Ecclesiology/Soteriology #n

“As a new Christian, Drew seemed to have an insatiable love for the things of the Lord. He could not find enough Bible studies. He got as many Christian books as he could get his hands on. He took copious notes during every sermon. His presence seemed to open and close every gathering of his church.

Now five years later, Drew seems to be a different man. The sermon notebook doesn’t accompany him to worship anymore. He seldom attends the gatherings of his small group. He barely has enough time to have a brief moment of worship before he starts his day. 

What happened to Drew? The same thing that happens to many believers. Drew came to Christ as a lonely young man. Although he did not know it, his enthusiasm for the gospel was not about the grace and glory of Christ. No, in the church, Drew found the circle of friends he had always longed to have. In the church, Drew had found a family. And while that is very good, the spiritual problem was that the end (a love relationship with Christ) had functionally become the means to another end (acceptance with a family of people). Big kingdom glories were a way to experience little kingdom treasures.

And these relationships with sinners proved to be flawed, as they always will be this side of heaven. Eventually, Drew’s growing lack of enthusiasm for the gospel revealed that his excitement about his newfound faith was simply was kingdom of self dressed up in the costume of the kingdom of God.”

– Paul Tripp, Chapter 6 of A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You

Soteriology #n: (Guest post) timely reminder during finals

Guest post written by a freshman sister but carries the weightiness of scriptural authority. I am thoroughly rebuked, enjoy:

God did not save us so we could be happy. He did not save us so we could have a community, or help the poor, or go on missions. Those are all good and necessary, but they are secondary. God saved us so we could be holy.

“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Ephesians 1:4)

To be holy means we are separate from the world and set apart for God. It means that our desires, joys, and investments must be different from that of the world. The Bible says that true believers of Christ will live differently from the world. But if Jesus came to campus for a week, would he know that we were Christians? I'm not talking about going to church or listening to Hillsong. If Jesus saw the things that bring us joy, the way we entertain ourselves, the things and events that we invest time in, the way we talk, our attitude towards school, the way we treat one another...would he know that we loved and followed him? If we drink like the world, party like the world, complain like the world, flirt like the world, dress like the world...what makes us different from those who aren't saved? If we really are Christians, we don't force ourselves to be holy, but God gives us a desire to be holy because to love Jesus is to obey his commandments. To love Jesus is to find all of our joy in him, and to sell everything else we hold dear for the sake of getting more of Jesus. If our lives are no different from those of our non-Christian friends, we need to be asking ourselves whether we're Christians at all."

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Ecclesiology #12

And this series returns! For a bit. Two things.

If you can’t humbly accept a rebuke, you will be unable to lovingly deliver one.

If you cannot see your sin as worst than others, you will not be able to genuinely love people.

Main point: thinking much about yourself will destroy relationships. You hate the truth in a rebuke, therefore you cannot be a messenger of truth. You are not grieved over your own sin, therefore your view of God (and love itself) is very low.

From D. Bonhoeffer’s Life Together.

Ecclesiology #11

Demanding things from people automatically causes you to assume the worst about them. You play a perversion of God with crushing judgments only to leave wrecked relationships.

On the flip side, not putting expectations on someone is ironically in itself an expectation. The only correct gauge in validity is the lens of scripture. Hate sin lest you become its embodiment.

Ecclesiology #10

What’s the difference between encouragement and flattery? Encouragement rejoices in the truth. Flattery has ulterior motive and is out of proportion.

Encouragement is the response to God’s grace seen in other people. Look at the examples of Paul and God and you’ll see the main point in affirming someone is affirming God (Matthew 3:17, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Timothy 1:16-18). Therefore, encouragement prompts the receiver to look to God and his salvation with thankfulness.

On the other hand, flattery prompts the receiver to look at himself and thus cosign him to self righteousness, a hardened heart, and hell (Psalm 5:9, Proverbs 27:6, James 3:6). Oo scary |_.

Let’s fill our churches with the warmth of our encouraging God. How do we know when the smiles are fictitious though? Avoid covering a slander by prefacing it with a compliment: “he’s a nice guy and good friend but..”. This is fake.

Ecclesiology #9

Succinctly in one chapter, Jesus in Matthew 18 prescribes relational norms and behavioral practices expected within the church. It’s so awesome, church leaders please read it.. church members please read it.. it encapsulates the whole sum of this mini ecclesiology series.

Far from moralistic principles, the conduct of church members seen through these parables can only be fueled in light of grace. I think I’ll be camping out in this chapter for awhile.

Shout-out to B.Han for relaying dat knowledge from CCC fam.

