Even in believers there is a tendency to make something “gospel centric” that isn’t part of the gospel at all. Being raised in church, I have watched a variety “movements” and “legalism” come and go and, in truth participated in some of this. I mean, I have watched everything from Christians sitting at home with their lights off, hiding during Halloween, to Churches competing and outdoing much of the world with “Fall Festivals” during Halloween… but, don’t get me started on that because even when they go “all in” for the Fall Festivals, then you have the “no costumes allowed” churches and the “costumes welcome” churches. There are several members of Trinity that were raised in churches much like me - churches that preached the Word and loved Jesus (and I thank God for them), but most certainly added some “laws” that were seen as taboo. From the “no card playing” to the “ladies don’t wear pants,” to my favorite growing up…one that actually encouraged hypocrisy, the rule of “No Shorts on the Church Bus.” Oh, don’t get me wrong! We could wear shorts on the trip, we would go to the beach on a retreat, BUT under NO circumstances should you wear shorts on the bus! I wasn’t raised in the 70’s - I was in the student group in the late 80’s - and some of those years “jams” were still in (you remember “jams” right? the longer shorts that went all the way to your knee?) But you better not dare to show up on the bus with this on! I say this promoted hypocrisy because we could wear shorts under our sweat pants, jeans, parachute pants (have I mentioned that I miss parachute pants!?) or what have you, and we could take them off when we stopped to go eat in the mall, BUT when you got on the Church bus, yes that Greyhound that the A/C never worked in...you dare not take those sweat pants off and expose your knee. Oh, those were the days!
I say all of this not to offend those adults who made those ridiculous rules. I say all of this because we still see such nonsense today and, in truth there is a high probability all of us as believers may hold to things as our convictions, which we want to force on others. A conviction is something that the Holy Spirit places in my life as a standard in my life - my behavior, attitude and boundaries. It is something I can and should live by and guide my family by…but it is not something that I can judge others by or impose on them. One of them that I have mentioned several times is that of music. I have heard on more than one occasion, incredible artists with doctrinal lyrics (that say as much as any of our cherished hymns and choruses) being accused of singing music that sounds worldly because of the beat of the music or the style. Is there someone that can define a “worldly sound?” I mean, I have heard worldly lyrics – but, I imagine if you ask the early Puritans, your grandmother, and some of our young seminary graduates of today what worldly music sounds like, you would get an amazing difference in answers. When I hear guys like Tripp Lee or Shai Linne, I am thankful that God has gifted them to rap such amazing God honoring lyrics. If you believe the problem is that it sounds “worldly,” then I would challenge you to listen to the beat of some of our choruses and ask grandma if she ever heard keyboard music and drums like that in the “Bar-rooms.”
I get on this soapbox of music only to ask if you have ever heard a song, chorus, or hymn, that gave a biography of the Prince of Preacher’s life? No, me either until now! Enjoy this incredible clip detailing the life of Charles Spurgeon….
Showing posts with label Charles Spurgeon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Spurgeon. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Cost of Being a Disciple
I love reading Charles Spurgeon’s devotional book, Morning And Evening -and, when I read this on November 10th, I copied it down and wanted to bring it to you before the end of the year. I hope it blesses you as it has blessed me:
“It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.” Matthew 10:25
No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment he received? Were his claims acknowledged, his instructions followed, his perfections worshipped, by those whom he came to bless? No; He was despised and rejected of men. Outside the camp was his place: cross-bearing was his occupation. Did the world yield him solace and rest? Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. This inhospitable country afforded him no shelter: it cast him out and crucified him. Such-if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation-you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Saviour-they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by his enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world's favourite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout Well done to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorn.
“It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.” Matthew 10:25
No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment he received? Were his claims acknowledged, his instructions followed, his perfections worshipped, by those whom he came to bless? No; He was despised and rejected of men. Outside the camp was his place: cross-bearing was his occupation. Did the world yield him solace and rest? Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. This inhospitable country afforded him no shelter: it cast him out and crucified him. Such-if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation-you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Saviour-they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by his enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world's favourite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout Well done to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorn.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Too Much for One Blog....Part 3
Two posts ago I began commenting on this article http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/ and there is more here than one post or even 10 posts could discuss. But I want to continue with another couple of quotes and they are lengthy:
Others practice a "gospel of niceness," where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says.
