
What is the church?
A field to be cultivated; a Building to be Inhabited; a Household to be protected; a family to be nurtured; a people who proclaim; a flock to be fed; a Body to express the will of Christ; members & parts of a whole; WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST!
What makes us a part of the church? A common faith, a common life; a common confession
What does “membership” mean? Or, Should we “join” a church?
The NT assumes that all believers are “members” of the congregation where they worship.
We are NOT customers or consumers, but members…
How do we experience “life together”? a common transparency; common commitments
o Use the spiritual gifts God has given to build up the body (1 Cor. 12:7).
o Live out the Mission of God
o Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb 13:17).
o Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
o Financially support the church’s work (Gal. 6:6).
“Engaging membership” means at least these five things:
• Be in transparent relationships with other church members in which they care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
• Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb. 13:17).
• Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
“being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Financially support the common service efforts (Gal. 6:6).
• Use the spiritual gifts God has given them to build up the body however they can (1 Cor. 12:7).
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Last week, Mike: your church leaders in the past might have been autocratic, or bunglers, or too-sweet to be effectively protect the church, or ministry divas who are self-absorbed. Lots of examples of poor leadership.
We must avoid the extremes of severe criticism or disengagement.
The problem is NOT leadership, but BAD church leadership.
No Leader is indispensable, but leadership is.
Every pastor is a shepherd; but NOT every shepherd is a pastor.
Shepherds exist so that the church will be full of mature disciples of Jesus.
Today, we are DECONSTRUCTING CHURCH with a word about MINISTRY; another word for ministry is SERVice…Both of these words translate the Greek word-root, diakonos; we transliterate DEACON, one who serves. I want to answer three questions:
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT DEACONS?
WHAT IS A DEACON?
WHAT DO I DO, THEN?
1. Why should I care about deacons?
a. These ministry qualifications for deacons are also maturity distinctives.
b. God is concerned about function; we are concerned about form.
c. We are all called to serve!
i. I Peter 4:10-11
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
ii. Two sorts of gifts: speaking and serving.
iii. Luke quotes the apostles, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” or, the SERVICE OF THE WORD.
2. What is a deacon?
Acts 6--“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”
a. Acts 6:1-6—
i. the term “deacon” does not occur here.
EBC, Ralph Earle--Although the term deacon is not used in this connection, it would seem that these men were the forerunners of the deacons in the church.
ii. The word “the serving” does in verse 1: διακονίᾳ
EBC, Ralph Earle--The simple meaning of this word is “servant,” and it is used that way many times in the Gospels. Specifically, it was used by Josephus and other writers of that period for those who wait on tables.
Robert Banks, IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Emphasis upon Function rather than Position. Alongside the verb serve (diakoneō), or its nominal form servant (diakonos), verbs rather than nouns tend to be used more frequently of those making a fundamental contribution to the church. This means that it is the functions people perform rather than the positions they occupy which is crucial.
iii. In verse 2: infinitive or verbal form does: διακονεῖν
Walter G. Hansen, IVP Dictionary of the Later New Testament
3.5. Emphasis upon Function rather than Position. Alongside the verb serve (diakoneō), or its nominal form servant (diakonos), verbs rather than nouns tend to be used more frequently of those making a fundamental contribution to the church. This means that it is the functions people perform rather than the positions they occupy which is crucial.
iv. So that we (elders & apostles) may devote ourselves to the ministry (διακονίᾳ) of the Word
1 Tim 3:8ff: “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
b. 1 Timothy 3:8-13
i. A man or a woman
ii. A position or a function
NIBC, GORDON D. FEE The word diakonos, in fact, is a favorite of Paul’s to describe his own and his fellow workers’ ministries (e.g., 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 16:1; Col. 1:23; 4:7) and is so used of Timothy in 4:6. However, as with “prophet” and “teacher,” the word seems to fluctuate between an emphasis on a function and a description of a position; by the time of Philippians it describes an “office” (Phil. 1:1), whereas in the relatively contemporary Ephesians and Colossians diakonos still describes a function. Here, as in Philippians 1:1, it refers to a position of some kind.
iii. To be tested, then recognized
Renn, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
δοκιμάζω dokimazō is a verb found nearly thirty times, with the principal meanings “prove,” “approve,” “discern.” In several places, however, the meaning “examine” is evident. (APPROVE)
The action of “examining” one’s newly-acquired oxen is noted in Luke 14:19. The exhortation to let a person “examine” himself or herself prior to taking the Lord’s Supper is recorded in 1 Cor. 11:28. Another exhortation to “test” or “examine” oneself to see if one is holding to the faith is noted in 2 Cor. 13:5. See also Gal. 6:4; 1 Thess. 5:21. The “testing” or “examining” of potential deacons to determine their suitability for office is indicated in 1 Tim. 3:10. The charge to “test” or “examine” the spirits to see whether they are of God is found in 1 John 4:1.
