Time in the Word: Romans 3, Proverbs 27

It is not unusual for a growing disciple to say to me from time to time, “Pastor I am so unworthy. I fail so much in my Christian walk. The more I learn, the more I realize how ‘jacked up’ I really am.” It is also…even more so…common to observe an attitude among some professing believers in Christ who have “figured out” the “ins and outs” of church life…that they have somehow arrived and have risen above the fray and are now really rocking out their walk with Jesus. [Honestly, I know how different I am today than I was even a year or two ago...much less how I was in the early days of my growth as a disciple...but the more I look forward rather than back...the more I realize how far I have to go. Now that may be scary to you when you think of a pastor...if you are an outsider...or if you "have arrived," but if you are on the journey as I am...you know exactly what I just said and you can appreciate it.]

This third chapter in Romans is one I have quoted from many times…at least parts of it but there are still truths that God shows me. A few observations:

• 3:19-20. The Law is written for those under the Law…to remind them that they cannot be justified by the Law. It is not written to those outside the Law…for they know that they are not under the Law and that they are not justified by their adherence to the Law. They are not under it. [It is important to realize that Christians can easily fall into a trap of developing our own "law code" by which we feel justified. We don't "drink, smoke, or chew...or vote democrat!" (Easy tiger...I'm using an extreme illustration...to make a point). This code extends to church attendance, giving, witnessing, serving in the nursery and sacrificing for missions.) The problem is...once we develop this code- and we developed it, not God...we wonder why the "lost world" doesn't adhere to our OBVIOUSLY RIGHTEOUS standard. Here's the answer...it doesn't apply to them! Furthermore, just like the legalists of Jesus' day, the Pharisees, we can focus on what we have accomplished to such a degree...that our accomplishments become a means of self-justification and a litmus test to examine other peoples' lives by. The Pharisees were wrong...and so are Christians who adopt a "christianized law code" for themselves.]
• 3:21. Justification in the OT…yes, during the “LAW era” was also and always by faith in God which was seen in seeking to observe the Law and offering sacrifices in repentance as testimony that one was unable to keep the Law…but salvation was and is always a “faith” issue (3:21-23,24)
• 3:27. If we “amen” (agree) with the above statement, then there can never be a basis for boasting. The law of faith demonstrates that God alone justifies…not God and us. We accept. We yield. We trust in faith. We respond…but the work of salvation is done by God alone according to grace alone and is appropriated by faith alone.
• Again…keeping with the theme of the previous two chapters…this leads us to a humble submission and an acute awareness of our obligation to live without judgment toward others…and to proclaim the gospel to all peoples everywhere that God would send us! To do otherwise…or, if you prefer, to FAIL to do this…is to proclaim in our actions that we have judged others unworthy of that which by grace made us worthy before God. There is NEVER…no NEVER a justified argument for a believer who does not constantly, intentionally, and willfully share his faith in the gospel and seeks to bring all men everywhere to obedience to the faith (1:5).

Proverbs 27:14 is the takeaway today. “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned a curse to him.” [My applied transliteration: You can do the right thing with the right intention in the wrong way and your efforts will be lost. How you do something is as important as the what and why.]

Time in the Word: Exodus 40, Proverbs 24

In this final chapter from Exodus, we finally see the erecting of the Tabernacle. In parts are all assembled and laid out just as the Lord had prescribed. Two observations…and an application thought.

First, the consecration of the Priests, Aaron and his sons, was to separate them as ministers to God (40:13-16). Their service was to God. They ministered on behalf of the people, but they served God. This is a subtle choice of terms…since in our church culture today…the “view from the pew” is that the ministers/pastors serve the people. The pastors are there to counsel the people…to visit with the people…to entertain the people…and to teach the people what the people want to know. (Now I know this may sound a bit abrupt…and you may argue that this is not your particular view or the consensus in your church; however, trust me in this…it is far mor common than you’d like to believe and represents the majority of churches that I have ever known.)

The fact is that the pastor cannot minister to the people primarily and God secondarily. Once a pastor is consecrated, He serves the Lord. He ministers before the Lord. One of the ways he does this is by ministering to the Lord’s people…but it is only one of the ways. The NT teaches us that the pastor is an equipper of men so that they may serve God. (The presumption seems to be that they wanted to serve the Lord and relied on the pastors to equip them to do it properly…and according to the will of God.)

