Man as Prophet, Priest, And King

The three offices that Christ fulfilled in the Scriptures are that of Prophet, Priest and King. We see that clearly in the Old and New Testaments, but most clearly in the New Testament when we see Jesus as the better priest and prophet in the book of Hebrews and the conquering King in Revelation. Calvin saw it this way in the Institutes where he wrote: “the office which [Christ] received from the Father consists of three parts. For he was appointed Prophet, Priest and King.”

John Fesko elaborates, “Christ, for example, spoke as the prophet when He gave the true meaning of the Law over and against the misinterpretations of the Scribes and Pharisees in His Sermon on the Mount (e.g. Matt. 5.21-22).  In like manner the High Priest was supposed to go into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement and make a sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel to atone for their sins (Lev. 16).  The role of the High Priest is ultimately fulfilled in Christ as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek who has entered the heavenly Holy of Holies and intercedes for the people of God (Heb. 8-10).  The same pattern holds true for the Old Testament office of King.  It was King David, for example, that ultimately points forward to Christ in His role as the King of Kings (e.g. Ezek. 37.24ff).  Again, these Old Testament offices of prophet, priest, and king find their ultimate fulfillment and significance in the person and work of Christ.”

George Whitfield agrees, “A man ought to look upon himself as obliged to act in three capacities: as a prophet, to instruct; as a priest, to pray for and with; as a king, to govern, direct, and provide.”

If men are to model their lives after Jesus, then we must understand and pursue a correct, biblical, Holy Spirit-empowered filling of the roles of prophet, priest and king.

Man as Prophet

In the most simple definition, a prophet is a man who speaks for God. While we might think of telling the future when we think of the word “prophet”, it has more to do with speaking the Word of God.

Practical Marks of Man as Prophet

1. He hears from God: Prophets in Scripture heard from God through dreams, visions, or verbal conversations with God either audible or internal. Today, we have the completed revelation of God in the pages of the Bible. Bob Lepine says, “To hear from God today, a man must diligently equip himself as a student of the Scriptures.” For example, as Doug Wilson says, “a man may not be a vocational theologian, but in his home he must be the resident theologian. The apostle Paul, when he is urging women to keep silent in the church, tells them that “if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home” (1 Corinthians 14:35). A husband and father must be prepared to answer doctrinal questions from his wife and children, and if he cannot, then he must be prepared to study so that he can remedy the deficiency.
   1. Study: Colossians 3:16 (May the Word of God dwell richly…)
   2. Meditation: Psalm 119:11
   3. Delight: Jeremiah 15:16; 2 Peter 2:2
      1. Do you love the written word?
      2. Do you love the preached word?
      3. Do you love the taught word?
   4. Practice: James 1:22-25
2. He establishes a doctrinal foundation for his life and home: Every man must be a theologian. 2 Timothy 1:13-14, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”; 2 Timothy 2: 1-2, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
3. He proclaims and declares the truth of the Scriptures: For many of us, a formal time of Bible study with our family is a daunting idea. We think of everyone in our family looking at us to offer some spiritual insight and we feel inadequate to give it. This can be remedied! There are boundless resources that can help in the study and delivery of the Scriptures. Not only in this area, but in other areas where a testimony of the truth is required, it is important that the man of God arrive equipped to deliver a clear, biblical answer: 1 Peter 3:15-16; Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
4. He confronts sin in his own life with ferocity and in others with generosity: Galatians 6:1-3; Matthew 18.

Man as Priest

The danger in many evangelical churches is to assume that a few men are charged with the task of being spiritual leaders, and the rest of the men in the church are to go about their business, give their money and try not to cuss. The reality of the Bible is that all men are to strive to obey Christ and live their lives in spiritual leadership, whether that be a wife, children, Sunday School class, committee, deacon board, elder board, staff, etc.

