The Valley of the Shadow of Death

We are currently in a series on Psalm 23 at church, and this coming Sunday I am giving the communion reflection. I typically try to tie my reflection to both the text for the message and the explicit gospel message of the table. The phrase in the psalm we are focusing on this week is from v. 4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (KJV) (Side note: typically I am not a fan of the KJV for various reasons, but the poetry is captured so well in the old language) 

Here are some of my thoughts on what I would like to say:

One of the things I love most about Scripture is its honest portrayal of life. The Bible does not present lofty theological ideas that our disconnected from the reality of life. It does not present people who are superhuman. The Bible is God's story of his love for and redemption of fallen, broken, messy, yet beautiful people. The Bible presents life as it is - full of amazing triumph and horrific failure, bad news and good news, love and hate, beauty and messiness. We see this portrayal very clearly in Psalm 23. Life is filled with "green pastures" and "quiet waters," but we must also go through the "valley of the shadow of death." Maybe you have just been through, or are currently in, or may soon face a moment where you feel as though you are in the darkest valley. You have long forgotten the perspective of the peaks behind you and you can't see the ascent out of the valley ahead. And the temptation in these moments is to begin to question the character of God. Does he truly love me? Is he real? Is he truly present in this really dark place?

When we find ourselves in this dark place, questioning God's love and presence in our lives, there is one sure place we can look to regain perspective. When we wonder if God could truly understand the depths of our pain, the darkness of our situation, we must look up to the cross of Christ. This is the place where we see that God truly does understand our pain and he is willing to go with us to the darkest places. He enters into our pain, our brokenness and messiness...and promises us hope, peace, and redemption. He is redeeming the fallen broken world and working all things together for his good and holy purposes. 

We can know that Christ will lead and guide and comfort us even through the valley of the shadow of death and he proved it by enduring the suffering of the cross for our sake. He proved his willingness to be present with us in the messiness of life when we left heaven and came to earth. That is costly grace and that is what we remember, proclaim, and celebrate as we come to the table this morning to receive the grace of God through his broken body and shed blood.

Jesus: Example to Follow OR Righteous Life Graciously Shared?

Christmas is a time for celebrating the truly remarkable reality that God took on flesh and lived among us. Stop and think about that for a moment…God, who created the entire universe, is so gracious and loving that he left the perfection of heaven and entered into the reality of human messiness in a new way altogether. God was, of course, involved with his Creation from the beginning, but the Incarnation was unprecedented and remains the unique claim of historical Christianity…fully God and fully human.

Unfortunately many are quick to fast-forward the story from Christmas to Easter - Jesus was born and then he died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins. But this is not the complete story; this fact alone is not truly good news. If this were the complete account of the gospel, we would be left with a clean slate but still incapable of keeping the righteous standards of God’s law.

In between the birth and death of Jesus a lot happened. How we approach this in-between period is just as important as how we understand the significance of his death. Therefore, the essential question we must wrestle with is: Was Jesus’ life primarily our example to follow – OR – was it the fulfillment of a life we could never live?

Here is what it looks like to place the primary emphasis on his life as one to follow: We place our faith in his death to wipe the slate clean (reset button) but then we are left with the challenge of following Jesus’ example in fulfilling the law. Jesus gets us started – but we must run the race. Jesus cleaned the slate for you, now you just have to refill the ledger as best you can by following the “W.W.J.D.” principle. I would suggest that at a functional level this is the paradigm for many Christians. However, this is simply not good news at all!

The truly good news of the gospel is that Jesus not only died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins, but he also lived the perfect life – fulfilling all the righteous requirements of the law (something none of us could do). His perfect life of righteousness is credited to the account of all who place their faith in him. In other words, Jesus not only hit the rest button but he also filled in the ledger for us. Almost everyone believes that Jesus was a great moral example to follow – this is not scandalous and life-altering news at all. What makes the gospel so beautiful to those who believe, and so offensive to the pride of those who reject it, is that Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves – completely from beginning to end.

Does this mean there is no need for the law? Absolutely not. The law is still God’s blueprint for human flourishing. The law contains that which brings God the most glory- and therefore is for our good. But the law cannot save us – it only judges and condemns us. We cannot follow the law good enough to enter into, walk in, our complete our salvation. That entire process was fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior who came and is coming again! My prayer for you this Christmas is that the complete work of Christ will satisfy all your deepest hopes and longings, bring peace to all your worries and insecurities, and bring depth, love, and life to all your relationships.

The Gospel Sword & Battle Prayer

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"The Gospel Sword and Battle Prayer"
Part 6 of 6 - The Armor of God
Ephesians 6:17-20
September 9th, 2012
South Suburban Christian Church

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

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This sermon was delivered at South Suburban Christian Church (Littleton, CO) on July 29, 2012.

