How Deep the Father's Love for Us

The following song was written by Stuart Townend in 2004. It is a deeply reflective song that causes me to experience both great joy and humility at the thought of what the Father and the Son were willing to do for me. The first video is Townend describing the song, and the second is the song itself. I suggest watching them in that order.

The Darkness at the Cross

We begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday and march with Christ steadily to the cross. Please use this week to dwell on the terror and the beauty of Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Reflecting on the darkness that covered the sky at the moment Jesus died, the writers of Pierced for Our Transgressions note this:

The meaning of the darkness at the cross seems unambiguous. God was angry. But angry with whom? One possibility is that his wrath was directed against those crucifying his Son. There may be some truth in this, but the juxtaposition of the darkness with Jesus' cry of abandonment suggests that another meaning is primary: God's judgment was falling on his Son as he died as a substitute, bearing the sins of his people. p.72 [emphasis mine]

Father, you poured your wrath and fierce anger on your own willing Son, displaying your justice on my sin and your mercy toward me. Thank you.

Focusing on the Cross this Easter

Over the last 6-7 years or so, Rachel and I have tried to increase our focus at Easter on Good Friday, something that neither of us observed in great detail growing up. Easter Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ, and rightly so, but it is Christ's substitutionary atonement on Friday that makes any sort of celebration on Sunday possible.

We've done this in various ways, and if you're interested I'll tell you about them. But one of the ways I have been trying to increase the depth of my understanding of the cross is by using this time before Easter to read one of the many excellent books that are being written lately that focus on the cross. I don't always get to do this, but I'm trying to make it a personal tradition. Just glancing over my shoulder at my bookcase I see several:

The Cross of Christ, John Stott (This one is particularly good.)

In My Place Condemned He Stood, J.I. Packer and Mark Dever (Read this last year.)

The Great Exchange, Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington

The Future of Justification, John Piper

The Passion of Jesus Christ, John Piper (Contains 50 reasons why Christ suffered and died!)

The Cross and Christian Ministry, D.A. Carson (I took Dr. Carson's course in which much of this material was taught.)

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, John Owen (This is one is daunting, but at some point I'll take on the challenge.)

And there are others. Many, excellent others. But this year I am reading Pierced for Our Transgressions, by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach. It focuses on the glory of penal substitutionary atonement. Over the next few weeks leading to Easter, I will share interesting bits with you.

It is absolutley essential for growth in Christ to ponder and plumb the depths of the cross. I encourage you to use this time before Easter to do just that. Live the cross.

Identifying the Hidden Rules

I just spent a day in a seminar taught by Megan Shreve, the executive director of South Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP.) The content dealt with the issues of generational poverty. Megan did an excellent job informing us of the facts and figures of poverty and drawing our attention to the value structure of poverty that is so very different from the values and thought processes of middle class or wealthy individuals. The facts were shocking, but it was the different set of values that caused me to see why so many people, myself included, become frustrated with the choices made by those in poverty.

I'm still digesting most of what I've learned, but since it's so fresh in my mind I thought I would list for you a few of the "key points" of the presentation that caught my attention:

1. An individual brings with him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised.
2. Schools and businesses operate from the middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class.
3. (To effectively help those in poverty) to be successful, we must understand their hidden rules and teach the rules that will make them successful at school, at work, and in the community.

Let the Madness Begin

It's that time of year again when I begin to care about whether schools I have never heard of have basketball teams that can beat the basketball teams of schools I have vaguely heard of. I love a Cinderella, and almost every March Madness tournament has at least one.

But more than that, I love my Spartans. In my mind I know they probably won't go deep in the tournament this year, given some shaky play against big schools and at least one suspension in the starting five. But in my heart, they're already in the Final Four. How about you? Who's your team in this year's field?

On the Balance of Evangelism and Social Justice

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the church's unique role in our world, particularly as it relates to the church's responsibility in the areas of evangelism and what has come to be called "social justice."

Evangelism is the proclamation of the Gospel in words. When we tell others of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and glorification, we are sharing the Good News that God uses to open blind eyes and save dead souls. When we tell Jesus' story, the Holy Spirit convicts and transforms as God sees fit. Missions today is driven by the truth that God's people are all over the world, and the church is called to seek them like Jesus sought the lost sheep. Evangelism addresses the deepest need of humanity: The need to be reconciled to our Creator.

But what about the other needs in the world? The meeting of material needs and the destruction of systemic sin in society that creates inequality and oppresses people is the aim of social justice. Doesn't the Gospel address these issues? Doesn't the Gospel teach the church to love the poor, advocate for the voiceless, and bring peace to the hurting world? I would say that it does, but there is a growing trend in evangelicalism that places social justice as the primary responsibility of the church in the world; or if not primary, at least equal to the task of evangelism.

So here are some of the thoughts I have been having recently. I'm still putting them together.

