The Honest Church in a Dishonest World

“Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” –Proverbs 12:22

We live in a time of deep suspicion. Lying is nearly expected of each other to get ahead, to hide true motives, and to look good in front of others. Artificial Intelligence will work for you, write papers for students, research for lecturers and preachers, and modify photos to post online. Everything in our social media culture is airbrushed, cleaned up, and often completely made up for mass consumption with a high level of anticipated dishonesty.

God more than simply hates dishonesty. His Word tells us the lips of dishonesty are detestable to Him. Our God of perfect truth detests the lips of liars. It is not simply a matter of being dishonest about ourselves, but also flattery: that is, dishonesty about others. Instead of friendly criticism or correction, we can be dishonest about how we see others.

A culture dishonest about how we project ourselves to one another and how we view one another is a detestable culture in the perfect eyes of our God. God is always truth telling toward us. First, He reveals Himself in His Word. He is trustworthy to tell us nothing but the truth about Himself. Second, He is always truthful about us. God is eternally reliable. His Word is eternally reliable.

What stands out in a culture of liars and an expectation of being lied to is a person of rare honesty. This is our Lord’s call to us to be wise Christians. So, we heed this Proverb. We desire to be pleasing, not detestable, to God. God delights in our faithful dealings with others. Dishonesty about ourselves hide iniquities from others with no fearful trembling thought of God (Psalm 36:1-2). Flattering dishonesty about others are simply abounding kisses of an enemy (Proverbs 27:6).

Jesus taught us that what we say to others is simply from the overflow of our own hearts (Matthew 12:34). Honest speech is the overflow of a heart resolved to deal faithfully to the delight of God. The wise Christian is a truth speaker with words that heal rather than speaking truth to wound and to kill (Proverbs12:18). So, we speak the truth in love.

The world sits in wonder at a church loving one another as honest to and with one another rather than the deception and man-fearing masquerade the world enjoys and demands conformity to. We have been commanded to confess sin and to hear one another’s confession with honesty, all in the fear of our Lord who loves us and is always truthful with us.

An honest local church is a church that can help sinners. Dishonesty hides iniquities from Christians who can help with repentance, and flattery only tells others that their sin is okay. The church which faithfully deals with one another is a delight in the heart of God.

Let us strive to be wise and honest Christians about ourselves and others, creating a culture of love in the local church founded on the truth of God. This is the striving to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). This is the awe of a watching world who knows we are disciples of Jesus by how we love one another (John 13:35).

Heavenly Father, You are a teller of truth always. There is never deception in Your mouth. Conform our hearts to the truth of Christ, and with reliable, regenerate hearts will overflow words of truth from a reliable, truthful character. In such mighty works in Your church, such glory, honor, and praise be to our God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This Noble Task

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” –I Timothy 3:1

As a church family, we will be ordaining Dan Bauer into gospel ministry as a pastor. Also, this year marks 15 years I have been in pastoral ministry. This has me reflecting on God’s Word and the great privilege of being an elder in the church of our Good Shepherd.

As a pastor, I have the unique invitation to witness closely the mighty works of Jesus Christ in the lives under my care. Lost souls saved, marriages and friendships strengthened, trials overcome, and the ordinary pattern of church life and growth in the church. To be a pastor close up in the lives of Christ’s sheep truly is a noble task.

Yet, that intimacy is shared in the church as a family. The “one another” passages of the local church draws people from all walks of life into intimacy not found in the world. A privilege and joy is found being close witnesses to Christ’s work in the lives of folks near us in a local church. Only in such closeness with great compassion can the great practice of theology, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:15-16a).

Christ the Chief Shepherd gives to His sheep elders entrusted with the noble task to nourish and guide a church to love and to serve one another with enjoyed closeness. Pastors, deacons, and the church together are equipped to the task of “building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

Think about what a joy and privilege you enjoy as a mercy of Christ in your local church. Whatever He has tasked you with, Christ has given and equipped you for His sheep and for His glory. The Christian involved in a local church sits on the front row of the theater of God’s works of power and love in the lives of His children around you. And they observe and rejoice in His works they have the joy and privilege to see in you.

