Christ Church

The Conveyor Belt of Time (Philippians #3)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

The great Augustine once said that in the affairs of men, the dead are replaced by the dying. Isaac Watts memorably rendered Psalm 90 this way: “Time, like an ever-rolling stream/Bears all its sons away;/They fly forgotten, as a dream/Dies at the opening day.” “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

But there is more to this wisdom than simply recognizing how fleeting our lives are. We need something to compare it to, and that something is one in the order of Melchizedek, with the power of an indestructible life (Heb. 7:16). Without the baseline of eternal life, our earthly lives are not even fleeting.

THE TEXT

“For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:19–26).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The mere fact of the preaching of Christ, whether from good motives or bad, is going to redound to Paul’s salvation. This will happen through their prayers, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ (v. 19). Whatever happens, Paul’s intense expectation and hope is that he will be bold and not ashamed, whatever happens to his body. That body may live or it may die, but may Christ be magnified either way (v. 20). He then sums it up this way—to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Put another way, to live is Christ, to die is more Christ (v. 21). If he continues to live, that is why he is working so hard—it is what his labor is all about (v. 22). But he doesn’t know what he would choose if it were up to him. One of the reasons for being familiar with the King James is that it makes you acquainted with great phrases like I wot not, which means “I cannot tell.” How else would you learn that? Paul is torn between two options. To depart and be with Christ would be far better for Paul (v. 23), but to remain would be the greater blessing for the Philippians (v. 24). Paul is confident of the short-term outlook because that is what the Philippians need for their edification in joy (v. 25), which would be an abundant joy when Paul is restored to them again (v. 26). And it is likely that Paul was released for a time—he was executed in his second Roman imprisonment.

CONVEYER BELT OF TIME

Everyone in this room is in the process of dying. It unlikely that we will all die in the same instant, but it is more than likely that we will all die. Unless the Lord comes, we are all of us headed in that direction at 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours per day, and 365 days per year. We have no access to a switch that can turn this conveyor belt off. Given this inexorable reality, you would think that we would spend a little more thought regarding our preparations for that glorious (or very grim) day. It is going to happen, like it or not. And every second of your remaining time is in the very palm of God’s hand.

“Lord, Make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; That I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; And mine age is as nothing before thee: Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah” (Psalm 39:4–5).

NOW PAUL WAS CERTAINLY PREPARED

We can see in this passage how thoroughly prepared Paul was. This was because his confidence was in the living Christ who made sure that Paul’s only option was between life and Christ, on the one hand, and Christ and life, on the other.

Now the only possible preparation that generates this kind of confidence is a basic, profound, evangelical faith in the resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:4), and in the justification that rests upon that resurrection (Rom. 4:25). This is the only way that a sinner—like you and like me—could possibly come to the day of his final reckoning, the day when he will take his last step in this world, and be able to step across the threshold to the next world with no condemnation written on his forehead (Rom. 8:1).

This message of justification by faith alone was the lifeblood of Paul’s preaching ministry—you can see it throughout his writings. It is the distinctive Pauline touch.

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:56–58).

Only the grace of an imputed righteousness, a righteousness alien to us, can possibly deal with the stain that we dare not carry into the next world.

LIFE, NOT SURVIVAL

We are not Darwinists; survival is not our highest value. Christ is our highest value. Christ is Lord. We love the Lord, crucified and risen, and He is a God who reciprocates. “Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Read Full Article

God Can’t Lie (CCD)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

We’re in the time of year where you’re likely to have attended a graduation. As parents and grandparents look on their children, the emotions in the arena likely range wildly. Pride, fear, hope, disappointment, maybe a touch of doubt. “He chose to major in Klingon?” The older generations are prone to be skeptical of the generation who is about to take their place. But in the Christian Church, we aren’t to simply wish that the next generation “makes it.” Paul lays out a plan for creating a culture of faith & good works that will last for eternal ages, because God said we should and promised it would work.

