The declarations and prayers of Psalm 27 are made against the dark frame of a host of enemies: evildoers who slander, do violence, and seek the destruction of King David, the author of this psalm. David likens them to “wild beasts,” verse 2, and like an army encamped around him, verse 3.

Against such odds the king is incredibly defiant, writing in verses 1 through 3: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evil doers assail me, uttering slanders against me, all my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

Why?

Why is King David “confident” with such treacherous and fearsome enemies seeking his destruction? How might you, dear reader, be confident when encircled by your own spiritual and physical enemies? How might you experience God’s protection in “the day of trouble,” verse 5?

Read verses 4 through 6 of Psalm 27, and notice, in the first place, David’s single-mindedness of purpose. Do you see it in verse 4?

“One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after…” That “one thing” equals godly priorities: the priorities “to dwell,” “to behold,” and “to inquire.” In other words, King David had a preoccupation with the things of God.

God had commended David to “seek ye my face,” verse 8, and David obeyed God. Therein lies the secret of David’s confidence in God and overcoming those who wish to do him harm. He defeated fear by desiring above all else to “dwell in the house of the Lord all his days, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

In the second place, David was confident in God because of what God had done for him in the past, verse 9b; “Thou who has been my help.”

God had never failed! He trusted God, and he had such faith in God that he could say even if “my father and my mother have forsaken me, the Lord will take me up,” verse 10.

Dear reader, do you have that kind of trust in God? A trust that even transcends the closest of earthly relationships? If so, in spite of enemies both physical and spiritual, you should proclaim with David, this psalm now having come full circle from verse 1 to verse 13, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

But there is one more thing: “We must be patient, verse 14.

“Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!”

For those who are puffed up with self-importance, verse 14 will always be a great difficulty. But if we value who it is we are waiting on, the Lord God Almighty, then we will be more than happy to wait upon him.

So take heart, dear reader, trust in the Lord, “seek his face,” desire to “behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple,” for then you will have the confidence of David, verse 5: “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock.”

Amen.

Published with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

Recommended Reading:

My earlier article – “Good Books & Good Thinking”- was based on Philippians 4:8 where we have a good word that is applicable to reading:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Much is at stake in our attention to the whole section starting at verse 4 and ending at verse 9. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord (4:4). He counsels us to turn our worries and fears into prayer requests (4:6). The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus as we follow these commands. And it’s all dependent on how we engage our thoughts, what we are looking for in life, and whether or not we devote ourselves to the very best (4:8). Paul loved books. He told Timothy: “When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13). The selection of books to choose from is enormous. Truth and godliness are on the line in what we read and digest. Allow me to suggest three issues for consideration: SELECTION, DIGESTION, & VALUATION.

The first issue in regard to our reading is the selection of the book. It is important to stop at the outset and remember, however, that in the Bible we have a divine selection of 66 books which is the only sure guide to salvation and sanctification. God has selected these books for us and they are our daily manna. As Christ’s disciples we devote ourselves to the daily, systematic, devotional reading and study of God’s word. As important as good reading is, the reading of all other books is subordinate to the Bible. So when we contemplate buying, borrowing, and reading any other book, we must consider why we are selecting a particular book and whether or not we should read it, and how it can support our divinely mandated reading of the Bible.

Either we make these selections ourselves, or we are influenced by others. As in any other area of modern life, marketing is a major factor in influencing people to buy books. This is why it is best to find trusted sources for book recommendations. Trusted spiritual leaders in the church, discerning family and friends are among the best sources for advice. We need to be cautious about books sold in local Christian bookstores whose target readership is broad. Be mindful that not every Christian book catalogue that comes to you is a trustworthy source of making selections for you. One prominent book distributor markets the works of Karl Barth on its cover page. That is not good reading! Not every book seller is concerned about putting the best works into their reader’s hands. They often just want to sell. Since I am writing for Trinity Book Service, I want to say that I highly value their recommendations and encourage the readers to do the same. And there are many other distributors and book publishers who sift through all the lesser things to offer the best, such as The Banner of Truth, Solid Ground, Evangelical Press, Reformation Heritage, and others.