"If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation," wrote Dean, a professor of youth and church culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Corrie says she sees no shortage of teenagers who want to be inspired and make the world better. But the Christianity some are taught doesn't inspire them "to change anything that's broken in the world."
Teens want to be challenged; they want their tough questions taken on, she says.
"We think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake," Corrie says.
Churches, not just parents, share some of the blame for teens' religious apathy as well, says Corrie, the Emory professor.
She says pastors often preach a safe message that can bring in the largest number of congregants. The result: more people and yawning in the pews.
"If your church can't survive without a certain number of members pledging, you might not want to preach a message that might make people mad," Corrie says. "We can all agree that we should all be good and that God rewards those who are nice."
Let me see if I get this right:
-Our students watch their parents teach them to be nice and don’t do drugs or have sex, but there is internal conflict in them that believes that Christianity must be something more than a moral list.
-Then they see a Pastor stand up to preach – but he yields to the whims of shallow believers and some wolves…and that is not the God they want to serve.
You mean to tell me that there is something in them that wants to hear the cost of discipleship, they want to see parents live it out, they want to see a man in the pulpit preach the Word of God and not be consumed with demands of the anemic? Why can’t they buy into our Bible-belt culture and just show up at church, pray prayers, smile and sing and go home the way so many others do? Why are they looking for people who refuse to live under the fear of man? Surely they aren’t so naïve as to think that this Christ who went to the cross and who, in His Word demands us to do the same if we want to be His, really expects us to do so. I mean how stupid would it be for us to tell them that if you follow Christ you will be hated, rejected, slandered, cussed, lied about, torn apart, and maybe killed. There is no way we will pack a building with that teaching!
Problem… God hasn’t called us to pack a building - but teach and preach the Word, to articulate the Gospel correctly and live it out before them and the world. Counting the praise of man as nothing…but living for THAT DAY! I know, only a fool would teach this…1st Corinthians 3:18-19 “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God….” The Christian life is not a call to be loved by the world, and the most vile of the group will be the religious. But do hard things for Christ and challenge the generation behind us and before us to do the same. Tell them about men like Charles Spurgeon who said:
“The more prominent you are in Christ’s service, the more certain you are to be the butt of calumny. I have long ago said farewell to my character. I lost it in the early days of my ministry by being a little more zealous than suited a slumbering age. And I have never been able to regain it except in the sight of Him who judges all the earth, and in the hearts of those who love me for my work’s sake.”
Let us show them that we are living for that day, that the World my hate us, the religious will slander us, but we are not called to be men pleasers! This is what the true believer longs for, this is what our “Church filled - Christless generation” is missing. This call, along with doctrinal teaching is the steak and potatoes of the believer’s walk! Eat spiritual steak, not cake!
Others practice a "gospel of niceness," where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says.
"If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation," wrote Dean, a professor of youth and church culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Corrie says she sees no shortage of teenagers who want to be inspired and make the world better. But the Christianity some are taught doesn't inspire them "to change anything that's broken in the world."
Teens want to be challenged; they want their tough questions taken on, she says.
"We think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake," Corrie says.
Churches, not just parents, share some of the blame for teens' religious apathy as well, says Corrie, the Emory professor.
She says pastors often preach a safe message that can bring in the largest number of congregants. The result: more people and yawning in the pews.
"If your church can't survive without a certain number of members pledging, you might not want to preach a message that might make people mad," Corrie says. "We can all agree that we should all be good and that God rewards those who are nice."
Let me see if I get this right:
-Our students watch their parents teach them to be nice and don’t do drugs or have sex, but there is internal conflict in them that believes that Christianity must be something more than a moral list.
-Then they see a Pastor stand up to preach – but he yields to the whims of shallow believers and some wolves…and that is not the God they want to serve.