THE TEXT

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. […] Titus 1:1-16

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul’s opening establishes the basis for all authentic Christian ministry. Notice the clauses: according to faith, acknowledgement of the truth, in hope of eternal life, which is declared through preaching, and Paul is doing so by God’s commandment (vv1-3). This is a personal letter to Titus, a fellow-partaker of the triune blessing of grace, mercy, and peace authorizing him to act with Paul’s apostolic authority (v4); we learn that Paul has a particular assignment for Titus to “set in order” the church in Crete, and to do so by a counter-cultural project of raising up godly elders throughout the island (v5). These men must be identified not only by their own character, conduct, and doctrinal fidelity, but also by the condition of their marriage & children (vv6-9).

These exemplary men will stand in stark contrast to the disorderliness of the Jewish deceivers who were causing the subversion of entire households, and going along with the infamous unruliness of Cretan culture (vv10-12). Titus is tasked with going toe-to-toe with these unruly men, in order that they might be reformed or silenced, while not giving an inch to either Jewish fables or tedious, man-made morality (vv13-14). This massive undertaking can be done only by purity of life & conduct. These compromised leaders are worse than useless in this reformation project (vv15-16).

GENERATIONAL FAITHFULNESS

As the world swirls the drain, the temptation is to shake your head in disgust, shrug your shoulders, and assume there is nothing you can do about it. The temptation which many Christians of our day are succumbing to is to presume that the church’s best days are behind her. They don’t say, as Elisha said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” They assume that faithfulness from one generation to another isn’t possible. They have many biblical instances to point to. Eli’s scoundrel sons, Samuel’s wayward sons. Rehoboam failing to maintain the glory which David & Solomon had procured. Joshua’s warnings at the end of his life seem to be forgotten by Israel shortly after his death. Even back to Eden, Adam was God’s son, who had left his father’s house to be united to his wife; the test in Eden was how would this son do out on his own. The answer to that question was a disaster.

Paul, nearing the end of his life & ministry, writes to his two closest assistants (Timothy & Titus) and gives them a pointed commission to not fumble at the goal-line. As the Old world was passing away with all its shadows, Paul is like a New Testament Moses, commissioning NT Joshua’s to be faithful in life & doctrine. The church was fanning out in conquest of the world, and this conquest would be successful if faithful men faithfully lived and preached the Gospel, and taught others to do so. Paul expected that even in the most unruly culture, this strategy would be effective. Believe the Gospel, live out the Gospel, and preach the Gospel

Titus was a Gentile convert who had been quite the utility player for Paul’s missionary efforts (2 Tim. 4:10). Paul points to him (Gal. 2:3) as an example of a faithful Gentile convert despite not having received the OT covenant sign of circumcision. The Cretan Jews who were bringing in a whole cornucopia of false doctrines/traditions of men, might make a claim to the promises of God, but they only have the husk and not the pith. Titus is the true inheritor of God’s eternal promise, by faithfulness to God’s promise. Titus was no stranger to dealing with difficult pastoral problems (2 Cor. 8:32); but this assignment of reforming Cretan culture was not a weekend project. It was multigenerational (Cf. 2:1-8, 2 Tim. 2:2 Ex. 18).

AUTHORITY IN ACTION

Authority is not a whip to get people to do what you want, it is a tool which must be used to build something. Authority is so often misused because those in office see it as something with which to get what they desire. We see this in the description of the unruly leaders currently infecting the believers of Crete. Their greed, indulgence, and infatuation with fables was causing the demolition of entire households. By contrast, Christian homes, with the elder’s setting the pace, should demonstrate that godly authority builds up something which their subordinates are glad to contribute to & be around.

Titus is to silence the false teachers. This is done by holding fast to the faithful Word. True authority submits to God’s authority. This refutation is not to be done passively: as if just mowing your lawn regularly is enough to spread “Gospel presence”. It is done as godly elders create a contrast between the fruitfulness of their own life & household with the fruitlessness of the unruly. It also means a godly elder will need to actually pick fights. He should, by sound doctrine, exhort & convince gainsayers, and shut up the unruly and vain-talkers. We’ll see another instance in the next chapter that this godly exercise of authority is to be passed on to the next generation. This counter-cultural project, however, isn’t anarchy, it is submission, holding fast to the Word of the God who can’t lie.

BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN

There is a line in the opening that might sneak by us, but which needs to be central to our minds as we work through this epistle: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” The divine covenant of God’s redeeming purpose forms the basis for your certainty that you can walk in godliness. This is nothing other than Paul restating Christ’s prayer for us: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world (Jn. 17:24).”

Cretan culture came with a gravitation pull toward a specific set of sins. Paul affirms this pagan prophet’s insight, and the authority of it. But the underlying redemptive message reveals that the Cretan concrete isn’t fully set. The ship can be turned. Titus, along with faithful elders and the saints they shepherd can be a rudder of generational reformation. This is possible because of God’s eternal promise.

GOD OUR SAVIOR

Central to the success of this project is the good news. Cretans may have been an unruly bunch. Lies may have been their currency. Entire households may be enchanted by the fanciful tales of carnal leaders. But Paul, multiple times in this epistle gives Titus the secret ingredient to setting all this in order: God is our Savior (Cf. 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4,6). It’s worth pointing out that God our Savior & Christ our Savior are used interchangeably.

Have you made a mess of things? Are things in your home, or life, or culture unruly, disordered, and tangled? Has your sin become so notorious as to become proverbial? Are you like the person described in verse 16, professing knowledge of God, but contradicting it by your lifestyle? Paul’s message to Titus is to set in order the Cretan believers by bringing this sound doctrine to bear upon their lives. God is our Savior. Cretans are liars, but God does not lie. False teachers feign knowledge of God, but deny Him by their sinful works; but God can’t lie. His promise, covenanted in eternity, was to be your Savior. This is the Gospel, God takes dead men, and makes them live. God takes unruly cultures and sets them in order. God takes things that are formless and void, and fills them with light and life, and this life is in His Son, who cannot fail in this task, Christ our Savior.

Read Full Article

Envy Everywhere (Philippians #2)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

Scripture teaches us that envy is an insidious sin. It is a destructive and soul-rotting force, and has the ability to go anywhere. It is found with the lowly and among the mighty. Envy lurks in slums and struts in kings’ palaces. We need to be far more wary of this sin than we usually are.

THE TEXT

“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:12–18).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul has noted that he was imprisoned (v. 7), and he rejoiced in the fact that the Philippians were partakers together with him in his suffering. But he then goes on to note another advantage that had fallen out from his imprisonment. Because he was locked up, the gospel was advanced (v. 12). In other words, they locked up the preacher, and the sermon was set loose. The fact that he was chained was known throughout the whole praetorium, as well as elsewhere (v. 13). The praetorium comes from the word praetor, which means magistrate or leader. You could have a praetorium in places other than Rome (e.g. Pilate had one—Mark 15:16), but this usage, together with the reference to the Christians who were part of Caesar’s household (Phil. 4:22), indicates that Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Because Paul’s imprisonment had made a splash, this was an encouragement to others to take up the task of preaching without fear (v. 14). Paul did acknowledge that some were doing this out of envy and strife, wanting to make things a bit hotter for Paul (v. 15)—but others were doing this from good motives. The envious ones were not sincere, but were trying to make things worse for Paul (v. 16). The word for contention here should be understood as selfish ambition. Paul’s arrest had opened up a lane for them, you see. And if he stayed in prison, the lane would stay open. The true brothers were trying to do the same thing Paul was seeking to do, which was to promote the gospel (v. 17). Remember that the men guilty of this were probably not low-level flunkies. But so long as the message was not tampered with, Paul didn’t mind. As long as Christ was preached, he was not only content, but also in a state of joy over it (v. 18).

A RECAP ON ENVY

Envy is more than mere jealousy or covetousness. It wants more than simply to have what the other has—it wants the other to lose it. Envy is therefore bone rot (Prov. 14:30). There can be a real temptation to envy sinners their “carefree” ways, but don’t do it (Prov. 23:17). Envy is a powerful sin, and who can stand before it (Prov.27:4)? The patriarchs betrayed Joseph out of envy (Acts 7:9). The opposition to the apostles in Acts was envy-driven (Acts 13:45; Acts 17:5). Malice and envy are a true spiritual cancer.