Character

[1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9]

Practical Marks of Man as Priest

1. Prayer: Matthew 6 (Pray like Jesus told you to pray); John 17: 8-9, 17-18, 20 (Pray like Jesus)
2. Worship Leader:
   1. Men should take the initiative on Sunday Mornings. Men should get kids dressed, fed and ready for church. Men should review memory verses, get offerings ready, pray for Sunday School teachers, etc.
   2. Men should take the initiative in Prayer, Bible Study, and family devotions. If you don’t like to read out loud, ask your wife or one of your children to read a few verses.
3. Discipleship: Elise Fitzpatrick says, “It’s never enough to just focus on behavior-to train children to obey you immediately, to sit up straight, not interrupt, do their schoolwork faithfully, and so on. You have to do a work in their heart. As you have probably heard along the way, rules without relationship lead to rebellion. This is all tied to winning your children’s hearts.”
   1. Explanation: This is training by word, or by what is said to the child. We instruct children in the Lord. We preach the gospel to them as we teach them to obey all the way, right away and with a happy heart, taking the opportunities when they fail to point them to the gospel. You remind them that God’s standard is perfection, but we never reach it because our hearts are inclined to evil. Every encounter with discipline is an opportunity to not only address the lack of obedience, but to address the need for redemption, so that Jesus might save our rebellious hearts. Tullian Tchividjian says, “Yes, they need to clean their room, to share with their brother and to stop hitting, but more importantly, they need the gospel.”
   2. Example: How do I do this as a father? The main thing you need to do is to study your own Bible. When you come to apply the Bible to your own life, I would encourage you to do it this way: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
      1. Teaching: The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. So what is this passage teaching me about God, man, sin, Jesus, salvation, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, etc.?
      2. Reproof: Rebuke of wrong attitudes or actions. Scripture convicts of sin and calls us to repent.
      3. Correction: Many times we can see the problem, but we are either unaware of the solution, or unwilling to take steps to put it into practice. Sometimes the answers are hard to find, but they are always there.
      4. Training in Righteousness: The Bible is a book about God, fundamentally. However, the Bible does give us a clear pattern by which we can live our lives. This happens through warnings, instructions, teachings, commands, etc.
   3. Deuteronomy tells parents to teach their children the Scriptures but before it does, it tells them to love the Lord their God with all their heart. So before you teach your children, take pains to teach yourself. Chances are, the sins that you struggle with are identical to the sins your children struggle with. So research your own sin and apply the Scripture to your own heart and then teach your children out of the overflow of your study!

Man as King

One author comments, “The king led, protected and provided for the safety of the realm. He secured the infrastructure necessary for civilization. He justly applied the law of God to the government, commerce and care of the state. . . . The king was not only a warrior, but he also was the representative of the realm in conversations with the “world.” He planned strategies, negotiated alliances, and applied the word of God to daily conflicts. . . . In so doing, he became the one who took the truth of God into the world and invited unbelievers to know and bow before the God of Israel.”

Practical Marks of Man as King

1. Leadership: Do you abuse or abdicate in the area of leadership? Examine the major areas—your faith, your marriage, your family, your job, your relationships with friends, your service to the community, your physical health and well-being, your stewardship over the resources God has given you, and your recreational time—and decide where you need to begin to take some initiative and lead. Again, one author points out, “We are called to cultivate Christ in our spouses. . . . To do so effectively, we must be guided by a vision of who they are, a picture of who they were meant to be [like Christ] and a grasp of our role in helping them become like Christ.” Don’t make this leadership idea secular, but biblical: Luke 22:26, “But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”  Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
2. Provision: Genesis 3 implies that the man is to be working, through difficulty, but in chapter 2 he was working in perfection. God didn’t put man in the garden to play. He put him in the garden to work. The idea is: Manhood=labor. Providing for the family is the man’s responsibility. That involves planning, hard work and decision-making. Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent surely lead to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Psalm 104:23 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.
3. Protection:  Deuteronomy 22 talks about a girl who commits adultery with a married man and she is sentenced to death by stoning. They put her to death on the steps of her father’s house, because he has failed to teach, shepherd, instruct, and protect her. This isn’t just true of fathers and daughters. It is true of fathers and sons as well. All through Proverbs we read instruction after instruction on how to stay away from the harlot, the adulteress. It’s a dad’s role to protect his son from pornography and promiscuity. Proverbs 5:1-6

This is difficult. If you’re like me, when I look at the pattern the Scriptures lay out for us as men, it’s daunting. I fail in these areas daily. You and I need Jesus. We need the grace given to us by Jesus when we look at these things and weep over our sin and wickedness and bad parenting. We need Jesus, the true prophet, priest, and king to bring us to the Father and remind us of grace so as we seek to obey him, we do so out of gratitude for our Father…maybe then our children will be grateful for theirs.