As I reflect in my own past of this noble task the Lord has charged me with as a pastor as well as look what is ahead, I think about the word “equip.” Christ charges us to our labors in His church, and He equips us for every good work. The pastors strive to improve on skills as does every member of the church. Skills to love and to serve. Skills to being mature disciples and better friends. Skills to being better disciple-makers and evangelists. We do this together.

The Lord raises new elders and equips them to grow. The Lord adds members and equips each of His children by His Holy Spirit to mature. Are you committed to grow and be more useful as a servant in the church of Jesus Christ? We are invited into a gathering with care for one another’s holiness and encouragement to persevere in this life as we journey heavenward.

If you are reading this and you are not committed to such spiritual health for yourself and for a local church, I encourage you to join us at Allison Avenue Baptist Church Sundays at 9:30AM and Wednesdays at 6:30PM. Study Scripture, that is the Word of God, with us. Come witness with us the mighty works of God in each of us that in our gathering we praise God enthusiastically in the congregation and the council of elders (Psalm 107:32).

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in what You have invited us to witness. Your works of grace in the lives of others in Jesus Christ. You are mighty and compassionate, maturing and strengthening Your people to care for and encourage one another in the faith as well as proclaiming Your good news of salvation in Christ to the lost. You are good and You are mighty, worthy of great praise. Amen.

Do Not Be Alarmed by What Must Take Place

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.” –Mark 13:7

Do not be alarmed. Do not be troubled. Wars and rumors of wars are troubling things, but the Christian is commanded by Christ not to be troubled. Christ warns us of troubling things to come such as being hated for Jesus’ name sake, persecution, and false Christianities, that the church would be on guard, stay awake, and not alarmed.

The apostles heard Jesus’ prophecy which came true with incredible accuracy when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD70. What troubling things were on the news! Famines, earthquakes, the volcano Vesuvius completely destroying Pompeii in AD79, wars such as the Roman conquest of Britain by the end of the 1^st Century. With this came the ebb and flow of the Roman economy, especially hurting the poor.

The news could be troubling. Do not be alarmed, Jesus commanded. The alarming hostility and restlessness of our fallen world entices the Christian to be entangled in only secondary things or to remain in a motionless hiding. Christ, who is our strength and peace, commands us to not be alarmed as well as not to be silent.

I am constantly being pulled in many directions with the call that I am not doing enough. The alarm is sounded. Do you not see how bad the world is? Did you hear the troubling news? Opinion pieces and long speeches are given to charge into the public square with great alarm.

As I write this, the sun is blaring through my window. The birds are singing. The air is warm. I can hear my children playing. Time goes on despite the news I hear. Wars. Rumors of wars. Real image bearers of God are suffering and dying in a hostile world. As I raise my children, pray for and live a peaceable life in this world, I know my love for Jesus will be met with hatred.

“You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake” (Matthew 24:9). “That’s the dark said of missions,” writes John Piper. “The hatred will be as widespread as the harvest (Taste and See, Page 249). And yet, I am not to be alarmed. Jesus told me this to be ready.

Hatred, war, famine, persecution. We are not to be surprised by these fiery trials as if something strange were happening to us. They are manifestations of what sin is and does. But we are not alarmed.

David sings, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3). Why so confident? David was certain he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 27:4). David was certain by faith in God’s promise of everlasting life.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a bold Welsh preacher during the Second World War and pastoring in London during The Blitz, a series of mass bombing raids by the Nazi’s. Preaching from Matthew 24, Lloyd-Jones said, “we must all agree that the world is in a strange and extraordinary condition especially at this present time…a time of uncertainty.” He goes on to say that those in the world see the gospel preached for 2000 years has failed to stir world peace, that the world is as bad as ever. The world goes to politics to do something more practical to reform nations and make the world a better place.

Lloyd-Jones added, “The gospel has never claimed to reform or to improve the world.”

