There is a certain mood in our day which suggests "drumming things down". A minister friend of mine was criticised once for using too long theological words in his sermon and explication. Perhaps this could be wrong in some circumstances, but my friend rightly explained that if you are ill then you quickly become familiar with difficult words from your Doctor. We must not unnecessarily over-complicate things in the church and neither should we over-simplify things either. The latter is mainly the problem in British evangelicalism! The church needs a full-bodied recovery of theology and ecclesiology in its preaching.
We cannot preach Christ, without also preaching the doctrine of the church! Why? It is because the LORD Jesus Christ is the head of the church and He died for the church. Rev Brian Norton, a friend, mentor and faithful pastor in Durham Presbyterian Church, is now in heaven. But he modelled as a minister an attitude of pouring out his life for the church. Why did he live in this way? It is because Jesus died for the church, and not for projects, he lived as a minister for what primarily counts, the health of the Christian church. We must live for the upbuilding, strengthening and equipping of the true church. Do you live like that as a Christian? Selfishness is culturally acceptable and it is a part of our decadent British; it is an accepted cultural norms. But, we should not be living a selfish life as a Christian, this should not be so amongst the church and professing Christians. Let us live godly, self-effacing and with a servant heart to support the church.
Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent".
Ephesians 5:22, 24-27 "Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour ... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish".
Many Christian ministers and churches never mention ecclesiology in their preaching and they show no interest in it. That is often, until problems arise. And problems will indeed arise if the doctrine of the church is not opened up, because spiritual darkness will be tolerated in the church. Ecclesiology is part of the whole counsel of God and it must be preached. One of the best books I have ever preached on was the Book of Titus: a book full of ecclesiology and doctrine. When it is opened up for the people of God it is like "smelling salts".
Let the full light of ecclesiology shine in the church so that Scripture guides our view of church government, our practices in worship (and not our preferences) and our doctrine. This is why we cannot allow women to hold church office as elders, ministers or deacons. Why? The Scripture forbids it. Period. End of discussion, except that we will explain why God teaches thus and so, but we must submit to the Lord's wisdom and not push forward our own wisdom upon the church where it contradicts the plain teaching of Holy scripture.
What about theology? Theology means the study of God. The church must preach God and then we can rightly understand man. The church should fill our thoughts about the Triune God. Where else can this knowledge be found? The Lord Jesus Christ is the theologian par excellence. Why do I say that? Just read the Gospel of John. It is full of theology and the church needs this.
Let us pray for a full orbed recovery of ecclesiology and theology in all facets of the life of the church. So that the life of God can be visibly seen in the church's love for the Triune God.
Friday, 30 June 2017
Monday, 19 June 2017
O for a Closer Walk with God
The title of this blogpost is taken from the opening line of hymn by William Cowper (1731-1800). Here is the first verse:
O FOR a closer walk with God,
a calm and heavenly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!
And the last verse, verse 6.
So shall my walk be close with God,
calm and serene my frame;
so purer light shall mark the road
that leads me to the Lamb.
I love Reformed theology, Reformed ecclesiology, systematic theology, the whole of the Bible and my historic biblical and Reformed heritage. However, the crucial part of it all, is that we cultivate a loving communion with the Triune God. Our prayer postures in the "secret place" of prayer should include at times kneeling as an act of submission or being prostrate before the Lord as a sign of submission at times and a heart being poured out before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 62:8, Ephesians 3:14, Deut 9:25). Look at Moses on Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy 9:25-26 "So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. And I prayed to the LORD ...".
How is your communion with the Living God? We need Christians to be refreshed and revived in their personal communion with the Covenant LORD. This does not replace the public means of grace, but it should supplement and undergird the public means by the private means of grace.
Listen to the Lord Jesus Christ: Mark 6:30-32 "The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves".
We need to come apart from the distractions of the internet, TV, sports and so forth, in order to be renewed in our communion with the LORD. Oh to be restored in our first love!
We often talk of revival, but our own lives need to be revived before the Living God with renewed holiness. Holiness meaning being set apart for the Lord Jesus Christ. Iain Murray wrote this in his recent book "Seven Leaders" in reference to the life of John Elias.
"Thomas Charles and John Elias were of one mind on the remedy for this [a spiritual dullness with a loss of vigour in the church]. It is not speaking more about revival or the Holy Spirit, but renewed faith and renewed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ" (page 41).
Oh for renewed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit lead and guide the church into renewed faith and renewed communion with the Lord. Amen.
O FOR a closer walk with God,
a calm and heavenly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!
And the last verse, verse 6.
So shall my walk be close with God,
calm and serene my frame;
so purer light shall mark the road
that leads me to the Lamb.
I love Reformed theology, Reformed ecclesiology, systematic theology, the whole of the Bible and my historic biblical and Reformed heritage. However, the crucial part of it all, is that we cultivate a loving communion with the Triune God. Our prayer postures in the "secret place" of prayer should include at times kneeling as an act of submission or being prostrate before the Lord as a sign of submission at times and a heart being poured out before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 62:8, Ephesians 3:14, Deut 9:25). Look at Moses on Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy 9:25-26 "So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. And I prayed to the LORD ...".
How is your communion with the Living God? We need Christians to be refreshed and revived in their personal communion with the Covenant LORD. This does not replace the public means of grace, but it should supplement and undergird the public means by the private means of grace.
Listen to the Lord Jesus Christ: Mark 6:30-32 "The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves".