Practical Atheism: A Devotional By Jeff Schreve

 

As you prepare your heart for Sunday School this week, I would encourage you to read and meditate upon this great devotion by Pastor Jeff Schreve on Practical Atheism:

Have you ever met an atheist?  An atheist believes there is no God.  Do you know what God’s response to that is?  ”The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

While no Christian would ever be guilty of being an atheist, many Christians are guilty of being practical atheists.  Practical atheism does not believe there is no God; practical atheism lives as if there is no God.  Could you be a practical atheist?

THE PRACTICAL ATHEISM TEST

Notice the convicting similarities between atheism and practical atheism:

1.  An atheist does not pray. So many Christians do not really pray.  They may mumble something with a bowed head before dinner or before bed, but there is no real time to seek God in prayer.  The Lord says in the Book of James, “You do not have because you do not ask” (Jas. 4:2).

2.  An atheist does not read the Bible.  So many Christians do not read the Bible.  The average Christian is very susceptible to the devil’s lies because he/she does not take time to read and study God’s Word.

3.  An atheist walks by sight, not faith.  So many Christians do the same thing.  They fail to evaluate their situation in light of God’s miraculous power, so they worry and fear and fail to simply trust God.  How quickly we forget, “Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God” (Heb. 11:6).

4.  An atheist does not give to the Lord’s work.  So many Christians do not either.  Many Christians spend more money on their pets than they do the Kingdom of God.  A recent statistic revealed that if all the members in an average-sized church were on welfare, and each one tithed, the giving to that church would double.  WOW! 

5.  An atheist lives only for this life.  So many Christians are guilty of the same.  They store up their treasure on earth.  They live and plan as if this temporary, mortal life is all that matters.  They make decisions with only earth in mind, not heaven.  The Bible says, “The eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth” (Prov. 17:24).

CHANGE ME, LORD!

If some of those similarities are too close for comfort, don’t sink down in guilt and shame.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  Confess it as sin, and ask God to change your heart.  Tell Him that you do not want to live another day as if He were not alive and able to work miracles.

The story is told of Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer of the 1500s.  There was a time in his Christian life when he was very depressed for days on end.  His wife, Kate, came into his study all dressed in black as if she were in mourning.   Luther asked her what exactly she was mourning:

    “Have you not heard?” she questioned.  “God is dead.”
Luther responded, “Woman!  That is absurd!  God is not dead!”
“Well,” she replied, “if God is not dead, then stop living like He is!”

My friend, God is not dead, He is alive and well.  He still answers prayer, He still speaks through His Word, He still blesses when we honor Him with our wealth, He still moves mountains when we come to Him with a mustard seed of faith, and He still rewards those who diligently seek Him.

No matter what you are facing today, God is able.  Take Him at His Word and trust Him!!  Determine to live every day in the light of His presence.  Remember, His name is Jehovah Shammah, “the Lord ever-present.”  He is ever-present for you this day and every day.  Live like it!

…our God enjoys loving us.

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old (Micah 7:18-20).

What an amazing reality! Steadfast love refers to God’s covenant fidelity, his promise-keeping faithfulness to his people. The amazing thing about the steadfast love of the Lord is that it doesn’t come out of a cold, calculated duty. Rather, it arrises from delight. God enjoys loving his people like this. I can’t speak for you, but I’d be willing to bet you aren’t always lovable. I know I’m not. The idea that God loves a wretch like me is amazing, but the fact that he delights in doing so is mind-blowing. Find hope in that today, Christian. God doesn’t  love you because he has to. He loves you because it is his delight to do so.

The Measure of Our Maturity

Everyone has their own idea of what it means to be “mature”. Everyone has marks that they look for in another person’s life to see if they indeed are mature. I read a quote by Fred Cook this week and he says it well, “Maturity is the ability to do a job whether supervised or not; finish it once started; carry money without spending it; and…bear an injustice without wanting to get even.” That is a great definition of maturity, though there are probably as many different definitions as there are people reading this.

2. The problem is that many of us don’t have a definition of what it means to be spiritually mature. Many of us have had that question in mind for a long time: How do I become a mature Christian? What does maturity in the Christian life look like? There may be others who are looking at this question and have no doubt what Christian maturity looks like because they’re thinking, “It looks like me!” Well, let’s look at God’s word to see what God says a mature believer looks like. Look at Psalm 119:73-80:

73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!