A question to reflect on is this: “Does my attitude about God reflect that of a servant or a spectator? Am I waiting for God to help me…or am I serving His interests?

The second observation is that the erected Tabernacle became the focal point of God’s presence. He dwelt there…visibly in the manifestation of the cloud. The Shekinah glory of God rested on the Tabernacle.

God’s presence and power was visible to the people and really…to anyone who was inside the camp. God’s power was evident to the world THROUGH His working in the people, but it was clear to all who looked on the Tabernacle…that God was there.

QUESTION: Is it clear to all who come to your church meeting that God is there? Is His presence known and evident? If not…why not? Is it because there is no consecration (setting apart for God?) Is it because of “sin in the camp? Is it something else? Is it because God has moved on and you failed to join Him?

Application: The ministry of the Tabernacle is still a vital and biblical ministry today. God still manifests His presence among His people. There are some in Christian circles today who want to diminish the role of “church”. They argue for the priesthood of the believer and the in dwelling presence of God. Some see them doing “church” in every individual activity of life. In some respect this is true…but often times, it is merely an excuse for unbiblical and radical individualism stemming from pride and a rebellious spirit. In the end we must know that “we are the church and don’t just go to church,” AND we must prioritize the corporate assembly and corporate approach to fulfilling the mission of God. Show me someone who focuses on his own thing and diminishes the role of the corporate ministry, and I’ll show you someone who has a wrong view of the Tabernacle/church ministry to God.

Proverbs 24:11 is the takeaway today. “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. (this is one of the strongest commands for the intentional initiative of evangelism. It is never good enough in God’s mind for us to not get involved.)

Time in the Word: Exodus 28-29, Proverbs 15

Wow! Reading this today, I felt as though I was there…in the moment. The details of the garments for Aaron (the High Priest) and his sons (the priests) are very specific. There are tremendously symbolic pieces fo the garments…from the royalty of the blue/purple, to the stones for each fo the tribes, to the judgment of God understood in the casting of the Urim and Thummim. (NOTE: It would be easy to be lost in the details of the material. I have gone deep into the weeds there myself at times; however, if we pull up a bit, there are some principles that are humbling and strike a sense of awe…at least for me as a pastor of a congregation.

The Priest (which is admittedly different from the role of a pastor today as it relates to sacrificial intercession, but similar in the role of teaching, shepherding, admonishing, and explaining God’s position/perspective), carried memorials on his garments of the names of every tribe of God’s people. They are God’s people, but the Priest was/is responsible to bear their names before God perpetually. The priest not only bore their names, but his breastplate consisted of 12 stones…one for each of the tribes. This rested over his heart. In addition, he bore in his pocket of the breastplate, the Urim and Thummim (think of casting dice) which represented the judgment of God…also over his heart.

In the heart of the Priest is both the responsibility to bear the names of God’s people before Him…and the responsibility to bear the judgment of God before the people. He is a true intercessory.

EXCURSION: In the Protestant tradition  and particularly in the Baptist faith (my own) we strive to minimize the role of a pastor as intercessor and mouthpiece of God’s judgments. We accentuate the “priesthood of every believer” and the “SOLE ROLE of Christ as Mediator between God and man. [All of these things are correct!!] However, there is still something significant in responsibility for the modern-day pastor. He still has an enormous responsibility before God.

This “idea” is made more clear in the 29th chapter on consecration. Notice that the Priest was set apart to minister to God (29:1, 44, et. al.). He is not a hireling or representative of the people. He represents the people before God, but he also represents God before the people…and he ministers/serves God exclusively! Yes, EXCLUSIVELY. [NOTE: This makes Aaron's sin of the golden calf that much more comprehensible when we consider that he chose in that moment to acquiesce to the demands of the people rather than to represent God.]

The ordination (public) and consecration (private) of the priests to God is serious business. They were set apart. Their food (provision from God) was not even to be touched by an non-priest because it is Holy (29:33).

In addition, the altar (where the priest interceded on behalf of the people before God in MINISTRY TO GOD) was also consecrated and everything that went onto the altar was also set apart as holy. No common/base/profane thing could ever touch the altar. [POINT/NOTE: You cannot separate the consecration of the priest from the altar and vice-versa. The priest existed to minister at the altar and the altar existed for the priest to minister.]

