Christ Church

The Holy Spirit and a Sound Mind (Pentecost 2021)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

INTRODUCTION

One of the common mistakes that Christians make as they think about the Holy Spirit—who was poured out upon the Church at Pentecost—is the mistake of depersonalizing Him. But the Spirit is no impersonal force, like gravity or electricity. The Holy Spirit is an eternal person, and is so personal that He is the one who shapes a collection of individuals into a personal Bride for the Son of Man. This is why we can both extend the great invitation. This is the testimony of Scripture:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).

This is why we are able to say, every week, come, and welcome to Jesus Christ.

THE TEXT

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:7–9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul reflects on Timothy’s character with gratitude and joy, recalling the unfeigned faith that Timothy had (v. 5). This was the same genuine faith that was in his grandmother Lois first, and then in his mother Eunice (v. 5). He then urges Timothy to get out the poker, and stir up the fiery gift he had been given through the hands of Paul (v. 6). And why? Thus we come to our text. God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but rather a Spirit of power, a Spirit of love, and a Spirit of a sound mind (v. 7). The application of all this, as Paul sees it, is a refusal to be ashamed of the witness or testimony of the Lord, or ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment (v. 8). Rather, Timothy is urged to be a partaker of gospel afflictions, according to the power of God (v. 8). This gospel is the instrument of our salvation, through which God has called us with a holy calling—not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace, and which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began (v. 9).

PREHISTORIC PURPOSE

Not only do you have a purpose for your life, that purpose is much older than you are. It was assigned to you—salvation and a holy calling—before the world began. It is prehistoric. It is not downstream from your first birthday. Your first birthday is millennia downstream from your purpose. Your life has a meaning that is outside the history of the world. Your meaning is anchored elsewhere, secure in the eternal counsels of the living God.

THE ALTERNATIVE TO FEAR AND SHAME

Paul reminds Timothy that he was not given a Spirit of fear (v. 7). And after he itemizes the things that the Holy Spirit does bring, he goes on to say that Timothy must not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (v. 8), and he must not be ashamed of the fact that Paul is in prison (again).

The Spirit bestows three characteristics in this passage. They are power, love, and a sound mind.

The Spirit was displayed in power at the first Pentecost when He equipped the disciples to speak in languages they had not studied. Jesus told them to wait until the Spirit came with power (Luke 24:49), and that was what was displayed in Jerusalem that day. The gifts of the Spirit are indeed powerful. But that is not the great power He has. His great power is the power of the holy calling. He can make tawdry, dirty little sinners like us into holy saints.

Remember that the Corinthian church was not lacking in any of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 1:7). Paul had to devote several chapters of traffic control with regard to those gifts (1 Cor. 12-14). But even though they had all those gifts, Paul could not regard them as spiritual men, but rather as carnal. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1).

AFFLICTIONS AND THE GOSPEL

When someone like Paul is thrown into prison for the sake of the gospel, do you think the devil is stupid enough to grant that this is why? “Yes, we know he is a good man, and that he is bringing us good news of salvation through Christ, which a gracious God is offering us, but we want to jail him anyway. . .” Do you think that the devil is that foolish?

No. Jesus was executed for blasphemy. The charges against Paul made him out to be a pest and troublemaker. The early Christians were accused of cannibalism (because of the Lord’s Supper) and incest (because of the love between brothers and sisters). Canadian pastors get arrested because they won’t bow down in the spirit of fear that has gripped the world, but the official name for it is “denying the science.”

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

The Spirit is the one who gives us a sound mind. One of the central aspects of having a sound mind in this world is the result of having a purpose and meaning that is grounded outside the world. So don’t get tangled up in questions about whether you were predestined to reach for the pencil with your left hand or your right. You were predestined to be holy(Eph. 1:4). That is your purpose (Eph. 2:10). You were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:23). That is your destination. And the Spirit is the one who brings you there.

No fear, and no shame. A holy calling. A sincere faith. Power, love, and a sound mind. All of it integrated together, knit together in love (Col. 2:2), as the Spirit completes the work He was sent into the world to do. Why not here? Why not now?

Read Full Article

The Day of the Lord (Joel CCD)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

INTRODUCTION

We’re in dire need of a revival. Evangelicals need to be born-again. The Pentecostals need to be Spirit-filled. The Reformed need a reformation. The Methodists need a Great Awakening. Joel lays out for us what such a Heaven-born revival consists of, what God’s people should do to ready for it, and the consequences of indifference towards the coming Day of the Lord.

THE TEXT

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand… (Joel 2)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After imploring the priests and the people to mourn and fast (1:14) in response to the locust swarms devastating the land––cutting off the ingredients for the meat & drink offerings (1:9)––Joel then invites his audience to look through the locust plague, and discern the cosmic implications.

