I think this is an especially pertinent point of interest in a post modern, avant gard culture that is obsessed with figure head mentality, experimental ideas and cultural tribalism. The cult of personality as it were continues to linger. In this environment it is commonplace for people to gravitate towards characters or personalities who exemplify certain characteristics and proclivity's that they either identify with or characteristics and proclivity's that they are devoid of. It's a very externalistic and superficial climate. The other side of this coin is the crux of providing an appealing atmosphere or sub-culture that becomes the locus of attraction as a way to appeal to these sub-cultural tribes.
Within this culture personalities and atomospheres are embraced for all the wrong reasons. They are promoted or embraced because they are different, because they are dynamic, because they are 'controversial', because they are seemingly anti-establishment in rhetoric or theatrics, so forth and so on. I fear that when this is appealed to, though, all that is being accomplished is that of 'caricatures'. In other words, personalities attract only those folk who identify with those characteristics. This is disingenuous though. It is not so much the message that attracts people or the 'truth' that attracts people but the methodology, the theatrics or the personality. Tribalism carries the day instead of truism.
This creates a culture of superficiality and 'drones' who are committed to the new hype or the latest rhetorical fad instead of the message. (There are of course exceptions to this.)
Christ's own ministry underscores this point...Jesus attracted large crowds because of His dynamic personality and 'miraculous' ministry or activity that generated an electric atmosphere. However, we find that when He spoke difficult truths or when His rhetoric became perspectivally intrusive many abandoned Him.
I think it beneficial for ministers or ministries to counteract this generic 'attraction' or superficial 'gravitation' by balancing their respective 'cultural ghetto' or 'theatrical leitmotifs' with truths that are presented in a counter-cultural manner to that 'cultural market'. Is the church to be focused on such fleeting cultural dynamics?? I think not, for it inevitably breeds cultural relativism and cloistered communities. Of course we should become all things to all in order to win some (I Cor.9:19-23)....so long as we aren't reinforcing 'fleeting trends' (Rom.12:2) to the extent that those cultural traditions become the element of interest and not the message of the gospel.
Not only do we need to counteract the modus vivendi of advancing culture over message we also need to contend with promoting ministers over Christ. People have the tendency to also gravitate towards 'servants' rather than He whom servants serve as I have alluded to above. (To be sure these two are more often than not inextricably bound.) Whenever and wherever ministers do not counteract the attraction of people to personalities or personal allure they risk creating a loyalty and/or dependency upon themselves amongst the rank and file of their congregations. This is known as the 'fanbase' in the variegated sphere of entertainment.
Paul addressed the church at Corinth regarding this mentality of polarizing to figure heads. Some were following Cephas(Peter), Apollos, Paul et cetera. (I Cor.1-4) Paul repudiated this credulity and went on to describe those who who were romanticising 'men' as babes and men of the flesh (I Cor.3:1-5). Paul eventually interjected that they were to be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards of the gospel (I Cor.4:1) Paul consciously and deliberately counteracted figure head mentality by saying elsewhere, "follow me, as I follow Christ" (I Cor. 11:1). We must vigorously reinforce Christ within the hearts and minds of the church. He alone is head of the church..Ministers are but servants of Christ, under-shepherds of The good Shepherd!! We must not be in the business of making personal disciples but in making Christian disciples. Its not about personal followship but Christian discipleship.
Some will contend that Paul also listed Christ followers as an unhealthy faction in I Corinthians 1. This shows a superficial handling of scripture. For that would itself contradict Christ's own statement, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself pick up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34) Paul's remark in I Corinthians about those who tout following Christ exclusively was in the context of division. Paul's point there was not that following Christ was wrong but that using that attitude as an elitist claim that contributed to division.
