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Sermons from Pastor Dan Byrne of the Ottawa Chinese Bible Church English Congregation
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Joyful Confidence
Jun 17, 2019Tap to summarizeMessage from Adam.
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Honour Such Men
Jun 17, 2019Tap to summarizeI’ll start where Paul ends, which Paul’s appeal to the church:Phil 2:29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men.In the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, Paul draws a portrait of three ministry workers. These are the men Paul wished to send to the Philippian church. Paul himself hopes to come soon, but until he is able, or if he is not able, he wishes to send men like Timothy and Epaphrodites to them. He writes that the Philippian church might be willing and ready to receive such men, to wait for them, to welcome them, and to honour them and they serve the Phillipain church in the place of Paul. So here Paul is writing letters of commendation to the church, but also in a sense instructing the church as to what sort of shepherds, pastors, ministry leaders they should be receiving and honouring in their community.When we consider the quality of ministry leaders we often jump to passages that describe the qualifications we are to look for in them such as Titus 1 or 1 Timothy 3. But as we’re looking for Christ’s servants to lead our churches, here Paul gives us a portrait of three such men, and it is clear that Paul’s hope is that men like these would be found shepherding all of the churches of God, including ours: we have a small portrait of the Apostle Paul, his coworker Timothy, and another man named Epaphroditus, who was sent by the Philippian church to care for Paul’s needs in prison, but now Paul was hoping to send back to the Philippian church. So what sort of men is Paul looking to send?Look for those who will love you with the affection of ChristThis is exemplified in these three men through various statements. This entire letter is filled with Paul’s affection for the Philippians, as he stated in 1:7-8It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Here even in the passage tells the Philippians how much his own joy is wrapped up - not in his own safety and progress - but in the progress of the Philippians. Paul’s joy was found in the maturation and ongoing progress of the Philippians. Timothy also, is described here a someone who has a heart filled with the love of Christ. Phil. 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.Epaphriditus as well. Paul informs the Philippians how much their friend misses them and how he was personally affected by news that his sickness disturbed themPhil. 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.Obviously, this is not a superficial or romantic love dependent upon emotions, but a genuine affection and care stemming from having the heart of Christ for one another. Look for Those who will serve you in the sacrificial way of ChristPaul described his ministry in a vidivid metaphor. Remember, this is a man in prison - who chose to lengthen his prison sentence by appealing to Rome, and is not facing a decision of whether he will live or die for the sake of the gospel. He is a man who clearly is not valuing his life above otehrs, and only wishes to live that he might be of more service to the church2:17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,Timothy displayed the same character: 2:20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. It seems this character is rare, even in a Christian - someone who seeks not their own interests, but the interests of Christ.Epaphroditus as well: 2:29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.It takes risk to sacrifice for those you love. Markland Anthony Campbell, known by his friends as Jahiant Janh, was having a great day Friday. He had just received news that day, that his hip-hop group, “Half Size Giants” which had recently reformed after a 15 year hiatus, had just received a big break - the had landed a mainstream radio campaign. Thoughts of media and press rollouts were likely on his mind as he left work at the shaw centre Friday night, but all thoughts of the band left him as he received a text from his daughter, who was in Byward Market and in need of her daddy. She said she was being harassed by some older men and was scared, so Cambell did what a father should do - made straight for the market to help his daughter. Cambell wasn’t looking for an altercation - only to help his daughter. He wasn’t a violent man. In fact, he is known in the city for his anti-violent causes. Campbell had first worked for non-violence in the city when he was sixteen years old, he and two of his friends were moved their hip-hop group, to protest the senseless death of Nicholas Battersby - Ottawa’s first drive by shooting victim in March 1994. Cambell and his group have been fierce anti-violence advocates in the 25 years since. So, now this man who has given his life to peacefully protest violence in the city, is running to the market to defend his teenaged daughter. And you may have heard on the news on Friday night, that less than a mile away from 1994’s tragedy that defined the course of his life, Campbell was maliciously gunned down defending the principle of righteousness he lived by.” That’s a man to honour and to receive. A candlelight vigil for Campbell is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at the corner of York Street and ByWard Market Square, where he collapsed.Look for Those who are well-tested in these ministry of ChristPhil. 2:22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. Phil. 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, … 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men,In short: find someone who will honour Christ by displaying the character of Christ.I am struck by how integrated Paul’s commendation of these men is with the rest of the chapter, which earlier we looked at in which Paul has appealed to the philippian church to together and individually have the mind of Christ Jesus, who out of his love for us laid aside his divine privilege in heaven, and came among us taking the form of a servant, and made even the ultimate sacrifice, thinking not of himself, but for us. Therefore, Paul said, God honoured him, seating him in the place of highest honour. No here, Paul says, I’m sending men to you who will love and serve you like Christ, and will make sacrifices for you like Christ, and so receive them and honour such men. In short, look for someone who looks like Jesus. Obviously, not perfectly, but who emulates his love and willingness to sacrifice and has demonstrated that through his life. Now Paul applied this to the type of men he wishes to send the Philippians. Obviously, these portraits strike me in a personal way as I’ll soon be stepping aside from ministry here at OCBC and I know that you will be praying for and looking for the person to whom this ministry will be passed on to. So this will be my prayer for you as well , that God will lead a man like this to us. A search for a spouse (dating relationships)A personal mentorFriendsYourselfYour spiritual searchHave you received and honoured Christ Jesus, who has loved with a servant heart and gave himself sacrificially so that those who would trust in him would be honoured with him?Are you committed to growing in the character and love of Christ, willing to sacrifice whatever he asks for the sake of others?Who is the Holy Spirit asking you to love with a servant’s heart? What is the Holy Spirit asking you to risk? Who is the Holy Spirit asking you to receive and honour?
