Welcome!

For 5 years I was the pastor of Trinity International Church in Strasbourg, France. I created this blog with those people in mind. In mid-November 2018 I will become the Senior Pastor of Word of Life Church in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The focus of this blog will therefore shift, but I pray that people from the blogosphere will continue to find it helpful wherever they might be found.
The churches' websites includes recorded sermons for those who are interested. Click the links below to access them.

Friday, August 25, 2017

The Apostle's Creed - Pt 1

"WE BELIEVE..."


Statements of faith, are professions of what people believe to be true. Most churches and ministries have them. They are ways of summarising what the church believes to be the core or basic teachings of the Bible. Not everything that a church believes is found in their Statement of Faith, but the foundational truths are there. 

The relationship between a creed and the Bible.

Sometimes you will hear a Christian say, "We have no creed but the Bible!" It sounds spiritual, but it isn't really true. The logical next question is, "What do you believe the Bible says?" The response to that question serves as that person's creed, regardless of what they call it.

The statement, "No creed but the Bible" is the result of a misunderstanding of the idea of sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura was a phrase used by the Reformers to say that the Bible must be the definitive authority for it alone is the inspired Word of God. This was in contrast to the Catholic Church's doctrine that the Church and its traditions carried equal weight with the Bible. The Reformers argued that the Bible alone carried authority and that the church's interpretation or traditions could be in error.

At the same time, the Reformers knew that it was foolish to dismiss the faith and understandings of centuries of believers. They knew that people need accurate summaries and statements of the faith. Because these statements tell us how others have interpreted the Bible, they can be meaningful guideposts along the journey of interpretation. If our understanding of the Bible doesn't match the Creed, we need to carefully go back and see if we are in error because our conclusions do not match those of other believers. Usually, we will find that we are wrong. Sometimes, however, we will discover that the doctrinal statement isn't supported by the Bible. In that case, the doctrinal statement needs to be changed.

The Apostle's Creed

The earliest creed or Statement of Faith is the Apostle's Creed. We have no way of knowing who wrote it, but it has its origins in the first couple of centuries of the church. So it is old. In a world without the printing press or internet, it was used to teach and train new believers in the central beliefs of the Bible. It has proven to be such a good summary of major doctrinal points that it is accepted by all major churches and continues to be used today.
The Apostle's Creed is important because it forms a basic answer to the question, "what do Christians believe?" I want to take some time to explain the significance of the statements in the creed and, more importantly, to highlight some of the biblical passages that support them.

So what do Christians believe?

I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

God exists

From the opening sentence to the very last verse, the Bible boldly proclaims that God exists. In a world that mocks or dismisses the idea of God, the existence of God is a radical idea. But the foundational truth of the universe is that God is. And he is glorious and awesome. He is eternal. He had no beginning and will have no end.

God Created


The Bible simply assumes the existence of God. The opening lines of the Bible are "In the beginning God..." It does not lay out a philosophical argument for the existence of God. Instead, it simply explains that God is the creator of everything that exists. He is its cause. We can categorize things in many different ways, but the most basic way of categorizing things is "Creator" and "Creation." God is the Creator and all else is Creation.
Photo by Shifaaz shamoon on Unsplash

What existed before Creation? Only God. The Bible declares that God created everything out of nothing. The opening chapter of Genesis states that God commanded and things came into existence. This is affirmed by Psalm 33:6, 9 which says that the heavens were created by the spoken word of God. The closing book of the Bible also declares that all things were created by and for God (Rev 4:11).

This specifically rules out a number of ideas. First, it rules out the idea that god and creation are the same things. This idea, usually called pantheism, says that there is no difference between the creation and creator. God is, according to the pantheists, everything that exists. This is clearly non-Biblical, but is an idea common in eastern religions and their new age counterparts.

The more common unbiblical idea is that of materialism. Materialism holds that the material world is all that exists. There is no God at all for the materialist, although they acknowledge that the concept of God was "useful in more primitive societies." Materialism and the Bible are clearly incompatible. The Christian rejects any theory of the origin of Creation that does not include the Person of God willfully and purposefully creating all things in the universe. The Christian also rejects any theory that holds that what exists came about merely by random chance. The Bible teaches that God was actively and intentionally at work in the creation of the world.

