Christ Church

Postmill Parenting (The Well-Pleased Father #2) (King’s Cross)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION

Postmillennialism is the doctrine that teaches that over the course of history, the Great Commission will be accomplished: the nations will be discipled, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, that God will save the world before Christ returns in glory. This will be accomplished not by force of arms or political maneuvering, but by the preaching of the gospel and the work of the Spirit.

In many ways this is simply an application of the doctrine of sanctification applied to history. Sanctification is the doctrine of growth in Christ: “Being confident of this very thing, that He which began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, cf. Eph. 1:13-14, 2 Cor. 3:18, 2 Pet. 1:3-4). This growth in grace is driven by faith not by works (Gal. 3:1-5). And therefore, Christian parenting is no different.

Parenting in faith is very different from parenting in fear. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). But it is not merely optimism or high hopes; it is faith in the promises of your Father.

The Text: “…As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever” (Is. 59:16-21).

 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The prophet is in the midst of describing the predicament of Israel. Their iniquities have separated them from God (Is. 59:2), their hands are defiled with blood (Is. 59:3), they run to do evil (Is. 59:7), they grope like blindmen (Is. 59:11), and no one knows truth or judgment (Is. 59:11-15). And in that condition God saw that there was no man, no intercessor for His people, and so He determined to save them Himself, with His own arm and His own righteousness (Is. 59:16). So He armed Himself for this great mission, and the mission was to bring justice to the world, until the whole world fears the name of the Lord, from the east to the west, the Spirit of the Lord leading the way, like the standard of a great army (Is. 59:17-19). And God the Redeemer will save all who turn to Him, and this New Covenant promise not only includes Him putting His Spirit and His Word in the mouths of those who first turn to Him, but He will also do the same for their children and grandchildren forever (Is. 59:20-21).

 

MORE NEW COVENANT PROMISES

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jer. 32:38-40).

“And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezek. 37:24-26).

 

THE TRAJECTORY

Jesus said that the Kingdom would come like leaven in a loaf, like a mustard seed in the ground growing up into a great tree, and therefore, the growth of Christians is also like that. It is organic, relatively slow, and hard to see in the moment, but it is obvious over time. The same thing is true of the growth of our children in faith and obedience and wisdom.

Not only that, but we need to be thinking about our grandchildren. The loving and teaching and discipline that we are administering is aimed generationally: for our “grandchildren forever” – to a thousand generations (cf. Dt. 7:9). We are the thin stems poking out of the ground or maybe slender stalks with three wispy branches that will one day be great trees providing shade.

 

APPLICATIONS

Believe the promises of God: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Redeemer, your Intercessor? Very good. Now you must also believe that He is the Redeemer and Intercessor of your children and grandchildren. “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies…” (Gen. 22:17). Do you believe?

This faith is first of all relieved, joyful, and full of peace. There is a massive difference between parenting in fear and parenting in faith. Your children can sense the difference: the aroma of faith is like bread baking in the oven.

You are raising your children to leave and form families: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Your goal is not merely to not be embarrassed today, or to keep your kids out of prison. Your goal is that they would marry Christians and raise their children to be stronger, wiser Christians than you, and repeat to a thousand generations.

But this means that you must be thinking this way when they are born, when they are toddlers, when they are still in elementary school. Broadly speaking, think of teaching and discipline like teaching your child how to ride a bike. When they are young, you hover and do everything for them (lots of correction/frequent spankings); during elementary school, you begin letting them peddle and balance (while holding them up, spanking tapering off); and sometime in high school you begin letting go (transitioning to conversations/teaching).

And all of it by faith in the sure promises of your Well-Pleased Father.

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Delighting in Your People (The Well-Pleased Father #1) (King’s Cross)

Lindsey Gardner on

Introduction

We are a nation of bastards. A bastard is an illegitimate son, a son born out of wedlock, a son without a covenant father, and thereby at some level, abandoned and rejected by his father. This has been enacted by mass fornication, adultery, divorce, and in its most violent form, abortion. Even in the church where there is often far more cohesion, there is still sometimes great tension and distance in our families, where there ought to be delight.