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Joyful Work Out
Jun 17, 2019Tap to summarizeYesterday we invited the community to come through the church as part of Doors Open Ottawa. Not many came, as we did not do as big a production like last year, but those who came were given 1 on 1 tours through the church. We were a bit discouraged as no one had come for hours and were thinking of packing in early when suddenly we had a rush of three visitors. So I showed a man named Tim around. As I showed him around, Tim shared with me a little of his background- much like mine, baptized and Christmas and Easter Catholic, he was raised functionally atheist. He asked me about the church and our services and then asked which denomination we are a part of. Now, you may or may not know this, but our church is part of the Evangelical Free church of Canada. So then he asked, what’s an evangelical? Has anyone asked you that? How would you answer? I usually answer something like, Evangelicals believe you need to have a personal encounter with Jesus, that it’s important to tell people that Jesus is able to reconcile us to God, and we take the Bible very seriously as our rule of faith and life. And then I usually say “free” means that we believe in the separation of church and state. Here’s another question - how would you feel answering that question? Defensive? Apologetic? Wondering what the person has heard? I sometimes feel like that. For many in our culture, the only impression they have of evangelicals is through the news or social media. Some think that we are a political group, or they hear us associated with “white evangelicals” in the US. i always wonder when people ask me that question, how much ground I may have to make up with them, because of the public reputation of Evangelicals. Some Evangelicals even are thinking of changing their branding. Now I believe much of the public reputation of Evangelicals is slanderous. I believe Satan wants to tarnish our reputation, and slander of the negative always spreads faster than the encouraging or positive. However, I do believe some of our reputation is rightly earned. If we’re known as a political organization, then maybe we have allowed political stances to eclipse our love of Jesus. If we’re derided as hateful, then yes, it is true that some of us struggle to love our neighbour. If we’re called hypocrites, well there is some truth to that as well. What is the reason for this hypocrisy? I do believe that if we’re honest with ourselves, many evangelicals have allowed a gap to enter into our thoelogy, and thus we are not living biblically. What is that gap? The sanctification gap. Evangelicals focus on conversion, to evangelize someone. That they might be born again. We sometime refer to the past tense of salvation. Having been saved from the penalty of sin. Evangelicals often also focus on the future tense of salvation, our eternal destiny, that someday the kingdom will come and we’ll be at home with Jesus and perfected, removed from the presence of sin. Yet, for some evangelicals - that’s the gospel, we’re saved from the penalty of sin, and someday we’ll be in the presence of Jesus. Do you see something missing there? There is another tense to our salvation - our sanctification. The present outworking of God’s salvation through us in the here and now in which we gain ever growing victory over the power of sin in our lives. It is this tense of our salvation that actually affects our reputation in this world as God’s children. And it is this tense of salvation that Paul speaks of as he urges the Philippians to go on and grow in their maturity without him. In Philippians 2:12-18 Paul speaks of the process of our sanctification and the purpose of our sanctification. Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.Phil. 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.The Process of our Sanctification: Work Out What God Is Working In Youas you have always obeyed: First Paul encourages them, as he has before, that he has seen God’s work in them already, because he has seen a consistent obedience in them, conforming to the gospel of Christ. That is, Paul is not doing, what we sometimes are guilty of doing, he is not expecting non-Christians to live like Christians. What he’s doing is encouraging them, saying, I’ve observed this genuine mark of faith in you - God’s started a work in you, I’ve had the joy of partnering with you in the gospel from the first day until know, he has begun a work in you. So they encouraging affirmation is there from the beginning of this text. So many times as parents and pastors and friends, we are so quick to look at what is not present in the faith of our kids or fellow church-members, or even ourselves, and yet when we do see marks of faith or obedience, it is proper to celebrate and affirm. Paul never does this in a way that puffs up pride, but sets the Philippians obedience in the context of God’s work in them. He does this through prayer, thanking God for His work in them. He does this through encouragement, sharing with them how he sees God working in them. He does this through teaching, stating explicitly as we will see, “this is God working in you.” Yet when he sees God working in his friends Paul notes it and not only notes it but points it out. so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence Second, Paul encourages them to keep on doing what they are doing, especially since he may be absent from them. While they were a young church they leaned on the presence and work of Paul, but Paul knew that in order for them to mature as a church, they must take all the more care to remain obedient to Christ in the absence of himself. Parents, it’s a joyful thing to see children obey when you are present with them. Yet it is a very, very, very, joyful thing to hear that a child has obeyed what you have modelled for them when they are not in your presence. It’s harder, particularly in that transition. You leave home for university and suddenly your parents aren’t around, there is no curfew, there’s pressure around. You’ve always obeyed in the presence of your parents, but what will happen now? Part of growing up and particularly a great part of maturing in your faith is when you realize that you are standing firm and striving on and not fearing without the presence of your parents or spiritual mentors present with you. And so Paul begins by encouraging them by letting them know he’s observed their consistent obedient up until this point, but making them aware that there will now be a new challenge facing them that they must prepare for as they grow toward maturity. This brings us to Paul’s charge: work out your own salvation: this is the imperative, the command, the charge that Paul places on this church and its members. They are to work out their own salvation. What does this mean? Remember, Paul has referred to salvation twice already in this letter. First Paul says in 1:19: for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance [and the word there is “salvation”], and if you remember, we suggested that though Paul likely had in mind his deliverance from the prison cell, the context suggests that he was thinking something more, because he begins to speak of the deliverance that his own death will bring. That’s is, because Paul believed confidently that his ultimate and eternal deliverance is secured in Christ, he knew that he would be delivered from his chains either in the present through his release, or in the future through his death. Salvation, in this context, has a primarily future orientation that may be brought into the present through our prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit. And I think that is indeed the sense that Paul is getting to when he says, work out your own salvation: take from the future surety of your salvation and bring it into the present more and more, and thus experience the power of salvation ever more victoriously in your daily life and Christian community. Salvation is future oriented, but it can’t be set off to the future, it mist be more and more apprehended in the present. This all ties back into the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.with fear and trembling: in reverent awe of God as you hold on to your salvation as a precious treasure. The idea is not that we are afraid and therefore paralyzed, but that we recognize the value of the burden that we are carrying. Imagine if you were a waiter or waitress carrying a large try of priceless vessels. Think of the care and the seriousness and the concentration you would conduct yourself with so that you may not be distracted in your work. We have taken hold of the eternal and are carrying it into the present, and how can we not trem...
