Staying Ahead of the Pain

Anyone who has ever had to take prescription pain medicine after surgery has probably heard the expression stay ahead of the pain. Usually this refers to taking pain medicine on a schedule, before you need it, in order to keep the pain at a manageable level. If you wait until you are hurting to take the medicine, the pain may become overwhelming, and the medicine may be unable to overcome it or take longer to do so.

During Elijah’s recent hospitalization, Kirstie and I have been reminded of God’s palliatives for the soul: Scripture, prayer, and the worship of the saints (including the preached word and sacraments). The word of God sustains us in times of trouble (Psa. 119:71, 92, 114), prayer reminds us our Father knows and cares (Php. 4:6-7; 1Pet. 5:6-7; 1Jn. 5:14-15), and the worship and fellowship of the Church reaffirms the Lord’s promises and that we are not alone in waiting and watching for His return (Psa. 122; 1Cor. 11:26; Heb. 10:19-25). Stress and trouble is always easier to bear when we avail ourselves of the means of grace. Trials are not easy, but God’s grace makes them bearable and sanctifying.

It is especially important in seasons of trial to be diligent in using God’s means of grace to sustain our souls and strengthen our faith. We can easily be distracted by the urgent concerns troubling our hearts at such times. Daily Bible reading is certainly less urgent than physical crisis. Prayer may not seem imminently practical. And so we focus more on what is pressing than on what is important. We neglect the word and prayer and the worship of the saints, and we find ourselves increasingly overwhelmed by the emotional pain of the moment.

We must learn to stay ahead of the pain, to apply God’s medicine for the soul before the distress has become urgent, before our sorrows are so great they obscure the brilliance of God’s glory shining above and around us. We must discipline ourselves before the trial comes, and even as we walk through the trial, meeting God in His word, seeking His blessing in prayer, worshiping His holy name and being reminded of what is true, what is real, what will last, and what will not. Do not wait until the pain is so great you can no longer focus on Scripture. Do not wait until you have no words left to pray. Be diligent each day to feed and nurture your soul using the means God has provided. Stay ahead of the pain, and watch God use your pain for His good purposes. –JME

Fretting Over Evildoers

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
(Psalm 37:1-2)

Elijah has been asking to lead prayers with the family, and lately every prayer has included three requests: (1) that our nation will repent, (2) that our government will make good decisions, and (3) that daddy will not lose his job. His concern about these issues is so great that he has reminded us when we “forgot” to pray for our nation. Elijah put together his three-point prayer almost entirely from observing adult conversations between his mom and dad and brethren in the church. We have talked to our kids about current events and the potential implications for Christians and churches—though we have not discussed it with the boys in the same detail as with their older sisters—but very little time has been spent conversing about it, and we have not had the kind of “serious conversation” that might make them fearful or worried about the future. Nevertheless, Elijah has picked up enough of the larger conversation to be concerned, and so he is praying earnestly about it every day.

This morning I opened my Bible and came upon Psalm 37 once again. The Hebrew word translated fret in the ESV might better be translated be angry (cf. Gen. 4:5; 30:2; 31:6; 34:7). There is a proper, even necessary, anger the righteous should feel toward evil and evildoers. Jesus was angry when he saw religious hypocrisy and the abuse of the Temple (Mark. 3:1-5; 11:15-17). John the Baptist was stirred up by Herod’s immorality (Luke 3:19) as Paul was by Athens’ idolatry (Acts 17:16). The Bible commands us to hate evil (Psa. 97:10; Prov. 8:13; Amos 5:15); we cannot be passive towards it. But, as Psalm 37 affirms, our indignation toward evil should not unsettle our souls. We know evil will not ultimately triumph because Christ already won the victory (Col. 2:15).

We must balance righteous anger against sin and human sinfulness with the joy and peace that comes in trusting the Savior, Jesus Christ. We grieve because of the ungodliness around us, but to adapt Paul’s language concerning the dead, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. We know the victory is already won; we simply await the arrival of the conquering King. Each day we watch and pray, waiting and hoping with great anticipation for the coming of our Lord in glory.