We must make concerted effort to direct peoples attention to Christ and Christ alone. This means comporting ourselves in a humble manner that always defers to Jesus in all things. When aggrandized and honored we must respond by attributing whatever is being praised to the grace of our Lord. As Paul advanced, "I am what I am by the grace of God" (I Cor.15) and again,"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (I Cor.1:31)
Manifold wisdom. This is a unique phrase employed by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. A letter that acutely advances a robust doctrine of the church. Accordingly, for the apostle it is the church that makes known God's manifold wisdom. Manifold wisdom is a phrase that envisages the comprehensiveness of God's mysterious plan of reconciliation that he is continuing to work out. A conciliatory plan that involves uniting "all things in him (Christ), things in heaven and things on earth"(Eph.1:10).
The church not only serves to 'make known' this plan of conciliation she is the agency through which God is uniting all things in Christ. This cannot be overlooked or downplayed. We, the church, exist to make known God's plan of reconciliation and this necessarily makes known God's wisdom in bringing that plan of reconciliation about. These two are inextricably bound. What a role we as the church play in God's plan of uniting all things in Christ!
Now, we must realize that this involves more than theory or idea. Paul's understanding of the church making known God's wisdom as a reconciled 'household of God' is to be actualized or lived out as we, the church, have indeed been reconciled with God and one another as we are united in Christ.
Again, Paul understands that making known God's wisdom directly relates to God's plan of reconciliation in Christ. A plan, of course, involving man's reconciliation. This is why he proceeds to build upon or expand upon this assertion practically. In chapter 4 he emphasizes being 'one' (4:7) and being a body that is growing together as everyone who is apart of the church is ministering to one another (4:12,16) while maintaining a 'unity of faith' (4:13-14). After all we are all members of one household (2:13-22).
From here Paul continues - throughout 4:17-5:21- to remind the Ephesians of their new life in Christ. They are no longer the Gentiles who were separated from God due their sinful and depraved condition. The life they are to now live is a life that promotes their having been reconciled to God in contradistinction to their former lives that were alienated from God (4:18). They are also no longer to allow that divided existence, due to sinful practices, to fracture their oneness for 'we are members one of another' (4:25) Therefore, any behavior that breeds fracturing is to be done away with and jettisoned (4:25-32). This is why Paul concludes chapter 4 saying, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving on another, as God in Christ forgave you." (4:32).
Paul concludes with emphasis upon forgiving one another because of his overarching point. The salient point of chapter 3. We, as the church are to exist as one household. A household of reconciliation who comport ourselves in such a way that makes known the wisdom of God in His plan of unification. As the church we are to major in what advances unity and reconciliation. In so doing we make known the wisdom of God!
The devil on the other hand is involved in the deconstruction of the one church. His plan is to demolish and divide the one church. This is presupposed in Christ's assertion, 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail'. We find this happening throughout the life of the church in the N.T. Paul warns the elders at Ephesus about those who would attempt such tactics(Acts 20:26-31). Christ describes 'ministers' who "kill, steal and destroy' in relation to the church (John 10:7-13). Paul corrects the church her members are fracturing the church due to self serving preferences and traditions (Romans 14-15:7; I Cor.1:10-4).
Whenever these characteristics predominate the plan and wisdom of God is not made known. Instead, the plan and folly of the devil is being made known. This is precisely why Paul writes in Ephesians, where he is advancing making known God's wisdom, "give no opportunity to the devil" (4:27) while encouraging them to 'stand against the schemes of the devil" (6:11). This is also why Paul instructs the Ephesians to submit to one another(5:21). Contentiousness and refusal to submit are devilish qualities that divide and fracture. Even when it appears to be wisdom one is arguing (James 3:13-18). If that wisdom is breeding divisiveness and contentiousness it isn't God's wisdom being made known but demonic wisdom.
God's wisdom is made known where reconciliation abounds whereas the devils folly is made known where division and separation abounds. Again, as the church we are to major in what advances unity and reconciliation. In so doing we make known the wisdom of God!
At Sovereign Grace Church of Lagrange we are presently working through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It has been a thoroughgoing delight. While Romans may very well be a more technical expansion of the mystery of salvation Ephesians represents a more pregnant understanding of the mystery in a more comprehensive treatment; albeit much more succinct. In Ephesians Paul clearly acknowledges his insight into this mystery,
"the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ." (Eph.3:3-4).