Psa. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa. 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
iv. A person of character, “above reproach”
Above Reproach: Renn, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
ἀνέγκλητος anenklētos is an adjective found in five places meaning “blameless,” or unable to be accused. Such is the moral destiny of the people of God, made possible by the work and person of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 1:22). It is also the quality required of spiritual leaders in the local congregation of believers (cf. 1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:6, 7).
1. Dignity
2. Not double-tongued—not “two-worded” says the same thing in every circumstance—integrity is our word
3. Not addicted to much wine—lots to avoid, no means to escape
4. Not fond of sordid gain—money hungry; cf. 1 Tim 6; greedy; contrast with 3:3 for elders—not envious
5. Holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
EBC, Ralph Earle ‘mystery’ In the NT it signifies the secret of salvation through Jesus Christ, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit to all who will believe. Today the word mystery implies knowledge withheld; in the Bible it indicates truth revealed.
Gordon Fee-- as 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 makes plain, it refers to the essential truth of the gospel, especially the saving character of Christ’s death, which was once hidden (in God) but now revealed by the Spirit…
6. Husband of only one wife
7. Good managers of their children and households—APPROPRIATE HOME LIFE; not without conflict, but skilled at conflict management.
8. Women: add not malicious gossips, temperate, faithful
Why should I care?
What is a deacon? ONE WHO SERVES The Body of Christ
3. What should I then do?
a. Look to Jesus, who said he came to serve.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”
i. The One whom we will serve for all eternity said that he came here to serve first.
ii. He served until the end.
iii. As we look to Christ, the Spirit of Christ promises to reconstruct us into the character of Jesus.
1. The Spirit will make us Servants.
2. When the Spirit makes a servant, that servant serves to the end.
b. Identify your own gifts for serving.
i. Look to the Word for definitions: Eph. 4; Romans 12
ii. Practice those gifts till the end.
c. Engage!
i. If you find yourself walking away from a worship service with a list of all the things that didn’t work that day, then you can be fairly certain that you are NOT PRACTICING YOUR GIFTS, you have disengaged from ministry, YOU HAVE BECOME A CONSUMER of church, a customer only.
ii. If you ask yourself the question: WHY DON’T THEY…? You are probably DISENGAGED.
iii. If you ask yourself a different question: HOW MIGHT I…? you are on the road to ENGAGMENT, and the Spirit of Christ is guiding you, energizing you, and will empower you to…
iv. Identify your part, as Jesus took up his role…
v. Step up to do your part, as Jesus laid aside his former role…
vi. Serve until you can’t, as Jesus served until his ascension.
Psa. 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psa. 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
Deacons R Us? Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 3:8-13
It’s time for us to DECONSTRUCT CHURCH, to reexamine the point of church in Jesus’ own words, from Paul’s direct statements as to the meaning of church.
What is the church?
A field to be cultivated; a Building to be Inhabited; a Household to be protected; a family to be nurtured; a people who proclaim; a flock to be fed; a Body to express the will of Christ; members & parts of a whole; WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST!
What makes us a part of the church? A common faith, a common life; a common confession
What does “membership” mean? Or, Should we “join” a church?
The NT assumes that all believers are “members” of the congregation where they worship.
We are NOT customers or consumers, but members…
How do we experience “life together”? a common transparency; common commitments
o Use the spiritual gifts God has given to build up the body (1 Cor. 12:7).
o Live out the Mission of God
o Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb 13:17).
o Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
o Financially support the church’s work (Gal. 6:6).
“Engaging membership” means at least these five things:
• Be in transparent relationships with other church members in which they care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
• Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb. 13:17).
• Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
“being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Financially support the common service efforts (Gal. 6:6).
• Use the spiritual gifts God has given them to build up the body however they can (1 Cor. 12:7).
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Last week, Mike: your church leaders in the past might have been autocratic, or bunglers, or too-sweet to be effectively protect the church, or ministry divas who are self-absorbed. Lots of examples of poor leadership.