There are two criteria in our selection of books: need and desire. The first question to ask is: What books should I be reading right now? And the second is: What books look good to me? I suggest that we develop a healthy balance between these two criteria. First, consider what areas of life and knowledge are important for you to grow in at this point in your pilgrimage. Do you need to learn more about an area of doctrine such as the Trinity, the atonement, the grace of God, Biblical inerrancy, etc? Is now the time to learn more about church history? Do you need to learn more about biblical interpretation to help you better understand the Bible? Would you benefit by reading a commentary on a particular book of the Bible which you are studying? But the other question simply is: What looks good to me? Here is where a good selection of books from a trustworthy book service or bookstore can help. In God’s providence a book comes to your attention which excites your interest. Go for it! And if you are building a basic library for yourself and your family, this kind of acquisition is most welcome. I am always interested in the “new books” (new or reprints) section of a good book service. While I treasure the old books, I am also encouraged by many good new books that are being written today.

Test all things, prove all things (1 Th. 5:21; 1 Jn. 4:1). Be mindful of what you set out to read. Most of us do not have bundles of extra time, so why not read the best things; read the most beneficial things. Not sure? Ask someone who knows about the author you are contemplating reading, or the theology articulated in a particular book. Don’t just assume that you can read anything and not be influenced for ill, or confused or diverted in one way or another. People read books about one author’s supposed 90 minutes in heaven or another’s supposed 30 minutes in hell (highly questionable experiences), when there is so much good out there to read!

The second issue is the digesting of the book we have selected. Now a bad book will certainly give us spiritual indigestion. But a good book will help our digestion and assimilation of God’s truth and providence in history. Paul has a lot to say about the importance of “sound doctrine” in passages like 1 Tim. 4:6, 2 Tim. 4:3, Titus 1:9, and Titus 2:1. In 1 Tim. 4:6 he says: “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” In 2 Tim. 4:3 he warns us about defecting from sound doctrine: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…” Sound doctrine is healthy doctrine. The Greek word used in these passages is from the root which means “to be in good health.” So we want to get healthier, and we want to maintain our spiritual health to persevere in our most holy faith. We’re not interested in bringing on ourselves bouts of confusion or loss of fidelity because we chose the wrong books.

Have you ever turned off a movie that you started to watch because it was not glorifying to God and pure? Good. That was the right thing to do. A similar commitment is needed in our book reading. Sometimes we close the book and say: This book isn’t worth it! There are lots of books out there that get into print just because of name recognition, (while the author doesn’t have much to say or basically repeats what he said in a previous book).

Let me suggest that when we’re digesting a book, we’re looking for edification, encouragement, and enjoyment. Edification relates to the truth content of reading and the care for doctrinal accuracy. Some are called to read error to help defend the truth. But that is a different purpose and that may not be your calling! Encouragement is the fruit of edification. When we are fed and further established in our faith we are motivated to press on. Our will and emotions are strengthened. And good reading will do this for us. Finally, enjoyment is that wonderful blessing which Paul stresses in Phil. 4:8 when he talks about things that are honorable…..pure……lovely…..of good repute….excellent and worthy of praise. Each of these qualities brings joy into our hearts even through good reading.

The final issue in choosing good books relates to value. We’ll call this point the value of good books. We all place a certain value on everything that interests or does not interest us. In Phil. 4:8 Paul is certainly displaying for us what is truly valuable in life. When God’s truth is made clearer in a good book, when the honorable lives of faithful men and women of God are recounted in moving biographical accounts, when godliness, holiness, faithfulness, worship, and Christian service are upheld and commended, there we have valuable books – books worth buying, reading, sharing, and treasuring for the future. Many books become life companions for us and we return to them in the same way that we would turn to a loving friend and counselor for help and encouragement. I suggest that this is an important way to think about books.

As a child of God and disciple of Christ I want to be faithful, and I am sure you do too. Here is what I tell myself I need in order to faithfully persevere to the end: The Bible, the grace of God, the salvation of Christ, the ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit, a biblical local church, faithful pastors, friends who are more godly than me, and sound, stirring books that I can value throughout my pilgrimage to support me in this quest.