At the same time, we must be faithful while we live in this fallen world. Our dreams of heaven and hope of the parousia must not take us from the responsibilities of discipleship and stewardship here and now. Paul addressed this kind of error in his letters to the Thessalonians, and he exhorted them “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1Thess. 4:11-12). We must be faithful to Christ today, even as we live in anticipation of that day when we see Him coming again to claim His own. –JME

Keeping the Main Thing in Ministry, the Main Thing

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1^st Timothy 4:13-16)

It is hard to write about pastoral ministry, at least, it is hard to do so when you are a pastor. It is easy for teaching on the subject to seem (or be) self-serving. When that happens, a pastor’s credibility in speaking on other issues can suffer. It is understandable why pastors sometimes decide speaking about their own role in ministry is just not worth it.

A pastor is expected to be and do many things. Not all of the things asked of him are bad or even inappropriate. But quite often all of the “extra things” a pastor is asked to be and to do become so time-consuming and overwhelming that what he is called to be and to do by God begins to suffer. The pastor’s primary calling is not to be a friend (though he should be), a counselor (though he will have to be), a helper (though he is usually glad to be), or a CEO (he ought not to want to and ought never to have to be). The pastor’s calling is to be a minister of Christ, serving the Word and sacraments to the Body of Christ so as to build them up in faith, equip them for living faithfully and obediently, and proclaim the way of salvation in preparation for Judgment on the last day (cf. Acts 6:1-7; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:24-29; 1-2 Timothy; Titus).

Take another look at the passage quoted above. What does Paul say ought to consume Timothy as a minister of the gospel? The public reading, exhortation, and teaching of Scripture. Attentiveness to the gift and calling of God confirmed by the elders. Immersive dedication to the work of studying and teaching God’s Word. Personal holiness. Introspection in life and pedagogy. And perseverance in the same with a view toward salvation, both personally and pastorally. These are the things pastors must devote themselves to daily, week after week, for the sake of their own soul and of the souls entrusted to them.

We live in an age of celebrity pastors. Pastors are often CEOs, motivational speakers, and social and political leaders as much or more than they are true ministers of Christ. Many exercise their ministry and influence independent of the church. Too often they lack meaningful accountability to the ecclesiastical structures the Lord gave us for the Church’s good. Churches expect their pastors to be hip, relevant, popular, and, to some extent, worldly in their focus and engagement. But this is not the plan God revealed in the Bible. The Lord gave His Church ordinary pastors to use ordinary means in faithful and largely unexceptional ways to proclaim an extraordinary message of grace. May the Lord raise up such men to lead and teach in churches today, and may churches demand such ministers who will so keep Christ before them.–JME

The Importance of Tradition

“Tradition is the living faith of the dead.
Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” –Jaroslav Pelikan

“Recognizing the ancient church’s commitment to articulating and defending the historic, orthodox Christian faith against false teaching, we also affirm the four ancient creeds: the Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian, and Chalcedonian Creeds. These are faithful and biblical confessions, particularly in clarifying the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ.” –RBC General Statement of Faith, Article X

Modern evangelicalism is so wed to the spirit of this age that many Christians have little acquaintance with or use for Church history, ancient creeds, Reformed confessions, and the truly catholic (universal) traditions of the Christian Church. Many do not know or care about their history, and we all are poorer as a result. Christianity cannot be unfastened from its historical roots, because the Christian faith is founded on the belief God acted in history and unfolded His redemptive plan, not just in our lives or lifetime, but over thousands of years through men and women who lived and died in hope of the resurrection. Christianity is a historical faith, so any expression of it that denies, discards, or otherwise undermines that history is essentially un-Christian.

           

Oftentimes when people think of “tradition” they think of boring, narrow-minded, formulaic routines that mean little to those that practice them. Some think this way about hymns and responsive readings, creeds and confessions, or weekly communion. It certainly is possible for any or all of these to become meaningless repetition. If we sing those hymns without thinking about them, without speaking those words from the heart to each other and to God, then we are not worshipping at all. The same could be said for each element of worship.

           

While we must constantly beware of the temptation of traditionalism, we should also continually be mindful of the importance of tradition. We are not the first Christians to walk the earth, read the Bible, “do church,” or seek to evangelize the world. We need less innovation and more serious biblical and historical contemplation of the reality of God's presence and work in and among His people since the dawn of creation. We ought to learn from tradition, not rely on it for our authority, but appreciate what it has to teach us and how much we depend upon it, whether we realize it or not. History has a tendency to humble us, to place in proper perspective our role in light of God’s larger scheme. Such humility is always appropriate for Christians and churches. –JME

Handouts for the Book of Genesis

I recently completed another teaching series through the Book of Genesis. During the course of that series, I developed and distributed supplementary handouts covering the entire book. These are not teaching outlines. They are supplemental guides for further study, reflection, and application. –JME

Supplementary Handoutsfor the Book of Genesis (PDF)

Teaching Series on the Book of Genesis (YouTube Playlist)

Downloadable Audio on the Book of Genesis

An Ordinary Church Preaching Extraordinary Grace

American evangelicalism is saturated with churches following the “Burger King Model of Ministry.” The message is “Have It Your Way” and Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” is the theme song. In this environment people select a church based on what they want in a ministry. Music, programs, prestige, and experience are primary factors in finding a church home.