The religious leaders of God’s covenant people were wracked with envy, which is what drove them to reject their Messiah and crucify him. Pilate knew how court politics worked, and he could smell their envy (Matt. 27: 18; Mark 15:10).

It is at least possible that Judas was driven by envy as well. We are not told this explicitly, so hold it loosely. But the incident at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany is what apparently moved Judas to the point of his treachery (Mark 14:10). And Judas was the son of a certain Simon (John 6:71; John 13:26), so he may have been from Bethany, and would have known Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus who lived there (John 11:1). The word for murmured refers to a deep emotion, not just a mild complaint (Mark14:5), and Judas was the spokesman for the angry disciples (John 12:4). I think Judas thought he was the smartest one in the room and was going to force the Lord’s hand. He had seen Jesus walk on water. He had seen Lazarus raised. He had seen the multitudes fed. He knew that if he arranged a checkmate for the Lord, the Lord would be forced to use His power to (finally) do the right thing. When that plan backfired on him spectacularly, he committed suicide over it (Matt. 27:5). The fact that Jesus really loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus didn’t help (John 11:5). And then there was the fact that Judas had asked Mary out once, and she had turned him down flat. Okay, that one’s not in the text.

HOW GOD CRUCIFIED ENVY

God used the crucifixion of Christ as His instrument for breaking their central tool. When we preach the cross, we don’t just draw the symbol of a cross. So as we utilize the symbol, placing it on steeples and such, we are pointing to something else. And what we are pointing to is the story. When we preach the gospel, we are telling the story of what happened when the Lord was crucified. We don’t just give the ‘theological’ meaning of it, although that is crucial. We tell the story. And that means that, until the end of the world, the central story of all history will be told, and in that story, the central villain is envy. And so consequently, the death of Christ was the death of envy.

And when striving, envious preachers preach, they are cutting their own throats, just as the devil did when he stirred up the mobs to call for the Lord’s blood (1 Cor. 2:8).

SO REJOICE WHEN THEY TRY THIS KIND OF THING

So back to Paul. He is in chains in Rome, and there are professing Christians, preachers, who are trying to augment his trials for the sake of their own ambition. The incongruity does not make Paul cynical. He laughs, he rejoices, and he will continue to rejoice.

The God who in His sovereignty brought so many threads together in the crucifixion of His Son, upending the devil’s kingdom by it, is certainly able to upend all the envious and teeny efforts to supplant God’s appointed representatives. Should we worry about it? Not a bit of it. The elect are all already secured. Christ already died for them, and nothing can be done to unwind that.

Read Full Article

Courtship & Marriage (To You & Your Children #4)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

Part of the problem modern Christians have is that we have abandoned the mission of the family and so the instructions often don’t make sense. But if the mission is to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion of the world in obedience to Jesus, and if sexual intimacy, marriage, and children are more like a nuclear reactor, then the stakes are wonderfully high.

THE TEXT

“The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?…” (Mt. 19:3-9).

THE NECESSITY OF WISDOM

We’ve been saying for the last few weeks that boys and girls are different. This is probably a hate crime in some places, and we don’t care. But this means that you really must begin getting ready for courtship and marriage as soon as children arrive. Wisdom doesn’t magically arrive in a package from Canon Press when your son/daughter turns 18. As Pastor Wilson has said over the years, when it comes to dating, you often have two idiots involved, but when it comes to courtship, you may have up to 6. This means there really is no paint-by-numbers kit, and just because you read a book doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. So you really do want to begin asking for wisdom as soon as you know you’re pregnant, and as soon as you know whether you’re having a son or a daughter. Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7), and this means seeking counsel and instruction from God and wise men (Prov. 11:14, Js. 1:5). Get counsel, ask for wisdom, follow the examples of others you respect.