This fatherlessness and generational static have their root cause in our alienation from our Heavenly Father. You cannot reject God the Father Almighty and end up in any kind of happy place. If there is tension between fathers and children, it is because we are not in full fellowship with the Father. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (Js. 1:17), including the gift of delighting in your family.

The Text: “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17).

 

Summary of the Text

The Father shows up directly in the gospels just a couple of times, and both times He says almost the same thing. The first is at Christ’s baptism: “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17, Mk. 1:11, Lk. 3:22). The second is the transfiguration: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 17:5). What we learn in the gospel directly from God the Father is that He is well pleased with His beloved Son.

 

Restored to the Father

Eph. 3:14-15 says, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in heaven and earth is named.” This means that families exist because God is Triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All human fatherhood gets its meaning and purpose from God the Father. And when the Father shows up, the central thing He wants the whole world to know is that He is well pleased with His beloved Son.

Many men did not have fathers or else their fathers were absent or harsh, and this is why God sent His only Son into the world: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Mal. 4:6, cf. Lk. 1:17). Generational dysfunction and animosity are burdens, and when sin is not dealt with, it is a great curse. But Christ came to bear the curse of sin and heal the generations. He does this by taking away our guilt and shame, but He restores families fundamentally by restoring us to God the Father. “For He [Christ] is our peace… For through Him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph. 2:18). That Spirit is the same Spirit that came upon Jesus in His baptism, the same Spirit that caused the Father to proclaim, “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Gal. 4:6).

 

Delighting in Your People

Our delight in our people is grounded in the delight of God in His people in His Son. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). This is not God rejoicing over a perfect people; this is God rejoicing over a people He is saving. This is not a blind love; it is faithful love. It is a delight in what is and what will be.

This is the bedrock of Christian family life: we are The Delighted-In and so we are Delight-Full. Our Father is well-pleased with us. He rejoices over us with singing. It is His holy, infinite delight in us that is to spill over into our homes. This infinite joy is plenty for every Christian, but he who finds a wife finds a good thing and has obtained favor from the Lord (Prov. 18:22). Children are the inheritance of the Lord; they are His great blessing and reward (Ps. 127:3-5, Ps. 128). Christ is the pool into which the pleasures of God pour infinitely (Ps. 16:11), and if you are in Christ, that pleasure pours out of you.

 

Delighting in Creation

This delight is not only directly in your people. God has also created a universe that expresses His delight, and it was created for the enjoyment of God and His people. Delight is a gift, but shared delight multiplies the gift and binds us together. This was part of God’s point in His reply to Job’s great complaints: God points Job to His favorite parts of the universe and invites Job to join Him in ruling the weather patterns, riding constellations, caring for ravens and goats and unicorns, and playing with dragons (Job 38ff).

Our Father delights in His work and creation, and therefore, this delight in work and creation should mark Christian families: work, hobbies, sports, games, camping, fishing…

 

Applications

The center of this delight is a bloody cross where all our sin was nailed and crushed. This is not a humanistic optimism or a stiff upper lip. This is gospel grace. Sin paid for. Debts forgiven. Adopted by the Father. As you have been forgiven, so forgive. Confess, forgive, walk in the light. No backlogs. No bitterness. No hidden sin.

This is also central to discipline and correction. Christian discipline restores joy, which means it must be your baseline. Is your discipline and correction doing that? Parents, your job is to make sure that it actually yields peace and joy (Heb. 12:11).

A Christian family should be marked by playful delight: joyful work, chores, wrestling, tickling, jokes, laughter, singing, dancing, adventures, and games. And in the midst of it all, many, many words of praise, delight, gratitude, and love. Why? Because this is the way of your Father.

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Discerning the Lord’s Will (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #38) (King’s Cross)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION

How do you know what the will of God is for you? We pray that God’s “will” would be done on earth as it is in heaven, but we have many choices to make, some obviously significant and every choice momentous.  

Paul said that he was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21, 20:22), and yet, the same Spirit filled disciples urging Paul not to go (Acts 21:4, 11). Does God do this regularly? Does God send mixed signals? 