There are two trumpet blasts in this text (v1 & 15). The first describes the day of the Lord as a marauding army and the right response to it (vv1-14); the second trumpet blast describes how a contrite people will enjoy the relenting of God, and experience the Day of the Lord as a day of the Spirit outpoured (vv15-32). The Day of the Lord is first described as a day of horror, and thus an appeal to repent is made. But then for those who repent, the Day of the Lord is described as a great deliverance.

The warning trumpet should be sounded, for the day of the Lord is near (v1). This is the Helms Deep of the OT. It is a day of unrivaled darkness (v2), Eden turns into Mordor, and none can escape (v3). The locust swarms give way to an invading army: swift as horses (v4), determined, well armored (v5), fierce and fearful (v6), disciplined and indefatigable (v7); they move with remarkable coordination and are not deterred by pain (v8); this invasion will be total, leaving no place to hide (v9); these events shake the earth and throw the heavens into turbulence (v10). This is Lord’s army and has come at His command (v11). The prophet closes this description of the coming day of the Lord with the rhetorical question: “Who can abide it?”

The Lord Himself then speaks to the people to describe the right response to the news of this coming day of judgement: “turn to me (v12).” This returning is to be entire, heartfelt, and accompanied with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and lest they think they can go through the motions of mourning, He admonishes them to rend their hearts and not their garments (v13). This repentance is founded upon God’s covenant mercies (v13, Cf. Ex. 34:6-7). Repentant sinners hope for a repentant God. But should God relent from His wrath, and leave the blessing of the restoration of the meat and drink offerings, it will be purely from His great mercy (v14).

Now the second trumpet blast sounds. All the residents of Zion––the elders and infants, the bridegroom and his bride––are summoned to solemnly assemble (vv15-16, Cf. 1:14). Joel paints a touching picture of what this repentance should look like: priests and people in the temple courts, with the priests crying out on behalf of all the people, “Spare thy people, O Lord (v17).” If Judah responds with this sort of total repentance, the result will be God’s aroused jealousy and pity (v18). What will follow is His restoration of the Deuteronomic blessings: bountiful crops, reproach removed, and the invaders driven back (vv19-20). The land shall be refreshed, and all which the locust had eaten would be restored (vv21-25). The people would enjoy the Sabbath rest of the Promised Land once more, and offer thankful praise without shame, all so that it might be known that the Lord is in their midst (vv26-27).

After this, the Spirit of God would be poured out upon all the people (vv28-29). The Cosmos themselves would reverberate to this radical turning of the redemptive tides (vv30-31). The repentant people, being restored to communion with God, are assured that the Lord shall ever be their Deliverer, and any who call on Him shall enjoy this salvation (v32).

THE LAYERS OF PROPHECY

One of the key tactics of the prophets is how they look through current events. The immediate tragedy of swarming insects was just a forerunner of a greater day of judgement which awaits. Think of it as standing atop a high hill and being able to see the next ridge, and beyond that a higher mountain, and further still the Snow-capped peaks.

Joel has rebuked the people for failing to respond appropriately to the locust swarm (the first ridge). He then employs the locust as a portent of coming invaders (the higher ridge). The prophecy then concludes with a Messianic crescendo foretelling the downfall of all God’s enemies, and Zion enjoying His blessed reign (the Snow-capped peaks).

So the people ought to have responded to the locust with full-throttled repentance. In order to stir them up to this, Joel warns that an army––fiercer than the swarms they just endured––will soon invade (likely the Assyrians, Cf. v20). Looming behind this is an even greater “Day of the Lord” which will be experienced one of two ways: either great blessing, or great ruin. All of it hinges on the sort of repentance. Is it heaven-born sorrow––which God alone gives––or just earthly sorrow?

Innovation is often mistaken for repentance. But just because we’ve made some innovations culturally, doesn’t mean we have repented. Repentance is a returning. Returning to God’s Word. Our modern debates within Christendom center––as they always do––on the authority of God’s Word. The rejection of God’s word as the standard for justice, in favor of embracing Marxist and humanist definitions of justice indicates that we are not truly interested in righting wrongs. Those loudly ringing the bells of social justice are offering a semblance of repentance, but it is mere innovation. It is not reformation, which would be a humble return to God’s Word.