Sadly, people today, including many Christians, seek their joy in media entertainments while neglecting the digestion of good books. If God would be pleased to use these articles to renew your love of good books, I will be most grateful. If you would turn off the TV and pick up a good book, you will see good fruit begin to grow in your life and you will be grateful too. If you will begin to take notice of the great selection of edifying, encouraging, and enjoyable reading that is out there, a whole world of growth and godliness will open up to you. So often I find myself saying to people: “you should read that book!” I want to tell as many people as I can about what they are missing when they are ignorant of good books. Don’t let the world of really good books that are out there pass by you. Show an interest, track them down, get a hold of them, and then digest and treasure them. And do it all in the pursuit of Paul’s command in Philippians 4:8.

What good Christian books are you reading?

Purchase Covenant Theology: A Reformed and Baptistic Perspective on God’s Covenants at Trinity Book Service.

“Baptists who embrace their historic Calvinistic and Covenantal roots have long since needed a robust and comprehensive treatment of Covenant Theology that includes the nuanced interpretations of the biblical covenants that a baptistic hermeneutic requires. This treatment by Greg Nichols does just that and more. As a devotee of the Westminster tradition (including its chapter, ‘On God’s Covenant with Man’), I differ here and there; sometimes significantly so. But there is so much to applaud in this volume and Baptists will do well to read this volume carefully and with much gratitude. A splendid achievement. I, for one, will insist that my Presbyterian students read it.” – Derek W. H. Thomas, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, RTS, Minister of Preaching and Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC, Editorial Director, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

“There has been an urgent need for a Reformed Baptist to produce a work on the covenants. I am so thankful that Greg Nichols has engaged in this very weighty work. It is a very timely addition on a vitally important topic and adds much to a growing Reformed Baptist literary body.” – James R. White, Alpha and Omega Ministry, author of numerous books, including ‘Pulpit Crimes’, published by Solid Ground

• Covenant Theology: A Reformed & Baptistic Perspective

   

  http://ch-books.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/covenant_theology_greg_nichols_promo.jpg

• From the Preface

   

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• What is a covenant?

   

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• Excerpt from Chapter 8

   

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• From the Conclusion

   

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“Greg Nichols has done a wonderful job of articulating a genuinely reformed and baptistic model of covenant theology. The fruit of decades of study and teaching on his subject, this volume should be read by all who want to understand the proper framework of divine revelation. My counsel to all ministerial students is ‘Tolle lege’ (take up and read).” – Dr. Robert P. Martin, Emmanuel Reformed Baptist Church, Seattle, WA, Author of “Guide to the Puritans”

“The Old Testament was inspired by the Spirit of God. It is certainly a record of what is true, of creation, fall, and the promise of the Messiah. There is the whole machinery of redemptive anticipation that God set up with his old covenant people. What of family life? What of the children of believers? Their sons are no longer to be circumcised. What is the status of the sons and daughters of believers under the new covenant? Such questions are fascinating and Baptists are asking them and seeking answers. Hence the appearance of this book which comes out of many years of thought and preparation by Greg Nichols and has been eagerly anticipated by the gospel church. May it do much good. May we all look again at the Scriptures and find a new help in understanding them in this satisfying and provocative volume.” – Geoff Thomas, Pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church in Aberystwyth, Wales

“I remember the very first class that I took from Pastor Nichols which was on the Doctrine of the Covenants and thinking to myself, ‘This material has utterly transformed the way that I look at the Bible.’ Until that point, I had never been taught covenant theology and so the effect of this biblical teaching on my life was nothing short of profound! Four thoughts come to mind as I think about this new book: thoroughly scriptural, historically confessional, warmly pastoral and experientially practical. My prayer is that the publication of this work will be that which our great God uses to edify His church and to get much glory to His own holy Name.” – Pastor Rob Ventura, Grace Community Baptist Church, North Providence, RI, Co-Author of “Portrait of Paul”