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Countdown to Onemindedness
May 27, 2019Tap to summarizeToday’s key thought is about one-mindedness. I got to witness an amazing display of one-mindedness this week. A couple friends and I were able to go down to the Raptors game this past Tuesday. I’m a Bucks fan, but I have to give credit where credit is due. I figured there would be a couple of hundred of us. Nope. We counted 10. At one point Giannis, the Bucks star, missed a free throw and it got loud, the loudest I’ve ever heard at an event. I left there amazed at the crowd and thought, there is no way the Bucks are winning in Toronto, and after last night I guess I was right. Paul is as big a fan of the Philippian church as anyone in that stadium. See The raptors may give their fans joy, but Paul says to the Philippian church in verse three that they can complete his joy. He’s found much joy in them, he always prays for them with joy, but now, as he has shared his hopes for them, to go on without him, he tells them how they can fill up his joy, he’s cheering for them.complete my joy by being of the same mind, ‘I will need no further happiness,’ he says, ‘if only I can hear that you are a united church.’ See last week, we saw that Paul had told the Philippians that he may never see them again, but his one charge to them was that they would go on together living as an outpost of the kingdom of heaven, living as citizens of the heavenly kingdom set apart from the world, standing firm in the teaching, striving together in the gospel and not fearing anything. We noted last week that Paul was speaking to them as a church together, and now he addresses that togetherness, even more directly, for in order for them to continue on as an outpost of the kingdom, they must be united. They must be one-minded. For a kingdom divided cannot stand.Countdown to One-mindedness: 4 Fundamental Realities in Which One-Mindedness is Based We first see that Paul basis his appeal for one-mindedness in four fundamental assumption about Christian community. Phil. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathyMost commentators group “affection and sympathy” together to read something like “heartfelt affection.” The statements are all rhetorical - Paul’s not asking is there any encouragement in Christ? No, he’s saying if there is any encouragement in Christ and you better believe that there is indeed! These four things are available and accessible to the Christian seeking to live in one-minded community. Before we unpack each of the four things, it is noted that the first three are delivered as an allusion to the trinity. The first relates to Christ, the second to love, and the third to the participation in the Spirit. Note how closely Paul’s thought here corresponds to 2 Cor. 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Here you also have Christ, Love, participation in the Spirit.There is encouragement in Christ: The word in both English and Greek can have a dual meaning. To encourage someone is to spur someone on to greater things, and to encourage someone is to lift someone out of dark valleys. We get both in Christ. He meets us in the dark valley and encourages us with the gospel of salvation and redemption, and having come to Christ, he encourages us to strive ever onward and upward to the goal of the high calling in Christ. Thus, Christ lifts us up and spurs us onward.There is comfort from love: There is comfort for the believer found in the Love of God. “The peace that surpasses understanding.” One of the commentaries said that the basic sense of the word is “to speak to someone in a friendly way.” How great is that? God doesn’t motivate by fear. Watching the athletes last night, you can tell who is comfortable in the moment and who is terrified by it. That seems to be the difference when the pressure is on. So not only is Christ encouraging us, but the love of God is settling us. There is participation in the Spirit: The shared life and common resources available to all who possess and are possessed by the Spirit of God. we each share in the Holy Spirit of God, partaking of Him. The same Spirit in me is in you, and you and you in me. That means we each have power to continue on in unity. In marriage, the Holy Spirit is such a necessary partner. In a church no less. I’ve had conflict in which the need was there to pray, and then I met with the person and the Spirit had been speaking to them what He’d been speaking to me about. Therefore, through our relationship with the Tri-Une God we find encouragement, comfort and the resources of the Spirit to walk in unity, but there’s more, because there is something God is doing in us through our relationship with him:There is affection and sympathy: or “heartfelt affection” These are now what we as believers possess in Christ, through the spirit of God living in us and changing our hearts, we have a love of the brethren - in fact, the scripture says, if we have no love of the brethren we do not possess the love of God. God has poured his love into our hearts that we in turn may possess an overflow of love toward others. These four fundamental realities are true of every Christian. God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness and that includes everything necessary to live in one-mindedness with our brothers and sisters. The encouragement from Christ, the comfort of the love of the Father, the resources given through our participation in the Spirit and the heartfelt compassion of the new birth. 3 Elements to Our Full Onemindedness2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, [heart] being in full accord and [soul] of one mind. [mind]Why the added descriptors here? Because we might misunderstand and think that Paul is only speaking about us holding certain central beliefs in common. We may reduce one-mindedness to our doctrinal statement. Yet though one mindedness obviously includes the element of how we think and what we commonly think about, onemindedness cannot by reduced to merely what and how we think. Paul describes three elements of our being that make up our full onemindedness. Onemindedness in Christian community involves our heart - that we would have the same love, our souls - the word translated here as bringing in full accord is literally in the greek - “together souled”, and that we may think the same. Heart, soul and mind there might be unity among us. So to recap thus far, Paul has said, “because of the loving relationship each of you have in the Triune God, give yourselves heart, mind and soul to one one another. 2 Alternatives Each of Us Need to Choose Between as Individuals in CommunityNow Paul gets practical, for how we will actually live in one mindedness comes down to a choice between 2 possible alternatives that each of us will face, probably daily. One is the path of the elevation of self, and the other the path of the elevation of others.3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Onemindedness does not simply passively come into Christian community, it grows only through the individual choices each of us makes to seek the good of one another. “Paul does not leave the question of the worthy life which produces the steadfast stand until he brings it to rest on the worthy life as it is found in the individual, not self-seeking and conceited but with a correctly humble estimate of himself, seeking the welfare of others and putting them first. Steadfastness depends on unity, and unity depends on me.” - TBSTEveryday you make hundreds of choices to live for your own vain glory or to raise up and build up others. Everyday you make the choice as to whose interests you will defend and pursue. 1 Mind Modelled By Christ5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Every time Paul addresses unity in the church, he returns his focus on Christ. Our unity is not found in our preferences, culture, perspectives, likes. It is in Christ alone. 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.In his incarnation and in his redemptive death, Jesus made the choice to not look to his own interest, but to the interest of others, to not do anything from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility he counted others more significant than hi...
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The Joy-Metric
May 8, 2019Tap to summarizePhilippians is a book of joy for an anxious church. Theme similar to Ecclesiastes - we also spoke about joy.Joy comes from God, not from our stuff or our circumstance.To a great degree, the Apostle Paul would agree, and he speaks in Philippians about finding contentment in whatever circumstance, which speaks to a learned skill from accepting the lot God gives.But we should be careful here, because it is surely true in our experience that we do find joy in people, things and circumstance. “How sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives.” Holding your loved ones, relaxing after a hard days work. Hamburgers. :)However, the message of Ecclesiastes does not deny that there are some circumstances from which we might find joy or reason to rejoice, but again, joy is not to be found in the temporal, fleeting, trivial matters, but in things that last, and if we try to extract joy from the breath, we will be left unsatisfied. The apostle Paul would agree. In the book of Phillippians, in writing to that anxious church, Paul writes about the things that bring him joy. Last week Paul shared his gratitude and the joy that he has found in the Philiipians partnership in the gospel. And today, he will speak of another matter that brings him joy. And again, that which brings him joy is not in temporal, fleeting, trivial matters, but connected to the eternal matter of the gospel of Christ. What is the gospel? The gospel is the proclamation of good news. The good news of what God has done for us in Christ. That thought our sins have separated us from God and have placed us under God’s just wrath, that God in his love for us sent his son Jesus Christ into the world that we might be reconciled to God, redeemed from our sins, and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is surely not a temporal, fleeting, or trivial matter, but is the most important, substantial and eternal of matters. As I stated last week, Paul has given his life to the gospel, lives for the gospel, and as we’ll see today, Paul’s Joy-Producing Metric: The Gospel is Advancing. What I mean by metric is that this is the standard of measurement against which he measures the circumstances in his life and that even through the difficulties of life, if the gospel is advancing, Paul finds joy. Phil. 