You mean to tell me that there is something in them that wants to hear the cost of discipleship, they want to see parents live it out, they want to see a man in the pulpit preach the Word of God and not be consumed with demands of the anemic? Why can’t they buy into our Bible-belt culture and just show up at church, pray prayers, smile and sing and go home the way so many others do? Why are they looking for people who refuse to live under the fear of man? Surely they aren’t so naïve as to think that this Christ who went to the cross and who, in His Word demands us to do the same if we want to be His, really expects us to do so. I mean how stupid would it be for us to tell them that if you follow Christ you will be hated, rejected, slandered, cussed, lied about, torn apart, and maybe killed. There is no way we will pack a building with that teaching!
Problem… God hasn’t called us to pack a building - but teach and preach the Word, to articulate the Gospel correctly and live it out before them and the world. Counting the praise of man as nothing…but living for THAT DAY! I know, only a fool would teach this…1st Corinthians 3:18-19 “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God….” The Christian life is not a call to be loved by the world, and the most vile of the group will be the religious. But do hard things for Christ and challenge the generation behind us and before us to do the same. Tell them about men like Charles Spurgeon who said:
“The more prominent you are in Christ’s service, the more certain you are to be the butt of calumny. I have long ago said farewell to my character. I lost it in the early days of my ministry by being a little more zealous than suited a slumbering age. And I have never been able to regain it except in the sight of Him who judges all the earth, and in the hearts of those who love me for my work’s sake.”
Let us show them that we are living for that day, that the World my hate us, the religious will slander us, but we are not called to be men pleasers! This is what the true believer longs for, this is what our “Church filled - Christless generation” is missing. This call, along with doctrinal teaching is the steak and potatoes of the believer’s walk! Eat spiritual steak, not cake!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thank the Lord for Charles Spurgeon
If I could pick one person outside of Scripture to spend the day with I, along with countless other believers, would pick Charles Spurgeon. It is amazing how God used this man and continues to use him to this day. This is goes against all types of “blog rules” for me in that, even when I post a link and information from another blog, I try to keep it short - I know that MOST people have better things to do than read and follow my every move and word. However, this is such a wonderful word that I couldn’t find anything to leave out! So I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The following excerpt is from "High Doctrine and Broad Doctrine," a sermon preached in Exeter Hall, London.
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."—John 6:37.
THESE two sentences have been looked upon as representing two sides of Christian doctrine. They enable us to see it from two stand-points—the Godward and the manward.
The first sentence contains what some call high doctrine. If by "high" they mean "glorious towards God," I fully agree with them; for it is a grand, God-honoring truth which our Lord Jesus declares in these words,—"All that the Father giveth, me shall come to me." Some have styled this side of truth Calvinistic, but while it is true that Calvin taught it, so also did Augustine, and Paul, and our Lord himself, whose words these are. However, I will not quarrel with those who see in this sentence a statement of the great truth of predestinating grace.
The second sentence sets forth blessed, encouraging, evangelical doctrine, and is in effect a promise and an invitation,—"Him that cometh to me I will an no wise cast out." This is a statement without limitation of any kind: it has been thought to leave the free grace of God open to the free will of man, so that whosoever pleases may come and may be sure that he still not be refused.
We have no permission to pare down either sentence, nor is there the slightest need to do so. The first sentence appears to me to say that God has chosen a people, and has given these people to Christ, and these people must and shall come to Christ, and so shall be saved. The second truth declares that every man who comes to Christ shall be saved, since he shall not be cast out, and that implies that he shall be received and accepted.
These are two great truths; let us carry them both with us, and they will balance each other. I was once asked to reconcile these two statements, and I answered, "No, I never reconcile friends." These two passages never fell out: they are perfectly agreed. It is folly to imagine a difference, and then set about removing it. It is like making a man of straw, and then going out to fight with it.
The grand declaration of the purpose of God that he will save his own is quite consistent with the widest declaration that whosoever will come to Christ shall be saved. The pity is that it ever should be thought to be a difficulty to hold both truths; or that, supposing there is a difficulty, we should have thought it our duty to remove it. Believe me, my dear hearers, the business of removing religious difficulties is the least remunerative labor under heaven.
