According to Deuteronomy 6, the covenant family is God’s primary learning community for his people.
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deut.6:4-7)
Christian parents have a platform for teaching with their children that cannot be matched by any program or opportunity in life. Our God, the Creator, who rules over all things, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, who reveals himself in his created world and his inspired Word, has called parents to be his primary teachers of his covenant children.
Therefore the Christian family is a functioning learning community. In Judges 2:6-11 we read,
When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. 8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years… 10And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. 11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
When the families obeyed Deuteronomy 6 their children were faithful, but when they failed to teach the children of the covenant the did not know the Lord so they walked in wickedness. God is calling parents to teach, teach, teach. But it is not enough to know that covenant parents are teachers, what must be taught and who is to be taught? It is clear from the above two texts that the true God revealed in Scripture is central to what is taught. He is the true God who has entered into relationship with his people through covenant. Therefore everything that is to be learned is to be understood in the revelation of who God is and what he is doing in relationship to his people. I will seek to build on this idea in a forthcoming article. But in the space remaining here I want to focus on who it is that parents in the covenant are called to teach.
Those who Christian parents are called to teach are covenantal beings. God has entered into a relationship with parents who believe in Christ for salvation and has sealed that relationship with his own blood. These parents do not belong to themselves having been bought with a price. Therefore, the children that are given them are a gift from God to be raised in the promise of the covenant. These children are covenantal beings made for a relationship with God. They are made and put in homes of the covenant to love, serve and obey the triune God. Everything the covenant child does, thinks and says was purposed by God to be done in loving submission to him. These children are covenantal beings made for worship. As one author puts it, “Everything a child does, everything a child desires, every thought he thinks and every choice he makes, every relationship he pursues and every action he takes is somehow an expression of worship…There is a vertical, Godward dimension to every horizontal, interpersonal action.” If they are being taught to live in loving joyful submission to the triune God they are being taught to worship. Their worship will be directed Godward or toward something or someone else. These children are covenantal beings whose lives are shaped and controlled by whatever they worship. In every moment covenant children are living as a creature in worshipful obedience to God or they are exchanging God for some aspect of his world they are living to posses for their own glory. Who and what they worship effects who they are and what they do.
Christian parents are called to teach children in God’s covenant who are made for relationship with God, who will worship and who will be shaped by who or what they worship. When Christian parents sit or walk by the way with their children they must instruct them in the knowledge of God in all areas of life while they continually remember who it is they are teaching.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Lord's Day Obedience
Loving God by living for his pleasure engages all of life, even life on Sunday. Some may take Jesus' words that man was not made for the sabbath but the sabbath for the man in a way that allows them to go where they wish and do what they will on the Lord's Day. But to do this is to misconstrue his meaning.
The sabbath command is part of the moral law that instructs us what is the pleasure of God. His pleasure is for his people to keep it as they cease from their labors and find their rest and refreshment in the knowledge and enjoyment of who his is. And it is in the context of his peoples covenant keeping that he uses his means of grace to make his people like himself. God delights in himself and in himself being known and enjoyed so he has given us a day in his presence for his own pleasure and our joy in him.
Keeping the Lord's Day Holy is part of keeping all God's commandments. Jesus says if you love me you will keep my commandments. He did not say some of them or just the ones you like or the ones that are not a cultural taboo. No, he said his commandments. And we wonder why we are so weak spiritually as a church and why the church has such little or even an ill effect upon the culture? Maybe the test of whether we have lost our first love is whether we want to be in the presence of the one we say we love. Keeping the Lord's Day is about grace filled lives doing the pleasure of God and calling it a delight.
Phillip Ryken in his commentary on Exodus has a poem written by Seitze Buning that magnifies the truth that keeping the Lord's Day holy is a part of the whole life that Christians live in obedience to their Lord. He grew up in a Dutch reformed home and this poem is reflection on what he learned from his parents about keeping the Lord's Day holy.
Were my parents right or wrong not to mow the ripe oats that Sunday morning with the rainstorm threatening?
I reminded them that the Sabbath was made for man and of the ox fallen into the pit. Without an oats crop, I argued, the cattle would need to survive on town bought oats and then it wouldn't pay to keep them. Isn't selling cattle at a loss like an ox in a pit?