Paul is acutely aware of the 'mystery of Christ' (cf. 1 Cor.2:6-13). This mystery, as Paul unfolds according to the insight given him by the Spirit of God in Ephesians 2:11-4:16 and more directly in chapter 3, is that the church is central to 'the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things...' (Eph. 3:9; 1:7c-10). In other words the 'household of God' (Eph.3:19), or the church, is a mainstay or a central component to the 'mystery of Christ' that is now made known!
It is 'through the church' that 'the manifold wisdom of God' is made known (Eph.3:10) and through the church that God is glorified in Christ (Eph.3:21). The church is central to the mystery of Christ!! This is beyond cavil as Ephesians particularly espouses a HIGH VIEW of the church. After all, the church is what Christ is building...in fact. Shouldn't we then have a high view of the church considering it is what Christ is building while also recognizing Paul views suffering imprisonment 'positively' for the sake of the church (Eph. 3:1, 3:13)? And when Paul is speaking positively this way he is referring to the local church not the universal - though it certainly does extend to the church universal.
This last point - that Paul views his imprisonment positively - is worthy of note. Considering that after everything Paul had suffered as he stewarded the ministry of grace he was given for the church and to nevertheless busy himself emphasizing the churches centrality and indispensability only underscores how integral the church is to the mystery of the gospel. And how integral each individual Christian is to the church as contributing and functioning members as each has been given an aspect of grace (Eph.4:7)!
Again, Paul continued to serve the tangible/visible church to the point of imprisonment despite his challenges, disappointments, hurts and persecutions, not just from non-Christians but from Christians within the church. He didn't reject the church or withdrawal and he, beyond anyone else perhaps, had every reason to withdrawal.
Now, the challenges and hurts that Paul experienced are challenges and hurts that will be experienced throughout the history of the church until Christ's return. I know of many who have been devastated by the actions of a single minister or even by a most inauspicious and hurtful happening within the ranks of the church such as division and the like. Its a melancholy truth and perhaps an inevitable one. Inevitable not because we should embrace the eventuality of such things but because we need to be realistic about the ongoing role of lingering sin that we all are dying to daily.
This is precisely why we cannot withdrawal from the church though. Because when the sting of sin strikes the balm of grace is needed. A grace every member of the church is given by Christ!
Maybe you have become disillusioned about the church due to wounds and hurts. They are very real and fresh perhaps. They definitely shouldn't be disregarded or treated arbitrarily either in the name of the centrality of the church. I encourage you not to withdraw from the church. Now, you may need to withdraw from a particular local church but not the local church completely. There are many local churches with a culture of active grace exchange that can and will bring about the needed healing. Beyond that YOU have a measure of grace that the church needs. Allow the hurt/s to motivate and move you to realize that while you have been hurt and need the balm of grace so another within the church who has been hurt needs the balm of grace from you.
Mothers naturally play an integral and indispensable role in the dynamics of children knowing their father. Think about it for a moment. Without the mother, upon conception, a child will not survive. Without the nurture, provision and security of the mother conceived life will not endure. Even after birth the mother's natural provision of breast milk is absolutely necessary for survival. It is only when these basic provisions of a mother are available and enjoyed that life thrives. A child, or new life, NEEDS these provisions or resources in order to live. If the mother isn't in the equation the father never will be. When a child is deprived of these resources or basic provisions, that life will not proliferate. When this happens the child will never thrive, develop or mature to a place of consciousness whereby that child will come to KNOW their father.