The truest way is to accept the difficulty wherever you find it in God's word, and to exercise your faith upon it. It is unreasonable to suppose that faith is to be exempted from trials: all the other graces are exercised, and why should not faith be put to the test? I often feel a joy within my spirit in having to believe what I cannot understand; and sometimes when I have to say to myself, "How can it be?" I find a joy in replying that it is so written, and therefore it must be so.
In spite of all reasoning stands the utterance of God. Our Father speaks, and doubts are silenced: his Spirit writes, and we believe. I feel great pleasure in gliding down the river of revelation, upon a voyage of discovery, and hour by hour obtaining fresh knowledge of divine truth; but where I come to an end of progress, and see my way blocked up by a sublimely awful difficulty, I find equal pleasure in casting anchor under the lee of the obstacle, and waiting till the pilot tells me what next to do.
When we cannot go through a truth, we may be led over it, or round it, and what matters? Our highest benefit comes not of answering riddles, but of obeying commands by the power of love. Suppose we can see no further into the subject—what then? Shall we trouble about that? Must there not be an end of human knowledge somewhere? May we not be perfectly satisfied for God to appoint the boundary of understanding? Let us not therefore run our heads against difficulties of our own invention, and certainly not against those which God has seen fit to leave for us.
Take, then, these two truths, and know that they are equally precious portions of one harmonious whole. Let us not quibble over them, or indulge a foolish favouritism for one and a prejudice against the other; but let us receive both with a candid, large-hearted love of truth, such as children of God should exhibit. We are not called upon to explain, but to accept. Let us believe if we cannot reconcile.
Here are two jewels, let us wear them both. As surely as this Book is true, God has a people whom he has chosen, and whom Christ has redeemed from among men; and these must and shall by sovereign grace be brought in due time to repentance and faith, for not one of them shall ever perish. But yet is it equally true, that whosoever among the sons of men shall come and put his trust in Christ shall receive eternal life. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
"None are excluded hence but those
Who do themselves exclude.
Welcome the learned and polite,
The ignorant and rude."
The two truths of my text are by no means inconsistent the one with the other: they are perfectly agreed. Happy is the man who can believe them both, whether he sees their agreement or does not see it.
I was cruising one day in the western Highlands. It had been a splendid day, and the glorious scenery had made our journey like an excursion to Fairy Land; but it came to an end, for darkness and night asserted their primeval sovereignty. Right ahead was a vast headland of the isle of Arran. How it frowned against the evening sky! The mighty rock seemed to overhang the sea. Just at its base was a little bay, and into this we steamed, and there we lay at anchorage all night, safe from every wind that might happen to be seeking out its prey. In that calm loch we seemed to lie in the mountain's lap while its broad shoulders screened us from the wind.
Now, the first part of my text, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me," rises like a huge headland high into the heavens. Who shall scale its height? Upon some it seems to frown darkly. But here at the bottom lies the placid, glassy lake of infinite love and mercy: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Steam into it, and be safe under the shadow of the great rock. You will be the better for the mountain-truth as your barque snugly reposes within the glittering waters at its foot; while you may thank God that the text is not all mountain to repel you, you will be grateful that there is enough of it to secure you.
The following excerpt is from "High Doctrine and Broad Doctrine," a sermon preached in Exeter Hall, London.
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."—John 6:37.
THESE two sentences have been looked upon as representing two sides of Christian doctrine. They enable us to see it from two stand-points—the Godward and the manward.
The first sentence contains what some call high doctrine. If by "high" they mean "glorious towards God," I fully agree with them; for it is a grand, God-honoring truth which our Lord Jesus declares in these words,—"All that the Father giveth, me shall come to me." Some have styled this side of truth Calvinistic, but while it is true that Calvin taught it, so also did Augustine, and Paul, and our Lord himself, whose words these are. However, I will not quarrel with those who see in this sentence a statement of the great truth of predestinating grace.
The second sentence sets forth blessed, encouraging, evangelical doctrine, and is in effect a promise and an invitation,—"Him that cometh to me I will an no wise cast out." This is a statement without limitation of any kind: it has been thought to leave the free grace of God open to the free will of man, so that whosoever pleases may come and may be sure that he still not be refused.