"The Parable of the Wedding Banquet"
Kingdom Theology According to the Parable
Matthew 22:1-14

From Grounded in the Gospel

"Evangelicals have long acted as though the Gospel was the right 'medicine' for unbelievers, but that believers need to move beyond the Gospel and go on to other things, a movement from the 'milk' to the 'meat.' But this seems untrue- thoroughly out of step with the biblical witness. We believer, rather, that it is imperative to think of moving on from the 'milk' of the Gospel to the 'meat' of the Gospel. For in fact the Gospel is more profound and multifaceted than our finite minds can ever grasp. We never move on from the Gospel; we move on in the Gospel."

From Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way

by J.I. Packer & Gary Parrett

Amen and Amen!

Forgiveness Fuels Forgiveness

This sermon was delivered on March 20, 2011, at South Suburban Christian Church (Littleton, CO).

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The Cross: Our Banner of Victory

This sermon was delivered on July 24th, 2011, at South Suburban Christian Church (Littleton, CO).

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CLICK HERE to download the PowerPoint and follow the sermon outline.

A "pretty good" Christian

Today I was riding in the car with the local Christian radio station on (yes, it does happen occassionally) when I was struck by the comments of a caller. He said, "Yeah, I'm a Christian myself...I try to do good, and I talk about God some. I wouldn't say I'm a great Christian, but I do pretty good."

I can't help but wonder if behind this comment is a righteousness that is, at least in part, based upon works. I think it is more implicit, but there nonetheless. My feeling is that many Christians understand that they are saved by grace but fail to understand the keeping power of God through sanctification that is also entirely a work of grace. They feel that God has done His part and now they are obligated to do theirs. Of course, they fail miserably to live up to even their own standards, and feel on good days they are "pretty good" Christians at best.

When we truly understand salvation by faith through grace, I think we will stop thinking in categories of great, good, marginal, and "hanging by a thread" Christians. If this man has truly professed faith in Christ and has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, he is not just a pretty good Christian. The grace of God is more powerful than good enough. It is more than enough to declare righteous the worst of sinners.

It is perfectly appropriate to talk about maturing in Christ, but this is very different from the burden of moralism that continues to enslave so many.

Body Gospel

The latest Christian marketing ploy is a "new" workout program called Body Gospel. That's right, I am not making this stuff up. When I first saw it advertised on television I could hardly believe it. This post could easily turn into a long rant, so I will try to articulate a few of my greatest concerns about this product.

First of all, the name choice bothers me. The word gospel has a very sacred meaning (or at least it should) in the Christian context. Now, I realize in the Greco-Roman world this term originally carried a political rather than spiritual meaning. However, the Gospel writers took this term and gave it a new, more profound meaning when they employed it to refer to THE good news regarding Jesus Christ. Therefore, I think we tread dangerous waters whenever we imply that there is any other good news anywhere close to being as important as THE good news. Saving money on your car insurance, or perhaps loosing some weight through a workout and diet program, is indeed good news. But this is not gospel, and by calling it such I think we diminish the importance of the gospel.

Second, this product is another example of an unnecessary product that is a replica of similar products on the market. This product was created to capitalize on the Christian subculture which likes to buy "Christian" products. This phenomena deserves a post (or series) of its own, but that is for another day. Their material claims, "Body Gospel is different because it has a variety of workouts. There's muscle conditioning, cardio, stretch, resistance training, circuit, and the foundation of the workout is God." Let me reiterate that this product is offering nothing new. There are an endless number of diet and exercise program out there, all with their own claim to fame. Furthermore, they are implying that other programs might not allow a Christian to workout to the glory of God because they are "secular" and not labeled Christian. Hogwash. I don't need Christian running shoes, Christian vegetables, Christian sweatbands, Christian hiking boots, a Christian water bottle or any other product or service to understand the importance of caring for my body (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Why don't we use the creativity God has given us to generate new ideas rather than repackaging a Christian version of what has already been done.

Finally, this product is yet another example of the distortion caused by the prosperity gospel. They claim, " [...] with Body Gospel, if you believe, you will succeed." They are implying that if you have enough faith, you will meet your weight and fitness goals. This is simply not true. The Bible never promises that we will succeed at everything we do. Secondly, we must recognize that our definition of "success" might be different from God's plan. I am not saying that God doesn't want you to loose weight, it is certainly possible that one way you could be honoring God in your life right now might indeed include eating better and exercising. However, we must move away from the sense of entitlement with which many Christians approach God. He is not a vending machine. You cannot simply say the right words and have enough faith with the expectation that God must give you what you want. 

So, go for a long walk. Join the local gym. Play some ball with your kids. Pull the dusty workout program off the shelf you bought last year. But don't feel like you need this product to have a "Christian" workout.

"Do you feel pressure to be good all the time?"

I don't want to make a habit of this, but I want to provide a link to a post I just wrote on my personal blog. I think the story might be interesting/relevant for readers of Faith Comes Though Hearing who might not read my personal blog. Read it here: "Do you feel pressure to be good all the time?"