Did our Lord raise up the disciples to go before kings to reform nations into peaceful societies? Is the gospel of Jesus Christ a social gospel? No. They will be dragged before kings because of their devotion to the name of Christ. And there, upon that platform, preach the gospel.

Yet, we as Christians should unashamedly say, “I want the world to be more Christian.” We labor with the gospel in the face of hostility, for the harvest is plentiful. The world becomes more Christian by hearing the gospel of Christ.

Let us be so bold to continue preaching the gospel, loving and serving in our churches, raising godly children, with eyes fixed to the end of the age where we can confidently say Christ will return. Christ is King. His kingdom is forever. The nations continue to rage and our own nation may crumble, but we trust in the words of Christ which will never fade away.

Heavenly Father, the world is in chaos and Your people must face hostility. Give us boldness in our confidence in the gospel to persevere in preaching Christ to a perishing world. Grant to Your church a peace which surpasses understanding as we must face this hostile world; a peace longing and looking for the return of our Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joy in the Gospel of John

John's Gospel has a theme of the Christian's joy in Christ throughout. John the Baptist's message was "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him" (John 3:28). He referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom who has the bride, and John the Baptist himself is the friend of the Bridegroom who has great joy just hearing the Bridegroom's voice; a complete joy (John 3:29). 

The day of Jesus, the I AM in flesh, was the joy of Abraham (John 8:56). Jesus had joy that He was not present at the death of Lazarus so witnesses would see the glory of God in the dead man's resurrection (John 11:15, 40).

There was joy in the disciples as harvest reapers shared with Christ the Sower (John 4:36). Jesus' leaving and being with the great Father who exalts the Son is a fountain of joy for those who love Jesus (John 14:28). 

In His lesson on abiding in Him and He abides in us like the relationship of vine and branches, Jesus said He teaches the disciples that His joy may be in them, and their joy complete (John 15:11).

Jesus promised that the world will find joy in the Christian's sorrow, but the church will have their grief turned into joy like a mother giving birth in anguish only to have joy at the sight of her newborn (John 16:20-21). In the meantime during our time of sorrow now, we can ask anything of the Father in Jesus' name and receive that our joy may be complete (John 16:22-24).

In Jesus' high priestly prayer, He asks His Father to keep the church united, abiding and sanctifying the church by the truth of His Word that Jesus would be glorified in the church. As Jesus comes to the Father that the church may have Jesus' joy fulfilled within them (John 17:13).

Finally, there was joy in the disciples as they saw the resurrected Jesus who blessed them with peace and showed them His wounds (John 20:19-20).

There is joy in knowing Jesus. There is joy in hearing and knowing His teaching and abiding in His Word. There is joy in soul-winning, a shared joy with Christ the Sower. There is joy in knowing and being known by Jesus while we must suffer sorrow in this world. There is joy in asking and receiving mercy from the Father. There is joy, complete joy, when we see Jesus in the finished kingdom. 

This is good news of great joy! To quote John Piper, 

The gospel is the good news that the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of the never-boring, ever-satisfying Christ is ours freely and eternally by faith in the sin-forgiving death and hope-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.

May this truth of Christ's joy in you, dear Christian, encourage and strengthen you for the journey homeward with the Lord.

Do Not Turn to a Gospel that Cannot Save

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” –Galatians 1:6

In my experience, my greatest growth in Christ-likeness has come from honest encounters. Friends who labored in loving me, getting to know me, and over time developed a Christian love willing to even confront me. I have grown in being a good friend when I am confronted with Scripture where I have not been a good friend. Same in my role as a husband, a dad, a pastor.

Paul was such a godly, trusted man who had labored with the church in Galatia (Acts16:6, Acts 18:23). Paul knew the Christians of the church of the Galatians. This is why he could pen, “I am astonished.” He had spent time “strengthening the disciples” in Galatia (Acts 18:23), so he was confident they knew the gospel of the grace of Christ. In his letter of confrontation, he begins by saying just how astonished he was they would desert the preaching of the grace of Christ in favor of a false gospel.