How Do I Become a Mature Christian?

1. Do You Have a Desire for Growth? (73, 80): If so, this passage teaches that maturity means Bible.
2. The Psalmist submits himself to his creator (v73), and then acknowledges that it is this same creator that will give him wisdom and understanding (v73). Not only that, he prays that he might be complete, or sound in his life, as he applies the understanding he receives (v80).
   1. Understanding: 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Paul is clearly teaching submission to God the creator as the giver of the knowledge of Christ); He says something similar in Colossians 1:9, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…”
   2. The application of the knowledge of God results in a spiritually mature life: Colossians 1: 10-14, “…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
   3. Charles Spurgeon said about this verse, “He who has made us live will (and indeed must) make us learn.” I would add to that, “…so we may live.” We study the Bible to know, love and live the truth.
3. Are You Connected to Other Believers? (74, 79): Maturity means living with others. The Psalmist points out the desire for his growth in God to assist others in their growth as well. He hopes they will be helped in two ways:
   1. By his Passion (v74): He hopes that they will see the hope that he has in the word of God and that they will share in his joy.
   2. By his Proclamation (v79): He hopes that they will turn to him, and this carries with it the idea of people turning to listen as someone speaks.
      • Psalm 40:1-3 Says: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.”
      • Ephesians 4:12-16, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
   • “We do not only meet to share each other’s burdens, but to partake in each other’s joys, and some men contribute largely to the stock of mutual gladness. Hopeful men bring gladness with them. Despondent spirits spread the infection of depression, and hence few are glad to see them, while those whose hopes are grounded upon God’s word carry sunshine in their faces, and are welcomed by their fellows.” –Spurgeon. A mark of spiritual maturity is the gladness of God that you invest in the lives of others.
4. Are You Dealing with Difficulty? (75, 78): Maturity means enduring suffering.The Psalmist acknowledges to God that in all he has had to deal with, God has not been unfair to him, and even if he undergoes persecution from the hands of evil men, he will ignore their falsehood and trust in God.
   1. Trusting God’s Faithfulness (v75): Matthew 5: 11-16, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
   2. Ignoring the World’s Falsehood (v78): Matthew 5: 43-45, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
      • Christ told us this kind of thing would happen. He told us that in this world we would have trouble, but that he has given us his peace and that we should take heart, for he has overcome the world. Remember what we said last week, that in all suffering, God has a reason and a purpose.
      • Ironically, James 1:1-2 says that we should consider it joy when we endure suffering, for the testing of our faith produces endurance and the result of endurance, according to James, is guess what? Maturity. Maturity means enduring suffering.
5. Do You Find Comfort in Your Covenant With God Through Jesus? (76-77): Maturity is a result of the Spirit’s work within me. The bull’s-eye of this passage is seen in verses 76 and 77 where the Psalmist acknowledges that at the center of maturity for him is the work of God in him and to him. He mentions two things about this work of God.
   1. It’s a Loving work: The word that the Psalmist uses in verse 76 is hesed which is God’s covenantal love, or his loving faithfulness to his people. This is a comfort to the Psalmist and to us, for we know that maturity in our relationship with God is not dependent upon us, but upon him: Hebrews 12:2 says to fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Galatians 3 says that it is foolish to think that we are redeemed by grace, and made holy by our own efforts! Philippians 2: 12 says that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This would be scary, and impossible for us as sinful people, but we must read the next verse! Verse 13 reminds us that it is God who is at work within us both to will and to work for his good pleasure!
   2. It’s a Merciful work: Colossians 3:12-17, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Maturity is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

I pray this weekend of worship is a step toward spiritual maturity by God’s definition, and that we consistently measure our maturity according to that standard, not the standards of the world, or the standards we invent in our idol-making hearts.

Seven Distinguishing Characteristics of Unified Churches

This is a great article by Thom Rainer on Seven Distinguishing Characteristics of Unified Churches.

The Essential Place of Preaching

Summary

If a church is to be healthy, preaching is to be central to the church’s methodology. If preaching is to be central to the church’s methodology, then the best preaching is that which should be called “expository”.