1. The Bible is clear that the purpose of missions is to make disciples of all nations. (Matt.28) That's what Jesus did, so that's what we're supposed to do. Evangelism is the primary reason to go into the world. Paul did not go into Ephesus to start a food pantry and second hand clothing store. He went to start a church, and he did that (at the cost of his safety and eventually his life) wherever he went.

2. The Bible is clear that the mark of the church is love. The extent to which we love each other is the extent to which we are a city on a hill, light in the darkness, and preserving salt to the dying. So, when the church uses its gifts to build itself up in love, we are a shining, counter-cultural example of the Gospel of grace. This is not an optional part of the church. It is central to its mission.

3. Part of the church's expression of love for its people is sacrifical giving and the meeting of material needs within the church. The early church is rife with examples of sacrifical love and giving. People sold their lands and gave the money to the apostles for the purpose of helping the poorer church members. And Acts insists that the love the church showed for its people caused the community to have a good view of the church, and "the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)

4. So, I conclude from the first three points that evangelism, social justice, and the expansion of the Kingdom of God are indeed tied intimately together, but in this way:

• The church proclaims the Good News and God saves people.
• The new, larger church cares for its people in radical, sacrifical, loving ways.
• The people of the greater community see the good deeds of the church and come to know Christ by both the church's proclamation and example.
• God grows his church.
• Repeat.

5. So are social justice issues addressed by the church? Yes. But this does not mean the church is the crusading task force charged with righting the wrongs of society. The church is to be the city on the hill that the rest of the world can see. It is the social justice found within the church that will bring healing and shalom to the world.

I'm still working on these thoughts. What do you think? For further reading, check out Kevin DeYoung's post here.

Fancy New Digs

How do you like the new place? I feel like my blog just graduated from college and had to buy some new furniture. I'm going to try to improve what I have to offer, including more consistently writing new entries and, in time, some special features like recommended reading lists.

Do you have a suggestion on what you'd like to see offered here?

The Gospel is for Believers

"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." Acts 5:42

This is the most solid assurance I have yet found in Scripture that the Gospel is not simply the gateway into the Kingdom, but the full substance of what is taught to those who follow Jesus. The apostles did boldly profess Jesus to the unbeliving council (5:29-32), but after being beaten, charged not to teach in Jesus' name, and released, they went right back to speaking Jesus' name and explaining that he is the Messiah (Christ.) And they did this not simply to the lost. The text explains plainly that they taught in the temple and from house to house, the two places we know the church gathered (Acts 2:46).

Is it redundant to hear the Good News of Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrected new life over and over again, week after week, day after day? Not if your goal is that every thought, feeling, and action of your life would be lived as a testimony to the cross. Not if you are a living sacrifice to Christ. In fact, every moral teaching or life-changing command found in Scripture is designed both to convict us of our need of the cross and to instruct us how to live in light of the cross. Without this perspective, we lose focus on the grace of God, and we begin to treat obedience to him like something used to earn his favor.

So let's move past this erroneous notion that somehow the message that Jesus is the Messiah is the starter message only; that salvation comes by grace through faith but is maintained by works and right living. Grace cannot be assumed in the message of the church. The church needs to be constantly reminded of the glorious news that Jesus has died for our sins and given us new life, because it is the first thing we are apt to forget, and it is the truth of the cross that God uses to shape us into fully devoted followers of Jesus.

This Weekend @ King Street: James and Nicky Poarch

It is an honor to know and learn what God is doing in the world to expand his Kingdom. This week, the King Street Church community has the extraordinary opportunity to experience a bit of what God is doing in Borneo, Indonesia from our missionaries James and Nicky Poarch. The Poarch family works with New Tribes Mission to translate the Bible and plant churches among the Da'an people. They will tell their story at special presentation in the Student Ministry Center, located in the basement of the Baker Center. There are two opportunities to hear the presentation, 9:45am and 11:00am.

Even if you have to change your plans, I highly recommend that you make it to one of these presentations. To give you a taste of what the Poarch family and New Tribes Mission does, watch the following video. This version is narrated in translation, but the original is spoken by Awayo himself. This is a true story.

Revival in Haiti?

Here is an excerpt from a message forwarded to me from a friend at KSC who has missionary friends in Haiti.

Haiti spent Fri., Sat. and today in prayer and fasting. I doubt that made the news media but it is truly remarkable. The people have dedicated themselves to following God. The President of the country, President Preval, went on TV and declared he had become a Christian through this tragedy. That is a first in Haiti. It is just all so remarkable. In our own neighborhood we hear Christian songs playing all the time. On the streets lines of people coming or going to church can be seen singing as they go. We all felt so spiritually renewed afterwards. Joy and strength have been renewed.

Now of course its impossible to say what everyone in Haiti is doing, but this is a remarkable perspective from some Christians in Haiti. I am reminded of all the biblical stories where God uses national tragedy as a precursor to spiritual renewal.