This is analogous to the relationship of the children of God the Father with their Mother - The Local & visible church. Or in Augustin's phraseology, "Thy Church, the mother of us all." (Confessions, Book I, Chap.XI,17). Without the nurture, provision and security of the local church as mother the children of God will not know Father God as they ought because they will not be partaking of their mother's provision. To be a bit more explicit, it is impossible to know Father God unless the church is your mother. As Cyprian of Carthage wrote (3rd century A.D.):
“You cannot have God as your Father unless you have the church for your Mother"
After all it is through Mother Church's proclamation of the Gospel that God uses as an outward call to bring us to new life. And it is through the Mother Church's provision et al that we are raised as Father God's adopted children. As John Calvin wrote in his Institutes:
"For there is no other way to enter into life unless this mother [local, visible church] conceive us in her womb, give us birth, nourish us at her breast, and lastly, unless she keep us under her care and guidance, until, putting off mortal flesh, we become like the angels in heaven (Matt. 22:30). Our weakness does not allow us to be dismissed from her school until we have been pupils all our lives" (IV.1.iv)
The primary biblical emphasis of the church being understood this way is in terms of the local, visible, physical & organized expression of CHURCH. It's imperative to understand this crucial biblical distinction related to the aforementioned. Many claim participation or membership in the universal or invisible church. This is a biblical category that basically refers to all who believe in Christ past, present and future regardless of locality or proximity. Scripture clearly affirms the universal/invisible church. However, it is scant compared to the attention the local church receives. The true or invisible/universal church WILL worship locally.
To put it plainly, without going into the minutiae of biblical evidence which is beyond cavil, all of Scripture - or each of the 66 books in the bible - is written to a localized people who physically worship together daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and so on. Even the genre of letters intended to be circular are circulated in a region consisting of organized local church's - be they city churches or house churches (Hebrews possibly being an exception).
Mother Church is where we grow in the grace of Christ. She enables us to grow in our knowledge of God the Father as revealed in Christ Jesus. She encourages us, strengthens us, suffers with us, mourns with us, informs our faith, teaches us, corrects us, comforts us, protects us...She promotes and imparts life. It is through Mother Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph.3:10). It is through Mother Church that Father God receives glory (3:21).
Mother Church is where we grow in the grace of Christ. She enables us to grow in our knowledge of God the Father as revealed in Christ Jesus. She encourages us, strengthens us, suffers with us, mourns with us, informs our faith, teaches us, corrects us, comforts us, protects us...She promotes and imparts life. It is through Mother Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph.3:10). It is through Mother Church that Father God receives glory (3:21).
Sunday morning at Sovereign Grace Church of
Lagrange we considered what it ACTUALLY means to be blessed and how our understanding of blessedness impacts our life. Ephesians 1:3
reveals that Father God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places…”
This is a declarative and determinative
statement. It isn’t a sarcastic open ended remark that is intended to leave us
uncertain or ambivalent. Paul is sure of
this as we should be. This verse reveals that we need to always be aware of our
blessedness. It also reveals how
we should understand our blessed estate in Christ as Father God “has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (vs.3b)
We are indubitably and overwhelmingly
blessed SGC!! The challenge in our day and age relates to how being
‘blessed’ is understood.
Present secular culture imposes a category
of ‘blessedness’ that is alien to Scripture and thus Christian spirituality and
life. Within the church is commonly known as the ‘health & wealth gospel’.
Our blessings are ‘spiritual’ and ‘in the heavenly places’ (vs.3b).
This world or ‘earthly places’ (I John
2:15-17) is not where we are to derive or locate our blessedness from. As John
also writes the Ephesians in I John the ‘things’, ‘desires’ & ‘possessions’
of ‘this world’ are passing away or dying. In other-words, if we locate our
blessedness in this world or according to the priorities of earthly places our
perception and experience of blessedness will die along with it.
Throughout Ephesians Paul deliberately
contrasts ‘heavenly places’ with ‘earthly places’ as a way to properly locate
and understand our ‘blessedness’. The truly blessed
life is wrapped up in spiritual blessings not material wealth or physical well
being. While the latter certainly plays
a role…without the former we are most certainly not ‘ALIVE and WELL’.
The language of blessing in relation to Christians
within Scripture is directly associated with spiritual blessing/s not material
blessing. Material blessing is better understood scripturally as God’s
provision and, of course, provision is an expression of His grace and love.
However, we are well served not to confuse provision with blessing. I wonder if
we have become to earthly minded as opposed to being heavenly minded
(Col.3:1-5).
~Understanding that we have been made ALIVE and WELL
according to the will
of God located in
Christ Jesus (Ch.1-2:10). Christ as the center of salvation not
us.