My parents did not argue. We went to church. We sang the usual psalms louder than usual. We, and the others whose harvests were at stake...
For more floods came and more winds blew and beat upon that House than we had figured on, even, more lighting and thunder and hail the size of pullet eggs. Falling branches snapped the electric wires. We sang the closing psalm without the organ and in the dark. Afterward we rode by our oat field flattened.
"We still will mow it," Dad said. "Ten bushels to the acre, maybe, what would have been fifty if I had mowed right after milking and if the whole family had shocked. We could have had it weatherproof before the storm."
Later at dinner Dad said, "God was testing us. I am glad we went. Those psalms never gave me such a lift as this morning." Mother said, "I wouldn't have missed it." And even I thought but did not say. How guilty we would feel now if we had saved the harvest.
The one time Dad asked me why I live in a Black neighborhood. I reminded him of that Sunday morning. Immediately he understood.
What is the connection between keeping the Lord's Day holy and loving your neighbor across racial lines? Keeping one commandment is a part of keeping all the commandments. The whole life of the Christian in obedience by faith in Christ through his grace is pleasing to God and a blessing to his creatures.
The sabbath command is part of the moral law that instructs us what is the pleasure of God. His pleasure is for his people to keep it as they cease from their labors and find their rest and refreshment in the knowledge and enjoyment of who his is. And it is in the context of his peoples covenant keeping that he uses his means of grace to make his people like himself. God delights in himself and in himself being known and enjoyed so he has given us a day in his presence for his own pleasure and our joy in him.
Keeping the Lord's Day Holy is part of keeping all God's commandments. Jesus says if you love me you will keep my commandments. He did not say some of them or just the ones you like or the ones that are not a cultural taboo. No, he said his commandments. And we wonder why we are so weak spiritually as a church and why the church has such little or even an ill effect upon the culture? Maybe the test of whether we have lost our first love is whether we want to be in the presence of the one we say we love. Keeping the Lord's Day is about grace filled lives doing the pleasure of God and calling it a delight.
Phillip Ryken in his commentary on Exodus has a poem written by Seitze Buning that magnifies the truth that keeping the Lord's Day holy is a part of the whole life that Christians live in obedience to their Lord. He grew up in a Dutch reformed home and this poem is reflection on what he learned from his parents about keeping the Lord's Day holy.
Were my parents right or wrong not to mow the ripe oats that Sunday morning with the rainstorm threatening?
I reminded them that the Sabbath was made for man and of the ox fallen into the pit. Without an oats crop, I argued, the cattle would need to survive on town bought oats and then it wouldn't pay to keep them. Isn't selling cattle at a loss like an ox in a pit?
My parents did not argue. We went to church. We sang the usual psalms louder than usual. We, and the others whose harvests were at stake...
For more floods came and more winds blew and beat upon that House than we had figured on, even, more lighting and thunder and hail the size of pullet eggs. Falling branches snapped the electric wires. We sang the closing psalm without the organ and in the dark. Afterward we rode by our oat field flattened.
"We still will mow it," Dad said. "Ten bushels to the acre, maybe, what would have been fifty if I had mowed right after milking and if the whole family had shocked. We could have had it weatherproof before the storm."
Later at dinner Dad said, "God was testing us. I am glad we went. Those psalms never gave me such a lift as this morning." Mother said, "I wouldn't have missed it." And even I thought but did not say. How guilty we would feel now if we had saved the harvest.
The one time Dad asked me why I live in a Black neighborhood. I reminded him of that Sunday morning. Immediately he understood.
What is the connection between keeping the Lord's Day holy and loving your neighbor across racial lines? Keeping one commandment is a part of keeping all the commandments. The whole life of the Christian in obedience by faith in Christ through his grace is pleasing to God and a blessing to his creatures.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Why Johnny Can't Preach
I picked up T. David Gordon's book, Why Johnny Can't Preach, this week and enjoyed a good kick in the shins on my day off. He writes in a helpful manner addressing the weakness of preaching in the church today. And he helped me understand a little better, Why Jimmy Can't Preach, while at the same time setting me on the faithful path of becoming a better preacher.
