Matt Capps Religion

Life in the Early Church

Michael Green‘s book ‘Evangelism in the Early Church’ provides a wonderful historical look into the lives of early Christians. Green argues that the early church “sought to interpenetrate society with the Gospel…Christianity for them was no hour’s slot on a Sunday. It affected everything they did and everyone they met.”

Green continues, the church sought to equip people “to move out with the good news”. The early Christians were bands of believers, scattered small groups, who often gathered corporately for worship, and were bound together by a mission. The imagery is like that of an army regiment. Army regiments are military units, designated to certain geographic areas from which to recruit, and fulfill missions.

It is precisely here that the modern church needs to be challenged and regain a sense of mission. Rather than seeing the church as a hospital building, where we come together once a week for treatment, we need to see the church as made of different people (not a building), located in different areas of a city (not a central location), bound together under the Great Commission. While Christians should gather on Sunday’s for corporate worship, real life change happens while people are scattered during the week into units, regiments, for encouragement and accountability. This is where the spiritual battle takes place, outside home base. There is much we could learn from the early church, especially about life outside the larger gatherings of Sunday mornings.

Where are the ‘units’ meeting in homes, coffee shops, and businesses? We as the church need regain focus, work towards intimacy, and build true communities centered around the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matt Capps Religion

Bob Kauflin on Truth and Music

“Bob Kauflin, a worship pastor with Sovereign Grace Ministries, who just wrote the book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God, will help us explore what happens to words when we put them with music and sing them. Why is the world so filled with singing? Just turn the knob on your radio. Hundreds of stations. And most of them are singing. What is this power?”

Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion

A Thought on True Worship (Part 2): John 4:23-24

In John 4:23-24 Jesus is recorded as saying, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? Well, first and foremost Jesus tells this woman at the well that ‘the time is now’. In Jesus we see the appearing of God’s definitive revelation. From this point on true worship will not be confined to any particular place, ritual, posture, or attitude. True worshipers do not worship with particular outward appearances, for Jesus true worship is a matter of spirit rather than physicality.

God’s essential nature is spirit. These words are not in reference to the ‘Holy Spirit’, Jesus is simply saying that God is spiritual rather than material. Carson notes, “in this context ‘spirit’ characterizes what God is like, in the same way that flesh, location, and corporeality defines the metaphysical properties.” (John, 225)

God is not bound by material places or things. It is necessary (‘must’ is emphatic) to worship God in spirit. In fact, Kostenberger argues that ‘spirit’ and ‘truth’ are governed by the same preposition, and therefore encompass the same overall idea (14:6, 14:17, 15:26, 16:13).

True worship is critically predicated upon accurate knowledge of the God being worshiped. Though God is spirit, He has made Himself known to all creation. In the same way that ‘God is light’ or ‘God is love’, He is also Spirit, and has presented Himself most fully in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Moreover, it is Jesus who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and enables/prompts humanity to true worship. Christ is truth, God’s word made flesh. In this passage Jesus announces to the woman at the well, ‘the time has come to truly worship because I am here’. True worship involves knowing the one true God, who has most fully disclosed Himself in Jesus Christ.

Matt Capps Health, Life, Personal, Religion, Thoughts

Prayers for a 2 Year Old Boy with Scoliosis

One of my best friends, Ronny Richard has an ugent prayer request and is asking for support for his two year old cousin Ronald Holder Jr. Here is the story,

“My 2 year old cousin, Ronald Holder Jr. was just diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis. It is so bad that if he doesn’t have surgery he will die soon. The curvature of his spine is causing one of his rib cages to apply pressure on his lung which will eventually suffocate him.

The surgery cost over 200,000 dollars but The Shriners Hospital is going to take care of the expenses. However, the MRI’s that he need’s will cost $10,000 dollars and we must come up with half of that ($5,000) before they will even proceed. We already have $3,000 of that so all we need is $2,000. Friends, anything you can do can help. Every little bit counts and if you can only give 5 or 10 dollars, it still adds up! Please let this little boy enjoy the full life he deserves. This is a very successful procedure and time is of the essence.”

Here is a link to the web site where you can find information on providing financial support for this family. If you are not in a position to give, pray that God would provide the means. This little boy deserves a chance to live life to the fullest.

http://ronaldholderjr.wordpress.com/

This is a wonderful opportunity to minister to a family and exhibit the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion, Thoughts

A Thought on True Worship (Part 1): Romans 12:1

In Romans 12:1 Paul writes “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

First let us establish that true Christian worship, as Ernst Kasemann once noted, “does not consist of what is practiced at sacred sites, at sacred times, and with sacred acts…It is the offering of bodily existence”. True Christian worship consists of offering the whole of self, the mind and heart, so that God would be glorified. This was made possible at the cross, where Christ offered himself as a sacrifice once and for all, thus opening up the way of true fellowship between God and man. The possibility of such a relationship  was, before the work of Christ, cut off at the fall.

The Greek translated ‘spiritual worship’ can also be rendered ‘reasonable service’. This ‘intelligent worship’ is reasonable given the mercies of God shown in salvation for all who believe. Thomas Schreiner notes that, the call to worship recalls a theme already introduced in Paul’s letter to the Romans, 1:25. From this observation we can conclude that the fundamental sin of man is ‘failure to worship’ the one true God. Therefore, those who seek to truly worship God live there entire lives so that he is honored and praised.