THE SERMON AT PENTECOST

This text from Joel was the text which the Apostle Peter went to in Acts 2:17 to describe the day of Pentecost. Peter insists that what Joel prophesied had come to pass in this marvelous outpouring of the Spirit. This wasn’t innovation, this was a return to what God had promised He would do when Messiah came. Peter informs us how to read Joel. The Day of the Lord had come

God’s compassion forms the basis for Joel’s vision of the future blessing of the outpoured Spirit. An army of destruction comes, but those whom God mercifully humbles and brings to repentance––the first fruits of the outpouring of the Spirit––will enjoy deliverance. The fire fell, and now empowered a nation of priests for prophetic service in a new temple, the church (Cf. Num. 11:16-30).

A PROPHETIC PEOPLE

Joel’s vision is of a prophetic people. To quote Spurgeon: “Unless we have the spirit of prophecy resting upon us, the mantle which we wear is nothing but a rough garment to deceive.” The Spirit emboldens us to proclaim that Jesus is Lord (Cf. Rom. 10:13). When the Spirit applies what Christ purchased, the result is a new heart. A heart assured that sin is forgiven.

A mom no longer riddled with shame will be bold in teaching her children to follow Christ. A formerly resentful teen will no longer cower before his peers. A businessman whose confidence is in Christ’s work and not his own will freely speak up about Jesus in his workplace. This is because the Spirit gives boldness.

Read Full Article

Kingly Obedience (Ascension 2021)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

INTRODUCTION

The progress of the gospel throughout the world is certainly going to have the effect of making your neighborhood a lot nicer, but that should not be considered as the extent of it. We look forward to the time when every son of Israel is at peace under his own fig tree, but there are also larger geopolitical issues involved. And those issues are directly related to what we are celebrating on this Ascension Sunday.

THE TEXTS

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11).

“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it” (Rev. 21:24–26).

“Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me” (Is. 49:23, NKJV).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTS

Our first text is one we are accustomed to refer to in our Christmas celebrations because the story is given to us in the narrative of Christ’s birth at Bethlehem. But the story is also proleptic or anticipatory. What August did unwittingly, what Herod rebelled against doing, these rulers from the east did gladly, and that was to serve the interests of the holy family. These men worshiped the Lord, and they brought gifts to Him. That is what all the kings of the earth are summoned to do (Ps. 2:12), and which all will eventually do. Revelation tells us that leaves from the trees of life will be made readily available for the healing of the nations, and the New Jerusalem, which is the Christian church, will provide light for the nations to live by. The nations, and their kings, will bring their glory and honor into the Church. What the devil offered to Christ on that very high mountain as a bribe (Matt. 4:8) is instead brought into His Church as bounden tribute. This all happens when the Gentile nations bring sons of God in their arms and carry daughters of God on their shoulders. They will support the Church, not as lords over the Church, but as sons and daughters of the church themselves. Just as Jacob bowed down to Joseph, so also the mighty ones of the earth will acknowledge the wisdom of God resident in the Church, and will do so as they bow down.

A VOICE OF AUTHORITY

But before the kings of the earth will recognize the great authority that has been bestowed on the Church, something else must come first. The rulers of the Church will have to recognize it first, and they will have to repent of acting so embarrassed. The Church is not a social club with an interest in theological topics, in which we dabble during our Sunday meetings. Rather the Church is a militant army that makes the gates of Hades tremble as though they were the gates of Jericho.

There is something in the carriage of this kind of authority that makes carnal rulers shake, even when it appears that they are holding all the cards. “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid” (John 19:80). Why on earth would Pilate be afraid?

MIGHTY THROUGH GOD

A robust eschatology encompasses all of history. The “end times” are the last chapter in the story, and if you understand the last chapter, you understand the whole book. And as God is the author of the entire story, and because we are His friends, He has invited us to read His story in manuscript, well before final publication.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor. 10:3–6).

These words were written, and understood, and acted on, by the apostle Paul, who lived two thousand years ago. That being the case, he was clearly playing the long game. And because he was playing the long game two thousand years ago, we have no business refusing to play that same long game. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11). The earth will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).

So as God gives opportunity, and we stand before rulers and kings, we should be bold to declare what the magi in Bethlehem saw so clearly. We should be willing to echo what Paul said to Agrippa.

“For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (Acts 26:26–29).

Where does such authority come from? It comes from the recognition that the Christ who was crucified was the same Christ who was raised, and the Christ who was raised is the same Christ who has ascended to the right hand of the Father— where He has been given blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, amen (Rev. 7:12).

Read Full Article

Resurrection Authority (Easter 2021)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

INTRODUCTION

Because Jesus rose from the dead, in fulfillment of the words of the ancient prophets (Acts 3:24), and because He did so in fulfillment of His own confident pronouncements that He would rise (Matt. 20:18-19), the gospel message of the resurrected Christ has true authority. It is not the thing that must be proven, it is the ultimate and most glorious proof. Moreover, the preached message of the resurrection is not something to be placed under a microscope and examined in order to be proven. Rather, the declared message is also itself a proof. The resurrection proves, and also the preaching of the resurrection proves.