However, there are three questions that he mentions using each week in hearing sermons that I thought would be particularly helpful to those in the congregation. Here is a slightly tweeked version of his three questions:
1. What was the point or thrust of the sermon?
2. How was the point adequately established in the text that was read?
3. How were the applications legitimate to the point of the sermon and how do these spur our conversation about other possible applications?
Johnny and Jimmy are ambassadors bringing forth to the subjects of the kingdom the Word of the King. Therefore Billy and Jenny are to worship the King with a faithful ordered approach to hearing Him in His Word. I pray these questions will assist Billy and Jenny to listen by faith in worship and respond by faith to keep the Lord's Day holy in conversation.
However, there are three questions that he mentions using each week in hearing sermons that I thought would be particularly helpful to those in the congregation. Here is a slightly tweeked version of his three questions:
1. What was the point or thrust of the sermon?
2. How was the point adequately established in the text that was read?
3. How were the applications legitimate to the point of the sermon and how do these spur our conversation about other possible applications?
Johnny and Jimmy are ambassadors bringing forth to the subjects of the kingdom the Word of the King. Therefore Billy and Jenny are to worship the King with a faithful ordered approach to hearing Him in His Word. I pray these questions will assist Billy and Jenny to listen by faith in worship and respond by faith to keep the Lord's Day holy in conversation.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Praying the Lord's Prayer
Martin Luther was asked by his barber, Peter, if he would teach him to pray. Luther responded to this request by writing a 76 page tract, A Simple Way to Pray, dedicated to Peter, the Master Barber. This tract is a wealth of instruction on prayer from a man who took to prayer daily and for hours on end, not because he did not have much to do, but because of all he had been given by his Lord to do. The following is an excerpt from his instructions on how to pray through the Lord’s prayer as given by Christ in the gospels. Pray this way,
“O Heavenly Father, dear God, I am a poor unworthy sinner. I do not deserve to raise my eyes or hands toward thee or to pray. But because thou hast commanded us all to pray and hast promised to hear us and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ hast taught us beth how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to thy word, trusting in thy gracious promise. I pray in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ together with all thy saints and Christians on earth as he has taught us: Our Father who art, etc., through the whole prayer, word for word.”
“Then repeat one part or as much as you wish, perhaps the first petition: "Hallowed be thy name," and say: "Yes, Lord God, dear Father, hallowed be thy name, both in us and throughout the whole world. Destroy and root out the abominations, idolatry, and heresy of the Turk, the pope, and all false teachers and fanatics who wrongly use thy name and in scandalous ways take it in vain and horribly blaspheme it. They insistently boast that they teach thy word and the laws of the church, though they really use the devil's deceit and trickery in thy name to wretchedly seduce many poor souls throughout the world, even killing and shedding much innocent blood, and in such persecution they believe that they render thee a divine service.
Dear Lord God, convert and restrain [them]. Convert those who are still to be converted that they with us and we with them may hallow and praise thy name, both with true and pure doctrine and with a good and holy life. Restrain those who are unwilling to be converted so that they be forced to cease from misusing, defiling, and dishonoring thy holy name and from misleading the poor people. Amen."
“The second petition: "Thy kingdom come." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, thou seest how worldly wisdom and reason not only profane thy name and ascribe the honor due to thee to lies and to the devil, but how they also take the power, might, wealth and glory which thou hast given them on earth for ruling the world and thus serving thee, and use it in their own ambition to oppose thy kingdom. They are many and mighty; they plague and hinder the tiny flock of thy kingdom who are weak, despised, and few. They will not tolerate thy flock on earth and think that by plaguing them they render a great and godly service to thee. Dear Lord, God and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who are still to become children and members of thy kingdom so that they with us and we with them may serve thee in thy kingdom in true faith and unfeigned love and that from thy kingdom which has begun, we may enter into thy eternal kingdom. Defend us against those who will not turn away their might and power from the destruction of thy kingdom so that when they are east down from their thrones and humbled, they will have to cease from their efforts. Amen."