God is not trying to trick anyone, but He does test us. The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Mk. 1:12). This was not so that Jesus would fail, but so He would succeed. Christians must trust and obey God’s clear Word, and then we trust His providence in the gifts, opportunities, and desires He gives us. 

The Text: “And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara…” (Acts 21:1-14).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After leaving the Ephesian elders at Miletus, Paul’s entourage sailed along the coast of southwest Asia Minor, until they came to Syria (Acts 21:1-3). While there for seven days, the disciples, by the Holy Spirit, warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem before sending him on his way with prayers (Acts 21:4-6). Sailing south along the coast of Palestine, they came to Caesarea and stayed with Philip, one of the seven, who had four faithful daughters (Acts 21:7-9). While there, the prophet Agabus, foretold that Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem, and everyone tried to dissuade Paul from going (Acts 21:10-12). But while Paul felt the emotional force of their pleas, he was unmoved and ready to die if necessary, and the brothers committed him to the will of the Lord (Acts 21:13-14). 

THE WILL OF GOD

How did Paul know what the will of God was? We may not be able to answer exhaustively, but we can have a basic understanding of how God wants us to discern His will. Theologians commonly distinguish between the “decretive will” of God and the “preceptive will” of God. The decretive will is what God has decreed will come to pass before all time (Gen. 1:3, Is. 46:10, Eph. 1:11); His preceptive will is what God has revealed is good and right for His creatures to do (cf. His law, Ex. 20, Dt. 5). So it is God’s preceptive will for all men to repent of their sins and obey God’s law, but regardless of whether they do or not, God works all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8, Gen. 50:20). So while we cannot know God’s ultimate decretive will, His preceptive will (His law and gospel) is the central revelation of His will for us (1 Thess. 4:1-7).  

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

So, when you’re trying to determine God’s will, begin by asking: is it lawful/moral? If not, it is not the will of God. It is not the will of God for you to marry an unbeliever, to disobey your parents, or cheat or steal. These moral obligations also include providing for your family, your parents, and having a church community. You would need a clear indication from God that a higher duty is requiring you to set aside one of those duties (e.g. a boss or parent or pastor asking you to sin). 

If it is lawful, then the next questions would be: What are your abilities, opportunities, and desires? You may have the ability and desire, but no opportunity. You may have the opportunity, but no ability or desire. As it is sometimes said, “the need is not necessarily the call.” Many orphans need to be adopted, many unreached peoples need to be evangelized, but the need is not necessarily the call. But if you have an opportunity and the ability, sometimes the will of God comes down to what you really want to do. On the other hand, as Jonah learned the hard way, sometimes the need amounts to a command and it doesn’t matter what you want to do (e.g. the Good Samaritan). Also, remember that wisdom is found in the multitude of counselors, and at the same time, you can’t just go along with the multitude (Ex. 23:2). 

FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM

Later, Paul will explain that he came to Jerusalem to bring alms and offerings (Acts 24:17). While there may have been other factors at work, it appears that Paul was very concerned to bring his entourage from the new churches in Greece with their offerings to Jerusalem. He knew the risks involved full well, but he believed that this was what was most needful, perhaps particularly for the unity of the Jewish and Gentile churches. 

It also continues the pattern of the apostles imitating Jesus, “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51). And just as Peter wanted to insist that Jesus not go (Mk. 8:31ff), Paul faced similar resistance, testing his resolve. And so we can expect similar testing, and while it can occasionally be wise to double check our decisions, our general instinct ought to be “not to doubt in the dark what we knew in the light.” If we are walking in the Light, confessing our sins and forgiving one another, while God does test us, He does not trick us. 

APPLICATIONS

Safety is Not the Highest Good: Our God plays with death and dragons. Wisdom is not reckless, but it is ambitious and courageous. By faith some overcame armies; and by faith some were stoned and sawn in two (Heb. 11). And all of them obtained a good report. Winning and victory are found in obedience to the Lord, not necessarily surviving. 

Parents, beware of making safety the highest good. Obedience is the highest good, and obedience often requires selfless courage, danger, and even harm. Paul was prepared to go to prison and die if necessary for the name of Jesus. Wives, beware tempting husbands or children to be unfaithful by your fear of harm. Better the obedience of Christ (dying at 33), than a long life of grieving His Spirit. 