Moreover, this word translated ‘worship’ has a rich background in Greek and Hellenistic Jewish philosophy, possibly referring to the fact that God created human beings as having logos (reason). This ‘reason’ is one of the things we, as humans, have in common with God. Emphasizing ‘truly appropriate worship’, which involves;

1. The Mind: Seeing and Understanding how God has made Himself known in redemptive history (Through the Bible).

2. The Heart: Loving and Treasuring God for the sacrificing of himself (Christ) in your place, and opening the eyes of the redeemed to see the beauty of redemption (Spirit).

This is the Gospel, and the foundation of true worship.

For more on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, click here.

Matt Capps Religion, Thoughts

Thinking about Seminary?

I often hear Christian’s throwing around the idea of ‘going to seminary’. I would say, ‘if you are being called into the ministry go to seminary, you need the training’.

I would also suggest that you read Dr. Daniel Akin’s “Reasons for Theological Training“, or Dr. John Frame’s “On Seminary“, or this excellent post by Justin Taylor titled “Thinking about Seminary?”

Beyond that, I have found that many theological schools are now offering online training, you can click the following links to download MP3’s of seminary level classes;

Covenant Seminary

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Reformed Theological Seminary

This last link is a combination of teachings from various seminary professors,

Biblical Training

Reclaiming the Mind Ministries

These links are great for getting the ‘feel’ of what seminary traning is like. Even if you are not thinking about seminary, these lectures are great for long morning walks.

Matt Capps Religion, Thoughts

The Death of a Christian

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” (2 Timothy 4:6)

Often times we forget that the Apostles were human beings. People like you and I, with emotion, hopes, sorrow, pain, and so on. But the faith of these men always blows me away.

Above I have posted what Paul writes to his disciple Timothy as he is contemplating the possibility of being condemned to death. In fact, Paul is very near his death. Paul uses precise imagery. It seems that the idea of a Christian martyr’s blood being a libation (poured out as a sacrifice) or drink offering was the image Paul wanted Timothy to recall.

The technical word ‘drink offering’ could be seen in two ways, 1.) the Roman custom of pouring out a glass of wine to the gods as a sacrifice. There was reason to believe that every meal ended with this symbolic act. Paul was about to be executed, and saw it as a symbolic act to God. Or 2.) The libation of wine which was poured out beside the alter. According to the law (Num. 15:1-10), when a lamb was sacrificed, a drink offering consisting of wine was gradually poured out to signify the final act of the entire ceremony.

Either way, Paul was able to face his death and look back at his whole life as ‘a living sacrifice to God’ (Rom. 12:1, Phil. 2:17). How many of us could say the same thing of our lives? This is a powerful image, an image of what it looks like to see a true Christian die, this is also what it looks like to see a Christian truly live. Just another part of God’s vast redemptive history.

Matt Capps Personal, Religion

Discernment for the Disciple

Discernment for the Disciple: Matthew 7:13-20

Jesus’ Call

1. Disciples of Christ need to believe and stand firm in the truth of the Gospel.

2. Disciples of Christ need to develop the discipline of discernment.

The Two Roads: 7:13-14

The Narrow Gate
a. Difficult
b. Few
c. Life

The Wide Gate
a. Broad
b. Many
c. Destruction

The Two Trees: 7:15-20

1. False Prophet/Teacher = those who lead persons astray from right worship, right belief, and ultimately from the Gospel.

2. Discernment is “The skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error.”

Disciplines for Discernment

1. Beware of teaching that encourages Inclusivism over Doctrinal purity. (Promotes wrong Belief)

2. Beware of teaching that exalts Gifts above the Giver. (Promotes wrong Worship)

3. Beware of Teaching that exalts Self-Help Over Salvation through Christ. (Promotes wrong ‘gospel’

Matt Capps Religion

Five Who Changed the World

The President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Daniel Akin has released a new book titled “Five Who Changed the World”. Here is the thrust of the book;

“Five Who Changed the World is a compelling book by Daniel Akin that walks believers through five key texts of Scripture, illustrating the truths contained therein by sharing the biographies of five missionaries who changed the world through their dedication to the Great Commission. You will meet and learn from the lives of William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Lottie Moon, Bill Wallace, and Jim Elliot.”

Dr. Akin is one of the great Christian leaders of our day. He has the rare combination of brilliant scholar and servant leader. I am excited to see how Dr. Akin combines solid Biblical exposition with moving testimony from some of the most influential missionaries of modern history.

This book is only $5.00 (Hardback).

Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion, Thoughts

“God Is Not Dead Yet”

Below is a link to an article written by William Lane Craig which appeared in the July issue of Christianity Today.

Here is the first paragraph;

“You might think from the recent spate of atheist best-sellers that belief in God has become intellectually indefensible for thinking people today. But a look at these books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, among others, quickly reveals that the so-called New Atheism lacks intellectual muscle. It is blissfully ignorant of the revolution that has taken place in Anglo-American philosophy. It reflects the scientism of a bygone generation rather than the contemporary intellectual scene.”

This article is a brief overview of the philosophical foundations for Christianity, namely, arguments for God’s existence.

Click Here for the article.