Definition

What is expository preaching? Expository preaching is essentially a methodological outworking of a proper understanding of the doctrine of Scripture. If we understand the Scripture to be inspired by God, inerrant, infallible, clear, necessary, and sufficient, then the central act of the worship of the church, preaching, must be the explanation and application of the Scripture.

Preaching as The Central Act of Worship

Al Mohler reminds us, “Expository preaching is central, irreducible and nonnegotiable to the Bible’s mission of authentic worship that pleases God.”

“And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,”lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped  the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law,while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”

The Old Testament shows us the precedent of the proclamation and explanation of the word in the gathering of God’s people, but the New Testament demonstrates this as well. In Mark 1, Jesus’ first words are words of proclamation. In Acts 2, the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, in 1 Timothy 4, Paul charges Timothy to give attention to the public reading of Scripture and in 2 Timothy 4 he reminds him to preach the word. Preaching is the central act of worship, and the Bible demonstrates this clearly.

Expository Preaching Defined

1. Al Mohler: Expository preaching is that mode of Christian preaching that takes as its central purpose the presentation and application of the text of the Bible. All other issues and concerns are subordinated to the central task of presenting the biblical text. As the Word of God, the text of Scripture has the right to establish both the substance and the structure of the sermon. Genuine exposition takes place when the preacher sets forth the meaning and message of the biblical text and makes clear how the Word of God establishes the identity and worldview of the church as the people of God.”
2. Haddon Robinson: Expository preaching is “the presentation of biblical truth, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, Spirit-guided study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit applies to the life of the preacher and then through him to his congregation.”
3. LLoyd-Jones takes it a step further, according to biographer Iain Murray, “To expound is not simply to give the correct grammatical sense of a verse or passage, it is rather to set out principles or doctrines which the words are intended to convey. True expository preaching is, therefore, doctrinal preaching, it is preaching which addresses specific truths from God to man. The expository preacher is not one who ‘shares his studies’ with others, he is an ambassador and a messenger, authoritatively delivering the Word of God to men.”
4. Mayhue:
   1. The message finds its sole source in Scripture.
   2. The message is extracted from Scripture through careful exegesis.
   3. The message preparation correctly interprets Scripture in its normal sense and its context.
   4. The message clearly explains the original God-intended meaning of Scripture.
   5. The message applies the Scriptural meaning for today.

Amplification

• Why is expository preaching essential to a healthy church? Al Mohler reminds us again, “When the pulpit ministry lacks substance, the church is severed from the Word of God, and its health and faithfulness are immediately diminished.”

Walter Kaiser as well adds insight, “Regardless of what new directives and emphases are periodically offered, that which is needed above everything else to make the Church more viable, authentic, and effective, is a new declaration of the Scriptures with a new purpose, passion, and power.”

Mark Dever, the author of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church brings two reasons to the front as to the importance of expository preaching in the life of a healthy church and I want to communicate within his framework in my explanation.

1. The Word Makes Alive: Expository preaching lets loose the Scripture to save the soul. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of Christ.” The word of Christ is the message of the gospel. Ours is a faith-based in a book and only in the communication of this message are people saved. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV). “Living as we do after the Fall but before the Heavenly City, we are in a time when faith is central, and so the Word must be central-because God’s Holy Spirit creates His people by His Word! We can create a people by other means, and this is the great temptation of churches. We can create a people around a certain ethnicity. We can create a people around a fully graded choir program. We can find people who will get excited about a building project or a denominational identity. We can create a people around a series of care groups, where each feels loved and cared for. We can create a people around social opportunities for young mothers or Caribbean cruises for singles. We can create a people around men’s groups. We can even create a people around the personality of the preacher. And God can surely use all of these things. But in the final analysis the people of God, the church of God, can only be created around the Word of God. Asked about his accomplishments as a Reformer, Martin Luther said, ‘I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word: otherwise I did nothing…the Word did it all’”(Dever, 36).
2. The Word Makes Disciples: 2 Peter 1:3ff; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 3:16ff; We come to Christ because of the Word, and we grow in Christ because of the Word. The reformers had a motto: ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda, secundum verbum Dei“Expository preaching is often the fountainhead of growth in a church. Let a good expositional ministry be established and watch what happens. Forget what the experts say. Watch hungry people have their lives transformed as the living God speaks to them through the power of his Word”(Dever, 40).

What Can We Do? 

