The Great Commission Resurgence – Page 22

November 28, 2009November 28, 2009 Matt Capps Books, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Ten Books for you to read in 2010

One of the greatest things I learned in seminary was “who to read; and who not to read.” In fact, I would argue that my most important spiritual and academic developments while in seminary came from reading good books. For me it’s in the process of wrestling with an idea, trying to prove a point, attempting to validate what I have always believed, that I find my whole world shaken and my roots grasping tighter in the soil.

I have been out of seminary for almost a year now, but the education has not stopped. The Christian book industry has been a perpetual flood of resources. Not all of them are good. Actually, most of them are not very good. See, once you regain your senses after passing through the “potpourri and decoration section” of the “Christian” bookstore you are left to your own devises to find a good book in a sea of ‘good looking books.’ (Hint: good marketing can’t make the book any better).

So, for all its worth, here is my list of books that I would recommend you read in the coming year. These are a few books that I have read (or that I am currently reading) in 2009. If you have not read them check them out;

In no particular order….

The Prodigal God – Tim Keller
Christ and Culture Revisited – D.A. Carson (academic)
Finally Alive– John Piper
How People Change – Timothy Lane & Paul Tripp
Just Do Something– Kevin DeYoung
The Meaning of the Pentateuch– John Sailhamer (academic)
Jesus Made in America – Stephen Nichols
We Become What We Worship – G.K. Beale (academic)
The Courage to Be Protestant – David Wells (academic)
Adopted for Life – Russell Moore

Note: Just because I have labeled a book ‘academic’ do not shy away from it. I often find that the deepest stirring of my Christian affections comes about as I work through a hard read.

November 18, 2009November 18, 2009 Matt Capps Adoption, Christianity, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Orphan Sunday: Our church and Orphan Care

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”– Jesus

The very existence of orphans shows us that something has gone terribly wrong in creation. It’s been estimated that there are 143 million orphans in the world. Just for perspective, that’s almost half the population of the United States. In other words, that is 1 orphan for every 47 people in the world.

As Christians we understand that the orphan crisis has a direct connection to the devastation of sin brought about by the fall of man. Consider the reasons why children are abandoned. These children have lost their parents because of war, genocide, natural disaster, disease, poverty, and the list goes on and on. The root problem goes back to the garden; sin is the “great orphan maker.” As Christians, we know that Christ destroyed the power of sin at the cross, and offers redemption by grace.

As Christians we are adopted as sons and daughters and God uses us as the vehicles by which he demonstrates his love to a lost world. Think about it, the church is the community that gives the world a foretaste of the renewed creation, when all things will be “made new”. We have the responsibility of living now in light of what will one day be. And, who is more fully equipped to address the global orphan crisis than the church is?

We are the people who have been entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the eternal message of hope. We understand that “one day the very word orphan will be eliminated from the human vocabulary.” But until that day comes we as a church have a responsibility to proclaim the gospel not only in word, but in deed. Remember what James wrote, “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Ed Stetzer has rightly said that “even the un-churched know that Jesus was involved in social justice, and they often wonder why the church is not. You are the church” I believe that God is moving in the global Church right now on behalf of these children. Let’s be honest, 143 million is a very large number. Now, some of these orphans end up in relatives homes, but many of them don’t. If these children survive it is because of orphanages, foster homes, and adoption. How can God use you in the work of orphan care?

Here are some wonderful resources on orphan care;

Russell Moore‘s book Adopted for Life is an excellent read on adoption in general.
For a great online resource see Together for Adoption‘s web site.
I would also encourage you to follow the blogs of Jason Kovacs and Dan Cruver.

November 4, 2009April 8, 2018 Matt Capps Christianity, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Baptist churches and Membership Covenants

What is a church covenant?

“What is the purpose of a membership covenant and why is it so important to the local church?” This is a great starting point. Membership covenants function to promote church health and bolster the reputation and witness of the local church within the body and in the community. Within the church body, the importance of a membership covenant seems pretty obvious. Professor Chuck Lawless concluded after researching church membership patterns, that many church leaders find covenants vital to the health of a congregation because “a covenant…puts [clear membership] expectations in writing.” When it comes to a healthy reputation within the community, the church covenant answers the question “how do Christians in a local church commit to living together?”

In the words of Mark Dever, “the form of the covenant is the way we express our commitment. The content of the covenant is the way we understand our commitment.” Membership covenants help clarify the expectations of membership by providing a biblical standard of behavior and educating individuals on what it means to be a member of a local church. Generally speaking, a church membership covenant is ‘a commitment to God and to one another as to how we will live out our faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ A church membership covenant is a reflection of the local church’s understanding of what the Bible teaches and expects of Christians associated with a local church. While many churches have a statement of faith that articulates their theological convictions, a church membership covenant functions to articulate how those beliefs are to be lived out within the local body. In the words of many theologians, a membership covenant is the ‘ethical counterpart to a church’s doctrinal statement.’

It would seem that membership covenants are a key element to defining what the local church actually is. Historically speaking, a local church body is a group of believers who have associated by covenant and gather together around God’s word, thus distinguishing themselves from other local bodies and establishing the community to which the individuals are primarily committed and accountable.

The “J. Newton Brown Covenant” movement in Baptist life.