Ecclesiology #7

If you do not have immediate access to (older) people in your life to guide you with the knowledge of God, nor have people you can pour this knowledge into, you are not living a complete Christian life. If you do not have these resources and are not being proactive about finding them, you are on the devil’s side because he doesn’t like guidance either (Genesis 3:1). And it sucks to be on his side (Revelation 20:10).

Flipside: if you have sought and found such provision, God’s blessed you because some people aren’t so lucky :)

Feel free to share. Who are your mentors? Who are you mentoring?

Ecclesiology #6

Spiritual growth only occurs in the context of community. Doesn’t that make sense? How can I apply the worship I supposedly gave to God without practicing it on the body? Post-Pentecost Peter needed it because he was still a cowardly sinner even after his life-changing call to be an apostle and “feed my sheep” (Galatians 2:11-14).

What you do after service matters a lot more than how you felt during. I can have all the warm feelings, but if right after I’m thinking about my kingdom and my agendas then something is seriously wrong! Am I in a rush to go home right after benediction instead of desiring to fellowship? I thus count my worship Cain-like in its fake self-seekingness. What a waste of a morning. The proof of worship is thus the application after service versus the reflection time during.

Ecclesiology #5

You can tell how someone’s doing in their relationship to Jesus from how they’re relating to people in the community. Don’t make an excuse for them, such as a propensity towards an awkward disposition or not finding much common interest with particular people. If Jesus would only come to me based on common interests, I’d be so screwed.

Therefore, not having an outreaching attitude speaks clearly to one’s priority in preserving the self instead of allowing oneself to be vulnerable. We can afford to be vulnerable because of Christ’s vulnerability shown towards us. So what do we do about this awkward individual? You allow them into your life and watch the spirit break down the walls (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

My working definition of accountability takes into account how people interact with others more than their spiritual disciplines. Accountability groups can unfortunately degenerate to pride festering in the form of “oh, look how open I can be about my sin” or “oh, look how diligent I am.” I don’t need to know how diligent your devotional life has been when I can see it in your interactions with people and myself. The main question in accountability is, “Is there something affecting our relationship? If so, what are we going to do about it?”

Oh, you’re struggling with lust. With pride. With anxiety. Great, let’s restore you in Christ and restore our relationship. Contrast this with how a judging pharisee does accountability and their priority in identifying the root sin. Don’t we do this a lot in the name of godly accountability? This objectifies and distances the person. Instead, you humanize him by making the restored the relationship the main priority.

Pharisees keep people at a distance. We come into the mire with people because that is what Jesus did for us.

Ecclesiology #4

We’re called to be peacemakers, not nicemakers.

The world simply shows tolerance. Christians show forgiveness. Call sin sin. Without truth, there can be no love.

Ecclesiology #3

Surveying the work of Jesus’ ministry, in performing his miracles through the Holy Spirit, we see him never using any of this miraculous power for his own sake but for others and the Father. This is especially clear in his temptation in the wilderness. I wouldn’t count the sneaky ninja disappearances (John 8:59). Indeed, how meek is our savior! (Philippians 2:5-8)

Those of you with gifts, and that is any sincere believer, how are you using them? Or are you using them? Failing to perform your miracles means failing to see a regenerated community, and perhaps proof for a lack of any regeneration within oneself (Mark 16:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Ecclesiology #2

This is the test of true meditation and true Christian community. Has the fellowship served to make the individual free, strong, and mature, or has it made him weak and dependent?

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Ecclesiology #1

Has it never struck you that, in the New Testament, almost nowhere does it tell you how to do evangelism? Why? Because it understood that being the church was to do evangelism. We do evangelism because we are not convinced that our Christian community is radically and supernaturally different.

- Sinclair Ferguson

My summer suburban community

Christians have funny conversations sometimes

me:

dustin and i be spreadin' your notoriety in nyc

more girls here

Pastor Dan:

??

hahaha

what have you been saying?

me:

"we have this cool pastor in philly"

"he's good with kids. he's currently saving people in guatemala"

that's like +100 brownie points

Pastor Dan:

HAHA

show them pics i just posted

on google plus

---------------------------------------------------------------

me:

jenjen

Jennifer:

yea

me:

you want to be stumbled?

Jennifer:

ok

me:

LOL

wow

Jennifer:

wait

SORRY

i read that as HUMBLED

it registered weirdly

wow

me:

YEA YEA

Jennifer:

sorry

omgosh

no

really

me:

MHM

Jennifer:

i'm very committed to my God and my bf

me:

AWW