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.Phil. 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Through Imposed Constraints: The Gospel is Advancing.Phil. 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. Paul first was able to find joy and encourage the Philippians to find joy in the fact that even within the constraints of his imprisonment, the gospel was advancing. The mention of the imperial guard suggest that this is indeed the Roman imprisonment mentioned at the end of the book of Acts. Now, at least a the beginning of that imprisonment, Paul had substantial liberty and opportunity to welcome guests and teach them as he was under house arrest. At the point of writing Philippians, it seems as though his circumstances have changed a bit, as he seems to be nearing a possible execution. However, even in a darkening circumstance, Paul gives thanks that the gospel is spreading even among his captors. It is becoming known through the entire imperial guard that this man is in prison, not as a thief or a murderer, but as a prisoner for Christ. Paul is in prison for preaching Christ yes. However, if this imprisonment is indeed the Roman imprisonment that most scholars believe that it is, then there is an even more provocative realty: that Paul is in prison for preaching Christ, but because he has appealed to Caesar.Acts 26:32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”That is, that his imprisonment was in a sense of his own doing, because he was convinced that the Holy Spirit was sending him to Rome. That’s how Paul’s journey to Rome is presented in the Book of Acts: the Holy Spirit directing Paul to Rome through the mechanisms of the Roman justice system.And so, Paul was not only a prisoner for Christ in the sense that it was his preaching of Christ that got him arrested, but his imprisonment was for Christ in the sense that he understood that Christ had led in into this place of constraint.Every job, every calling, every vocation has its opportunities and its limitations. You get hired by a job - no you work side-by-side with coworkers every day shining your life before them, but obviously the job put constraints on your time, energy and activity. You find a spouse! Great, fine and good, but you lose some freedom. Paul recognizes this reality: 1Cor. 7:32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.You’re called to be a parent, what an opportunity for the gospel! What a small little disciple God has given you to instruct and shape, but yes, that gift constrains you. You may be constrained by sickness, by age, I think of Tony who can’t hear so well, be he evangelizes and counsels people by text on the internet. If you are living for the gospel, even the constraint of death death can serve to advance the gospel, as we often hear the gospel proclaiming loudly at the funeral of the Christian. And so Paul’s words here would encourage and instruct us in two ways: first to understand and discern our individual circumstances and callings as given to us by the Lord for the advancement of the gospel, and then to rejoice when God uses our circumstances and callings to advance the gospel. THROUGH EMBOLDENED FRIENDS: The Gospel is Advancing.The constraint of Paul’s imprisonment had an impact on two groups of people, Paul’s friends and Paul’s rivals. First, Paul share with the Philippians the impact his imprisonment has had on his friends. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear … 16 [they] do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.Paul is able to find joy in the advancement of the Gospel. It seems that his imprisonment inspired the other Christians around Paul to become more bold in their faith. They saw how Paul found joy in his constraints and how he lived for the gospel even as he was imprisoned, and they took all the more advantage of their freedom.Now a natural human reaction when we are confronted with the constraints of our situation is to look to the freedoms within which we see others operate and become jealous. We’ve got little children and are a little more isolated and not able to join into some of the meetings of the church or have time to develop meaningful relationships, and we can become envious of our friends. Or we’re single and we see married couples serving together and we begin to despise our constraints. Or we’re married and we see the freedom and spontaneity or single friends possess and we can become envious. We’re in a job and looking for other opportunities. Because Paul’s metric was is the gospel advancing he was able to rejoice in the callings and circumstances of those with greater freedom than himself without becoming envious because he was too busy rejoicing in his friends boldness to speak of the Lord. The gospel is advancing - I am happy for you! Lest He Become Bitter At His Rivals, Paul’s Joy Was Found in This: The Gospel is Advancing.On the other hand, Paul it seems had some rivals that were taking advantage of his imprisonment in order to expand their own influence over the church.Phil. 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry … [They] proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. On the other hand, Paul it seems had some rivals that were taking advantage of his imprisonment in order to expand their o...
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Joyful Partnership
Apr 29, 2019Tap to summarizeWe live in apocalyptic times. Or at least, that is the perception. People are concerned that something is happening. Something big. I hear it in all sides of the political aisle. Those on the left are apocalyptically concerned about the existential danger of climate change - Ottawa just declared a climate emergency. They say that we have 12 years to do something about this all or it all explodes. People on the right are apocalyptically concerned about the breakdown of society’s institutions, such as family and the rule of law. People in the middle are apocalyptically concerned about the increasing polarization between the right and the left and the disintegration of dialogue and the rise of totalitarianism on the right or the left. The church is facing apocalyptic-level persecution. As we gathered for worship last week on Easter Sunday, believers in Sri Lanka were crawling out of the ruins of 8 bombings that left over 300 dead and many more wounded at the hands of Islamic radicals. I heard this week a report that Christians are now the more harassed minority group in the world, suffering harassment in 144 countries. So left, right, centre and non-political, the perspective is, that we live in apocalyptic times. If I only heard these things being pushed in the media, I might write it off as click bait from a money-grabbing sensationalistic press. But I hear people in coffee shops speaking about it. Neighbours in conversation saying things like, it just seems like something big is about to happen. Anxiety is epidemic in this apocalyptic age. We’re on edge. Always on edge.We’re starting today a new series in the book of Philippians. The Philippians were an anxious church. They were anxious not about global warming or internet censorship, but their anxiety stemmed from one particular circumstance, the arrest, detaining and potential execution of their friend and spiritual guide, the apostle Paul, who had started the church about ten years before his current imprisonment. The church at Philippi was desperate to gain any information of what might be the outcome of Paul’s trial, and so they had sent on of their own, Epaphroditus to Paul to aid and assist him and bring back news of Paul’s outlook. Upon coming to Paul, Epaphroditus became deathly ill, delaying his return, and now the Philippians had another thing to worry about, his health and well-being. If anyone had reason to be on edge, it would be the apostle Paul. He after all was the one in chains, the one awaiting word on whether his sentence would come back, live or die. While he awaits word of his execution, Paul writes a letter to the Philippians, and it’s a perplexing letter. Instead of asking for prayer for his condition, Paul prays for the Philippians in their condition. Instead of being a letter ridden with anxiety, it is an epistle of joy. 16 times in four short chapter Paul speaks of joy, or rejoicing. Philippians: the epistle of joy in the face of apocalypse.These themes are introduced to us in the first 11 verses of chapter 11, which includes Paul’s thankful, joyful prayer for the Philippian church. 