by HARVEYOPP | Jun 28, 2014 | Matt Powell
Psalm 73:17– “Until I Went Into The Sanctuary Of God; Then I Understood Their End.”
I have a photo that I took of Devils’ Tower that I particularly like. It is difficult to get a feel for just how huge the Tower is from photos, but this one is of three climbers ascending the side of the formation. When you tell people there are climbers in the picture, they have to look hard and long before they find them, perched on a ledge a little over halfway up. They are just tiny, just little specks, and seeing how small they are gives one a feeling of just how huge the Tower is.
In Psalm 73 Asaph is struggling with envy and resentment toward evil men. It often seems like people prosper by their wickedness. The richest, most famous, most powerful people in the world are usually the most evil, and that seems to really cast into doubt the truth of the Christian faith. If God is just, why do people profit from evil and suffer for doing good?
The Bible often labors to give us a right sense of perspective. The problem is that so often our perspective is so limited. If I don’t give my child food right now because we’re going to have dinner in a half an hour, he thinks he’s going to die. The thought of waiting until Christmas for a present seems like an eternity. But an adult hopefully has a better perspective on time frames, and thus does not fret about needing to wait a few minutes for dinner. Likewise, as we mature in the faith, we will recognize that our lives in the present age are, as the Scriptures say, like a flower that springs up and is blown away in the afternoon, like a mist that appears for a short while and then is blown away (James 4:14).
The worship service is a wonderful opportunity to step back and get that sense of perspective. It was in the sanctuary where Asaph got the necessary perspective on life. We spend our week with our nose pressed up against life, focused on details of the job, the family, the house, all those things. And rightly so; we should be careful in our dealings in life. But worship allows us to step back and see the big picture, to see the relative size of my life in comparison to all of eternity with God. God is infinite in might and majesty; He is grand and huge. His plans are complex, multifaceted, and long-term. He will bring justice, truth and right to the world. The wicked man may appear very successful, but he is set on a slippery slope (verse 18) and will suddenly come to ruin.
All this we will see by faith, not by sight. We need to be continually reminded of this broad perspective, like an artist that alternates between looking very closely at his painting to get the detail just right, and stepping back to look at the whole from a distance. In worship we can gain that broad perspective on our lives in this world in the context of God’s infinity and our eternal lives with Him, and be comforted and guided through the difficult tangles of this life.
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 25, 2014 | William Boekestein
There was once a powerful Syrian general named Naaman who had contracted the dreaded disease of leprosy. At God’s instruction, the prophet Elisha promised Naaman healing if he would wash in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman was indignant. Dipping in the Jordan was too undignified an act for him, and it didn’t fit his definition of help. If not for the persistence of his servants, he would have returned to Syria unhealed (2 Kings 5:1–14).
For the same reason, many people miss God’s simple, ordinary plan for their spiritual growth—diligent attendance to the means of grace.
Means or Mystery?
Louis Berkhof defines the means of grace as the “objective channels which Christ has instituted in the Church to which He ordinarily binds Himself in communicating His grace.” The means of grace are “his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer, and all these are made effective in the salvation of the elect” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q&A 88). Believers must recognize these means of grace and trust God and His working through them.
This truth is demonstrated in the phenomenal growth of the early church (Acts 2:41–47). These first Christians turned the world upside down not because they discovered a trendy new way to “do church” but because of their striking conformity to Jesus. Notably, the church grew as the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Because devoting yourself seems to lack pizzazz, we tend to make spiritual growth more difficult than it is. But, with few exceptions, those who are growing in godliness are committed to preaching, the sacraments, and prayer. These are the ordinary means of grace. Spiritual growth doesn’t require innovation because God doesn’t work erratically and irregularly (Mal. 3:6). We don’t have to “find God’s wave and ride it” until He surges elsewhere.
Still, the means of grace don’t always seem to work. Maybe we’ve said, “I come to church, partake of the sacraments, spend time in prayer, and I don’t seem to grow.” Assuming that we are diligently and believingly using the means, we shouldn’t too easily dismiss the vital role they are playing in our lives. Imagine saying, “I eat three times a day, but I don’t get any healthier. Eating must not be the answer.” What shape might we be in if we weren’t being fed by God through His ordinary means?