After examining the use of membership covenants, it becomes quite clear that one of the most widely used church covenants in Baptist churches was written in 1853 by J. Newton Brown. This covenant was published in the Baptist Church manual and later popularized by Broadman’s publication of the Baptist Hymnal. According to John Hammett, many Baptist churches have adopted this “extremely popular” covenant since its publication. However, the language of this covenant is very contextualized to the time period from which it was written. In fact, it could be argued that its language is so out of date that several of the expectations are unclear to the contemporary reader. Furthermore, several of the expectations in this covenant are either unbiblical ones or were articulated very differently than we would articulate them today.

If one closely examines Brown’s covenant, it becomes obvious that it is not sufficient for use because the membership expectations go beyond the teaching of Scripture. This is out of line with the Baptist conviction that the Bible is the final standard and authority for faith and practice since it is adding expectations the Bible does not demand. Furthermore, and possibly because of this, it is my opinion that Brown’s Covenant is not a document that a church could actually use without apology.

Arguments for the use of membership covenants in the Baptist church

1. Using Membership Covenants is consistent with Baptist history.

During the ferment following the Reformation, free churches, including Baptists, developed what came to be known as congregationalism. According to one historian, these early Baptists argued that the church was “congregational, gathered by an act of mutual confederation…expressed in a covenant.” The innovation of a congregational church associated by covenant had significant implications for ecclesiology. Stanley Grenz argues that “the move to covenant came to imply that the church exists only in local congregations. Where there is no covenanting community, there is no church. And the covenant is by its very nature local, being the agreement among a particular, visible group of believers.”

Historically speaking, Baptists have adopted church covenants. In fact, as mentioned above, many have adopted a covenant that is as old as 1853, but Baptists have been using covenants since at least the 17th century. In Charles W. Deweese’s study entitled Baptist Church Covenants he writes,

“Baptists worldwide have written and used hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of church covenants since initiating that development in England in the early 1600’s. They had viewed covenants, along with believer’s baptism and church discipline, as means of nurturing and safeguarding the New Testament emphasis on a regenerate church membership. Covenants deserve careful evaluation because they helped shape Baptist church membership standards and practices.”

The argument from history is sound – church covenants have been an important aspect of Baptist history for hundreds of years. Even the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states that “a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel.”

2. Using Membership Covenants follows the New Testament pattern for the local church.

The authors of the New Testament always assumed that the local churches to whom they were writing had a clear understanding of who was a member of the church and who was not. A church membership covenant that has been agreed to by each church member clearly demarcates the boundary of the local church.

In New Testament times, there was only one church per city, and thus all believers in a city were members of the same church. Accordingly, when Paul wrote to believers in various cities, he was writing to the local assembly of Christians in that city. In I Corinthians 5, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for continuing to allow an unrepentant sinner into fellowship. He commands them to remove the man from the body in verse 2. Later in the passage he tells the church not to associate with the man. How could he do this unless there was a clear understanding of who was a committed accountable member and who was not? In Colossians 4:5, Paul distinguishes between those in the church and outside by calling the Colossian believers to walk in wisdom toward outsiders. In Galatians 6:10, Paul tells the believers in the Galatian churches to do good to everyone, especially to those of the household of faith. Simply put, this could only have been done if they knew who was “in” and who was “out” of the covenant community.

Deweese even notes that early Baptists based their church membership ideals and practices upon New Testament patterns. They reached four basic conclusions:

Admission standards for membership should be high.
Believer’s baptism is required for membership and helps safeguard the regenerate nature of church life.
Church members should consistently meet biblical requirements for doctrinal soundness, repentant living, and faithful covenant relationships.
Discipline should be administered according to the covenantal expectations of church membership.

3. Membership Covenants provide a clear expectation for church membership.

Ideally a covenant would be reaffirmed at membership meetings and read aloud before partaking in the Lord’s Supper to clearly remind members of their commitment to one another. A church covenant should also be initiated and agreed to by potential members before joining. Thabiti Anyabwile argues that many people are indifferent, ignorant, and indecisive towards church membership. These stances come from a “failure to understand or take seriously God’s intent that the local church be central to the life of his people. People don’t become committed church members – and therefore healthy Christians – because they don’t understand that such a commitment is precisely how God intends his people to live out the faith and experience Christian love.”

It could be argued that many people today do not realize that by joining a church, they are agreeing to be a part of a body, and are thus held accountable by that body. Adopting a church covenant and having all members agree to the covenant, ideally ensures that everyone in fellowship understands this facet of church life. On the other hand, if people want a clear explanation as to what is involved in joining a local church, a membership covenant provides those expectations. Covenants also provide clear guidelines for loving church discipline which is vital to maintaining the health and witness of the church. If there is no clear expectation for the believers in a church, then the congregation has no basis for rebuking a fellow member in sin. While the Bible is the final and ultimate standard for faith and practice, it is absolutely necessary that we establish our understanding of the biblical teaching since the Bible is interpreted so differently from church to church.

If the church were ever to be sued by a disgruntled member who had been disciplined by the church, the church would be legally protected from any accusation if all members of the church agreed to the membership covenant. This may seem like an unlikely hypothetical situation to some, but this would not be out of character for our society.

4. Membership Covenants establish a clear teaching as to the nature of the church.

A membership covenant provides church leaders with a helpful tool for explaining and teaching potential (and current) church members what it means to live in a Godly way in relation to one another. The American Church as a whole struggles with consumerism, nominalism and individualism. A membership covenant could effectively combat and confront the idea that church is a place where ‘I come to get my needs met.’ It also combats the idea that the Christian life is ‘only’ about me and my personal relationship with Christ. Finally, it combats the idea that I can grow up in the church and be a Christian and just do whatever I want without any consequences. A membership covenant teaches that there are ongoing responsibilities and expectations of those who claim to follow Christ.