1. A Vision Large Enough to Demand Our AllPaul begins his letter to the Philippians describing himself and Timothy his coworker as servants of Christ. Slaves, really. What an introduction - what a self identified job title. Paul didn’t call himself the teacher, the rabbi, the leader, the apostle, but the servant. The slave of Christ. In other words, Paul and Timothy had encountered Christ in such a way that the very course of their lives, their identity, their vocation, their freedom and deaths were bound up in Christ, in the service of Christ, and in the execution of Christ’s ministry and mission. “I’ve been crucified with Christ,” Paul writes elsewhere, “therefore I no longer live, Jesus Christ now lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul had experienced a literal vision of Christ on that road to Damascus, and that vision demanded nothing less than Paul’s entire life. Paul’s vision was two-fold. He experienced the saving revelation of the risen LordHe received a specific task to do in Christ’s great commissionPaul was unique, obviously, both in the vibrancy of his vision of Christ and in the specificity of the call of Christ on his life, that Christ would use Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, but Paul is not unique in the compete and utter claim that Christ makes over each of those for whom He has died. Timothy also is called a doulos, a servant. Timothy also left everything he knew, his family, his hometown, his comfort, his respectability, for the vision of Christ and his mission set before him. And it is the same for each of you, its the same for me. No one can have a vision of Christ and walk away claiming to be his own master. If you walk away as your own Master, than you have not truly experienced Christ. You must experience the saving revelation of Jesus Christ. Secondly, Paul received a specific task to do in Christ’s great commission. Paul’s task specifically was that he might bring the gospels to the Gentiles, and later, Timothy received his own call to be a servant of Christ Jesus in that same ministry. Paul and Timothy and many otter’s devoted their lives, gave everything they were and all that they had, to make Christ known among the cities of the Roman Empire. They had been commissioned with a proclamation, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and a ministry to proclaim his name.Although we are not all called to serve the Lord as missionaries as Paul and Timothy were, we all are called to participate in the great commission. Now that’s probably a term you’ve heard of before, based on Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18:And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Now, nearly all of you have probably heard of the great commission before, and some of you have probably given it much reflection, but I want to remind you of something of the great commission this morning - why it is called the great commission. There are other comissionings in the gospels - but what it so great about this great commission. It is great because it is comprehensive. It is the all-encompassing mission of God in this world, to make his name known among the nations, and gather his people together into new covenant communities called churches, until he returns at the end of the age. Those who have taken or have finished our Acts course have understood this comprehensive picture. The Holy Spirit sent out his servants, we’d call them missionaries, missionary teams such as Paul and Timothy and others, who would move among the nations proclaiming salvation in Christ. City to city they would move, nation to nation, leaving local churches in their wake. These churches played a different role in the great commission, they would nurture and care for the new believers in a certain city. The Holy Spirit would set aside elders to oversee the congregations and deacons to minister among them, that the faith would be preserved and passed down in each locale. This is work had been established in Philippi, thus Paul could write to a mature church, “to the saint in Philippi, ling with the elders and deacons”. The churches continue to participate in the great commission by partnering with the missionary teams, sending people whom the Holy Spirit sets apart for the work, and resources to aid the mission teams as they move ever onward. That’s the vision of partnership in the great commission. And the ultimate goal is that there might be a missionary movement in every nation, a church in every city, a Christian family in every neighborhood, and a believer in every social setting. That is how the kingdom o God spreads, and it takes us all and it demands our all. This is a vision large enough to give your life to: the great commission. missionaries and churches partnering together to change the world with the power of the gospel. If we ever lose sight of what the vision is, then we are just playing church, not devoting ourself to a higher cause, becoming consumeristic and cynical, and nothing pulls us out of isolation. 2. A Partnership Meaningful Enough to Fill Our Hearts With Joy=As I said above, Philippians is an epistle of joy, but not just any joy. Ecclesiastes was a book of joy as well. But this is a particular joy. It is about the joy that stems from the relationship between believers as they about together in the great commission. In verses 3-8, Paul outlines how his partnership with the Philippian church has brought him great joy even in his trial.A. True Gospel Partnership Ignites Joyful PrayerPhil. 1:3 I thank my God [upon every act of your remembrance] in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Verse three is a little ambiguous. Literally the phrase is, “upon every remembrance of you”. The ESV inserts the word “my” so that it reads something like upon every occasion Paul remembers the Philippians, he thanks God. It is probably a better readi...
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Risen Thinking (Easter 2019)
Apr 23, 2019Tap to summarizeWhen I was growing up there was a saying, I don’t hear much anymore. You are what you eat. What a ridiculous saying. That’s why we don’t hear it much anymore - it’s like our entire generation woke up and said, Nah, that’s not true. “If i eat this chocolate bunny …” yeah, no. It doesn’t make sense - I think it said to try to make us eat more healthy food, but who wants to how up and me a head of lettuce? Maybe we’ve lost something when we threw out that idiom however. Maybe there was wisdom in the saying, it's just that I heard it wrong all those years. Maybe the idiom was never supposed to be taken literally at all (yeah, of course, you don’t really turn into a chocolate bunny.” What I mean is, maybe the idiom wasn’t about food at all. It wasn’t about what we consume with our mouths, but with our minds. If it’s not about food, but about our thoughts, then the saying has a bit more staying power. You are what you think about. You are what you let into your thoughts. You are the media and philosophies you consume. This seems to be the Apostle Paul’s concern in this verse that I want to centre our thoughts on this morning, that our thoughts shape us, we are what we eat: Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.Last week, we finished a series in the book of Ecclesiastes, and at the end of that book, we saw a description of God’s communication to us through the Biblical writers as thoughtful, careful, delightful and true. That’s a great framework for all of our communication. And it is my prayer this morning as we reflect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For there is nothing more excellent or worthy of praise than the resurrection, and for that reason, it is good and proper for us to “think about these things”. But my prayer here this morning is not only to communicate information, but that the Holy Spirit might grant us illumination, that will turn our hearts to celebration.whatever is true: the resurrection is trueWe are not interested on Easter in filling our minds with fables and fairy tales. Magical bunnies who hide eggs are fun for the children, but beware lest we come to categorize the victory of Christ along with the fiction of myth. The declaration of Easter is not “once upon a time” but that Jesus really walked upon this earth. As the apostle Peter insisted, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Jesus really was sentenced to an excruciating death upon the cross. Jesus really was placed into a newly hewn grave outside of Jerusalem, and the stone that was placed over the tomb is still sitting where it rolled away that morning. And yes, Jesus truly raised from the dead - that is he physically walked out of the tomb, not as a ghost or as some sort of spiritual hope inspiring the hearts of his followers, but physically, bodily, give-me-a-bite-of-that-fish-and-I’ll-prove-that-I’m-alive, rose from the dead.The message of the early church was not primarily based on making a spiritual argument, the message of the early church was not primarily based on making a scriptural argument (although they demonstrated from the scriptures that the Christ must rise), the message of the early church was not primarily based on making a logical argument, the message of the early church was primarily based on making a direct proclamation: He said he was the way to God and that he would prove it by rising from the dead. They killed him, buried him, finished him, and we ran away thinking it was over. Yet he came to us, met with us, ate with us, showing us his scars and teaching his ways. And before we saw him ascend to heaven, he commissioned us to take his message to the world. Therefore, your threats mean nothing to us - for we cannot deny what we’ve seen and heard. This was Peter’s - a friend and follower of Jesus - argument before the authorities in Acts 4:19-20: Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The apostle’s were not pre-scientific dupes. They knew that people do not simply rise the dead. Here's what John, one of the eye-witnesses wrote about a response to the resurrection: John 20:24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”This could be my whole message this morning. Last year (you can find online) it was. But believing in Christ is not only intellectual. It is an embracing of Christ with the heart, soul, conviction. To see not only the truth of Christ, but he beauty and goodness of the Lord. whatever is honourable: the resurrection is honourableThe resurrection is not only true, but it is also honourable. The word suggests that which is “serious, sublime, dignified, majestic, or august … the lofty and majestic things.” The honour of the resurrection is highlighted in contrast to the dishonour, the indignity of the cross. The cross was an especially