“The third petition. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, thou knowest that the world, if it cannot destroy thy name or root out thy kingdom, is busy day and night with wicked tricks and schemes, strange conspiracies and intrigue, huddling together in secret counsel, giving mutual encouragement and support, raging and threatening and going about with every evil intention to destroy thy name, word, kingdom, and children. Therefore, dear Lord, God and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who have yet to acknowledge thy good will that they with us and we with them may obey thy will and for thy sake gladly, patiently, and joyously bear every evil, cross, and adversity, and thereby acknowledge, test, and experience thy benign, gracious, and perfect will. But defend us against those who in their rage, fury, hate, threats, and evil desires do not cease to do us harm. Make their wicked schemes, tricks, and devices to come to nothing so that these may be turned against them, as we sing in Psalm 7 [: 16]."
“The fourth petition. "Give us this day our daily bread." Say: "Dear Lord, God and Father, grant us thy blessing also in this temporal and physical life. Graciously grant us blessed peace. Protect us against war and disorder. Grant to our dear emperor fortune and success against his enemies. Grant him wisdom and understanding to rule over his earthly kingdom in peace and prosperity. Grant to all kings, princes, and rulers good counsel and the will to preserve their domains and their subjects in tranquillity and justice. Especially aid and guide our dear prince N., under whose protection and shelter thou dost maintain us, so that he may be protected against all harm and reign blessedly, secure from evil tongues and disloyal people. Grant to all his subjects grace to serve him loyally and obediently. Grant to every estate-townsman or farmer-to be diligent and to display charity and loyalty toward each other. Give us favorable weather and good harvest. I commend to thee my house and property, wife and child. Grant that I may manage them well, supporting and educating them as a Christian should. Defend us against the Destroyer and all his wicked angels who would do us harm and mischief in this life. Amen."
“The fifth petition. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, enter not into judgment against us because no man living is justified before thee. Do not count it against us as a sin that we are so unthankful for thine ineffable goodness, spiritual and physical, or that we stray into sin many times every day, more often than we can know or recognize, Psalm 19 [:12]. Do not look upon how good or how wicked we have been but only upon the infinite compassion which thou hast bestowed upon us in Christ, thy dear Son. Grant forgiveness also to those who have harmed or wronged us, as we forgive them from our hearts. They inflict the greatest injury upon themselves by arousing thy anger in their actions toward us. We are not helped by their ruin; we would much rather that they be saved with us. Amen." (Anyone who feels unable to forgive, let him ask for grace so that he can forgive; but that belongs in a sermon.)
“The sixth petition. "And lead us not into temptation." Say: "O dear Lord, Father and God, keep us fit and alert, eager and diligent in thy word and service, so that we do not become complacent, lazy, and slothful as though we had already achieved everything. In that way the fearful devil cannot fall upon us, surprise us, and deprive us of thy precious word or stir up strife and factions among us and lead us into other sin and disgrace, both spiritually and physically. Rather grant us wisdom and strength through thy spirit that we may valiantly resist him and gain the victory. Amen."
“The seventh petition. "But deliver us from evil." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, this wretched life is so full of misery and calamity, of danger and uncertainty, so full of malice and faithlessness (as St. Paul says, "The days are evil" [Eph. 5:16]) that we might rightfully grow weary of life and long for death. But thou, dear Father, knowest our frailty; therefore help us to pass in safety through so much wickedness and villainy; and, when our last hour comes, in thy mercy grant us a blessed departure from this vale of sorrows so that in the face of death we do not become fearful or despondent but in firm faith commit our souls into thy hands. Amen."
Finally, mark this, that you must always speak the Amen firmly. Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say "yes" to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common, united petition which God cannot disdain. Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, "Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth." That is what Amen means."
Maurice Roberts claims that our weakness in prayer is due to our weakness in God’s Word. I would suggest we learn to pray with the Word of God in our laps, on our dinner tables and desks, so that we will be fervant in prayer in accord with God’s revealed will. Lord teach us to pray and give us the zeal to thirst for you and your will to be done in prayer.
“O Heavenly Father, dear God, I am a poor unworthy sinner. I do not deserve to raise my eyes or hands toward thee or to pray. But because thou hast commanded us all to pray and hast promised to hear us and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ hast taught us beth how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to thy word, trusting in thy gracious promise. I pray in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ together with all thy saints and Christians on earth as he has taught us: Our Father who art, etc., through the whole prayer, word for word.”