Addressing potential objections to the use of membership covenants in the Baptist church.

Objection 1: “Membership covenants are not Baptistic.”

Historically, Baptists have in fact found covenants to be central to their church life. Baptist historian R. Stanton Norman points out that, “Seventeenth-century Baptists customarily formed new congregations by ‘covenanting’ with God and with one another to walk together in the ways of Christ. The persons who were to be constituted as members of a church would write their covenant, and they would sign their names to the document at a public meeting.”

As recently as June of 2008, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution affirming the importance of regenerate church membership. Baptists have always believed that membership covenants are a vital aspect to ensuring this in the local church. So clearly, the concept of a membership covenant is not only Baptist, but it has always been central to Baptist life and polity.

Objection 2: “Our only standard is the Bible, not human documents.”

This is an important objection because at face value, the idea of a church membership covenant seems to violate the Reformation principle of ‘Scripture alone.’ But, as mentioned before, a church membership covenant should be a summary or a reflection of the biblical teaching. Because the Bible is quoted by so many and interpreted various ways, it is important for us as a church to clarify the standards we think Scripture teaches in a document.

While we believe that Scripture is the ultimate and final authority, doctrinal statements clarify our understanding of the doctrinal teachings of Scripture. Again, Baptist theologians have often said that a membership covenant is the ‘ethical counterpart to a doctrinal statement.’ Both are needed to clarify the local church’s understanding of both faith and practice.

Objection 3: “Requiring that all new and current members agree to a membership covenant is too exclusive and demanding.”

This objection seems to stem from a misunderstanding of the nature of the church. The church is made up of believers only. Only those who have recognized their sin, repented, and trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins are allowed to join the church. Those who truly believe in Christ and repent will turn from sin and thus commit themselves to live holy and righteous lives. The church is therefore an exclusive community, but an exclusive community that seeks to proclaim the gospel so that other may enter into it.

Also, if we were to be inclusive and allow people to join the church who refuse to commit to holy living and accountability, we do more harm to non-believers and to Christ. We harm non-believers by giving them comfort and assurance that they are saved when in fact they are not. We harm Christ by destroying His reputation in the church by allowing unrepentant people to claim to be His followers.

Objection 4: “By requiring new members to agree to the membership covenant, we will discourage people from joining.”

This objection might be true, but only for some people. Take three different people as examples: 1) non-Christians, 2) Christians with a misunderstanding of the biblical model of membership, and 3) other Christians.

In order to protect the church, leadership would hopefully want to discourage people who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus from joining. So, this requirement might discourage people from joining who should not join, which is a good thing. But, there are those who truly repent of their sin and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins who, due to the tradition they have been taught, do not think they should have to agree to such a document to join a church. In this case, requiring such action might discourage them from joining, but it may also provide the church with the opportunity to teach a healthy understanding of Christian community. It is wise for Christians to commit themselves to others and hold one another accountable.

Finally, it might actually be the case that for a good number of Christians, requiring that new members agree to a membership covenant will attract people to the church because they will see that we take following Christ and the commitment to maintain a healthy body seriously. As Baptists, this is the core of our confessional nature, which understands that is a privilege for a person to say, “I stand on these truths with this covenant community. And as a matter of mutual accountability before God, and under the authority of Scripture, we join together to hold ourselves accountable to contend faithfully for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, even as we address the urgent issues for the contemporary hour.” (Albert Mohler)

October 21, 2009October 23, 2009 Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Uncovering Idols (Part 2): Grandfather’s Work Ethic and the Idol of Self Righteousness

Note: Over the next few weeks I will be posting the manuscripts from a series I am preaching titled “Uncovering Idols.”

Introduction

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” – Galatians 1:6-7

You can imagine the listeners as being just as astonished at Paul’s charge against them. “Turning to a different gospel? Seriously Paul? Were a Christian church Paul! That’s a serious charge your making.”

Yet idolatry works this way. Idolatry is very elusive. Idolatry is a different gospel. In the last post I made the distinction between overt idolatry and covert idolatry. Most of the time when we think about idolatry they think in terms of overt idols. We picture the statues in Hindu temples that people bow down to. We picture the Catholic relics that people pray to. We picture the Golden Calf that the people of Israel worship in Exodus. These are all examples of overt idols.

Yet, I am writing to deal with covert idolatry, which is never easy to uncover because covert idolatry is lodged deep in the heart. It’s not as obvious as the overt idolatry in the statues of other religions. It’s better to say that “an Idol is anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” An idol is anything you place your hope in, find security in, find self worth in, other than God.

This series is about perceiving and uncovering the idols around us. On the surface this seems to be an easy task. But idols of the heart are not easily perceived because they are not only shaped from within us, but they are also formed from what’s around us. Aristotle the great philosopher of the ancient Greek world defined human perception with an analogy called the “conundrum of the fish.” He said, “if you ask a fish what it is to be wet he cant give you an honest answer, because he has always been wet.” Among other things, he was saying that human beings are immersed within the culture they live. In other words, it is hard to perceive how the culture has influenced how you think, what things you value..so on.