We must avoid the extremes of severe criticism or disengagement.
The problem is NOT leadership, but BAD church leadership.
No Leader is indispensable, but leadership is.
Every pastor is a shepherd; but NOT every shepherd is a pastor.
Shepherds exist so that the church will be full of mature disciples of Jesus.
Today, we are DECONSTRUCTING CHURCH with a word about MINISTRY; another word for ministry is SERVice…Both of these words translate the Greek word-root, diakonos; we transliterate DEACON, one who serves. I want to answer three questions:
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT DEACONS?
WHAT IS A DEACON?
WHAT DO I DO, THEN?
1. Why should I care about deacons?
a. These ministry qualifications for deacons are also maturity distinctives.
b. God is concerned about function; we are concerned about form.
c. We are all called to serve!
i. I Peter 4:10-11
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
ii. Two sorts of gifts: speaking and serving.
iii. Luke quotes the apostles, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” or, the SERVICE OF THE WORD.
2. What is a deacon?
Acts 6--“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”
a. Acts 6:1-6—
i. the term “deacon” does not occur here.
EBC, Ralph Earle--Although the term deacon is not used in this connection, it would seem that these men were the forerunners of the deacons in the church.
ii. The word “the serving” does in verse 1: διακονίᾳ
EBC, Ralph Earle--The simple meaning of this word is “servant,” and it is used that way many times in the Gospels. Specifically, it was used by Josephus and other writers of that period for those who wait on tables.
Robert Banks, IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Emphasis upon Function rather than Position. Alongside the verb serve (diakoneō), or its nominal form servant (diakonos), verbs rather than nouns tend to be used more frequently of those making a fundamental contribution to the church. This means that it is the functions people perform rather than the positions they occupy which is crucial.
iii. In verse 2: infinitive or verbal form does: διακονεῖν
Walter G. Hansen, IVP Dictionary of the Later New Testament
3.5. Emphasis upon Function rather than Position. Alongside the verb serve (diakoneō), or its nominal form servant (diakonos), verbs rather than nouns tend to be used more frequently of those making a fundamental contribution to the church. This means that it is the functions people perform rather than the positions they occupy which is crucial.
iv. So that we (elders & apostles) may devote ourselves to the ministry (διακονίᾳ) of the Word
1 Tim 3:8ff: “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
b. 1 Timothy 3:8-13
i. A man or a woman
ii. A position or a function
NIBC, GORDON D. FEE The word diakonos, in fact, is a favorite of Paul’s to describe his own and his fellow workers’ ministries (e.g., 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 16:1; Col. 1:23; 4:7) and is so used of Timothy in 4:6. However, as with “prophet” and “teacher,” the word seems to fluctuate between an emphasis on a function and a description of a position; by the time of Philippians it describes an “office” (Phil. 1:1), whereas in the relatively contemporary Ephesians and Colossians diakonos still describes a function. Here, as in Philippians 1:1, it refers to a position of some kind.
iii. To be tested, then recognized
Renn, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
δοκιμάζω dokimazō is a verb found nearly thirty times, with the principal meanings “prove,” “approve,” “discern.” In several places, however, the meaning “examine” is evident. (APPROVE)
The action of “examining” one’s newly-acquired oxen is noted in Luke 14:19. The exhortation to let a person “examine” himself or herself prior to taking the Lord’s Supper is recorded in 1 Cor. 11:28. Another exhortation to “test” or “examine” oneself to see if one is holding to the faith is noted in 2 Cor. 13:5. See also Gal. 6:4; 1 Thess. 5:21. The “testing” or “examining” of potential deacons to determine their suitability for office is indicated in 1 Tim. 3:10. The charge to “test” or “examine” the spirits to see whether they are of God is found in 1 John 4:1.
Psa. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa. 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
iv. A person of character, “above reproach”
Above Reproach: Renn, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
ἀνέγκλητος anenklētos is an adjective found in five places meaning “blameless,” or unable to be accused. Such is the moral destiny of the people of God, made possible by the work and person of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 1:22). It is also the quality required of spiritual leaders in the local congregation of believers (cf. 1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:6, 7).