How can I as a church member participate more fully in the health of expository preaching? Ben Leonard has written an excellent resource for you to use in preparation to listen to the preaching of God’s Word and I would direct you to our website to get one. Dan Dumas, in the book he edited on Expository Ministry wrote an article called Expository Listening  based on James 1:18-25 and his tips are as follows:

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear (Open Your Ears),slow to speak (Close Your Mouth), slow to anger (Control Your Temper); for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness (Cleanse Your Heart) and receive with meekness (Mortify Your Pride) the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (Move Your Feet).For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

This Sunday, pray with me that our churches will exalt God in the plain reading and preaching of the Scriptures and that his Word will transform our lives, churches, and communities for the sake of his name.

Gospel Project: Crazy Little Thing Called Grace

A devotional thought from Joey Jernigan for “Our Identity”

Take a few minutes to read Romans 6:1-14.

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 Forone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 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 God. 11 So you also must consider yourselvesdead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

John Newton was a former slave trader turned pastor who never recovered from the amazing grace that he received. He penned the renowned words of “Amazing Grace.” While he did not renounce slavery until later in life, he became influential in the life of William Wilberforce, who led the abolition movement in England. His life is a testament to the nature of grace. Nothing about his life made him a worthy candidate for salvation, yet a former slave trader, a slave to sin himself, was set free by the grace of God.

This week we are going to look at that crazy little thing called grace. Generally, grace is a word used in the Scriptures to describe favor being given to those who are undeserving. Specifically, it refers to the story of God giving of Himself to a rebellious world in order to adopt undeserving people into His family through faith. By faith they are able to become heirs of the Kingdom and share in the inheritance of His Son. Grace is scandalous, because it is the absolutely undeserved and unearned kindness of God shown to His people.

We are freed by God’s grace to live a life that is pleasing to God. Before grace we were slaves to our sinful desires that brought death. We were helpless to overcome the demands that sin placed upon our lives. It was our master. Through grace we now have been made alive to God and set free to be servants of a gracious Master. God’s grace loosed the chains that held us in rebellion against Him. Now we can joyfully join the offensive against sin. Grace does not encourage sin—it serves as the motivation for righteousness.

Pause and Reflect

• Why is grace such a hard concept for us to understand?

• How does the freedom of grace act as a weapon against sin?

What Dr. Moore Taught Me

Dr. Russell D. Moore has recently assumed the role of President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He previously served as the Dean of the School of Theology and Vice President of Academic Administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I attended Southern Seminary from 2003-2008 and had the opportunity to get to know Dr. Moore in my work as a seminary Ambassador and later an Admissions Counselor. I took two of my three systematic theology courses under his instruction and I can say, without hesitation, that there is no theologian living or dead who has had more of an impact on my personal theology than Dr. Moore. He patiently offered me wise counsel when I pastored a church in Louisville and in my current pastorate in St. Louis. He graciously came to our church last year and spoke on on Worship in the Kingdom of Christ, and I would encourage you to listen to those messages to find your heart and mind instructed in the supremacy of Christ.

Dr. Moore taught his students well in his role at Southern Seminary and with all the media buzz over his new role, the temptation might be to think that he has left a place of teaching to enter a place of influence. As if his role at the ERLC is where his “real” influence will begin. Make no mistake, he is undoubtedly the right man for the job, but his teaching hasn’t ended. The classroom just got a lot bigger. I look forward to Dr. Moore’s new class and I pray the SBC takes notes. You can copy a few of my notes, if you’d like a head start.