Abandoning the grace of Christ for false versions of Christianity which cannot save is much of the pastor’s concern, and Paul’s concern led to direct confrontation. There are no other gospels (vs 7), and we Christians should be so confident in the gospel preached to us that even if Paul or an angel told us otherwise, we would quickly disregard them and hold to grace (vs 8).

Apparently, some Judaizers told the church that a real Christian must be circumcised and hold to Jewish dietary laws, but to add this to the gospel of grace severs one from Christ and has “fallen away from grace” (5:6). Paul desires to raise those fallen back to grace. He blesses with grace from God and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3, 6:18).

The threat to the church in Galatia, and any local church, is another gospel which promises a higher spiritual life apart from the gospel of grace. How can I be perfectly right in the eyes of God to achieve the higher spiritual life and receive His blessings? This question is answered by false gospel preachers by changing grace from being free to being won by things we do. In Galatia, the Judaizers even used the Bible to teach that.

The Judaizers sought to boast in the markings of circumcision in the flesh of Gentile Christians who would fall prey to their boastings. What they wanted in their boastings was a tolerance from Gentile Christians who were taught a gospel of grace rather than an idea of being justified by works of the Law of Moses. Otherwise, if these Gentile Christians held to grace in Christ rather than be severed from Him, they would face “persecution” (6:12).

Paul reminds us that those preaching justification by works themselves do not keep the Law (6:13), but impose high standards on others simply to boast. Self-righteousness and boasting go hand-in-hand with false gospel preachers.

The local church is strengthened only in the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. Paul’s efforts to “strengthening the disciples” should be imitated by the church. Her pastors and teachers should boast only in their weakness (II Corinthians12:9) and in the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). The pulpits and Bible studies must be places where Christians are reminded we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. In the cross of Christ, the Father by His own choosing blesses with His favor which cannot be earned and freely justifies sinners and blesses we who deserve the death penalty with life. Everlasting life as if we lived the life Jesus lives. From our salvation of God’s free grace, we now live solely in grace; that is, solely by what Jesus Christ has earned for us giving us fellowship with God and one another (I John1:3).

Christian, be encouraged. Jesus saves sinners. Not our works or following along any powerful words of spiritual guides who promise higher spiritual life apart from the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The power to obey the commands of Christ are rendered no longer burdensome when the same power of the Holy Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11).

Heavenly Father, we as a church rejoice in Your unmerited favor for us in Christ Jesus. Protect us from false gospels which allure us into the devil’s traps of earning and boasting in our doings rather than rejoicing in the works of Jesus Christ. Remind us regularly of Your gospel of free grace, that You justify sinners by grace alone received by faith alone in Christ alone. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Born-Again to Love

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” -I John 4:7

Belief in the Son of God leads to loving one another as Christians. Genuine faith loves the church whom God loves because God is love (4:7-8). Anyone born again by God actively loves God’s people and repents when confronted by God’s Word when failing to love. This is what John argues for in his first letter.

It is a theme played over and over again in the New Testament. Our faith leads to good works. What are these good works? The commands of Christ. In His Great Commission, our Lord tells us to make and baptize disciples, “teaching them to observe all I commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). What has our Lord commanded us? To love one another (John 13:34).

John tells us God is the source of love and love is His nature. This love of God has been revealed to us by sending us His Son Jesus (I John 4:9). God sent us His Son not because we loved Him but because He loved us (4:10). And we are certain of His love for us because He laid down His life for us (I John 3:16).

The love that God is and does by sending His Son who laid down His life for us is the love we ought to love one another with. John warns us, “Anyone who does not love does not know God” (4:8). Such a person is like Cain (I John 3:12) and be found murderers with the same hatred in our hearts (3:15). Our Lord taught us to not only love those who love us, but our enemies and people who hurt us (Matthew 5:43-48).

Love opens your heart to the needs of others (I John 3:17-18). As Paul commands, love carries others burdens in obedience to Christ’s commands (Galatians 6:2). Genuine love hates evil while holding to good (Romans 12:9). Love sets the mind to the excellencies of Christ above, having put off sin and put on compassionate, loving hearts being kind, humble, and patient with our dealings with others (Colossians 3:1-12). Love bears burdens of others and is quick to forgive (3:13-14).