Much of Western culture today is influenced by materialistic thinking. This is one reason that science and religion are seen to be in conflict with one another. Historically, this is not been the case. For centuries, the basis of science was the thought that God created the universe and as a result, it was orderly and could be explored and studied. There have been disagreements between the ecclesiastical understanding of things and new scientific discoveries, but this does not mean that there is a contradiction between biblical Christianity and modern science.

God has revealed to us that he created the world intentionally and with the purpose of declaring his glory. We are not here by accident. We are not the product of random chance. We, along with all of Creation, were fashioned by and for God himself. 

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Reflections on Worship




Image via Google Maps


London, England

Last week we were in London on a short vacation. We made the decision to attend the Evensong service at Westminster Abbey. The setting was grand and formal. The welcome in the bulletin told us that prayer had been offered there for over a thousand years. It was to be a liturgical service led by robed clergy and a visiting choir from the United States. Everything that was to happen was spelled out in the bulletin. There were prayers to be read together but mostly we were to listen. Looking around, I noted that some people seemed uncomfortable. Perhaps their church did not use a liturgy. Or perhaps they weren't believers. After all, attending a service is one way to avoid paying an entrance fee!

I was more and more drawn to the words of the songs and liturgy as the service progressed. Everything was drawn from the Bible or early Christian prayers. I was listening to the choir sing Jake Runestad's composition of Psalm 121 when I felt the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit on my soul and I found myself worshipping the one who is my help and the keeper of my soul.

Honolulu, Hawaii 

I was standing in an old Quonset hut surrounded by other young people as part of a YWAM Discipleship Training School. The floor seemed to sag in places and I wondered what my time there was going to be like. We didn't know it when we signed up, but the base had a reputation as being "the only third world base in a first world country." Most of the buildings looked like they were in desperate need of replacement. A 30-year-old man wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops picked up a guitar and began to sing one of the currently popular praise choruses. Within minutes that worn out building seemed to become the throne room of the Lord.

Reynosa, Mexico

My family was in Mexico to scout out a potential place for a mission trip. The host church had a prayer time early in the morning. I was surprised to find that a couple hundred people were there in the darkness. Some sat in chairs, but most walked in a large circle around the sanctuary praying out loud. We called it "the swirling vortex of prayer." I was intrigued but found it a little awkward because people walked at different paces. I had to watch where I was going! After about an hour, a someone stepped up to the platform and began leading a worship song in Spanish. Although I don't speak Spanish I found myself weeping in worship as the presence of God filled my soul.

Worship

"We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might be a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory." That sentence was taken from the bulletin at Westminster Abbey. The service that evening did not invite much active participation. Instead, we were to be present and listen. The goal was that by doing so we would contemplate the majesty of God and worship him.

That was a good reminder of the true nature of worship. The Lord is worthy to receive all of the worship and adoration that we can give him. We were created and redeemed to worship. While we can and should worship in private, believers have always been drawn by the Spirit to offer worship to the Lord together. But what does this look like?

Corporate worship takes many forms around the world. Some services are highly formal and others are informal. Some are quiet and others are raucous. Some have candles and others have multi-colored lights. Some have organs and some have electric guitars.

At Trinity we utilize a style of worship that is common in many evangelical churches in the West. Our service is informal. Words to songs are projected on the wall and musicians lead us in a series of songs. These songs are mostly contemporary although we will add a few old hymns from time to time. We'll read Scripture, pray together, take an offering, have announcements, perhaps a testimony will be given. Given my background, it is a comfortable style of worship.

It is not, however, the only way to worship together. I was reminded of this when someone said that they didn't feel like they had been to church because we did not say the Lord's Prayer together. "After all," they said, "Jesus did teach us to pray like that." I thought about entering into a discussion, but I realized that many believers did recite the Lord's Prayer each Sunday. In fact, it was normal to do so throughout most of the history of the church. From the perspective of church history, our style is not normal!