“Then repeat one part or as much as you wish, perhaps the first petition: "Hallowed be thy name," and say: "Yes, Lord God, dear Father, hallowed be thy name, both in us and throughout the whole world. Destroy and root out the abominations, idolatry, and heresy of the Turk, the pope, and all false teachers and fanatics who wrongly use thy name and in scandalous ways take it in vain and horribly blaspheme it. They insistently boast that they teach thy word and the laws of the church, though they really use the devil's deceit and trickery in thy name to wretchedly seduce many poor souls throughout the world, even killing and shedding much innocent blood, and in such persecution they believe that they render thee a divine service.
Dear Lord God, convert and restrain [them]. Convert those who are still to be converted that they with us and we with them may hallow and praise thy name, both with true and pure doctrine and with a good and holy life. Restrain those who are unwilling to be converted so that they be forced to cease from misusing, defiling, and dishonoring thy holy name and from misleading the poor people. Amen."
“The second petition: "Thy kingdom come." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, thou seest how worldly wisdom and reason not only profane thy name and ascribe the honor due to thee to lies and to the devil, but how they also take the power, might, wealth and glory which thou hast given them on earth for ruling the world and thus serving thee, and use it in their own ambition to oppose thy kingdom. They are many and mighty; they plague and hinder the tiny flock of thy kingdom who are weak, despised, and few. They will not tolerate thy flock on earth and think that by plaguing them they render a great and godly service to thee. Dear Lord, God and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who are still to become children and members of thy kingdom so that they with us and we with them may serve thee in thy kingdom in true faith and unfeigned love and that from thy kingdom which has begun, we may enter into thy eternal kingdom. Defend us against those who will not turn away their might and power from the destruction of thy kingdom so that when they are east down from their thrones and humbled, they will have to cease from their efforts. Amen."
“The third petition. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, thou knowest that the world, if it cannot destroy thy name or root out thy kingdom, is busy day and night with wicked tricks and schemes, strange conspiracies and intrigue, huddling together in secret counsel, giving mutual encouragement and support, raging and threatening and going about with every evil intention to destroy thy name, word, kingdom, and children. Therefore, dear Lord, God and Father, convert them and defend us. Convert those who have yet to acknowledge thy good will that they with us and we with them may obey thy will and for thy sake gladly, patiently, and joyously bear every evil, cross, and adversity, and thereby acknowledge, test, and experience thy benign, gracious, and perfect will. But defend us against those who in their rage, fury, hate, threats, and evil desires do not cease to do us harm. Make their wicked schemes, tricks, and devices to come to nothing so that these may be turned against them, as we sing in Psalm 7 [: 16]."
“The fourth petition. "Give us this day our daily bread." Say: "Dear Lord, God and Father, grant us thy blessing also in this temporal and physical life. Graciously grant us blessed peace. Protect us against war and disorder. Grant to our dear emperor fortune and success against his enemies. Grant him wisdom and understanding to rule over his earthly kingdom in peace and prosperity. Grant to all kings, princes, and rulers good counsel and the will to preserve their domains and their subjects in tranquillity and justice. Especially aid and guide our dear prince N., under whose protection and shelter thou dost maintain us, so that he may be protected against all harm and reign blessedly, secure from evil tongues and disloyal people. Grant to all his subjects grace to serve him loyally and obediently. Grant to every estate-townsman or farmer-to be diligent and to display charity and loyalty toward each other. Give us favorable weather and good harvest. I commend to thee my house and property, wife and child. Grant that I may manage them well, supporting and educating them as a Christian should. Defend us against the Destroyer and all his wicked angels who would do us harm and mischief in this life. Amen."
“The fifth petition. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, enter not into judgment against us because no man living is justified before thee. Do not count it against us as a sin that we are so unthankful for thine ineffable goodness, spiritual and physical, or that we stray into sin many times every day, more often than we can know or recognize, Psalm 19 [:12]. Do not look upon how good or how wicked we have been but only upon the infinite compassion which thou hast bestowed upon us in Christ, thy dear Son. Grant forgiveness also to those who have harmed or wronged us, as we forgive them from our hearts. They inflict the greatest injury upon themselves by arousing thy anger in their actions toward us. We are not helped by their ruin; we would much rather that they be saved with us. Amen." (Anyone who feels unable to forgive, let him ask for grace so that he can forgive; but that belongs in a sermon.)