1. Dignity
2. Not double-tongued—not “two-worded” says the same thing in every circumstance—integrity is our word
3. Not addicted to much wine—lots to avoid, no means to escape
4. Not fond of sordid gain—money hungry; cf. 1 Tim 6; greedy; contrast with 3:3 for elders—not envious
5. Holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
EBC, Ralph Earle ‘mystery’ In the NT it signifies the secret of salvation through Jesus Christ, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit to all who will believe. Today the word mystery implies knowledge withheld; in the Bible it indicates truth revealed.
Gordon Fee-- as 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 makes plain, it refers to the essential truth of the gospel, especially the saving character of Christ’s death, which was once hidden (in God) but now revealed by the Spirit…
6. Husband of only one wife
7. Good managers of their children and households—APPROPRIATE HOME LIFE; not without conflict, but skilled at conflict management.
8. Women: add not malicious gossips, temperate, faithful
Why should I care?
What is a deacon? ONE WHO SERVES The Body of Christ
3. What should I then do?
a. Look to Jesus, who said he came to serve.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”
i. The One whom we will serve for all eternity said that he came here to serve first.
ii. He served until the end.
iii. As we look to Christ, the Spirit of Christ promises to reconstruct us into the character of Jesus.
1. The Spirit will make us Servants.
2. When the Spirit makes a servant, that servant serves to the end.
b. Identify your own gifts for serving.
i. Look to the Word for definitions: Eph. 4; Romans 12
ii. Practice those gifts till the end.
c. Engage!
i. If you find yourself walking away from a worship service with a list of all the things that didn’t work that day, then you can be fairly certain that you are NOT PRACTICING YOUR GIFTS, you have disengaged from ministry, YOU HAVE BECOME A CONSUMER of church, a customer only.
ii. If you ask yourself the question: WHY DON’T THEY…? You are probably DISENGAGED.
iii. If you ask yourself a different question: HOW MIGHT I…? you are on the road to ENGAGMENT, and the Spirit of Christ is guiding you, energizing you, and will empower you to…
iv. Identify your part, as Jesus took up his role…
v. Step up to do your part, as Jesus laid aside his former role…
vi. Serve until you can’t, as Jesus served until his ascension.
Psa. 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psa. 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Deconstructing Church: What IS Church?
Deconstructing Church:
Membership: What’s The Point?
Introduction: why should we bother with church?
Church SUBTITLES: A Church for those Not Comfortable With Church
A Church for those Not Into Church
A Church for those Tired of Their Church
IF some THE LARGEST CHURCHES ON THE CONTINENT CHOOSE THESE STATEMENTS FOR SUBTITLES, then perhaps it’s time for us to DECONSTRUCT CHURCH, reexamine the point of church Jesus’ own words, from Paul’s direct statements as to the meaning of church.
CHURCH: Why should we bother?
What makes us a church?
How do I become part of a church?
Here, we have another reason to ask and answer these questions, because we just completed 40 DAYS OF COMMUNITY.
Community only happens in a context, with other people; CHURCH IS GOD’S IDEA, DESIGNED TO MEET MANY NEEDS AND FULFILL MANY OF HIS INTENTIONS.
We know that because so many different METAPHORS ARE USED TO DESCRIBE THE CHURCH…
What is the church?
What makes us a part of the church?
What does “membership” mean? Or, Should we “join” a church?
How do we experience “life together”?
1. What is the church?
• Multiple metaphors:
o Field
1Cor. 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field… TO BE CULTIVATED
o Building TO BE INHABITED
1Cor. 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Eph. 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
o Household TO BE PROTECTED
Matt. 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
o Family TO BE NURTURED
• Matthew 12:48-49
Matt. 12:48-49 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!
o Nation/People TO PROCLAIM
1Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
o Flock/Sheep TO BE FED
John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
1Pet. 5:2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
o Body TO EXPRESS HIS WILL
Ephesians 4:11–12 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”
o Members PARTS OF A WHOLE
Matt. 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
1Cor. 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1Cor. 12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
1Cor. 12:23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
Eph. 5:30 because we are members of His body.
Col. 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
• Body of Jesus: WE ARE CHRIST’S BODY!
1Cor. 12:27 ¶ Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
2. What makes us a part of the church?
• Common faith (Eph 4), which connects us to the…
o Universal church
Eph. 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
1Cor. 12:12-13 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
• Common life (Acts 2:42ff.), which connects us to a…
o Local assembly = most common NT usage
Acts 2:44-45 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
* Common confession (Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Rom. 10:10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
3. What does “membership” mean? Should we “join” a church?
• At the gym? At Costco?