We need to come apart from the distractions of the internet, TV, sports and so forth, in order to be renewed in our communion with the LORD. Oh to be restored in our first love!
We often talk of revival, but our own lives need to be revived before the Living God with renewed holiness. Holiness meaning being set apart for the Lord Jesus Christ. Iain Murray wrote this in his recent book "Seven Leaders" in reference to the life of John Elias.
"Thomas Charles and John Elias were of one mind on the remedy for this [a spiritual dullness with a loss of vigour in the church]. It is not speaking more about revival or the Holy Spirit, but renewed faith and renewed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ" (page 41).
Oh for renewed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit lead and guide the church into renewed faith and renewed communion with the Lord. Amen.
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
What's missing in English Evangelicalism?
It is indeed important for every church in different countries, to critically examine themselves, including their own congregation and/or denomination. A minister friend who is from another country remarked to me how few English ministers he has met, are interested in theology! As I asked him to explain more, he did. He seemed to "hit the nail on the head" in my view in that theology is not on the radar for ministers, elders and churches in England. We have ideas, doctrine and preaching without theology. A theology-less church leads to a downgrade in who God is, what is salvation and a host of errors enter in to the church when this happens.
What is missing in the English Evangelical Church? In my view it is theology and ecclesiology. One of the principles of interpreting the Bible is to compare Scripture with Scripture. This leads the church then, to a body of theology, known as the Reformed understanding of Scripture. When theology is not mentioned, never mind ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) as well, in the church, two huge "puzzle pieces" to rightly understand the Lord, salvation and other matters are then missing.
What is the answer to this problem? Someone once said that the first step to solving a problem, is to acknowledge that there is a problem in the first place. Once we recognise this significant theological problem, we need to repent, if this problem includes ourselves. We should pray for a recovery and a love for, the theological doctrines presented in Holy Scripture.
The Seven churches in Revelation present the critique of the Lord (chapters 1-3), of those churches falling short. With the state of the nation in the UK, it is not a surprise that the church is falling short in many areas. In each letter to each church the answer is to repent and for them to amend their ways.
Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent".
Revelation 2:16 "Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth".
Revelation 3:19-20 "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me".
For people reading this blog who would like to become more theologically informed, here are some resources for you to make a start.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology
Louis Berkhof, A Summary of Christian Doctrine
J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness
What is missing in the English Evangelical Church? In my view it is theology and ecclesiology. One of the principles of interpreting the Bible is to compare Scripture with Scripture. This leads the church then, to a body of theology, known as the Reformed understanding of Scripture. When theology is not mentioned, never mind ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) as well, in the church, two huge "puzzle pieces" to rightly understand the Lord, salvation and other matters are then missing.
What is the answer to this problem? Someone once said that the first step to solving a problem, is to acknowledge that there is a problem in the first place. Once we recognise this significant theological problem, we need to repent, if this problem includes ourselves. We should pray for a recovery and a love for, the theological doctrines presented in Holy Scripture.
The Seven churches in Revelation present the critique of the Lord (chapters 1-3), of those churches falling short. With the state of the nation in the UK, it is not a surprise that the church is falling short in many areas. In each letter to each church the answer is to repent and for them to amend their ways.
Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent".
Revelation 2:16 "Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth".
Revelation 3:19-20 "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me".
For people reading this blog who would like to become more theologically informed, here are some resources for you to make a start.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology
Louis Berkhof, A Summary of Christian Doctrine
J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Seven Leaders: Preachers and Pastors by Iain Murray
"So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet" 2 Kings 13:20-21.
This story is apt for this book. The author hopes that by putting our generation in contact with an array of godly men and their convictions that new life may to come to the church. This book is outstanding!!!
For the author who is now in his 80's to produce another fine quality book can only be attributed to the grace of God.
The seven leaders are:
John Elias
Andrew Bonar
Archie Brown
Kenneth MacRae
M L Jones
W. J. Grier
John MacArthur
For some reason John Murray was missed out but none the less the book says enough. Each chapter is short enough to maintain one's interest and a lifetimes experience and conviction oozes out of each page. I hope the Lord would use this book to stir in our hearts a number of things.
A zeal for genuine revival
A love for sound reformed doctrine
A passion for ecclesiology
An understanding that public worship should be sober and reverent
An appreciation of church history and the present state of liberalism often working under the guise of the label evangelical.
Above all, I hope this book moves all readers to their knees to call upon the name of the Lord for a recovery of truth and preaching in our own day.
This story is apt for this book. The author hopes that by putting our generation in contact with an array of godly men and their convictions that new life may to come to the church. This book is outstanding!!!
For the author who is now in his 80's to produce another fine quality book can only be attributed to the grace of God.
The seven leaders are:
John Elias
Andrew Bonar
Archie Brown
Kenneth MacRae
M L Jones
W. J. Grier
John MacArthur
For some reason John Murray was missed out but none the less the book says enough. Each chapter is short enough to maintain one's interest and a lifetimes experience and conviction oozes out of each page. I hope the Lord would use this book to stir in our hearts a number of things.
A zeal for genuine revival
A love for sound reformed doctrine
A passion for ecclesiology
An understanding that public worship should be sober and reverent
An appreciation of church history and the present state of liberalism often working under the guise of the label evangelical.
Above all, I hope this book moves all readers to their knees to call upon the name of the Lord for a recovery of truth and preaching in our own day.
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