Grandfather’s Work Ethic

We live in a culture where hard work is valued and rewarded. Hard work ethic is as American as apple pie. It’s engrained in our culture. So much so that people in our society are defined by what they do, ‘their work.’ Have you ever noticed when you first meet someone, you exchange names, and the second question that if often asked is, “so, what do you do?” In our culture “what one does”[1] has become how we understood someone’s significance or importance.

In my opinion, my grandfather personifies of “the hard working American citizen.” Hard worker is one of the best words that I would use to describe my grandfather. My grandfather is now in his late 80’s. If you were to travel down to Charlotte and talk with him you would quickly learn that He began working as a small child as a soda jerk (someone who operated a soda fountain) in a local drug store and from that point on he worked his whole life. One of the last times Laura and I stopped by his house for a visit he was sitting in his favorite chair, and I began to ask him some questions about his work, and he began recounting a story that became a pivotal and defining point of his career. When my grandparents were early in their marriage he worked for a flooring company doing installations. “Paw Paw” (that’s what I call him) had a family to feed, so he sat down with his boss and made him a proposition. He said “if you make me a salesman I will bring you $100,000 dollars of business in the first month.” This had never been done.

He did it. He delivered on his promise. From that point on he worked as a salesman in the flooring industry until the day he retired. I am proud of him for that; I revere his work ethic, and his dedication to his company. That’s what I mean by “Grandfather’s work ethic.” It’s proving your worth through hard work and dedication. This is the American way.

Americans have always been, and still are a “can-do people.” America was built on the backs of hardworking citizens like my grandfather. This is the rugged individualism that still keeps America going, hardworking citizens pulling themselves up by the boot straps.[2] This is the American spirit. “Hard work” is a good thing; God created us with a desire to work- to cultivate, to earn provision. It was something humans were designed to do.

Think about it;

In America our work helps defines our significance.
As Americans we prove our worth by working hard, by being dedicated.
Generally speaking, working hard gives us some sense of security.
Ultimately speaking work is a means to an end- we work to provide.

This is part of our social fabric. The message of America is that you can “save yourself” through hard work. You can have a secure life if you are dedicated to your job and you perform well. Yet here lies the problem, as fallen humans we have this uncanny ability to take anything that gives us significance, security, comfort, safety, and fulfillment, and use “that thing” to create our identity.

Many times we try to import our cultural values into our faith practices.

It is very possible to live the Christian life in the framework of the American work ethic. To “work hard” at being very moral, doing good things, volunteering, helping others, and being dedicated to lots of “Christian activities” as a way to convince ourselves and others (and God) that we are “valuable. We approach God the same way my grandfather approached his boss and convinced him that he was an asset to the company by working hard, and being dedicated.

“Your identity as a Christian is not based on your hard work and dedication to Christ. You identity as a Christian is a gift of God based on Christ’s work, and it is only through the Spirit that you are empowered to live the Christian life.”

On to Galatians

This is why I point you to Galatians. Paul dealt with the same problem we face today “in first century Galatia …there were those [leaders in the church] who had changed the gospel of Jesus Christ into a message of human effort.”[3] The letter to the Galatian Christians is understood as Paul’s charge against the Galatian teachers who have been called the “Judaizers.”

The Judaizers taught a form of legalism, namely that the Galatian Christians had to earn their salvation through good deeds and works.
Paul, on the other hand, argued that no one can be saved by through obedient works of the law. Rather, we are pardoned and justified by faith in Christ alone, not by our good works.

Note: I am taking the term “works of the law” in Galatians to be defined as good deeds and moral effort in general.

The book of Galatians as Paul’s proclamation of the gospel of grace, against the message of winning God’s favor by human accomplishment!

Paul says, “I am astonished”

Later on In 3:1 Paul calls them fools, and argues that they have been bewitched.
In 4:20 Paul reveals his anguish, “I am perplexed”

…that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

(9) If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (A wish that God’s judgment would fall upon them)

This is why the idol of self-righteousness is so dangerous. It subtly undermines the gospel of Christ, and can do so from within the Christian church and community. It’s important to know that the Judaizers were not flatly rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is highly unlikely the Galatian Christians would have been duped by such a blatant contradiction of the gospel message. Instead, the Judaizers were saying, Jesus was critical and crucial to getting you saved, of course. But here’s the problem, by their cultural values they were communicating that faith in him alone was not enough to gain full acceptance with God. “You will now have to adopt the full range of Mosaic ceremonial and cultural customs.” (Keller on Galatians)

Let me propose to you that when a “hard work ethic” is engrained in a culture like ours, it’s easy to begin trusting in our own ability and accomplishments for security. After some research (asking thousands of people questions), George Barna concluded that many Christians in our culture “are [in fact] relying…on their own good deeds, their good character”[4]

Let’s ask just one question that might reveal the roots of self-righteousness in us Christians;

Are you more sure of your Christian identity when you are “working hard” to adhere to good behaviors?

In the framework of “self righteousness”, if you feel that you are living up to your religious standards, than you feel superior and disdainful to towards those who are not doing as good as you. Now, on the other hand, if you are not living up to your religious standards you will be filled with self loathing. You will be overcome with so much guilt that you will doubt that you are even God’s child. This is the problem with the idol of self-righteousness. When your Christian identity is based on your performance, and not on Christ you have no assurance. When you have no assurance you most likely obey out of fear. ‘If I don’t meet this standard, God won’t bless me, or others won’t except me.”