In our church, new members hear this admonition when they profess their faith in Christ: “By the diligent use of the means of grace and with the assistance of your God, continue in the profession which you have just made.” Surely, exercises like maintaining godly associations, using edifying media, sharing our faith with others, engaging in works of service, making diligent use of time, and caring for our bodies will affect our spiritual wellness. But participating in preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer must regulate the routine of any healthy Christian. We use the means of grace because this is how God promises to feed us and make us His disciples (Matt. 28:18–20).
Passé or Omnipotent?
While the concept of the means of grace is not new, it is often misunderstood or misused.
What’s Next?
In some circles, the idea of the means of grace is quickly dismissed as outmoded fundamentalism. This posture assumes several different forms, such as: “We’ve tried that; it’s time for something new,” or, “I feel far closer to God when I’m in nature than when I’m in church,” or, “I can only connect with God through a certain style of music.”
You’ve heard the question, “Can’t God use something else besides preaching, sacraments, and prayer?” That’s an odd question to ask. He once used a donkey to rebuke a prophet (2 Peter 2:15–16). He could use total silence, bankruptcy, depression, or murder. But instead of grasping at every passing straw, we should ask, “What has God promised to use?”
We will never outgrow God’s plan for our growth. Neglecting the means of grace can only result in spiritual loss. The sad irony is that those who neglect the means of grace and thus spiritually deteriorate are often unable to understand why they have so degenerated. They’ve become so spiritually anemic that they no longer have the strength to rightly assess their situation.
Means “as” Grace
On the other hand, it is possible to conflate the means of grace with grace itself. This danger has been at the heart of the Protestant protest for half a millennium. The means of grace do not operate on the principles of mechanics. Baptism itself does not wash away sins. Nor does the Lord’s Supper automatically dispense the blessings of Christ. There is no guarantee that simply hearing sermons will make you godly. Going through the motions of prayer will not connect you with God. As G.I. Williamson has said, “The ordinances do not rule God; God rules the ordinances.” But He uses them because He pleases to do so. We must use the means of grace believingly, trusting the Lord—not the ordinances.
Naaman almost died a leper because he despised God’s means of healing as too ordinary. If you want to grow spiritually, do something shockingly ordinary: Devote yourself to the preached word of God, habitually use the sacraments to direct your faith to Christ, and spend time in earnest prayer. If these means seem ordinary, then you understand God’s goodness. Spiritual growth isn’t a mystery. Trust God, use His means, and expect Him to provide the growth (1 Cor. 3:6).
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 24, 2014 | Scott Henry
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
When it comes to religion, most people in our society think there are many roads that lead to heaven. They say if a person is sincere, lives a moral life, and behaves properly then surely they’ll go to heaven … no matter what they believe. But the Bible teaches there’s only one way to heaven, and anyone who teaches any other way is a liar who is deceived by Satan. Scripture teaches only one way to be saved from the guilt and consequences of our sin, and that way is the person and work of Jesus Christ alone! (Acts 4:12) Only by the love and grace of God raising sinners from spiritual death and uniting them to Jesus Christ by true faith is there salvation from sin and eternal damnation. Christ is the ONLY way sinners can be saved. Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Do you believe Christ is the only way to heaven or do you think there’s more than one way of salvation? Do you think if a man is faithful and sincere in what he believes, no matter what it may be, that he will be saved? Sadly, many church members think this is the case. Too many people, who profess to be Christians, say foolish things like, “Oh, yes, Christ saves, but let’s not be unloving by saying Christ is the only way to heaven. That would mean all other religions are condemned.” You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ will be tolerated by most people if it’s presented as one way among many. But when it’s proclaimed as the only way, the exclusive way, then it becomes offensive to a pluralistic society.