REFLECTION: It strikes me how little respect we show sometimes for both the altar and for those who minister at it. We seek (at least in this Western context) to reduce it to a geographic location and the minister to some form of hireling…forgetting that the church is not a business or an organization…but is first the meeting place with God. [Yes, I know that we can meet with God anywhere and that as believers, God lives in our hearts; however, there is still something significant...if not difficult to define...about the corporate worship location, where God's people assemble to meet with and hear from Him.

FInal thought: Once God consecrated the priests and the place, He promised to meet with His people there...perpetually...as they came to enter into His presence. If there is no presence of God (i.e. His Glory 29:43) then there is no promise. If there is no reverence for the place, then there is no Glory. [More to say...but I'll leave it there.]

Proverbs 15:3 is the takeaway today. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”

Feeding the Flesh or Walking in the Spirit?

Reblogged from dondunavant Walking Together:

Every Thursday night when our preaching group meets Reggie comes in with a wonderful dessert that Patti prepared for us. We eat a piece of pie or cake with coffee as we study together. Last night Reggie brought a pan full of little muffin-like sugar-coated lemon cake treats. Each one was just two bites. Everyone started with 4 (about one-fourth of the platter).

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A good word here from my dear friend Dr. Don Dunanvant. Tuth!!

Time in the Word: Galatians 1-2, Proverbs 9

Well…just to mix it up a bit, I am changing the “name” of my morning posts to try to catch your attention. We have done the “Take Two Challenge,” the “Ni90″ Challenge, and a few “Devotion” posts. All of these are really the same thing…but I hope that the name change will illustrate something that I think is critical in the Journey of a Christ-follower.

Everyone needs time in the Word. This is not a time for pithy little sermonettes or proof texting a principle observed in life. It is a time set aside to simply read in God’s Word…asking Him to speak to our hearts that which He desires to.

In the future, I will take a more structured approach…maybe; but, for now, I am simply following what I sense in my heart. I introduced a concept of Freedom in the messages I shared yesterday during Easter services. I will be spending a few weeks on this subject (Lord willing) so today I decided to just saturate my mind with the concept from one of the greatest “set free” Jewish voices ever…the apostle Paul. For the next couple of days, I will be in Galatians…and I hope you might consider joining me…and sharing your thoughts and reflections through the comment section and/or through Facebook.

NOTE: As a reminder…this is not intended to be an exegetical teaching of a particular text. Space limitations and purpose preclude that. This is my quiet time and journaling…only I am making it public (most of it) to you so that you can see and hear what God is doing in my life…and so you can speak into that process as well…sharing what He is doing in your life. The end product will be His glory as we all get to experience and grow together.

Galatians is written to a specific church with a specific backdrop situation. While the church was birthed in GRACE, some Judaizers had gained influence among the congregation and were ADDING to Grace some legal requirements derived from the OT Law of Moses. The product was not a stronger gospel or a stronger church…it was an accursed perversion of the truth…according to the Apostle Paul.

Listen to the passion and strong language He uses…

• 1:6. You have turned to a different gospel (not an improved or modified gospel).
• 1:8-9. Preachers of this new gospel are ACCURSED. (NOTE: The language of cursing here is strong since it is the same language employed in the shame of the crucifixion (3:10-13) and the condemnation of God against sin.
• 1:15-19. The authority of Paul’s preaching (and thus the gospel) is directly from Christ. It is not a derived theology building on some other preacher’s ideas or the latest book on ____ (whatever); rather, it is Apostolic…  CONSEQUENTLY, it is the same gospel preached by Peter/Cephas to the Jews…because there is only one true gospel.
• 2:11-14. Standing for the gospel (and the liberty that comes only from it) requires courage, conviction, and bold action. Paul opposed Peter publicly because Peter compromised to public opinion and was “aloof” toward the Gentiles once a Jewish audience was present. His “hypocrisy” (2:13) was contagious and drew away others…even Barnabas. So…to protect the gospel…Paul confronted Him directly and publicly…calling out the sin for what it was. That takes courage!! That invited criticism!!! That is of God!!
• How can someone be willing to be so bold? Only dead men can be that bold! (2:20).

Living under grace…in liberty (2:4)…does not mean possessing a license to sin. On the contrary…Paul was free and also a BONDSLAVE to Jesus. He was a slave to righteousness and the gospel because the gospel had made Him FREE!