2:16- Paul has to remind these Christians that, “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ…because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

In other words, you are not justified before God because you have “worked hard” at living a good Christian life. The idol of self righteousness tells you that you need to justify yourself by external religious works. But this is deadly! Essentially you are proclaiming with your life that you can earn and deserve salvation. That your “hard work” is a means of being justified by God through morality (self-willed righteousness). The idol of self-righteousness destroys the gospel because it tells you that you have to be good enough, work hard enough to be a Christian.

Self-Righteousness tells us that we must obey God in order for God to love us.
The Gospel tells us that God will love us un-conditionally and in response to that love we obey.

When Self-Righteousness is concerned with external appearances.
The Gospel is a message concerning our own deceitful hearts.

The reason that the idol of self righteousness is so dangerous to us, and the gospel itself is because it can sneak in to our lives unnoticed. “Self-salvation is our default setting as fallen creatures. If we are not explicitly and regularly taught out of it, we will always turn the [Gospel of Jesus Christ] …into a message of self-help.”[5] Again;

See 3:2-3;

“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

In other words, “did you receive the Spirit by doing the religious “things” that these men are requiring of you?” or “by placing your faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”- the answer is obvious. (Spirit through faith)

“Then why are you preaching a different Gospel by your actions?”
“Why do you attempt to justify yourself before God through religious actions?”

Why do you think that “your hard work for God” after conversion gets you in any better position with God? Essentially you are living as if your justification depends on your sanctification. In other words, you are living as if your salvation is secure as long as you are “working hard” at Christianity. The point here is not to stop doing good things, but to ask why you are doing them? What is your heart motivation.

If your motivation is to prove your worth, you are missing the point. Listen, God was the one who was the workman in our salvation; God will be the workman in our Christian formation. God is not looking for people to work for Him, but people who will let Him work through them.

1 Peter 4:11- Whoever serves,[ serve] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:10- Paul proclaims, by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

I worked harder than anyone- though it was not me working, but grace. The power of God’s grace in the heart of a humble believer who depends utterly on God produces in him an incredible God empowered work ethic.

Philippians 2:12-13- Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Work in absolute dependence on God’s grace, not in your own ability. Absolute dependence on God enables the Spirit empowered work ethic. What motivates your Christian life?

Martin Luther was very wise when he wrote,

“For there is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works righteousness. There is no other alternative to Christian righteousness but works righteousness; if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ you must build your confidence on your own work. (Martin Luther, Preface to Galatians)

Conclusion

None of us want to think we are as bad off as we really are. We prefer to think that we just need some tweaking to function as God intended. – “If I just work harder!” It’s hard for us to embrace how weak and vulnerable sin actually makes us. We like to think we are self sufficient. It is uncomfortable to see ourselves as needy and weak. But the reality is, Christians are “cant-do people.” We are helpless to justify ourselves before God, and we are in utter dependence on His grace. Christianity was not built on the hard backs of Christians, it was given birth by the slaughter of God’s only son Jesus Christ. We don’t grow in the Christian life by pulling themselves up by the boot straps. We grow by being utterly convinced that we are saved by grace.

The difference between my grandfather’s boss and Jesus Christ is that my Grandfathers boss won’t bring you on unless you are in good health, a dependable hard worker. Jesus Christ won’t bring you on unless you admit that you are sick, undependable, and unable to produce good work. Jesus came not to call the righteous, but the sinners.

My grandfather boss needs to know that you will work and be able to deliver on your promises. Jesus wants to work through you, and has promised to do so if we submit our lives to him.

I am not telling you tonight that “working hard” for the Kingdom is wrong. I am calling you to realize how deceptive your heart it. Many times we work hard for the wrong reasons. (We work to prove our worth. We work because it gives us a sense of security in Gods love. We work hard to gain a sense of significance)

Your worth is in Christ.
Your security is found in the completed work of Christ.
Your significance is in the fact that you are a child of God.

This should be part of our Christian fabric…

[1] David Wells, Above All Earthly Pow’rs, 27, 2005.
[2] Michael Horton, Christless Christianity, 40, 2009.
[3] Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown, 465, 2009.
[4] George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, 67, 1998.
[5] Michael Horton, Christless Christianity, 42, 2009.

October 5, 2009October 26, 2009 Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Personal, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Thoughts

Reflections on ‘Together for Adoption 09’

This past weekend Laura and I traveled to the “Together for Adoption” conference at Christ Community Church in Tennessee. We joined 600 others in a weekend of reflecting on the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it empowers the church for orphan care.

Looking back over the weekend I am thoroughly refreshed and encouraged that the central theme of the weekend was the gospel of Jesus Christ- not that I expected anything less, but often times the gospel message is assumed at Christian conferences. The gospel was proclaimed and applied to orphan care in a way that glorified God.

Laura and I are in the process of adopting a baby from Ethiopia. (You can read about it here or here.) While listening to the speakers I wrote down some key thoughts, things to process and develop. Below I will try to summarize the truths that impacted me most. Obviously I cannot cover everything that was helpful…

1. Theological Foundation: Adoption brings to light the reality of a fallen world, and proclaims our hope in Christ.

Scotty Smith spoke about “The Freedom of Adoption” where he reflected on the doctrine of adoption and its implications on the Christian life. His main points were very helpful, 1.) The Freedom of Legal Rights: Adoption secures us in a state of objective blessings, 2.) The Freedom of Personal Delights: Adoption calls us into the realm of subjective wonder, 3.) The Freedom of a Missional Life: Adoption propels into the world with sacrificial hope.