In such a climate, RBC’s commitments must seem radical. We are not interested in tailoring church to individual preferences or felt needs. We want to be focused entirely on Christ. Everything we do flows out of our commitment to structuring every aspect of ministry—leadership, worship, discipleship, outreach, communication—according to the principles and precepts of the Bible. We are content to offer quite ordinary programs. Worship as a church on the Lord’s Day. Sunday School, Wednesday night, and supplementary Bible classes to edify and equip the saints. But where are the youth programs? Where are the social events? Where are all the things the church is supposed to provide to keep us busy and happy?

We don’t believe social activities, life enrichment, and entertainment are the church’s responsibility to provide. Don’t misunderstand; we have (and will continue to have) potlucks and social opportunities every month for members to enjoy together, but worship and the ministry of the word is primary. We believe the church is to focus on being the church. When our lives are not so cluttered with programs and events, we have time, space, and energy to invite our brethren into our homes or out for a meal. We create opportunities for fellowship and life enrichment at the level of the family. Who are the people in your congregational group? Start inviting one couple over every week. Get together with brothers and sisters for coffee and conversation about what you are learning and how you are growing in the Lord. Set aside time each week to call or write a note to a few members from your church family to let them know you were thinking about and praying for them that day.

The church cannot be all things to all people. If it tries, it ceases to be the church at all. We want this church to be an ordinary church. We aren’t trying to keep up with mega-churches or other ministries. We aren’t interested in stealing sheep or wooing Christians from other congregations with programs. We are an ordinary church, preaching an extraordinary message of grace. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. –JME

Living as Exiles in a Corrupt Country

If the events of the last two months have done nothing else for American Christians, we can hope they have finally and forever disabused us of thinking of the USA as a “Christian nation.” We’re not, never have been, and never will be. Contrary to the extravagant claims of some dispensational speculatists (and Mormon pundits like Glenn Beck), America is not a covenant nation, we are not God’s chosen people, and the survival of this world does not depend on our existence. Stop it already. We are a nation founded, thank God, on principles of religious freedom. Some, by no means all, of our founders were Christians or, at least, Christian-ish. Our founding documents identify God as Creator and source of personal liberty. All of that is great, but let’s put it in modern perspective.

Since 1973 America has destroyed and dismembered between 53-57 million unborn infants with the government’s blessing and support, then we sell their organs. We make the Third Reich look like a kindergarten schoolyard bully. We license the marriage of same sex couples. We pay people who won’t work (not just those who can’t) and give them more money if they are sexually irresponsible as well as lazy. Does this sound like a godly nation?

What can we do about it? What we really need is a God-fearing, conservative President. Nope, we tried that. It didn’t change much. But if a moral majority controlled the Congress… no, we tried that too. It didn’t help much either. Maybe if the judiciary or the media or…. Friends, at what point will we recognize there are no political solutions to moral and spiritual problems? I believe in being politically and socially active. If you are connected to me on social media, you know how much energy I have devoted to Planned Parenthood in recent days. But the earliest Christians did not expect or even attempt to turn Rome into Israel. They knew they were “sojourners and exiles” living in a hostile land (1Pet. 2:11-12). Jesus calls us to live out the ethics of the kingdom of heaven among those who do not recognize its claims (Matt. 5:13-16). This is not to suggest we be morally, socially, or politically passive. The OT prophets provide extensive precedents for engaging corrupt cultures from a spiritual and prophetic paradigm. However, they also show us how believers in the one true God are to live among pagans (Jer. 29:1-23; e.g. Dan. 1; 3; 6).

While we hope and pray and plead (and vote) for national repentance, we should have realistic and biblical expectations. We hope for a return to basic morality. We desire leaders to once again acknowledge and fear God. But this nation will not be spared the wrath of God by political transformation. Jesus has always been and still is our only hope of salvation. “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through” (Php. 3:20-21). –JME