1. The Family is Critical to the Kingdom of Christ: This means biblical clarity on manhood and womanhood, parenting, care of orphans, and abortion. Two of my favorites: “Does the Bride of Christ Have a Hyphenated Last Name? Man, Woman, and the Mystery of Christ.” ; “Fake Love, Fake War: Why Are So Many Men Hooked on Internet Porn and Video Games?” Dr. Moore invested in my family with wonderful words of counsel early in my time at Southern. My wife and I had different views on when we should start a family, my view centering on school and her view centering on…well, family. I was terrified I wouldn’t finish seminary if we began a family. Dr. Moore’s counsel was simple and clear: “Here’s an idea…finish seminary. People do it every day, Jeremy. Your wife is showing her godliness by wanting children, and you are telling her that school is more important. You will regret waiting, but you’ll never regret having a baby.” He was right. Children are a blessing (Psalm 127).
2. Don’t Be That Guy: I pastored a small church while I was in Seminary and I didn’t do it very well. There was constant conflict, calling for my resignation over the dates of VBS, deacons telling me that the church’s biggest problem with me was that I talked about the Bible too much, etc. I resigned after 14 months there. I went into Dr. Moore’s office and he listened to the entire tale and gave me clear advice that I’ve never forgotten, but had trouble heeding at times. He said, “Going forward, you can be one of three guys. You can be the guy who hates people and treats them poorly because you’ve been hurt before. Don’t be that guy. You can be the guy who’s afraid of people, so he washes his deacons’ cars on Saturdays so they won’t be mad at him. Don’t be that guy. You can be the guy who loves his people and preaches the gospel clearly and without fear. Please be that guy.” While I have been all three guys at one point or another in my ministry since then, his voice still rings in my head, reminding me which one is right. Pastors, ministry leaders, which guy are you?
3. The Inaugurated Kingdom of Christ Affects Everything: I think the largest, most poignant lesson Dr. Moore taught me is that the Kingdom of Christ affects everything. The Kingdom of Christ is bigger than my church, my city, or my denomination. The Kingdom of Christ is the cosmic plan of God begun at creation, marred by the fall, reconciled in the inauguration of the person and work of Christ, awaiting consummation upon his return. He taught this vision of the Kingdom of Christ that is both “already” and “not-yet”. This vision provides the basis for a robust, biblically informed evangelical public theology. That means the church engages the entire culture with gospel-saturated wisdom and passion. He said, “The kingdom Jesus inaugurated spoke to the whole person, to spiritual lostness, to physical sickness, to material poverty, to the need for community. A church that joins Jesus in preaching the kingdom will too. We need that reminder every generation, perhaps especially now.” Make no mistake. This will be a message that he, like the great Carl F.H. Henry, will teach in his new role very often. Take notes.

I am grateful for the investment Dr. Moore made in me and others at SBTS, and his influence has already extended through us to places he will never go. I have to admit, I am saddened for the pastors who won’t sit in his classes or hear him preach in chapel, but his preaching and teaching are extending to a greater classroom in this new role and for that, I am very grateful. Please join me in praying for him and his family in this new opportunity.

Top Ten Books

I’m a book nerd. Okay, I’m a nerd who likes books. Here are my recent favorites:

1. Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

2. Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson

3. Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp

4. Whomever He Wills by Tom Ascol and Matthew Barrett

5. Conviction to Lead by Al Mohler

6. Tempted and Tried by Russell Moore

7. Slave by John MacArthur

8. Killing Calvinism by Greg Dutcher

9. Confessing Jesus as Lord by Terry Chrisope

10. Gospel Coach by Scott Thomas and Tom Wood

You can buy any of these from the Heartland Baptist Church online bookstore. Enjoy!

Book Report: Whomever He Wills

 

Matthew Barrett and Thomas Nettles have put together an amazing collection of essays about the biblical doctrines of grace. The authors examine the biblical text faithfully and passionately as they extol the glorious sovereignty of God in the saving of sinners. They also interact with church history and the pivotal figures who held to the biblical doctrines of grace like Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and Edwards. They examine Baptist history as well and interact with Bunyan, Keach, Gill, Fuller, WIlliams, Backus and my personal favorite, Charles Spurgeon.

The authors also affirm that those brothers and sisters who disagree with these doctrines are still, after all, brothers and sisters.

We are joined together in the gospel of Christ, and I rejoice in that. And surely we must keep this unity in plain view whenever we pursue this discussion.

They also add a word of caution which is valuable:

Yet if our unity is a unity in the gospel, then the closer we come to gospel issues the more important doctrinal accuracy becomes-and the more important it is for us to discuss our differences frankly in an attempt to clear them away.

In the end, as the authors readily prove, these are worship-shaping doctrines. They drive us to sing and exalt the salvific ability of our king.

We sing “Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul!” And well we should. And we should sing it out of a deep, felt sense of rescue…we want to affirm with all our should that God saves sinners in every sense that Scripture reveals, that is it is HIS salvation from first to last.

This book is available from Founders Press for 2.99 in the Kindle Edition (Sale Ending Today) and 25.95 in the print edition. Buy it, and kindle (no pun intended) afresh your love for the gospel of Christ.