At one point Smith developed the idea that ‘the very existence of orphans shows us that something has truly gone wrong in creation order.’ Exploring that thought he gave a powerful quote that is enough to drive one to worship;

“There is a day coming when the very word orphan will be eliminated from the human vocabulary.”

Is this not the point of Romans 8:18-25? That creation groans with the pains of childbirth. All of creation is, as Smith said, “pregnant with glory, and there is no possibility of miscarriage.”

2. Individual Implication: As a Christian, be careful not to find your identity or assurance in the ‘good work’ of orphan care, but in Christ alone.

Dan Cruver spoke from James 1:26-27 on the “3 Aspects of True Religion.” Those things being- 1.) Controlling the Tongue, 2.) Visiting Orphans and Widows, 3.) Being Unstained from the World. Dan did a great job of uncovering the heart issues of these three aspects, rather than focusing on the behavior that exposes them. He argued; “If the church is to be truly mobilized to care for orphans, the other two aspects cannot be neglected.”

Cruver’s message was very timely, and on point. I will not regurgitate the whole thing, but I did want to point out a very helpful warning that he gave to those of us who are adopting. From James 1 Dan argued that ‘worldliness’ is “performance based living.” This is key to understanding true religion. Because the religions of the world are based off performance. It is very easy for those who are adopting to find their identity in the great social cause of orphan care, which is very dangerous. So here is the question “where does your primary sense of identity come from?”

In many ways Kevin Twit’s (from Indelible Grace) breakout session on “Adoption and Assurance” built upon the main idea of Cruvers message. Too often Christians find their worth in what “they do.” He said, “the biggest problem Christians have with assurance comes from looking at your faith rather than looking at Jesus.” If you are always assessing what you “should do”, then you are condemned by your very definition of Christianity. Don’t get it twisted. God does not love you because you do ‘X’, you do ‘X’ because God loves you. This is something we must always fight as Christians.

3. Corporate Implication: As the body of Christ, the gospel calls us to be involved in social issues like adoption.

Scott Roley said “we holler loud against abortion,” so why aren’t we “standing up for orphan care.” In other words, how does the gospel inform our involvement in issues of social justice? Ed Stetzer pointed out that “even the un-churched know that Jesus was involved in social justice, and they often wonder why the church is not.” We cannot separate the great commission from the great commandment, these two help define the mission of the church- to proclaim Christ for salvation and to serve.

We must be careful not to separate the two. Many churches become renowned for their service, but never proclaim the message of salvation. Stetzer said, “if we loose the gospel we loose our mission.” We need to be careful because the outside world will resist one (gospel) and praise the other (social causes).

This will not be easy, as Russell Moore reminded us in the last session. “We can love the idea, but when it comes down to it” we need to follow through. He made an interesting point in closing, “we could learn much in the laboratory of orphan care how we ought to operate as the body of Christ.” There is a strong element of dying to self involved. Which will be hard for the American church because it means we must “love people more than we love stuff.”

Again, these are just some brief overarching thoughts, I would encourage you to go back and listen to these talks. The main sessions are now available from Together for Adoption;

Dan Cruver, Adoption: Making Outsiders Insiders
Scotty Smith, The Freedom of Adoption
Scott Roley, Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation
Ed Stetzer, The Gospel, Social Justice and the Missional Church
Michael Easley, Orphan Care and Jesus, the Great Servant of the Poor
Russell Moore, Adoption and the Renewal of Creation

Thank you Dan Cruver and Jason Kovacs for putting this conference together. To God be the glory.

September 22, 2009 Matt Capps Christianity, Personal, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Calvary Baptist Church, Winston-Salem N.C.- 90th Anniversary

September 17, 2009September 17, 2009 Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Examining Denominational Structures

Recently I was reading through Alister E. McGrath’s “Christianity’s Dangerous Idea.” McGrath is a historian, and in this work he traces the impact and implications of the protestant revolution on Christianity. I would highly recommend this book because we can always learn from history, history echoes.

I found one paragraph really interesting. McGrath is examining denominational structures;

“One pattern that emerges from the development of Protestantism is what seems to be an endless cycle of birth, maturing, aging, and death, leading to renewal and reformulation. The relentless energy and creativity of one generation gives rise to a new movement; a later generation, anxious because the original dynamism and energy of the movement appears to be dissipating, tries to preserve it by petrification- that is, by freezing the original vision in the hope that it’s energy will thus be preserved. Yet all too often, petrification leads to the conservation of only a structure, not the life giving vision itself. However perfectly preserved in the entomologist’s specimen room, the butterfly is still dead.”

Think about it…

Most historians would agree that review and renewal are integral aspects of a true Protestant identity. In fact Protestantism was birthed out of religious self-examination in light of the Bible, and should be willing to correct itself when found untrue to theology proper or culturally irrelevant.

To use a distinction made by McGrath, we should look at our Protestantism “as a method”, and not “as any one specific historical outcome of the application of that method.” In other words, we should seek to apply our Biblical mandate to our new situation, and while learning from our past application of that mandate, we should not feel obliged to repeat it.

Denominations are good things for obvious reasons, but many in my generation no longer regard denominational affiliation as something that makes significant statements about their historical origins and social identity. In fact, it seems that most Christians prefer to affiliate themselves with solid theological schools and the most efficient missional movements. In fact, I would go as far to say that many in my generation do not seek their Christian identity badge through denominational affiliation. This is why many have redirected their ministry involvement outside, rather than within, the traditional denominational structures.