THE TEXT

“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand” (Acts 4:1–4).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

In the early chapters of Acts, the apostles and early disciples had received the power of the Spirit poured out upon them at Pentecost (Acts 2). Remember that this Holy Spirit who is poured out upon them is the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11). So all this activity is all part of the same “motion,” as it were. As a result, all of Jerusalem was in a churn. Thousands were coming into the church, three thousand on the first day alone (Acts 2:41).

On one of these early occasions, they were preaching Christ (Acts 3), and in the course of that message, Peter said something really profound, something that goes down to the bedrock of all reality. He preached to the crowd that they were the culprits, and that they were the ones who “killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). One might ask how the Prince of life could ever be killed, but apparently the question should be how the Prince of life could possibly remain dead.

As this was going on, the authorities stepped in with an attempt to regain control of the situation (Acts 4:1). They were deeply pained that the apostles were teaching the people, and were preaching “through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (v. 2). Apart from the Sadducees, the Jews were firmly convinced of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. And these followers of Christ were preaching that this doctrine had just been accomplished through Jesus. The end of the world had broken out in the middle of history. So the authorities laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, because it was getting late (v. 3). But even though the preachers were hauled off, many still believed. Believed what? They believed in the resurrection through Jesus. The number of men in the church by this point was about five thousand (v. 4). The church is exploding. And the next day, when Peter is explaining how the cripple was made whole, he does it by naming “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . .” (v. 10). He simply declares it as a fact.

PROVING THE PROOFS

Christ was truly kind to His disciples after the resurrection. In one place it says that they disbelieved on account of their joy (Luke 24:41). He condescends to invite Thomas to put his finger in the wound in His side (John. 20:27), which should be considered a proof. And we find this in the opening verses of Acts:

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

All this was Christ’s condescension and kindness. Remember what He said to Thomas:

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

So it is not the case that Thomas had the best of it. It is not the case that he had all the security he could wish for, but then we have to walk across the lake on the thin ice. No—we are under the blessing of Christ. We have not seen, and yet we have believed. But although we have not seen, what do we have? We have heard, which is best of all.

Hearing about the resurrection when it is preached is not the tail end of two thousand years of playing the telephone game. No. The Spirit inhabits the preaching of the resurrection, and when Christ risen is preached, the work of resurrection is ongoing and continuing.

DECLARED WITH POWER

How do we know that Jesus will judge the whole world? We know because God raised Him up. The resurrection here is the proof, it is the evidence.

“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Jesus is declared to be the Son of God, and what is it that cinches that declaration? It is the resurrection from the dead.

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4)

The Lord Jesus came back to life after He had been killed, but we have to note the context. He came to life again after having been killed in a world governed by death. That resurrection was like sticking a piece of paper into the fire, and setting the corner of the sheet of paper on fire. You watch it glow, and then catch, and then spread. As it spreads, please remember that it is the same fire.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

When the resurrection is preached, and people come to life under the hearing of it, it is the same life that brought Jesus out of the grave again. Not a different life, but the same life. The Christ has been raised, and we know that He has been raised because He is here with us, in us, under us, and above us. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Read Full Article

An Easter Conscience

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

1 Cor. 15:1–19

PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES

Acts 22:30-23:10
When Paul appears before the Sanhedrin, he appeals to his belief in the resurrection. This was a point of theology that divided the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection and the Sadducees did not. Paul’s appeal effectively split the Sanhedrin’s opposition to Paul’s teaching.

THE RESURRECTED CHRIST IN THE CHRISTIAN’S IDENTITY

However, I would argue that the doctrine of the resurrection was more than just a conveniently divisive point for Paul at this moment. Paul argues that the risen Christ is the foundation for the Christian’s identity (Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:1). And fundamental to this resurrected identity is the forgiveness that we have in Christ.

AND FORGIVENESS IS CENTRAL TO THIS IDENTITY

In 1 Cor. 15, Paul argues that the fact that Christ rose from the dead means that we are forgiven. The resurrection of Jesus is the central miracle of the Bible. And that resurrection is a testimony that another incredible miracle has happened – you have been forgiven of your sins.

THE CONSCIENCE

And so, every accusation of guilt that is levelled against one of God’s saints must deal with the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. It is not surprising then that when the subject of his conscience comes up, Paul will constantly want to start talking about the resurrection of Jesus.

AN EASTER CONSCIENCE

The enemy’s primary power is that of accusation. Satan is an accuser. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has given us the greatest possible defence against these accusations. He has given us an Easter conscience. As one of God’s saints, you are called to use the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a weapon in your own sanctification.

Read Full Article