Thesis/Summary of the story: "The gospel has been covered up by far too many layers of secondary issues"

Death by Love

It sat on my shelf for about a year, but I finally picked up Death by Love the other day and started working on it. Here are a few of my favorite quotes so far:

"It is at the cross of Jesus that the love of God for us is most clearly seen."pg. 12

"The depth of our sin and the depth of God's love cannot be fully known apart from Jesus' cross."pg. 12

"It was our sin and our condemnation, but it was Jesus, the sinless one, who took our place and in so doing took our sin and condemnation so that we could live a new life with a new nature by a new power free from sin and condemnation."pg. 27

"Of all the world's great religious writings, only the Bible presents God acting out of his love and power to come and redeem humans from bondage. This unique theme of redemption portrays humanity helplessly entrapped in sin and reveals a God whose love moves him to intervene." pg. 70


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All quotes from, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Death By Love: Letters from the Cross (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008.)

Why famous quotes can be dangerous

St. Francis of Assisi is often credited with the following quote:
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

The first, and less important issue, is whether or not St. Francis actually wrote or spoke these words. Most scholars agree that this phrase does not appear in any of his writings, although the spirit of this quote is very Franciscan in nature. Thus, it is likely Francis said and demonstrated many things in his life that were consistent with the idea portrayed in this quote.

Regardless of where this quote originated, it is a very popular quote and can be quite misleading. It is true that the fruit of our lives should point people to Christ and the gospel, but we must use our words as well. This quote implies that you could preach the gospel to your neighbor by mowing his yard. This is simply not true. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't mow your neighbor's yard. This is a great example of the humility and service that should characterize the life of Jesus' disciples. But doing a good deed for your neighbor will not bring him or her to faith if they do not know Christ. It might open the door to a relationship, or the opportunity to share the gospel, but at this point words must be spoken.

To imply that we can preach the gospel without words is as ridiculous as saying, "Tell me how to spell your name, use letters if necessary."

Most of the time this quote becomes nothing more than an excuse for Christians to not share the gospel with others. I understand, because I too find it difficult to share Christ in a one-on-one setting. I am afraid of awkwardness, rejection, pushing someone farther away, being too pushy.....it is much easier to hide behind a quote, an idea that if I just keep being a nice person this might in some way help people find their way to the cross.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)

What do you think? Have I misunderstood the quote? Can we preach the gospel with our actions?

Preach the Gospel - Video by John Piper

Please find the time to watch this short 5 minute video. I have some thoughts that I will follow up with in a few days after people have the chance to watch it. This is so important.

Old & New Testament: Same God?

Frequently, I encounter among readers of the Bible a struggle with whether the Old and New Testaments portray God consistently. The most common sentiment is something like, "God is full of wrath and judgement in the OT and love and mercy in the NT."

The purpose of this post is to offer some helpful guidance in resolving this matter. Please understand that I will not attempt to prove the overall reliability of the Scriptures either historically or theologically. I am assuming that the reader already has a generally high view of the Bible, but still struggles with seeming contradictions or inconsistencies between the Testaments. Second, I will only scratch the surface of this broad subject. Most specifically, my goal is to offer the struggling Christian and genuinely interested skeptic a general summary and one key idea that is often overlooked that perhaps will bring some clarity on this issue.

First, let me offer several general truths offered within the text:
1. God does not change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)
2. All Scripture is inspired by God (1 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. The NT is clear that its events are the fullfillment of Yahweh's plan (the same God written about in the OT)
4. Both the OT and NT present God as merciful and loving.
5. Both the OT and NT present God as the holy judge of sin.

I think many Christians misunderstand the OT largely because they do not read it very often. The OT contains judgement for sure, but we see over and over again that God is merciful and faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful. Likewise, many people assume that God is only loving and merciful in the NT, overlooking the fact that God is still very serious about sin and will judge every person according to his holy standards.

Finally, we arrive at the question that appears to best most pressing. What is God's plan of salvation? Was it different in the OT than it is in the NT? It is here that we discover what I think is the strongest link between the two Testaments: Justification by Faith!

Wait a second...you might be thinking, "But didn't they have to perform a bunch of sacrifices and rituals in the OT in order to be saved." Well, Yahweh did command these acts of worship and obedience. But, if we look closely we see that God declared Abram righteous on account of his faith (Gen. 15:6). Earlier we see that Abram called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 13:4). Even as early as Gen. 4:26, it is recorded that "At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." If this sounds familiar, it should because it mirrors the language of Romans 10:13, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (quoting Joel 2:32) This was before the sacrifices were institutied, therefore they cannot be required for salvation/righteousness. They were an expression of obedience in response to genuine faith. The same is true for good works in the life of a NT believer. They are not required for salvation, but are the natural outflow of a life of faith in God.

Both the OT and NT tell us of Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God who became flesh and dwelled among us in the person of Jesus Christ. He can be known by all who seek him in faith. Our relationship with him was broken by the fall of sin, but we can be declared righteous by placing our faith in Him. Trusting in any other source (self, money, false religion, etc.) is idolatry and God will not stand for it. This is the God that we see unfolding His plan to redeem humanity. It reads from Genesis to Revelation. If you don't get it yet, I urge you to continue reading, especially the portions that you are not yet familiar with.

Please feel free to email or comment with questions.