It seems that the younger generations are finding a strong sense of belonging and commitment to their local congregations, a loyalty which is rarely extended to the denomination as a whole. In fact, denominational structures are often looked upon as “inefficient and redundant bureaucracies that make serious financial demands of local congregations while giving little in return.” Mcgrath continues, “many denominations are facing up to the fact that centralized downsizing and rationalization may be the only way ahead.” As church leaders we need to consider these trends as we look toward the future.

If I were to take an ignorant stab at assessing my generation of church leaders I would say;

We will primarily be branded by dynamic movements rather than denominational involvement.
We will primarily champion the centrality of the local church rather than a centralized denominational structure.
We will primarily measure success by theological integration rather than pragmatic implementation.
We will primarily be identified with the centrality of the gospel and not captivity to cultural traditions.

Any thoughts? Anything to add? What can we do?

September 10, 2009September 10, 2009 Matt Capps Books, Christianity, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Understanding the Psalms

Introduction

Why is it that we connect with the Psalms so easily? What is it about the Psalms that attracts us? “Is it because this book leads us into a deeper worship of God? Is it the wonderful imagery and powerful figures of speech? Perhaps it’s because the Psalms have a way of connecting to real life situations and of reflecting a refreshing honestly that we in real-life situations can relate to”(Duvall and Hays). The Psalms resound in our hearts; they stir us up spiritually and emotionally by ‘painting theological pictures.’

It’s important to keep in mind that the predominant emotion expressed in the Psalms is joy; in fact, the Hebrew title for the book is Tehillim, or “Songs of Joy.”

What is the purpose of the Psalms?

The Psalms are a collection of prayers and hymns. The Psalms consist of words spoken to God or about God. By their very nature (as prayers and hymns) Psalms are addressed to God and express truth about God. In other words, one of the primary functions of the Psalms is “to give us inspired models of how to talk and sing to God (Fee and Stuart).

The Psalms are not didactic like the New Testament letters, but teach through expression. As Longman notes, “we must keep in mind that theology in the Psalms is extensive but not systematic, that it is confessional and doxological, not abstract.”

The Psalms reflect a theology based on many different reactions to life: joy, sadness, thanks, and calm meditation. In other words, “the Israelite worshiper had a ready-made prayer and songbook for all of life’s” variable changes (Longman and Dillard).

a. The Psalms are a guide for worship: When one desires to praise God, cry out to God, or reflect on God’s character the Psalms serve as a wonderful means of expression to guide thoughts and emotions.

b. The Psalms demonstrate how we can express honesty to God: While the Psalms are not ‘didactic’ in a sense they do teach us by serving as an example of expressing thoughts to God. So, while the Psalms are not necessarily strict doctrinal teaching or behavioral imperatives- the Psalms do instruct by example/pattern.

c. The Psalms highlight the importance of theological reflection and meditation: The Psalms call us to reflect on the goodness and wisdom of God. “They invite us to prayer, to controlled thinking upon God’s word (meditation), and reflective fellowship with other believers” (Fee and Stuart).

Is there an overall structure to the Psalms?

It is important that we look at the Psalms as a canonical whole, not just as individual works gathered in a haphazard fashion. The structure of the Psalms plays an important role in exegesis. There are overarching patterns and themes in the groupings of the Psalms. Here is a general guide to the overall flow of the Psalms; (Osborne)

Introduction (1-2): The first invites the righteous to meditate on the psalms, and the second centers on the anointed king on Mt. Zion.

Book 1 (3-41): These Psalms center on David’s conflict with Saul, and ask for divine protection in light of his enemies.

Book 2 (42-72): These Psalms were written during David’s kingship. Many of these Psalms were written as temple music.

Book 3 (73-89): These Psalms are mainly attributed to Asaph and form a series of laments centering on the breaking of the old covenant and the sad state of the nation during the Assyrian crisis.

Book 4 (90-106): These Psalms are introspective, considering the destruction of the temple and the exile. A new hope is presented- Yahweh as king (93; 95-99) performing mighty acts on behalf of his people.

Book 5 (107-145): These Psalms are of praise and reflection on a new era. God has indeed brought them out of their troubles, many of these Psalms consider the model of David (108-11-; 138-45). Psalms 120-143 are songs of ascent centering on worship.

Conclusion (146-50)

What are the different Types of Psalms?

The genre of each Psalm is important to consider when teaching through the whole book. Since many of the Psalms do not have a clear situational literary context, so it is important to examine a Psalm in light of the other Psalms that are generically similar to it.

1. Psalms of Hymn/Praise: These Psalms are defined and recognized by their tone of exuberant praise to the Lord. In fact, the Psalmist usually gives general (even vague) reasons for praise- this allows the Psalm to speak to many generations in different contexts. These Psalms focus on an aspect of God’s character or His actions as to elicit praise from his people;

a. God as creator: 8, 19, 104, 148

b. God as protector and benefactor: 66, 100, 111, 114, 149

c. God as Lord of history: 33, 103, 113, 117, 145-147

2. Psalms of Lament: In these Psalms to focus is on turning to the Lord in the midst of sorrow or suffering (70). This ‘trouble’ usually comes from three different sources.

a. Enemies: The enemy is human and seeks to harm or kill the psalmist. (57:4)

b. The psalmist himself: He may struggle in the midst of his situation. (13:2)

c. God: He may feel that God has abandoned him in light of his persecution, doubt, and pain. (102:9-10)

Psalms of lament usually have a distinctive structure;

1. Invocation

2. Plea to God for help

3. Complaints

4. Confession of sin or an assertion of innocence

5. Curse of enemies (imprecation)

6. Confidence in God’s response

7. Hymn or blessing

See Psalm 28 for an example of this structure. For individual laments see 3, 22, 31, 39, 42, 57, 71, 120, 139, and 142. For corporate laments see 12, 44, 80, 94, and 137.