Each of us has a preference regarding worship style. Even though I have my preferences, my experience has taught me that I can encounter the Lord in a variety of worship styles and settings. Let me share some insights that will help you worship both at Trinity and in other churches.

Helpful keys

Worship is not the same as being entertained. It is ascribing to God the glory that is his due. We give him praise and honor because of who he is and what he had done. When you join together to worship with other believers, keep the Lord as the focus rather than the style of worship.

Participate. Worship is not a spectator sport. It is something that you must engage in. It begins by being present and this takes effort. Have you ever been talking to someone and you feel like they are not really listening? They are standing before you, but they are not "present." They are not focused on the conversation. Worship begins with being present, participating, and engaging in practices of worship in that church service. Sing. Pray. Read. Engage.

If you don't know the music. Ideally, you know the music that is used in the service. This allows you focus more intently on the content and on the Lord rather than trying to learn the melody of the song. Often, though, you will not know the song. What do you do then? First, try to sing along if you can. Songs are frequently repetitive and by the end of the song you will know the melody.

I find that more often than not I won't pick up on the tune of the song so I just listen and think about the words. I don't check out of the service, I engage by actively listening. That's what happened at Westminster Abbey. I don't listen to choral music and I certainly wasn't going to sing along with the choir! Instead, I read the words to the song that was printed in the bulletin as a listened. I encountered God because I actively listened to a song I did not know.

If it isn't your style. Please realize that there is no "holy" style of music. God did not indicate that music should be in 4/4 or 3/4 time. He did not tell whether to use amplification or how loud it should be turned up. He didn't tell us to use printed bulletins or projectors. He didn't tell us to only play classical or jazz or rock. We all have preferences. It is a little bit like language. We all have a mother tongue that we prefer, but as we grow we realize that others speak in different languages. As we mature in Christ, we should grow in our ability to worship in different "styles" or "languages" even though we prefer our own style.

Affirm insights. Pay attention to the what is happening and say "Yes!" to biblical truths. Liturgy, spontaneous prayer, Bible readings, songs, and sermons all contain Biblical truth. When you see these insights say "Yes! or Amen!" In some churches this can be done out loud while in other churches these responses are better off being internal affirmations. It all depends on the style of service!

If you don't know the language. Some of my most powerful moments of worship have come in churches where I did not speak the language. The language was usually close enough to English that I could pick up on the subject and I would simply meditate on those truths. But what has impacted me more in these settings is the incredible faithfulness of God. Jesus told a handful of people 2000 years ago to take the message of the gospel to every tribe and language. Sitting in service surrounded by believers worshipping in a different language is a powerful evidence of the Spirit's work in crossing language and cultural barriers so that one day people from all nations will be gathered around the throne. In fact, there were many barriers crossed so that I could hear the gospel and be saved. That is reason enough to worship!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I will sing for joy.
Psalm 92:1-4

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Understanding the Gospel - Part 5: Regeneration

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," said Jesus to a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus (John 3:3). It was a confusing and mysterious statement. What does it mean? Nicodemus was confused, and we probably would be, too.

Jesus' explanation is just as mysterious. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8).

Nicodemus was still confused. So Jesus explained further that he was going to die, and that everyone who believed in him would have eternal life (John 3:14-16). So there is a connection between believing in Jesus and his death for our sins and being born again by the Spirit of God.

But what is this connection? Does a person believe and then be born again? Or does a person believe as the result of being born again? It is a question that has been discussed for two thousand years. Trained and dedicated scholars carefully defend each position. While at times the debate grows heated, in general those in both camps acknowledge that the other camp is on the road to heaven "even with their goofy theology."

What does it mean to be born again?

It is not something that we do. It is something that happens to us. In Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Lord promises that there will be a time when he will replace our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh.  We cannot replace our heart. Only God can do that! In John 1:13 we read that the children of God were born of God and not by human effort or desire. God caused us to be born again (1 Peter 1:3).

It is something that happens only once. Physically we are only born once. It is the same spiritually. We can't "get born again" over and over again.