undignified manner of execution, reserved for the worst of criminals, the body of the traitor exposed naked to the elements and to the onlookers as every bit of strength and dignity drained from the victim. Onlookers mocked and scorned him, and his friends disowned him and disappeared. Crucifixion was regarded with special indignity by the Jews as they held a saying that especially cursed was one who died hanging on a tree. Yet it was precisely the dishonour of the cross that makes the resurrection all the more honourable. Earlier in the book of Philippians the indignity of the cross is held up as the supreme example of Jesus’ glorious self-emptying love, and the reasons as to why is to be accorded such honour:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Do you see that therefore? He humbled himself to the humility of the cross and therefore God has highly exalted him. Now you might stop and say, hold on, many people have died undignified deaths, why are they not raised in such honour? Good point. The dishonour of Jesus’ death on the cross was not merely a function of how he died, but who died. Jesus Christ, as this passage says, who existed as God in the form of God who determined to empty himself of his divine position to walk among us as a servant. The indignity of the cross is magnified by the infinite dignity of its divine victim, and in subjecting himself to such an inglorious death, the glorious love of God was set in full display. What is “sown in dishonour is raised in glory.”whatever is just: the resurrection is justThe resurrection is just - the word speaks of justice “in the broadest possible sense, not simply in relations to humans but in accordance with the divine standard, and thus fulfilling all obligations to God, others and themselves.” The resurrection is just because having fulfilled all obligation to God regarding sin, death no longer held sway over Him. Rom. 6:9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to GodTo speak very clearly, the greatest tension in the teaching of the Bible is this: how can we as human beings stand in the presence of God. We all recognize that human beings are flawed, selfish, imperfect creatures. We know in the depths of our heart with only a moments reflection that we daily violate the standards and image that we set for ourselves, much less comparing ourselves to the standards of scripture. Now the way that many of us would deal with the problem is to remake God in our image: that God is not so great and holy and just and loving as the Bible make him out to be, but he’s kind of like a far-off pen-pal that sends us encouraging notes from time to time, and we don’t really make a big deal of si...
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The Righteous Mind
Apr 15, 2019Tap to summarizeI want to tell you about a book I’m reading. This book had been on my radar for a while. I had heard it referenced on a number of podcasts I listen to, a couple of blogs that I read. People were highly recommending it - that not strange, but what was strange was who was recommending it. People on the left. People on the right. Pastors. Academics. I saw an interview with the author sitting down with pastor Tim Keller, and a review by the Gospel Coalition. Russel Moore of the Southern Baptists called it “the most important book in years.” The book is called “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathon Haidt. Haidt, a social psychologist at the NYU-Sterm School of Business, is interested in how people think. More specifically, Haidt, a ethnically Jewish, politically left-leaning, and religiously atheist democrat, was interested in why people on the right politically were so irrational. The book is centred around the question of why people on the left and people on the right talk past one another, misrepresent one another, and think that each other irrational. It’s a pretty amazing book. Haidt’s major conclusion after undertaking major anthropological studies across continents, age groups and social classes, is that people think differently - process facts differently, reason differently, and argue differently, not because they are irrational, but because thinking is first and primarily an expression of one’s deeper moral inclination - what Haidt called intuition. How the heart is inclined influences what the mind accepts as rational. The reason Haidt’s book is so influential is that it basically argues against the way that we in the West have been thinking about thinking. Since the enlightenment, we’ve come to think that we are primarily rational creatures - like computers. Data comes in, is processed by reason, and adjustments to our thinking are made. Haidt proves that is not the case. Haidt provides scores of evidence that one’s moral inclination precedes reason, that we use reason not to come to justify the beliefs we are morally inclined to accept. How the heart is inclined influences what the mind accepts as rational. I was thinking of Haidt’s book as I reflected on this last passage in this book of all books, Ecclesiastes. For Solomon, or since Solomon is referred to in the third person here some people think a later compiler of Solomon’s writings, in any case, this final passage also speaks to our thinking, and the relationship between our thinking and our moral inclinations: Eccl. 12:9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.Eccl. 12:11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.Eccl. 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.These last verses make two major points:The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning Upon Which All True Understanding is Based: So We should take the practice of loving the Lord with our minds as a serious undertaking, both in how we communicate and receive truth. The Fear of the Lord is the Conclusion to Which All True Understanding Points: so the love of the Lord with our mind will naturally lead us to proper worship and righteous livingThe Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Which All True Understanding is Based We cannot separate Solomon’s conclusion to his work from the process that produced it. What I mean is, in arriving at the conclusion that one ought to fear God, Solomon feared God in the process. Solomon understood that the Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Which All True Understanding is Based, in other words, he knew before Jonathon Haidt that one’s moral inclination influences our thinking. In Proverbs, Solomon writes that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge and wisdomProv. 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. There it is: the inclination of our heart precedes rationality. If our heart is inclined away from God, we will not receive the things of God, and therefore that which would be wisdom and righteousness and truth will seem to us to be foolishness, wickedness and error. In Romans 1, the apostle Paul explains that because we do not see it fit to worship God we suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and thus, as it says in 1 Corinthians the wisdom of God will seem to us to be foolishness. Thus, the orientation of our heart matters when reflecting upon the wisdom and knowledge of God - the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is why you can be in a conversation with someone, and if they don’t share the same heart inclination, you will find yourself speaking past one another and one persons common sense logic will seem irrational to the other. Haidt is right. Our rationality begins in our heart, with our will. We will not receive that which we do not inclined to believe. How The Wise Communicate WisdomWith Thoughtful Words: “weighing and studying”With Careful Words: and arranging many proverbs with great care”With Delightful Words: “The Preacher sought to find words of delight”With Truthful Words: “and uprightly he wrote words of truth.”Thoughtful words: ‘Weighed and studied” - taken together, “he carefully evaluated” NET. He set all things on the scales of his mind. He knew that a rash word or any hasty, unreflective sentiment would do damage to his cause. The communicator has wrestled with the truth himself. When a new observation is made, it should sink deeply into the depths of what has already been considered. The process of reflection, meditation, reflecting on your field and on your faith. Synthesize knowledge. Internalize it. Especially when it come to knowing and studying God’s word, ask the Holy Spirit to plant God’s word deep within you. Memorize it. Mull it over. Sermon prep process. Christian, are your words thoughtful? Are you a deep and careful thinker?Careful words: “and arranging many proverbs with great care”: Solomon considered how he presented his reflections on life. He used great care in the form of his writing. Teach the truths you have internalized to many audiences: teach Sunday school, teens, the educated, the blue collar. Christian, are your words careful? Do you choose your words carefully for greatest impact?Delightful words: The ESV rightly translates “words of delight”. Solomon’s writing is delightful in form. It doesn’t bore. “For of all I have ever seen or learned, this book [Ecclesiastes] seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man’s life upon this earth – and also the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth. I am not given to dogmatic judgments in the matter of literary creation, but if I had to make one I could say that Ecclesiastes is the greatest single piece of writing I have ever known, and the wisdom expressed in it the most lasting and profound.” American Poet Thomas Wolfe. The early church leader, Ambrose, once said to preachers, “Therefore let your sermons be flowing, let them be clear and lucid so that by suitable disputation you may pour sweetness into the ears of the people. . . .” Solomon’s writing in also delightful in content. Even when cutting us with the daggers of the brutal realities of life, Solomon was there with the balm. Like a sailor looking out at the storm and setting his face against it, knowing that it will be his resolution that will keep him from losing his clarity in the chaos, Solomon described all of the hebel of life, all the perplexities and harsh realities, and concluded, “Be joyful”. Take from the hand of God, eat your fill, drink with merriment and enjoy your family and your work. Delightful. Christian, are your words delightful? Both in form and in content?Truthful words: Solomon has never shrunk back from telling us the harsh realities of life. He told the truth. Describing the realities of the rebel of our lives. Life is short, perplexing, harsh, unfair, unjust, vexing. That’s they way it is. Life is pain your highness, and anyone who says differently is selling you something. That’s an amazing filter of all of us who wish to communicate truth. Before you post on social media: Are my words thoughful, careful, delightful and true? Before I preach: Are my words thoughful, careful, delightful and true?What Truth Does to Those Prepared to Receive ItTruth Goads Us: “The words of the wise are like goads”. A goad is a pointed stick used to drive cattle in the desired direction. It prodded. It hurt. To get to truth we must risk offending and being offended. We’ve supposed the exact opposite in our culture; that the truth must no...