“As a former student of Greg’s in the Trinity Ministerial Academy, I cannot say enough good about his lectures in systematic theology. In addition to playing a primary role in shaping my ministry, they have had a significant impact upon me personally. His lectures on Doctrine of the Covenants are among my favorites. I am not aware of anything in print that treats this topic as clearly and comprehensively, and from a distinctly Baptist perspective. Greg’s emphasis throughout is biblical, pastoral, and practical, with a contemporary flavor.” – Pastor Jim Domm, Englewood Baptist Church, Englewood NJ

“Pastor Greg Nichols’ lectures on the Biblical Covenants is a breath of fresh air among a smog of other materials available on the same subject. Presented in a plain and readily understandable way, it has revolutionized my thinking and approach to understanding God’s dealing with mankind. Next to a grasp of Biblical Calvinism, nothing has opened up my understanding more to the Word of God than this. It has enabled me to see the true unity that does exist in both the Old and New Testaments while at the same time enabling me to understand the differences. These lectures offer a Biblical alternative to the serious Bible student without feeling they must be either Pedo-Baptist or Dispensational in their approach to the scriptures. With nothing like them in print available, it would be a great asset to the Church of Jesus Christ to have these available in printed form.” – Pastor Martin Hoffman, Providence Baptist Church, Lecanto, FL.

“Greg Nichols’ approach to theology is rooted in his commitment to the Word of God. He has always desired to allow the bible to speak and to sit under its revelation. Over the years I have had both the joy and the privilege to sit through his teaching on various aspects of Systematic Theology and benefited greatly from it. I can heartily recommend his writings to you, it will take you back to your bible, deepen your understanding of God’s Holy Word and draw your closer to the Lord.” – Pastor Robert Briggs, Immanuel Baptist Church, Sacramento, CA

“During the early 1980′s when I was training for the Christian ministry, it was my privilege to sit under the teaching of Pastor Greg Nichols for a significant portion of my class-work. His instruction exerted a formative influence in opening up the entire Bible to me. His material on the covenants for example, was so insightful in unveiling the framework of redemption. Reformed Baptists would benefit by having Pastor Nichols’ material in print. It would help our churches to better understand our faith and better pass it on to the next generation.” – Pastor Stu Johnston, Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Mebane, NC

Contents:

FOREWORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS
INTRODUCTION

PART 1 THE REFORMED THEOLOGY OF GOD’S COVENANTS

Chapter 1 The Westminster and London Confessions

Chapter 2 John Gill on God’s Covenants

Chapter 3 Charles Hodge on God’s Covenants

Chapter 4 Robert Lewis Dabney on God’s Covenants

Chapter 5 Dutch Calvinists on God’s Covenants

Chapter 6 Summary of the Classic Reformed Doctrine

Chapter 7 Contemporary Modifications

PART 2 A BIBLICAL EXPOSITION OF GOD’S COVENANTS

Chapter 8 An Overview of the Biblical Testimony

Chapter 9 The Covenant of Grace

Chapter 10 The Noahic Covenants

Chapter 11 The Abrahamic Covenant

Chapter 12 The Mosaic (Old) Covenant

Chapter 13 The Davidic Covenant

Chapter 14 The New Covenant

Chapter 15 The Messianic Covenant

CONCLUSION: Practical Application of God’s Covenants

APPENDIX 1: The Eternal Counsel of Redemption

APPENDIX 2: The Adamic Covenant

BIBLIOGRAPHY

This volume is the first of the Scriptural and Systematic Studies Series by Greg Nichols.

*Description from Solid Ground Christian Books.

The Puritan Samuel Chadwick says,

“Satan dreads nothing but prayer. Activities are multiplied that prayer may be ousted and organizations are increased that prayer may have no chance. The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

We’ve looked in our last hour at the priority of preaching. In this hour I want to survey the priority of prayer considering both congregational prayer as well as pastoral intercessory prayer.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Let’s look first then at the priority of church prayer meetings. Now it traditionally has been the practice of evangelical churches in the United States to meet on Wednesday nights for prayer. Sadly we’re seeing a day when many American churches are discontinuing this practice and no longer having a midweek meeting that is devoted solely to prayer. Now, I’m not saying that a church has to meet on a Wednesday night. I’m even willing to say that a church does not have to have a meeting specifically for prayer, although there is biblical precedent for that and good reason for that and biblical reason for that, but I am saying that the church is given the assignment of corporate prayer and the pastor, as shepherd of the flock, must guide the people of God into this assigned responsibility. We must make corporate prayer a priority of the church so that the church accomplishes her duties in relation to her Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Click here to read the rest of this sermon transcript.