• Is secular membership the same as biblical membership?
• Why do contemporary congregations ask for membership, when the NT says nothing about such a thing?
1. The NT assumes that all believers are “members” of the congregation where they worship.
a. Membership means “of faith in Christ.”
b. Today: if you have placed faith in Christ…
i. You are a member of the congregation where you worship and serve
ii. You are subject to the elders of the congregation: Hebrews 13:17
Hebrews 13:17 NASB)
“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
iii. In a small house group, we speak of Christ either as people with faith or without faith.
iv. In a larger congregation, the elders must know you are of faith if they are to…
1. Pray for your growth (Acts 6:2,4)
2. Teach you the word (Acts 6:2,4)
3. Encourage you to follow Christ/Keep watch over your soul (Hebrews 13:17)
2. Assumes, maybe; but does it TEACH that we are to be members?
i. Acts 5:12-13: “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” There seems to have been a qualifying choice made in Jerusalem: some chose to be a part of the church, some not.
ii. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.” …This passage makes no sense if the Corinthian church didn’t have some public, formal means by which people identified themselves with the church.
iii. I Corinthians 5:1-2: the fellow who was sleeping with his father’s wife was to be expelled from the congregation, not from the Body of Christ (no human can do that).
1Cor. 5:1 ¶ It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
1Cor. 5:2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
iv. The fellow apparently repented and was restored to the congregation (not to the Body of Christ). 2 Corinthians 2:6: Paul writes again about the fellow, “For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” This man’s exclusion from the church was a punishment by the majority. You can’t have a majority unless you have a definite set of people from which a majority is constituted.
If one can be removed from the congregation and restored to the congregation, without gaining or losing position “in Christ”, then we have the essence of “membership” in a local assembly.
v. Matthew 18:15-17: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” The ability to exclude someone from “the church” presupposes that it’s known who belongs to “the church” as a member in the first place.
vi. Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders (Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). The only way to do that is by publicly committing to be members of their flock, and saying in effect, “I commit to listening to your teaching, following your direction, and to submitting to your leadership.” There’s no way to obey the scriptural commands to submit to your leaders if you never actually submit to them by joining a local church.
Therefore, I am a member of this congregation, for the health of my soul.
1. I am subject to the elders.
2. I am subject to you.
4. How do we live well in/with the Body? How do we experience “life together”?
• Common transparency: care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
Hebrews 13:17 NASB
“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
• Common commitments: I am no longer making all my life decisions alone
o Use the spiritual gifts God has given to build up the body (1 Cor. 12:7).
o Walk in sync with the Mission of God
o Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb 13:17).
o Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
o Financially support the church’s work (Gal. 6:6).
“Engaging membership” means at least these five things:
• Be in transparent relationships with other church members in which they care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
o Eph 4:15-16
we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
• Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb. 13:17).
• Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
“being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Financially support the common service efforts (Gal. 6:6).
“And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.”
• Use the spiritual gifts God has given them to build up the body however they can (1 Cor. 12:7).
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Romans 12:1–13 NASB
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
give preference to one another in honor;
not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation,
devoted to prayer,
contributing to the needs of the saints,
practicing hospitality.”
Membership: What’s The Point?
Introduction: why should we bother with church?
Church SUBTITLES: A Church for those Not Comfortable With Church
A Church for those Not Into Church
A Church for those Tired of Their Church
IF some THE LARGEST CHURCHES ON THE CONTINENT CHOOSE THESE STATEMENTS FOR SUBTITLES, then perhaps it’s time for us to DECONSTRUCT CHURCH, reexamine the point of church Jesus’ own words, from Paul’s direct statements as to the meaning of church.
CHURCH: Why should we bother?
What makes us a church?
How do I become part of a church?
Here, we have another reason to ask and answer these questions, because we just completed 40 DAYS OF COMMUNITY.
Community only happens in a context, with other people; CHURCH IS GOD’S IDEA, DESIGNED TO MEET MANY NEEDS AND FULFILL MANY OF HIS INTENTIONS.
We know that because so many different METAPHORS ARE USED TO DESCRIBE THE CHURCH…
What is the church?
What makes us a part of the church?
What does “membership” mean? Or, Should we “join” a church?
How do we experience “life together”?