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Living Life in Light of Eternity
Apr 7, 2019Tap to summarize “Resolved, I will live so, as I wish I had done when I come to die.” These words were penned by nineteen-year-old Jonathan Edwards, who in 1722, kept a diary and wrote seventy guidelines which he called “Resolutions”. In his article, “The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards”, Dr. Stephen Nichols writes that Jonathan Edwards resolved to live a life that counts, not through legalistic grit and determination, but with God’s help and grace in accordance to His will. Edwards’ seventy resolutions deal with various topics and themes. One such theme is the reality of his death and living before God with an eternal perspective. In his youth, Edwards knew all too well about the brevity of life. His life and preaching demonstrated that he took seriously that life is a breath, a mist, “that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (Jas. 4:14). Just as life in Edward’s 18th century was frail and fragile, life continues to be frail and fragile today. One theme that Solomon has addressed in Ecclesiastes is the sober reality of death. The brevity of life is a reality we just as soon forget, escape from, ignore and not talk about. In his sermon “The Bad Days are Better”, pastor Dan spoke of how a sober look at the reality of death actually helps us to put life into proper perspective and order. We know that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die;” (Ecc.3:1-2). We are all going to die yet none of us know the day and hour when death shall overtake us. Though life is hebel - a vapor - a breath - Scripture actually teaches us that the fleeting, transient, breathiness of life can actually teach us how to live with eternity in view. In Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8, Solomon deals with the reality of death and the afterlife in such a way to help prepare us, I believe, for eternity. From the context, it seems to me that the main idea of this passage is the call to live life in light of eternity. In our passage, there are three ways where Solomon instructs us to live life in light of eternity: · Rejoice in life while remembering that one day we will give an account to God. 11:7-9· Remove sorrow and put away evil. 11:10· Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. 12:1-8Living life in light of eternity is to rejoice in life while remembering that one day we will give an account to God. “Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.” Ecc.11:7 Each morning I am greeted by Abdel, one of the security guards where I work. After saying good morning, Abdel will almost always tell me the day’s weather forecast. If it is cold, but the sun is out, he will always emphasize that it is sunny. Abdel’s optimism speaks to the joy we get from the sun. The correlation between the light of the sun and joy, I believe, is God-given.It also gives us a sense of the poetic imagery Solomon is using here. Just as being surrounded by the light of the sun is sweet and pleasant for the eyes, our present life is intended by God to be enjoyed. As we have learned, to rejoice in life is a good gift that only God can give. Enjoying life may look different to each of us, but we must keep in mind that someday we are going to give an account to God, so we need to enjoy that which glorifies God.Ecc. 11:8 says:“So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.”Verse eight tells us that if we should live many years we are to remember there will be “days of darkness”. It’s not entirely clear as to what is meant by “days of darkness”. From the context of the following chapter 12:2-8, “days of darkness” likely speaks of when our bodies and minds are suffering in decrepit decline towards disease and inevitable death. In the face of such decline, if we should live for many years, we are to rejoice in this gift of life all of our days. Then we come to 11:9 where it reads:“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement.” OT scholar, Walter Kaiser Jr., points out the sense of irony in this verse. “Walk in the ways of your heart” seems to be a direct contradiction of Numbers 15:39b: “You shall … not follow after your heart and your own eyes”. Verse 9, however, is no contradiction to Number 15:39b or invitation to live sinfully in sensual pleasure. It is not an invitation in which anything goes. Enjoy life. Enjoy what you see and desire. Rejoice and delight yourself in the thrill of living. But enjoy life in the fear of God and to the glory of God. Don’t abuse this gift with evil comforts, pleasures, and stuff that offer no real joy and have no eternal value. Enjoy life in a way that brings glory to the One who created you, “loved you and gave Himself for you” (Gal. 2:20b). Each week at the Courthouse I see people come before a judge to give an account of what they have done or witnessed. At the end of the trial the judge will give a verdict based on the evidence that was presented before the court. I think this is a mere shadow of the heavenly court. In the heavenly court, there will be but One Judge, who “will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12:14). All of us are transients on this earth. Whether it be today, tomorrow, or many years from now, our lives will soon be past. There will come a time when God will judge both the righteous and the wicked. One day each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Rom.14:12). Our life is from God and for God, so how we live on this side of eternity matters to Him. David Gibson reminds us that “enjoyment is a gift from God and we are responsible to God for what we have done with it”. Only what was done for Christ, for His glory, will last. To live in light of eternity is to rejoice in life while remembering that one day we will give an account to God.Living life in light of eternity is to remove sorrow and put away evil. Ecc.11:10 reads: “Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.”First, we must remove “vexation” which also translates as “sorrow”. There is a sorrow that may be caused by depression, anxiety, suffering, or grief over the loss of a loved one. Some of you here this morning may be experiencing this kind of sorrow. If this you, the Bible invites you to “cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you” (Ps.55:22). I want to encourage you to speak with pastor Dan, one of the leaders, or a trusted mature friend in Christ who can help bear your burden and bring your sorrow before the Lord in prayer.But the sorrow that I think Solomon is speaking of is when one sorrows over needless frustrations and anxieties. It is the sorrow that robs us of our God-given joy in life. Youth and the prime of life are a “fleeting breath” that is here today and gone tomorrow. Don’t sorrow over things that have no eternal value. It’s so easy to get lost in the small matters of life and lose sight of the big picture. Don’t sorrow over the things that you cannot fix or control. Whatever sorrow you may be dealing with, the remedy is always same: take it the Lord in prayer as the old hymn reminds us: O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! Second, we are to put away “pain”. The Hebrew word for “pain” is the word ra-ah which literally means “evil”. One commentator writes that to put away “pain” or “evil” is essentially to ‘put away sin’. Author, Daniel Akin writes:God has made life as a gift to be enjoyed as He designed. We run into major problems when we depart from His good design. When we choose to do marriage, relationships, food, money, and work in ways He did not intend, it leads to brokenness and pain in our lives…” If there is sin in your life, confess your sin and ask God for forgiveness. We all need to face ourselves daily in the mirror of God’s word. Through the conviction of the Spirit, we are to put away evil by turning from sin - and in faith - turn to the Lord who is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It is to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:14). John Piper reminds us that the “Christian life is one long process of crucifying those old desires and experiencing by the power of the Holy Spirit, new passions and new desires.” To live life in light of eternity is to remove sorrow and put away evil. Living life in light of eternity is to remember your Creator in the days of your youth.“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” Ecc. 12:1The very God who calls us to rejoice is the same eternal God whom we have to give an account of ourselves. The God who requires us to r...