3. Psalms of Thanksgiving: The best way to describe these Psalms are “songs of re-orientation.” While Psalms of thanksgiving are closely related to hymns, they are distinct in that they have a “specific focus of praise.” Often times these Psalms are found after a Psalm of lament. These Psalms reflect on specific instances of God’s provision rather than general truths.

There are corporate Psalms of thanksgiving, see 65, 67, 75, 107, 124, and 136. There is also individual thanksgiving Psalms, like 18, 30, 32, 34, 40, 66, 92, 116, 118, and 138.

4. Psalms of Trust: These Psalms can be recognized by the dominant theme of trust that the worshiper expresses to God as protector. (11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 91, 121, 125, 131) These Psalms are notes for their use of metaphors of God as a compassionate refuge: as shepherd (23), as a loving mother bird who protects her children underneath her wings (91), and a strong-hold and light. (27)

5. Psalms of Remembrance/Salvation History: Memory plays a primary role as a theme in the Psalms. Many of the thanksgiving Psalms recall the prayers that have already been answered. Many of the hymns and laments bring to light God’s past acts of deliverance. These Psalms remind the reader of God’s reliability to His promises, which builds faith. See Psalm 73, 78, 105-106, 135-136.

6. Wisdom Psalms: The wisdom literature in the Bible creates a sharp antithesis between wisdom to folly. In much of this literature the wise are blessed, while the wicked are considered foolish and cursed. There is also a direct correlation between wisdom and obedience to the law. See Psalm 1, 36, 37, 45, 49, 73, 112, 119, 127, 128, and 133.

7. Royal/Kingship Psalms: Many Psalms are closely connected with a king. There are two basic types of Psalms in this category;

a. Psalms that extol God as King. (24:1-2; 95:1-5; 98:1)

b. Psalms that extol the ruler of Israel as King. (3, 21)

God is proclaimed as King, not only over Israel but over the cosmos. This has many implications on earthly life. One obvious theme in the Psalms is military victory, namely, that God wins victory for His people.

In Israel the human king was viewed as God’s son, His servant. When the people requested a king it was out of a lack of trust in God. While the human king was a pale reflection of the divine image, God chose to further his rule through these kings.

There are Psalms that can be tied to, or identified with, specific events in the history of Israel; (Hill and Walton)

45: Crowning Hymn for David

48: Correlation to the conquest of Jerusalem by David

51: Repentance concerning sin with Bathsheba

78: Reflection on the fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom

103: Critical discussion of God’s forgiving the sins of the nation

110: The return of victorious kingship with theocentric focus

119: The establishment of law as the focus of the postexilic community

There are also Psalms that contain particularly rich views of Christ;

2, 110: The Conquering King and enthroned Messiah

118: The Rejected Messiah

69, 109: The Betrayed Messiah

22, 16: The Dying and Raised Messiah

40, 45: The Plan and Marriage of the Messiah

68, 72: The Triumph of the Messiah

What are some good tips in applying the Psalms?

1. We need to distinguish between the Old Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant of grace.

It is extremely important to keep in mind that we are no longer under the old Mosaic covenant of law but under the new covenant of grace. As with any Old Testament text it is important to identify the differences in covenant and culture. Take Psalm 119 for example- this Psalm encourages us to uphold the law. This still applies to us today, but in a different way. In other words, obedience needs to be understood in the context of Christ imputing his righteousness to us, rather than obedience as the means to achieve righteousness.

2. We need to be careful in using direct application without Christ. This could produce superficial obedience and not gospel transformation.

The Psalms are so easily applicable to us in a cursory reading it becomes very easy to simply exhort ‘Christian’ behavior without exalting Jesus Christ. As Goldsworthy aptly reminds us, “if they (the psalms) speak to us of God, they must speak to us of the God who has finally revealed himself in Jesus Christ.” In other words, we should always be asking ‘how do these Psalms testify to the saving and sustaining work of Christ?’

Since many of the Psalms are praises in response to what God has revealed of himself in his great saving acts for Israel their expression is already salvation oriented. This should provide easy transition into the ultimate saving act of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should constantly bring the hearers back to a gospel-centered perspective on God. The only proper way of applying the Psalms is in light of, and through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Promote Gospel empowered expression. Imputed righteousness allows “Psalm-like” expression in fellowship.

If our righteousness is imputed to us and not earned then we do not have to be fearful of admitting our struggles. In other words, we do not want our people to put on dishonest pious masks before each other and to try and act as if everything is fine when in reality they are suffering or struggling. When one has a right understanding of salvation by grace they are not fearful of honesty and crying out for help. This allows our people to hurt and mourn. The Psalms show us a pattern for lamentation and proper expressions of worship.

Also…

See the Introductory Notes on the Psalms from the ESV Study Bible. (Great section on “Key Themes in Psalms)

Listen to Dr. Edmond Clowney lecture on “Expounding Christ: Christ in the Psalms” on Itune’s U.