We have no permission to pare down either sentence, nor is there the slightest need to do so. The first sentence appears to me to say that God has chosen a people, and has given these people to Christ, and these people must and shall come to Christ, and so shall be saved. The second truth declares that every man who comes to Christ shall be saved, since he shall not be cast out, and that implies that he shall be received and accepted.
These are two great truths; let us carry them both with us, and they will balance each other. I was once asked to reconcile these two statements, and I answered, "No, I never reconcile friends." These two passages never fell out: they are perfectly agreed. It is folly to imagine a difference, and then set about removing it. It is like making a man of straw, and then going out to fight with it.
The grand declaration of the purpose of God that he will save his own is quite consistent with the widest declaration that whosoever will come to Christ shall be saved. The pity is that it ever should be thought to be a difficulty to hold both truths; or that, supposing there is a difficulty, we should have thought it our duty to remove it. Believe me, my dear hearers, the business of removing religious difficulties is the least remunerative labor under heaven.
The truest way is to accept the difficulty wherever you find it in God's word, and to exercise your faith upon it. It is unreasonable to suppose that faith is to be exempted from trials: all the other graces are exercised, and why should not faith be put to the test? I often feel a joy within my spirit in having to believe what I cannot understand; and sometimes when I have to say to myself, "How can it be?" I find a joy in replying that it is so written, and therefore it must be so.
In spite of all reasoning stands the utterance of God. Our Father speaks, and doubts are silenced: his Spirit writes, and we believe. I feel great pleasure in gliding down the river of revelation, upon a voyage of discovery, and hour by hour obtaining fresh knowledge of divine truth; but where I come to an end of progress, and see my way blocked up by a sublimely awful difficulty, I find equal pleasure in casting anchor under the lee of the obstacle, and waiting till the pilot tells me what next to do.
When we cannot go through a truth, we may be led over it, or round it, and what matters? Our highest benefit comes not of answering riddles, but of obeying commands by the power of love. Suppose we can see no further into the subject—what then? Shall we trouble about that? Must there not be an end of human knowledge somewhere? May we not be perfectly satisfied for God to appoint the boundary of understanding? Let us not therefore run our heads against difficulties of our own invention, and certainly not against those which God has seen fit to leave for us.
Take, then, these two truths, and know that they are equally precious portions of one harmonious whole. Let us not quibble over them, or indulge a foolish favouritism for one and a prejudice against the other; but let us receive both with a candid, large-hearted love of truth, such as children of God should exhibit. We are not called upon to explain, but to accept. Let us believe if we cannot reconcile.
Here are two jewels, let us wear them both. As surely as this Book is true, God has a people whom he has chosen, and whom Christ has redeemed from among men; and these must and shall by sovereign grace be brought in due time to repentance and faith, for not one of them shall ever perish. But yet is it equally true, that whosoever among the sons of men shall come and put his trust in Christ shall receive eternal life. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
"None are excluded hence but those
Who do themselves exclude.
Welcome the learned and polite,
The ignorant and rude."
The two truths of my text are by no means inconsistent the one with the other: they are perfectly agreed. Happy is the man who can believe them both, whether he sees their agreement or does not see it.
I was cruising one day in the western Highlands. It had been a splendid day, and the glorious scenery had made our journey like an excursion to Fairy Land; but it came to an end, for darkness and night asserted their primeval sovereignty. Right ahead was a vast headland of the isle of Arran. How it frowned against the evening sky! The mighty rock seemed to overhang the sea. Just at its base was a little bay, and into this we steamed, and there we lay at anchorage all night, safe from every wind that might happen to be seeking out its prey. In that calm loch we seemed to lie in the mountain's lap while its broad shoulders screened us from the wind.
Now, the first part of my text, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me," rises like a huge headland high into the heavens. Who shall scale its height? Upon some it seems to frown darkly. But here at the bottom lies the placid, glassy lake of infinite love and mercy: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Steam into it, and be safe under the shadow of the great rock. You will be the better for the mountain-truth as your barque snugly reposes within the glittering waters at its foot; while you may thank God that the text is not all mountain to repel you, you will be grateful that there is enough of it to secure you.
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