“The sixth petition. "And lead us not into temptation." Say: "O dear Lord, Father and God, keep us fit and alert, eager and diligent in thy word and service, so that we do not become complacent, lazy, and slothful as though we had already achieved everything. In that way the fearful devil cannot fall upon us, surprise us, and deprive us of thy precious word or stir up strife and factions among us and lead us into other sin and disgrace, both spiritually and physically. Rather grant us wisdom and strength through thy spirit that we may valiantly resist him and gain the victory. Amen."
“The seventh petition. "But deliver us from evil." Say: "O dear Lord, God and Father, this wretched life is so full of misery and calamity, of danger and uncertainty, so full of malice and faithlessness (as St. Paul says, "The days are evil" [Eph. 5:16]) that we might rightfully grow weary of life and long for death. But thou, dear Father, knowest our frailty; therefore help us to pass in safety through so much wickedness and villainy; and, when our last hour comes, in thy mercy grant us a blessed departure from this vale of sorrows so that in the face of death we do not become fearful or despondent but in firm faith commit our souls into thy hands. Amen."
Finally, mark this, that you must always speak the Amen firmly. Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say "yes" to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common, united petition which God cannot disdain. Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, "Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth." That is what Amen means."
Maurice Roberts claims that our weakness in prayer is due to our weakness in God’s Word. I would suggest we learn to pray with the Word of God in our laps, on our dinner tables and desks, so that we will be fervant in prayer in accord with God’s revealed will. Lord teach us to pray and give us the zeal to thirst for you and your will to be done in prayer.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Another Surprising Work of God
Some things seem to good to be true. When we hear someone speaking of an event in their past we often hear with cynical ears their story thinking they are romanticizing the truth or painting a picture that is unrealistic. This is a plague of our age. We cannot believe what is given us from the past. We must be skeptical and distrusting of the story teller. Therefore when I read Jonathan Edwards, "A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God", among the people and the church of Northampton it seems to good to be true. Read for yourself,
"There was scarcely a single person in the town, old or young, left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world. Those who were wont to be the vainest and loosest, and those who had been disposed to think and speak lightly of vital and experimental religion, were now generally subject to great awakenings. And the work of conversion was carried on in a most astonishing manner, and increased more and more; souls did as it were come by flocks to Jesus Christ. From day to day for many months together, might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out of darkness into marvellous light, and delivered out of an horrible pit, and from the miry clay, and set upon a rock, with a new song of praise to God in their mouths.
This work of God, as it was carried on, and the number of true saints multiplied, soon made a glorious alteration in the town: so that in the spring and summer following, anno 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor of joy, and yet so full of distress, as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on account of salvation being brought to them; parents rejoicing over their children as new born, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The doings of God were then seen in His sanctuary, God's day was a delight, and His tabernacles were amiable. Our public assemblies were then beautiful: the congregation was alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors."
Is it to good to be true? I believe this is why the narrative is entitled "A Surprising Work of God". In our unbelief we do not think that God can do something like this among us, and we only look to the work we can do which is nothing. But the work of God among these people brought about conversions that lead to worship, fellowship and work that was glorifying to God and only explainable by the work of God. This is what God does when he rends the heavens and comes down.
The church must be faithful to her Lord each day while she longs for him to do a work like this among her and in the cities where she is planted. God came in this surprising way among his church while they faithfully worshiped in and around his Word. They sang the Psalms, read the Word in worship, preached long God centered sermons from God's Word and prayed. They did not devise a way for his coming, that would not be surprising but calculated. But they were faithful in seeking to be pleasing to the Lord and not man in their worship and work in accordance with his will. May we be found faithful and longing for his glory to be revealed in his coming upon his church through a surprising work. What you see here in the past is true and is good. Let us pray for it in the present.
"There was scarcely a single person in the town, old or young, left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world. Those who were wont to be the vainest and loosest, and those who had been disposed to think and speak lightly of vital and experimental religion, were now generally subject to great awakenings. And the work of conversion was carried on in a most astonishing manner, and increased more and more; souls did as it were come by flocks to Jesus Christ. From day to day for many months together, might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out of darkness into marvellous light, and delivered out of an horrible pit, and from the miry clay, and set upon a rock, with a new song of praise to God in their mouths.