Stick to Your Near and Clear Duties: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33). “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps. 37:4). And this includes keeping your word/vows/covenants (Ps. 15:4). This is how God ordinarily shows us His will.

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The Potential of Young Men (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #42) (King’s Cross)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION

This episode contrasts two kinds of young men. You have a mob of angry young men and you have the wise courage of Paul’s nephew.

We live in a world inundated with manipulations and lies, and the inevitable result of this is bitterness and wrath, particularly among young men. God created men to lead and build, using their strength sacrificially for the good of those around them. But when they despair and give up hope in that potential, their strength is often twisted to destruction and evil. This is why young men must know Christ and place their hope in the power of His resurrection. God rules all the plots of men and turns them to His will.

The Text: “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded themselves together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul…” (Acts 23:12-24).

 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Certain Jews took a vow to kill Paul, and the chief priests and elders apparently agreed to the plot (Acts 23:12-15). However, Paul’s nephew got wind of the plot and told Paul, who instructed him to tell the chief captain (Acts 23:16-19). After the young man told the chief captain about the plot, he ordered two hundred solider, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spear men to escort Paul on horseback through the night to Governor Felix in Caesarea (Acts 23:20-24).

 

KING JESUS OVERRULES

Chrysostom says, “Like some king whom his bodyguards escort, so did these escort Paul.” Another commentator suggests Paul is like a Mordecai who was plotted against but ends up honored publicly (Esth. 6:7-11).

God repeatedly uses the pagan empire to protect his people. The pagan politicians have their motivations, but they are all being used by the risen Jesus to direct events to His ends. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good…” (Gen. 50:20) Just as the Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and Jews intended to put an end to Jesus, they only did what God’s counsel had determined beforehand would be done (Acts 4:27-28). This is the wisdom and power of God which ordained before the world for our glory, which if the princes of this world had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:7-8).

 

A POWDER KEG

Like the first century, we are living in a powder keg of a culture, with the primary flammable material being angry young men. God made the world for the blessing of young men, a world where ambitious young men might explore, hunt, discover, build, invent, and use their energy and strength for the good of the world (Gen. 1-2). Men were made to sacrifice their strength for the good of others (Eph. 5, 1 Pet. 3). But many of our leaders in the public square and the church have rejected the goodness of masculine strength. Many have lied and manipulated young men, whether with demands of effeminacy, or lies about history, politics, or religion. And many Christian leaders have insisted that “sacrificial strength” simply means becoming a limp rug for everyone to walk over. As in this text, many Christian leaders have compromised with the world and evil.

 

CONCLUSION

In addition to the courage of Paul, here we have a young man who used his strength for good, to undermine the machinations of evil men.

The center of this strength is Christ Himself. For generally gives men more physical strength, but Christ is the strength of Christian men. And by His strength they lead in obedience in every circumstance (Phil. 4).

The temptation is often to choose the wrong sacrifice, but our duty is to embrace the one Christ assigns to us. Jesus was obedient to His death, and all who follow Him must embrace the Cross He assigns. And in the face of the doubts and fears, look to the One who raised Him from the dead, the one who thwarts the plots of men and uses pagans to exalt His saints.

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Christian Courage (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #41) (King’s Cross)

Joshua Edgren on

INTRODUCTION

Christian courage is based entirely on the conviction that God is for us, that God is on our side. It is based on the certainty that the resurrection of Jesus Christ means that our sins have been completely paid for. It is based on God’s perfect justice and a completely clean conscience before God.

If we are a cowardly people, it is because we are guilty people. So the courage and innocence of Paul is a message we desperately need today.

THE TEXT:

“And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and three dust into the air, the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle…” (Acts 22:23-23:11)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As the Jewish mob erupted again in chaos, the captain ordered Paul to be interrogated by flogging, but as they were tying him up, Paul asked the centurion if it was lawful to scourge a Roman citizen without a trial (Acts 22:23-25). Startled, the centurion told the captain who was surprised for the second time that day to find out that Paul was a freeborn citizen and cancelled the interrogation (Acts 22:26-29).