WHAT DO WE CALL THIS?

Part of wisdom is not overemphasizing methods or quarrelling over words. I prefer to call this “courtship” instead of dating because we should generally distinguish what we are doing from the pagan culture around us. But courting usually consists of some dating, so don’t get wound tight. The central principles are to honor God, honor your parents, honor the marriage bed, and honor your brothers and sisters in all purity (Eph. 6:1-4, Heb. 13:4, 1 Tim. 5:1-2). The whole thing is a serious business, but it should be a serious joy. We should not take ourselves or our methods too seriously (avoiding dowdy crankiness), and it should be kind of fun.

A MAN SHALL LEAVE

The basic shape of all of this is that a man leaves and a woman is given (Mt. 19:5, Gen. 2:22-24). There is an asymmetry to the pursuit of marriage because men and women are different and were created differently. The woman is a fruitful garden that an honorable man is seeking permission to enter and cultivate (Song 4:12-16, 5:1). But the first action in preparation for marriage is for a man to leave his father and mother. This usually takes place physically, but it must certainly take place emotionally, intellectually, financially, and spiritually. A man must make his own way in the world. A man who cannot govern himself well should not be trusted with another human being (e.g. 1 Tim. 3:5). This doesn’t mean that a man must own his own business, house, car, and a burgeoning 401K. The principle is that there must be some track record of faithfulness and diligence, e.g. paying bills, good grades, good references from employers, spiritual maturity, etc. But a woman ought to see her mission as encompassed in the broadest categories of motherhood: cultivating life, hospitality, and beauty with all wisdom (Prov. 31). This high calling should be matched by pursuing appropriate education, training, work, life-experience, and service. Just as there is a difference between a boy and man, there is a difference between a girl and woman, and while the timing varies somewhat from culture to culture, we should not ignore wisdom, while generally pursuing marriage early in life.

EQUAL YOKES

The Bible is very clear that believers must only marry other believers (Dt. 7:3, 1 Cor. 7:39). Righteousness doesn’t have fellowship with unrighteousness; light has no communion with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14-18). This is why one of the slanders against the early church was that they practiced incest, since they only married “brothers/sisters” in the Lord. But better that slander than the compromise and heartache that follows marrying an unbeliever. This means that non-Christians are not an option for close friends/courtship. And part of this means remembering that it really is not possible for a man and a woman to be “just friends.” Either it will slide into sexual/emotional sin or else it won’t, which is just as bad. Of course you should have groups of friends, but remember that gravity exists and when the same three girls hang out with the same three guys a lot, things will happen. Wisdom knows that and takes precautions. Related to equal yokes, in addition to commitment to Christ and His Word, education, family background, career interests, cultural expectations, and personalities should be taken into account.

CONCLUSIONS: SEXUAL SIN, FORGIVENES, & WISDOM

It’s a rare kid who grows up in our sexual cesspool of a world who manages to come to marriageable age without any sexual sin, and sometimes there are really severe sins and consequences (sexual dysfunction, disease, divorce, child support, etc.). But where sin abounds, grace abounds more: “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind… shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Forgiveness sets the bone, but forgiveness doesn’t guarantee wisdom/trust or absolve from all consequences. Love sincerely desires to treat others lawfully from the heart, which sometimes includes accountability, restitution, time for healing, and consequences. But forgiveness means that God’s blessing is on whatever comes next. In the law, Moses allowed divorce for fornication, which can refer to sexual sin prior to marriage or certain forms of sexual immorality within marriage (Mt. 19:8-9, Dt. 24:1). This means that a wise father should know the general backstory before allowing a young man to court his daughter and at some point before engagement, any sexual past needs to be disclosed by both parties.

While wisdom must be our guide, and marriage is an office with higher standards than mere Christian fellowship (and therefore an honorable man or woman may walk away from a courtship for any reason), it should also be remembered that the gospel is the story of a faithful Husband seeking an unfaithful bride and washing her completely clean (Hos. 3:1, Eph. 5:25-27).

Read Full Article