This work of God, as it was carried on, and the number of true saints multiplied, soon made a glorious alteration in the town: so that in the spring and summer following, anno 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor of joy, and yet so full of distress, as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on account of salvation being brought to them; parents rejoicing over their children as new born, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The doings of God were then seen in His sanctuary, God's day was a delight, and His tabernacles were amiable. Our public assemblies were then beautiful: the congregation was alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors."
Is it to good to be true? I believe this is why the narrative is entitled "A Surprising Work of God". In our unbelief we do not think that God can do something like this among us, and we only look to the work we can do which is nothing. But the work of God among these people brought about conversions that lead to worship, fellowship and work that was glorifying to God and only explainable by the work of God. This is what God does when he rends the heavens and comes down.
The church must be faithful to her Lord each day while she longs for him to do a work like this among her and in the cities where she is planted. God came in this surprising way among his church while they faithfully worshiped in and around his Word. They sang the Psalms, read the Word in worship, preached long God centered sermons from God's Word and prayed. They did not devise a way for his coming, that would not be surprising but calculated. But they were faithful in seeking to be pleasing to the Lord and not man in their worship and work in accordance with his will. May we be found faithful and longing for his glory to be revealed in his coming upon his church through a surprising work. What you see here in the past is true and is good. Let us pray for it in the present.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Surprising Work of God
In 1737 and 1738 Jonathan Edwards manuscript, A Faithful Narrative Of The Surprising Work of God, describing the awakening of 1735 was published in London and America. He wrote the manuscript to give ministers and others who had inquired an accurate description of this profound work of God during his ministry at Northhampton Massachusetts.
I enjoy repeatedly picking up this work to be encouraged by what God has done in the past in his church and to goad my hope and praying for this kind of work of God in the present. While reading an excerpt over lunch today I was struck by these words of Edwards describing the effect he was seeing among the people in their town:
"Presently upon this a great earnest concern about the great things of religion and the eternal world became universal in all parts of the town, and among persons of all degrees and all ages; the noise among the dry bones waxed louder and louder; all other talk but about spiritual and eternal things was soon thrown by; all the conversations in all companies, and upon all occasions, was upon these things only, unless so much as was necessary for people carrying on their ordinary secular business. Other discourse than of the things of religion would scarcely be tolerated in any company. The minds of people were wonderfully taken off from the world; it was treated among us as a thing of very little consequence; they seemed to follow their worldly business more as a part of their duty than from any disposition they had to it; ... But though the people did not ordinarily neglect their worldly business, yet there then was the reverse of what commonly is: religion was with all classes the great concern, and the world was a thing only by the by. The only thing in their view was to get to the kingdom of heaven, and every one appeared pressing into it; the engagedness of their hearts in this great concern could not be hid; it appeared in their countenances. It then was a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ, in danger everyday of dropping into hell; and what persons minds were intent upon was to escape for their lives, and to fly from the wrath to come."
This work of God that Edwards witnessed was profound in that it made the business of the world as insignificant in comparison to the matters of God's kingdom. During this period of history in America a little over 10% of the population were church members. Their minds, hearts and lives were greatly engaged in their affairs, their business in the world. But when the Holy Spirit fell upon them through the faithful preaching of God's Word and the earnest prayers of the saints, they suddenly became engaged by God and those things associated with his gospel and kingdom.
We scarcely today walk away from the pew before a conversation begins about our business or someone else's business in the world. In our day the opposite is true as that of the awakening in 1735. People do not tolerate talk about the gospel or the kingdom in our towns. That is a private matter that is not to be tolerated in our cities. We must talk about the business of the day and only of God as he benefits our prosperity, power and leisure. Can you imagine living in a town, city or church where the things of the world pale in significance to the things of the kingdom, where peoples greatest concern is their assurance of salvation through God's grace in Christ and their holiness of life lived by faith in Christ?
I respond to this by weeping for my own coldness of heart, the state of the church, and the city I live in where God and his kingdom is treated so trivially. But I turn to the Scriptures to study and pray over them that God's Word may be preached faithfully this coming week, I plead with God to come with power to bring his church to repentance and faith, and I plead with him to come with converting power upon those dead in their sins and suffering under his wrath. I long for a surprising work of God.