~Realizing that being ALIVE and WELL involves
participation in the “household
of God” or the
local church (2:11-22). The exchange of life amongst the church is essential to
being ALIVE.
~Participating
in the local church by contributing to the local church according
to the
‘giftedness’ that Christ has bestowed upon you. (4:7-16). This
promotes
LIFE and WELLBEING amongst the church including yourself as part of the church.
When and how are you contributing to local church LIFE and
WELLBEING?
~Praying for LIFE and WELL BEING (3:14:21;
6:10-20). It is incumbent upon us to
pray regularly as
a way of sustaining LIFE and WELL BEING. Solving problems
logically, as
important as this is, isn’t the same as
asking God to create LIFE or
to sustain WELL BEING.
~Separating our ‘old self’ from the ‘new self’ (4:17-5:21). The new LIFE in Christ
promotes a New
manner of LIVING. We will not LIVE according to old, sinful
customs or
practices.
and
businesses/jobs.
Being ALIVE and WELL is not defined according
to ‘401k’s’, ‘date night’ (and I love date night with m’lady), ‘neon parties’, ‘graphic promotional imagery’,
‘old-self culture’, ‘flashy Sunday productions’ and the like. According to
Ephesians ‘being ALIVE and WELL’ is a matter of locating our salvific
blessedness in Christ, as Father God has willed (1:3-2:10), while LIVING out
our NEW LIVES amongst the CHURCH as contributing participants (2:11-4:8-16) and
our respective FAMILIES who LIVE according to that NEW LIFE while leaving the
OLD LIFE of sin behind us (4:17-21).
Growth by degrees. Last Saturday at Sovereign Grace Church of Lagrange we hosted a Leadership Seminar. Aron Osborne with Metro Life Church shared with us from (2 Cor.3:18) . Aron enlarged upon the Christian degrees of transformation that unfold as we fix our gaze upon Christ's glory. We are truly and actually being changed from one degree of glory to the next.
The challenge germane to Christian growth or change (sanctification), often times, is that we are susceptible to the crux of degrees. What is this crux of degrees. Well its the measure of degrees. Degrees are intrinsically variant. So often do we measure the growth, maturation, transformation et al of ourselves and others based upon greater degrees that we often overlook the growth, maturation and transformation that is actually happening. In other-words we define transformation by 10 degrees or 20 degrees. While growth by these greater degrees does occur we are well served not to overlook growth by lesser degrees.
So how do we understand growth by degrees? Is it greater degrees or lesser degrees? Well,first things first. This is a false dichotomy. The former shouldn't be put at odds or in competition with the latter. When Paul asserts that we are being transformed from one degree to another he is speaking generally more or less, and not being person specific or relative.The point is that while growth by degrees will be active and present within all of our lives respectively, growth by degrees will vary by degree within all of our lives individually.
There will be times or periods of life whereby we grow by greater degrees while at other times and periods of life we grow by lesser degrees. Or there may be some whose growth by greater degrees is intrinsically sporadic while another's growth by lesser degrees is intrinsically steady. This is the crux of growth by degrees. There is no standard of measuring our degrees of change or growth within ourselves outside of the standard of Christ's life. And His life in us, by way of the Holy Spirit, is changing us by degrees.
How should we respond when realizing this? We shouldn't apply a 'uniform degrees' template to every Christian as though one person's growth by degrees will be the same. When we apply a template of this kind we eventually downplay the degrees referred to by Paul. Degrees that are again subjectively variant. We must also recognize that Paul is speaking positively about the degrees of growth. It is a promise we have in Christ whose Spirit has liberated us to be transformed according to Christ's glory. Let's not impose or force one's degree or degree's of growth onto another's degree or degree's of growth! Otherwise the promised degrees of growth promised here in Scripture will take on oppressive overtones and thereby distort the nature of Christ's glory being worked out in us.
Christ is working his glory out in us by the Holy Spirit by way of degrees. Growth by degrees is promised. It is incontrovertible. But as we are being changed from one degree of glory to another, that growth by degree will vary from person to person by degrees. Let's bare this in mind as we walk together.