1. What is the church?
• Multiple metaphors:
o Field
1Cor. 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field… TO BE CULTIVATED
o Building TO BE INHABITED
1Cor. 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Eph. 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
o Household TO BE PROTECTED
Matt. 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
o Family TO BE NURTURED
• Matthew 12:48-49
Matt. 12:48-49 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!
o Nation/People TO PROCLAIM
1Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
o Flock/Sheep TO BE FED
John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
1Pet. 5:2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
o Body TO EXPRESS HIS WILL
Ephesians 4:11–12 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”
o Members PARTS OF A WHOLE
Matt. 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
1Cor. 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1Cor. 12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
1Cor. 12:23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
Eph. 5:30 because we are members of His body.
Col. 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
• Body of Jesus: WE ARE CHRIST’S BODY!
1Cor. 12:27 ¶ Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
2. What makes us a part of the church?
• Common faith (Eph 4), which connects us to the…
o Universal church
Eph. 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
1Cor. 12:12-13 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
• Common life (Acts 2:42ff.), which connects us to a…
o Local assembly = most common NT usage
Acts 2:44-45 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
* Common confession (Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Rom. 10:10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
3. What does “membership” mean? Should we “join” a church?
• At the gym? At Costco?
• Is secular membership the same as biblical membership?
• Why do contemporary congregations ask for membership, when the NT says nothing about such a thing?
1. The NT assumes that all believers are “members” of the congregation where they worship.
a. Membership means “of faith in Christ.”
b. Today: if you have placed faith in Christ…
i. You are a member of the congregation where you worship and serve
ii. You are subject to the elders of the congregation: Hebrews 13:17
Hebrews 13:17 NASB)
“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
iii. In a small house group, we speak of Christ either as people with faith or without faith.
iv. In a larger congregation, the elders must know you are of faith if they are to…
1. Pray for your growth (Acts 6:2,4)
2. Teach you the word (Acts 6:2,4)
3. Encourage you to follow Christ/Keep watch over your soul (Hebrews 13:17)
2. Assumes, maybe; but does it TEACH that we are to be members?
i. Acts 5:12-13: “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” There seems to have been a qualifying choice made in Jerusalem: some chose to be a part of the church, some not.
ii. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.” …This passage makes no sense if the Corinthian church didn’t have some public, formal means by which people identified themselves with the church.
iii. I Corinthians 5:1-2: the fellow who was sleeping with his father’s wife was to be expelled from the congregation, not from the Body of Christ (no human can do that).
1Cor. 5:1 ¶ It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
1Cor. 5:2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
iv. The fellow apparently repented and was restored to the congregation (not to the Body of Christ). 2 Corinthians 2:6: Paul writes again about the fellow, “For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” This man’s exclusion from the church was a punishment by the majority. You can’t have a majority unless you have a definite set of people from which a majority is constituted.
If one can be removed from the congregation and restored to the congregation, without gaining or losing position “in Christ”, then we have the essence of “membership” in a local assembly.
v. Matthew 18:15-17: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” The ability to exclude someone from “the church” presupposes that it’s known who belongs to “the church” as a member in the first place.
vi. Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders (Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). The only way to do that is by publicly committing to be members of their flock, and saying in effect, “I commit to listening to your teaching, following your direction, and to submitting to your leadership.” There’s no way to obey the scriptural commands to submit to your leaders if you never actually submit to them by joining a local church.
Therefore, I am a member of this congregation, for the health of my soul.
1. I am subject to the elders.
2. I am subject to you.
4. How do we live well in/with the Body? How do we experience “life together”?
• Common transparency: care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
Hebrews 13:17 NASB
“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
• Common commitments: I am no longer making all my life decisions alone
o Use the spiritual gifts God has given to build up the body (1 Cor. 12:7).
o Walk in sync with the Mission of God
o Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb 13:17).
o Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
o Financially support the church’s work (Gal. 6:6).
“Engaging membership” means at least these five things:
• Be in transparent relationships with other church members in which they care for, encourage, rebuke, teach, and learn from each other (Eph. 4:15-16).
o Eph 4:15-16
we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
• Submit to the church’s leadership and teaching (Heb. 13:17).
• Promote unity in the body (Eph. 4:3).
“being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Financially support the common service efforts (Gal. 6:6).
“And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.”
• Use the spiritual gifts God has given them to build up the body however they can (1 Cor. 12:7).
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Romans 12:1–13 NASB
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
give preference to one another in honor;
not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation,
devoted to prayer,
contributing to the needs of the saints,
practicing hospitality.”
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