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Why Work Hard?
Apr 1, 2019Tap to summarizeEccl. 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.As I said last week, now is the time for living. Solomon is reminding us that God has set aside this time, this life, for us to not shrink back from the toil of life, but to live it actively, to set our hand to the plow, whatever God places in front of us to do and to do it with all of our might. Obviously this is broader than whatever employment we have or job we are doing, including prayer, evangelism, loving your family and neighbours. One thing to make clear from the start: We need to set our works in the proper context. The gospel teaches that we are not saved by our works, but TO good works:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. Titus 3:4-8Now one thing I’m learning about the way Solomon thinks and presents his outlook on life, is that he leans more pessimistic (or possibly realist). This has been a challenge for me, because I am an optimist by nature. When I make an argument, I find it more natural to outline all of the positive points first, and then speak to the critical objections. Solomon does the opposite, and I’m finding it very effective. What Solomon does, is he’ll lay out a thesis statement, and then state all the problems with it first, but by the end, he’ll convince you that what he originally said is the only viable way forward, through all the trouble that may be. This isn’t a bad way to think. If you’re an optimist, and you think life is going to be all rosy, when you slam into the reality of life, you may be likely to give up. But if you’re a pessimist, or at least a realist, and you’ve gone into an endeavour with a realistic understand of all that can go wrong, then when you hit a wall, you’d more likely perhaps to be more like, “yep, I knew I’d hit you sometime.”So let’s make a ledger this morning, a pros and cons list, and debate Solomon’s proposal: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” - Now you might paraphrase this to suit your own needs: “Why should I work hard?”, “Why get myself out of bed this morning?”Reasons to Give Up1. I Might Fail: It Won’t Always Pay Off (Time and Chance Happen To All)Eccl. 9:11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.The first point on the negative side of the ledger. You may be the swiftest, strongest, wisest, smartest in your field, and it won’t matter because of worldly success comes down to timing and circumstance, time and chance. That doesn’t seem fair. It would b nice if the world was a pure meritocracy, that the harder you worked and the more you put in would automatically lead to success, but that is not the world we live in. I met a couple this week who are trying to move their home-brew operations into a full brewery in Barhaven. They might be the best brewers is the city. They may even be really good business people. And their business is still may fail. Calamity may suddenly like a trap set for fish or fowl. Now there may be a hint of encouragement here, for maybe you’re not the swiftest, strongest, wisest, smartest in your field, and you’re not going to be and there still is hope and opportunity for you to make it. That doesn’t much inspire the one who trying to put in the hard work to be the swiftest, strongest, wisest, smartest, so it goes on this side of the ledger.2. No One Listens To Me: Even If You Have a Successful Idea, You May Receive No Credit: Solomon’s next point in the negative side is illustrated with a story:Eccl. 9:13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. Eccl. 9:17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.Thank goodness for this poor, wise man! He saved the city! And everyone despised him for it and no one remembered him. Solomon is pointing us to the reality of power, privilege and position. You come up with a great idea to save your company money, and your boss submits the proposal with his name on it rather than yours. Let me ask you: are you motivated to keep working hard? You saved the company after all. Your whispering at the bottom of the hierarchy actually effected change - more than all of the shouting in the boardrooms, you actually accomplished something. Yet no one gives you credit. Are you still going to get out of bed the next day? Because, that’s reality. But that’s not fair! Great. You’re learning.3. Others Mess Up My Idea: You know what may be worse than getting no credit for a good idea that works? Imagine that if by some miracle of providence you actually had one good, true, virtuous, world-altering idea. The reality is that to bring your idea into fruition, you have to submit that idea to others who will tweak it, add to it, subtract from it and execute it. Trade-offs are made, compromises reached. Solomon writes about how a little foolish destroys much wisdom.18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Eccl. 10:1 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. [he’s not making a political statement - but speaking of the tug of war and opposing directions your project may take in the execution] 3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. Eccl. 10:5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.A little foolish input can derail the entire endeavour. And the reality is that in every hierarchical bureaucracy there are often people promoted about their level of competence who will take your good idea and mess it up. This even has a name “The Peter Principle”- it might be named the Michale Scott character in “The Office”. A great salesman promoted to be a terribly incompetent manager. Imagine working for that guy. Why bother trying?4. I Might Get Hurt: You May Actually Harm Yourself:Eccl. 10:8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. 11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.Here’s a great reason to stay in bed. Hard work might hurt me. Obviously if I work smarter, if I sharpen my axe, use the right tool for the right job, make sure that I apply foresight to my work, wisdom may help me to succeed. The snake may still bite me when I’m not ready for it.5. I WIll Mess It Up: We Can Do Everything Right and Be Sunk By Our Words: The final reality of work that Solomon puts on this side of the ledger, is that we might do everything right and still meet it up for ourselves because we are not able to control our tongue. Eccl. 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. 14 A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? Conclusion: 15 The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.We expend so much energy in life, toiling away, and we hit all these frustrations, and we can’t find our way around them. Isn’t it better to give up?Reasons Not to Give Up: 1. People depend on youEccl. 10:16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! 17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunke...
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