The next day, the captain brought Paul to face the Jewish council, when, as soon as Paul said he was innocent, the high priest ordered him to be struck on the mouth (Acts 22:30-23:2). To which, Paul vehemently objected, but when he realized it was the high priest, he took it back, which may indicate that Paul’s eyesight was very poor (Acts 23:3-5, cf. Gal. 6:11). When Paul gathered that the council was filled with both Pharisees and Sadducees, he cried out that he was being accused because of his belief in the resurrection, and the assembly descended into bedlam, requiring the captain to drag Paul out of the council (Acts 23:6-10). The following evening, the Lord appeared to Paul and encouraged him with the promise of testifying in Rome (Acts 23:11).

IS IT LAWFUL?

In this text, there are two scenes back-to-back where Paul appeals to what is “lawful.” Both refer to the lawfulness of striking someone without due process of law (Acts 22:25, 23:3). This underlines two significant principles in biblical law: presumption of innocence and the inherent violence granted to the civil magistrate.

Throughout Scripture, God requires two or three witnesses to convict anyone of sin or crimes: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established” (Deut. 19:15, cf. Deut. 17:6). This principle is reinforced by Jesus: “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established… For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:16, 20). And this is a particular protection in the civil sphere because God has granted magistrates the sword of vengeance (Rom. 13:4). This is why Christians must believe in limited government.

This biblical principle of justice means that God requires us to presume innocence and give the benefit of the doubt where there are not multiple witnesses. God says it is better if a criminal occasionally gets off than for the innocent to be punished. Closely related, the Bible requires that false witnesses be held liable to the penalty they would have inflicted on their neighbor (Dt. 19:19). This is a stern warning against false/mistaken accusations.

GOOD CONSCIENCE

One of the most offensive things in a fallen world is a good conscience. This is why whenever people are upset, they almost immediately begin demanding apologies. Just admit you were wrong. Nobody’s perfect. You’re not Jesus. When people are offended, one of the most offensive things you can do is say that you have a clean conscience.

Paul had just given his testimony, which included the acknowledgement that he had persecuted Christians, including his consent to the blood of Stephen (Acts 22:4, 20). And he was baptized for the remission of his sins (Acts 22:16). But Paul’s conversion and baptism are the very reason why he can begin his defense before the council with the words, “I have lived in all good conscience before God…” (Acts 23:1). Peter makes a similar point, referring to Noah’s flood, when he wrote, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21).

Do you have a good conscience before God? This was what was so offensive about Job. He was certain that he had not done anything to deserve the calamities that fell on his house (and he was right). The sinless innocence of Jesus was also particularly offensive (Jn. 9:24).

BE COURAGEOUS

In the midst of this cacophony of false accusations, the Lord Jesus visits Paul again, coming upon him, overshadowing him, and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11). Literally, he says, ‘Be courageous, Paul’ (e.g. 2 Cor. 7:16, Heb. 13:6). Think of the Captain of the host of the Lord appearing to Joshua to send him to Jericho (Josh. 5:13-6:5), all in the context of the command, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Josh. 1:9).

Jesus is sending Paul to Rome, the first century “Jericho.” And while that city took longer than seven days, Paul and many other faithful preachers blew their gospel trumpets for many decades, and those walls of pagan unbelief did come tumbling down.

APPLICATIONS

Paul is on trial because of the resurrection on multiple levels. He is on trial because the risen Jesus appeared to him and commanded him to preach to the gentiles. He is on trial because by the resurrection of Jesus, he has a completely clean conscience before God. He is on trial because the resurrection of Jesus has made him bold to obey no matter what (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).

The law requires presumption of innocence, and this really is remarkable in a fallen world, where everyone is guilty of something. But this underlines God’s disposition towards us: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy… Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him” (Ps. 103:8, 13). “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps. 46:7). And we must imitate this grace in our families and neighbors. With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Satan is the accuser; Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father, the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn. 2:1-2). We have three witnesses of our complete innocence: the Spirit, the water, and the blood (1 Jn. 5:8). And all three say with a united voice, “not guilty.” This is our confidence, our Christian courage.

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