Ephesians 4:2 reiterates that our faith puts on love and love’s obedience is displayed in our relationships by being humble, gentle, patient, and load bearing.

Consider Hosea and Gomer, a prophet of God and a prostitute turned unfaithful wife. This tells us a great deal of the patient, load-bearing love of God who first loved us, sought after us when we were not seeking (Romans 3:10–12), proving His love having sent to us His Son Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans5:8). God’s great love for us made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians2:4-5).

The good news for those with faith in Christ is the assurance His love for us is inseparable (Romans 8:38–39). God has proven His love for us, we ought to love one another (I John 4:11).

Consider those you have not reached out to in a while. Be intentional in finding ways to serve others in the love of Christ. Pray for opportunities to serve and display Christ’s love for you. In our love for one another we are promised that we see displayed the presence of our invisible God in and with us (4:12).

Heavenly Father, our souls rejoice in Your great love, displayed in sending Your Son Jesus Christ that we may be reconciled to our forgiving God who loved us first that we may love one another. Give us opportunities to serve one another and display Your love poured into our hearts born-again by Your Spirit. We praise You, our God of love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Delight to Know God

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” –Psalm 111:2

Every work of God is a great work worthy of study. From distant planets to standing still at the extraordinary beauty of a mountain landscape, even the gradual sanctification of a sinner’s heart, are all great works of God. The one who loves God studies His works with their minds and delights with pleasure in their hearts.

Psalm37 welcomes us to delight ourselves in God and in turn He will give you what delights our hearts. We are to love God and find delight in getting to know Him. Repentance is often simply referred to as a turning, but the turn is in delights. Delight not in the evils of the world, but turn and delight yourself in the Lord. Who God is and the great works He performs is the delight of our souls and the drive of the study of our mind.

Think of I Peter 2, where Peter contends that Christ who was rejected by this world is the stone rejected by the builders and has become the Cornerstone, is whom we Christians proclaim the excellencies of (I Peter 2:9). Study with delight in the Lord of what these “excellencies” of Christ are! The deep needs and longings of the human heart are not only satisfied in Christ, but our cups run over! Christ is the treasure of abundance of delight!

I stood on a mountaintop in Ilam, Nepal, and suddenly the vast, beautiful landscape made me feel so small. To paraphrase Psalm 8, “When I study the heavens, the great work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars, who am I that God is mindful of me?” There is indeed delight in my soul when I study the great works of God.

God is great and His works are great. We are invited to think deeply, to study His Word, with hearts filled with abundant delight. For the great pleasure of beholding His great works is awarded another pleasure: God answers our requests to grant us the desires of our heart. The request to have a heart committed to the Lord with delight is granted.

This means we are to delight in what God delights in. God delights in showing mercy to pardon sin and forgive transgression (Micah 7:18). We are to delight in showing mercy. The Christian’s goal in life is to give pleasure to God (IICorinthians 5:9). We sing to God with joy because God takes pleasure in His people (Psalms 149:4-5). We take pleasure singing to God and singing with the church gathered whom God delights in.

As Augustine stated, “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure. Where your treasure is, there is your heart. Where your heart is, there is your happiness.” We are invited to be happy in Jesus, to study happily the great works of Jesus.

Psalm16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Eternal pleasures are with God, and the path to eternal pleasures is guided by our Good Shepherd who leads us into fellowship with God through His shed blood. Oh, to take pleasure in God! To proclaim such excellencies! To glorify and enjoy God forever! What delightful duty we enjoy to study His great works and proclaim Christ’s excellencies our minds are delightfully held captive to!

Heavenly Father, grant us the joy and knowing and studying Your great works. May the great work of grace in Christ Jesus be the joyful subject we study deeply and proclaim the excellencies of to a dark, perishing world. Fill our hearts with delight in You and Your Word. We ask Your mercies and the reward of delight in You all in Jesus’ name. Amen.