It results in the spiritually dead person becoming alive. This does not mean that a person becomes "spiritual" in the sense of being open to the spiritual influences because even the spiritually dead can relate to the demonic. It means that the person who was dead to God is made alive and has a  relationship with God through Christ. But it is not simply our spiritual selves that become new, for 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are new creations.

How does it happen?

This is a mystery and even if we could solve it, we would be unable to replicate it like a scientist in the laboratory. Regeneration is something that God does. It appears the Holy Spirit is particularly involved (John 3:8) in causing it, although we can also say that the Father is also involved (James 1:17-18), and it all is possible because of Christ (Eph 2:5). So it is a work of God.

It is clear that God uses the word of the gospel to bring about regeneration. 1 Peter 1:23-25 tells us that we were born anew "through the living and abiding word of God." James tells us that God gave us new birth through "the word of truth" (James 1:18). This is one crucial reason why simply "living the faith" is not enough to see people come to faith. They need to hear the gospel message because God uses the Word in the process of regeneration.

Consider a couple of examples:

In Acts 16 we read of Paul going to Philippi and sharing the gospel. Among the people gathered there was a woman from Thyatira named Lydia. Luke tells us that "the Lord opened her heart" to pay attention to what Paul was teaching (Acts 16:14). The term "pay attention" is better translated "respond to," or "heed." In other words, it was the Lord who caused Lydia to respond to the gospel message. We see that this is the proper sense as we read in the next verse that she was baptized.

Or consider Paul. We know that he had heard the message of the gospel because he was there listening to Stephen before he was murdered (Acts 7:58-8:1). He did not respond to the gospel message then. In fact, he rejected it wholeheartedly and began to persecute the church.  It wasn't long though before God worked a miracle in his life by appearing to him on the road to Damascus. God overcame every objection that Paul could raise and Paul became a radical follower of Christ (Acts 9:1-19).

In one case the process was dramatic but in the other case it was much more subtle. In both cases, it was God who worked decisively in the person's life. Without the Lord working in the person's life, the gospel message falls on deaf ears and hearts of stone. It has no effect.

In each of these cases, the Holy Spirit so worked in their lives that every barrier to belief was removed. Did Paul make a decision to follow Christ? Yes. But at the same time, it must be pointed out that his decision was an obvious one. It is the same with Lydia. Or consider the many Bereans that came to faith as they listened to the gospel and studied the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-12). In the case of every believer, God has overcome the barriers to belief and has drawn the sinner to himself. They found his grace to be irresistible.

This process will always involve the conviction of sin leading to repentance and belief in Christ as Saviour, Redeemer, and Lord. We see people repent and confess Christ, but regeneration itself is unseen. It produces fruit over time, but the actual moment of being born again is hidden from sight. As a result, theologians have disagreed about whether regeneration comes before or after saving faith.

There are strong biblicial and theological cases to be made for each position and each position has some problems. In the end, I think that the balance tilts slightly in favor of regeneration coming before saving faith, but the issue is far from certain and we must not allow the issue to become one of division between Christians. Charles Spurgeon (who held the regeneration first position) is a good example of charity towards those who hold a different opinion on this doctrine. He once said that if there were to be an expansion of the number of the apostles he would nominate John Wesley even though Wesley thought regeneration came after belief.

Two practical points:


We must present the gospel message clearly and compellingly to other people. This includes calling them to repent and believe. We can do this knowing that we are planting seeds and some of those seeds will germinate by the power of the Holy Spirit and produce followers of Christ. This is what we see in the book of Acts. It was their practice to share the gospel wherever they went (Acts 8:1-4) and as many as were appointed to salvation believed (Acts 13:48).

At the same time, consider the wonder of your own salvation. You were dead and God made you alive in Christ. There is no boasting in our salvation. It is a work of God's grace poured out on you (Ephesians 2:8-10). So worship is the proper response when we gaze into the mysteries of regeneration.


" God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "0 Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints."

A.W. Tozer


For an excellent but deep discussion of the issues involved, I recommend the following books:
Chosen but Free: A Balanced View... by Norman Geisler. and The Potter's Freedom by James White. The two authors interact with one another in a helpful way.