However, is it truly loving to tell people there are many roads to heaven? Is it loving to tell them that if they’re sincere and do their best then God will accept them? No, it’s hateful because it’s a lie, and love always rejoices in the TRUTH!! (1 Corinthians 13:6). Our text is very clear … apart from true faith in Jesus Christ you will perish! Jesus does not say He is one way among many … No! He says He is THE ONLY WAY a sinner can be saved from sin and come into the Father’s presence. Our text teaches there is salvation only in Jesus Christ! There is no salvation in the superstitions, philosophies, or the man-made religions that abound in our world. All other beliefs apart from true faith in Jesus Christ are doctrines of demons sent among men to deceive, and the ONLY loving thing a Christian can do is boldly and loudly proclaim the truth that Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and that NO ONE comes to the Father except through HIM! (John 14:6). As we read in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”
And so Jesus declares, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 21, 2014 | Scott Henry
“Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2).
The first thing we see in verse 1 is the command for the whole earth to worship the Lord. The Psalmist says: “Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!” The “joyful shout” is the rejoicing of loyal subjects when their king appears among them. Think of King Saul and David when they defeated the Philistines … the women came from all towns of Israel to meet the king with shouts of joy! In the same way, the psalmist says all the peoples of the earth ought to worship the Lord with gladness and joyful songs. And this is not a suggestion, but rather a command to all the peoples of the earth. Psalm 2 tells the nations to “Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.”
Not only are all people required “to shout for joy to the LORD” but they are also commanded “to serve the LORD with gladness.” The great sin of unbelievers is that they will not worship and serve the one true God. “Worship” means to give God his worth, and this is something unbelievers will not do. God created man to praise and glorify Him, but because of sin man worships and serves the creature rather than the Creator, who is king over all and blessed forever (Romans 1). And those who do not obey the call to worship the LORD with gladness do so to their eternal condemnation. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…” (Acts 17:30)
And notice in our text that worship is not a sad and gloomy activity, but something that’s done with great joy. “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” There’s nothing greater than gathering together as God’s people to give God His worth by hearing and obeying His Word, singing praise to His holy name, and serving Him in this temporal life with gladness. Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said unto me let us go up to the house of the Lord.”
Is this your response to worship, or do you wake up on Sunday morning and say, “Do we have to go to church again?” Do you behave like a believer or an unbeliever? The unbeliever does not understand what a joyous thing it is to worship, praise, and thank the Lord because he’s not in a covenant of peace with God; the unbeliever only knows God in judgment. But God’s people … those who know the Lord in salvation … ought to have great joy and rejoicing when it comes to worshiping the Lord. But sadly, how often does it seem that we put on our most miserable face when we come into the presence of God? Our text declares “make a joyful shout to the Lord!” Meditate on this text and pray that the Holy Spirit gives you a joyful spirit of worship so that you “come before His presence with singing.”
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 19, 2014 | Kevin DeYoung
What does the devil want to do with you?
Does he want to haunt your house? Not likely. You’d write a bestselling book or become a reality television star. Make your head spin around? You could make a lot of money showing off that trick. Get you to carve a pentagram into your leg? Nah, not the sort of behavior that draws a big following.
So what does the devil really want from you?
He really only wants one thing: he wants to keep you from Christ.
He wants to make you selfish. He wants you to live for your ambition. He wants you to live for your addiction. He wants you live for your ego. He wants you to live for anyone or anything that’s not Jesus. As long as he keeps you from Christ–from the true and living God–he doesn’t care how it happens. Make you sick like Job or rich like Uzzah, just so long as you forget your Creator in the days of your youth. He will be the accuser of the brethren in one breath and the lying spirit who says “peace, peace” in the next.
What does the devil want?
He wants you to believe the lie that you are okay without a savior. He wants you to think that the form of godliness counts for something even if it does not have the power. He wants you to suppress the truth in unrighteousness and exchange the truth about God for a lie. He wants you to love the world and ignore the Word. He wants you to be happy or sad or scared or complacent or hungry or full, anything that gets you focused on something other than union and communion with Christ.
When you become a Christian you turn from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). And when you live as a Christian, the devil will do all that he can to get you to turn back to the way things were.
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