I enjoy repeatedly picking up this work to be encouraged by what God has done in the past in his church and to goad my hope and praying for this kind of work of God in the present. While reading an excerpt over lunch today I was struck by these words of Edwards describing the effect he was seeing among the people in their town:
"Presently upon this a great earnest concern about the great things of religion and the eternal world became universal in all parts of the town, and among persons of all degrees and all ages; the noise among the dry bones waxed louder and louder; all other talk but about spiritual and eternal things was soon thrown by; all the conversations in all companies, and upon all occasions, was upon these things only, unless so much as was necessary for people carrying on their ordinary secular business. Other discourse than of the things of religion would scarcely be tolerated in any company. The minds of people were wonderfully taken off from the world; it was treated among us as a thing of very little consequence; they seemed to follow their worldly business more as a part of their duty than from any disposition they had to it; ... But though the people did not ordinarily neglect their worldly business, yet there then was the reverse of what commonly is: religion was with all classes the great concern, and the world was a thing only by the by. The only thing in their view was to get to the kingdom of heaven, and every one appeared pressing into it; the engagedness of their hearts in this great concern could not be hid; it appeared in their countenances. It then was a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ, in danger everyday of dropping into hell; and what persons minds were intent upon was to escape for their lives, and to fly from the wrath to come."
This work of God that Edwards witnessed was profound in that it made the business of the world as insignificant in comparison to the matters of God's kingdom. During this period of history in America a little over 10% of the population were church members. Their minds, hearts and lives were greatly engaged in their affairs, their business in the world. But when the Holy Spirit fell upon them through the faithful preaching of God's Word and the earnest prayers of the saints, they suddenly became engaged by God and those things associated with his gospel and kingdom.
We scarcely today walk away from the pew before a conversation begins about our business or someone else's business in the world. In our day the opposite is true as that of the awakening in 1735. People do not tolerate talk about the gospel or the kingdom in our towns. That is a private matter that is not to be tolerated in our cities. We must talk about the business of the day and only of God as he benefits our prosperity, power and leisure. Can you imagine living in a town, city or church where the things of the world pale in significance to the things of the kingdom, where peoples greatest concern is their assurance of salvation through God's grace in Christ and their holiness of life lived by faith in Christ?
I respond to this by weeping for my own coldness of heart, the state of the church, and the city I live in where God and his kingdom is treated so trivially. But I turn to the Scriptures to study and pray over them that God's Word may be preached faithfully this coming week, I plead with God to come with power to bring his church to repentance and faith, and I plead with him to come with converting power upon those dead in their sins and suffering under his wrath. I long for a surprising work of God.
Confrontation
One of the marks of the body of Christ is loving one another through biblical confrontation. Please do not misunderstand me. The mark of loving biblical confrontation does not look anything like a person in the church with the "gift of discernment" who confronts others with a critical spirit. Neither does it resemble the confrontation we see or hear among the news media for the purpose of defending liberty and freedom. Loving biblical confrontation follows the commands of the writer of Hebrews who says, "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13) The apostle Paul also exhorts the church, "Brothers (brothers and sisters), if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness." (Galatians 6:1) Therefore the church is called to lovingly confront one another when struggling with sin in a biblical manner so that the church may endure and persevere in following Christ for his glory in the way of holiness. Confrontation is necessary between brothers and sisters in the church, between husbands and wives, children and their parents and other relationships within the church.
I was reminded of this while reading a blog post by pastor Thabiti Anyabwile. In his post he summarizes Paul Tripps instruction on confrontation using the acrostic ENCOURAGE from his book War of Words. I encourage you to read the post and order a copy of Paul Tripps book. I think both are helpful during a time when we are not sure how to carry out loving biblical confrontation.
I was reminded of this while reading a blog post by pastor Thabiti Anyabwile. In his post he summarizes Paul Tripps instruction on confrontation using the acrostic ENCOURAGE from his book War of Words. I encourage you to read the post and order a copy of Paul Tripps book. I think both are helpful during a time when we are not sure how to carry out loving biblical confrontation.
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