I fear that we (present company included) often times get out of balance with these apparently contradictory ideas. We like the extremes of freedom…or legalism…but struggle with being FREE BONDSERVANTS. The concept is difficult for us…so rather than meditate on it deeply…we massage it and compromise on it…making it less caustic, more palatable…and less effective. The gospel works EFFECTIVELY (2:8) to call both Jew and Gentile and for both Jew and Gentile. Our softening of it…simply makes it anemic, lukewarm…and tepid. We blunt the sharp edge of the gospel when we compromise it…by adding to or by taking away.

Proverbs 9:7 is the takeaway today. “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.”

Miller Newsletter – 04/01/2012

This is a great explanation of the argument this past week before the Supreme Court regarding ObamaCare.

Jeff Miller is a great congressman and this is a thoughtful article.

I encourage you to read it.

 

Miller Newsletter – 04/01/2012

via Miller Newsletter – 04/01/2012.

36 Purposes of God in Our Suffering

Reblogged from dondunavant Walking Together:

Joni Eareckson Tada has inspired and encourage so many through her testimony and books. A paraplegic, she knows suffering 24/7 and she knows the grace and greater purposes of God. The following is an appendix from her book When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty. It is an excellent personal Bible study and a good resource for a small group study.

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Ever wondered what the purpose of suffering was? Worth the read and even printing out and placing in the back of your bible for reference. Thanks Dr. Dunavant, my friend, for this great post.

Gospel- shiny, unused tool?- Eric King

Gospel- shiny, unused tool?- Eric King.

This post nails it. Worthy of your time to read.

Ni90: Hebrews 9-10, Proverbs 15

In this chapter, the writer continues with the defense of Jesus as the only means of covenant with God. He demonstrates that the Tabernacle/Temple design even testified of this by typology…with an outer court for worship and an inner part called the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest could enter there…and there the High Priest could enter into the presence of God. Each High Priest could only enter with blood of a sacrifice for his own sins and also for the sins of others. Now, as Christ has entered with the blood of sacrifice…His own blood…the sacrifice is sufficient perpetually. IOW: The work is finished and there is now no worship court other than the one through Jesus.

A couple of observations:

• 10:11-15. When Christ finished His work, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. There was and is no more work to do to settle sin debts of any and all of humanity. They are all settled in Christ and He is the ONLY Door through which one may enter into the presence of God.
• 10:19-25. Because of what Christ has done, we must realize and hold firm to the fact that there is no other way to righteousness with God than through Christ. As such, we can confidently approach God through Christ. Not only CAN WE, but we SHOULD approach Him…drawing near to Him with a sincere heart that is cleansed by Christ (v.22), and bodies/hands/actions that testify of our clean hearts. The faith required to do this is not an easy faith…but we MUST hold fast to it and encourage one another in the difficulties that make this faith position a struggle.

Having tasted the finished work of Christ, how could we ever fall back? This is the point in the last observation…if we turn back from God, we have trampled the blood of Christ…His sacrifice under foot.

• 10:31. We do not want to face the God who saves when we trample His Salvation under foot.

The point of this observation…is the “casual” manner we often take in accepting sin in our lives. We sometimes even grin at “backsliding” or other expressions of carnality in the Christian life. How can we treat that which God so hates (sin) casually?

Someone recently said (and I think it is John Piper…but may be mistaken) that no clearer picture of God’s hatred of sin can be seen than the Cross. On it…God judged all sin in the crucifixion of His own and only Son. HOW CAN WE treat “casually” that which God so hates?

Thank God that we don’t have to settle our own sin debt… At the same time, the settling of our sin debt by grace ought to provoke a faithful and surrendered life to Him who saves.

Proverbs 15:1 is the takeaway today. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” [Remember this the next time you want to give him or her a "piece of your mind."]

The Leader's Liability

Reblogged from dondunavant Walking Together:

Criticism. It is the liability of leadership. If you lead you are going to face it. Moses met it over and over again when the Children of Israel’s faith was tested and they responded by murmuring and grumbling against Moses. When Absalom rebelled against David, some of David’s faithful advisors joined the son’s rebellion and spoke evil of King David. Some opposed Paul, making fun of his physical appearance or questioning his motives.

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From my friend and one of my mentors, Dr. Don Dunavant. Great observations and a challenge to respond as we ought when we experience criticism...