Living in the south –Lagrange, Georgia – one cannot escape the intransigent commitment to the college football season, especially keeping in mind that the SEC has been a dominant division amongst the NCAA for a number of years. This can be particularly challenging for an Ohio State fan such as myself! That’s right - a Buckeye fan in the heart of Georgia. I am vastly outnumbered to say the least.
Needless to say the rivalries are intense. Before, during and after each game throughout the season there is incessant conversation around the dinner table, at the local watering hole, or on Facebook. Well, you get the point.
Of course I’m one to join in on the copious conversations despite being the lone Buckeye voice in the crowd. This is healthy competition…well, usually.
This is the very sort of frenetic conversation that we should be having germane to what Christ is doing in our local churches. Well, maybe not the “very sort” when considering how some of those football conversations trend and the remotes that are often launched through the air. But energized and enthusiastic discourse should be a hallmark of the local church.
We at Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, have waded our way into the letter of Paul to Philemon recently. We worked our way through verses 4-7 this past Sunday. Within these verses we find this sort of conversation embedded in what Paul is writing. He makes reference to having heard of Philemon’s “love and faith.” A love and faith Philemon was actively and voluntarily sharing.
Word had reached Paul’s ears. Christians were having veritable conversations about Philemon’s vital faith and love. The local church near and far was abuzz about what Christ was doing through Philemon. This is crucial for Christians to recognize. Christ’s name is at stake. His glory is the trophy. The battle field has already been leveled. He is Christ the Victor and He is building His church.
We need to be sharing what Christ is doing at our local churches as His Holy Spirit is at work. This sort of conversation should be commonplace. In Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians we find this dynamic at work:
“For not only has the Word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…” (1 Thess. 8-9).
“Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith…” (2 Thess. 1:3-4).
What is the salient point you may be asking? I might reply with a question or two to that question. What are we talking about? What are we sharing? Is it what Christ is doing amongst us or what others in the world are doing amongst others?
How can we better “share” what Christ is doing by way of His Holy Spirit in our local churches in order for others to “hear” what is happening?
1) Share at the local watering hole: This could be a local dive, coffee house or frequented public establishment. It could be your workplace. It could be a community meeting such as a Chamber of Commerce breakfast. As Christians we need to be sharing what Christ is doing through the local church within these contexts.
2) Share the Sunday sermon: As Christians, who cherish the Word of God above any other person’s word, speech or book we need to be sharing what the local minister shared from God’s revealed Word as recorded in Scripture. We need to have conversations about Sunday’s sermons (small group lessons, bible studies and so forth,) with one another, with our relatives, with our friends, with our co-workers, during lunch or dinner, in our living rooms etc. You get the point.
3) Share on Facebook or Twitter: We live in a day and time where viral communiqué is assumed. As Christians let’s redeem or utilize these popular venues of communication to boast about or share what Christ is doing amongst our local churches. Let’s quote a lyric from one of the morning’s songs…or two of them (if it’s truth). Let’s quote our local pastors and not just nationally recognized ministers such as John Piper, Mark Driscoll, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Tim Keller and the like. Please don’t misconstrue my point...by all means quote those notable churchmen. However, quoting them does nothing to promote what Christ is doing locally.
4) Share with your family: Dinner with the family around the table seems to be an antiquated notion these days. We need to reclaim such occasions. And even if you don’t, there are copious opportunities to share what Christ is doing within the local church context with your family. Share what Christ is doing as you transport your children to school - as you enjoy a date night (well…maybe here we are sharing other points of interest!) - as you visit your family - as you mentor your children…so forth and so on.
The basic point is that in order for others to “hear’ what is being “shared” within your local church setting conversations need to be had. This world bogs us down with so many other trite conversations that are, in the greater or eternal scheme of things, inane or temporal. Instead, lets recapture conversations about what Christ is doing as He continues to build His church. These sort of gospel conversations are much needed in a world abuzz with secular conversations. Our gospel conversations need to drown out the worlds.
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