This discussion came to America around the turn of the century. Sidney Griedanus (Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method, Eerdmans, 1999), Graeme Goldsworthy (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, Eerdmans, 2000), and Edmund Clowney (Preaching Christ in All of Scripture, Crossway, 2003) spoke to an American readership with an increasing renewed appreciation for Calvinism (cf. the cover story of September 2006 Christianity Today: “Jonathan Edwards is My Homeboy”) and thus receptive to a more reformed covenantal hermeneutic that recognizes the continuities and developing redemptive motifs as summarized by Dr. Johnson in the video. Carrick (2002) wrote as a corrective, concerned that RH preaching can tend merely to present the message of the gospel while falling short of arresting the conscience and appealing for the response of faith and repentance. Carrick calls for preaching that informs the hearers with “the indicative,” appeals with “the exclamative” and “the interrogative,” and summons with “the imperative.” He demonstrates these aspects of preaching from Scripture and the examples of preachers like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I commend Scott Meadows’ book review (Part I and Part II).

Richard Gaffin also shares Carrick’s concerns (quoted by John R. De Witt, “Contemporary Failure in the Pulpit” in The Banner of Truth, 210. March 1981, p118): “I have read Sidney Griedanus’s Sola Scriptura and some of the other books on the subject, but I have yet to find a way of bringing together the redemptive-historical conception of Scripture and warm, pointed, applicatory preaching. I do not, it should be said, question the validity of the insights of the redemptive-historical method. But to warn off ministers from the exemplary and moralistic methods of a former time and of other schools is not as yet to have shown them how to be personal and applicatory without doing injustice to the scope and intent of the Word of God. We need some solid, helpful work here, and we need it soon. If the redemptive-historical interpretative principle robs men of power in the pulpit, there is something radically wrong with it.” Like Gaffin, I too “do not question the validity of the insights of the RH method.” My concern is obtaining the biblical balance of a biblical hermeneutic, which the RH method advances, and a biblical homiletic, which Carrick fortifies.

Although the redemptive-historical indicative school and the exemplarist imperative school express concerns about each other, I think that they are putting the em-PHA-sis on different syl-LAB-bles and talking past each other while substantively desiring the same thing. The “debate” confronts us with the fallacy of false options as though they were either-ors when, in fact, they are both-ands. The redemptive-historical brethren put the emphasis on hermeneutics: HIM we proclaim. The exemplarists put the emphasis on homiletics: Him we PROCLAIM. Both want to preach Christ and both want to move men to action in response to Christ, but each has its own emphasis and balance between them is needed. Carrick’s critique is incisive: “If the indicative is permitted to predominate to the exclusion of the imperative, the preaching will inevitably tend in the direction of quietism or antinomianism. If the imperative is permitted to predominate to the exclusion of the indicative, the preaching will inevitably tend in the direction of moralism and legalism” (p.146).

I believe that Dennis Johnson’s book Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ From All The Scriptures (P&R, 2007) substantially meets the need that Gaffin saw in 1981. Johnson is a mature and balanced voice which warrants our hearing. That he is not anti-exemplarist is evident at the outset of the book. His Introduction is entitled: “Preaching the Bible Like Peter and Paul.” His appeal to use Hebrews as a paradigm is to the point as Hebrews dynamically moves in and out of exposition and exhortation, thus exemplifying that desired balance between RH hermeneutic and heart-gripping homiletic. His chapter on “Preaching Christ, Head of the New Creation and Mediator of the New Covenant” is superb. Indeed, Johnson’s strength is his persistent and convincing summons to preach Christ and the gospel, from every portion of Scripture (notice I didn’t say “every verse” per se), in the context of redemptive history and God’s fulfillment of all His promises in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 1:20). Let me also recommend Sinclair Ferguson’s article Preaching Christ from the Old Testament (2002 http://www.proctrust.org.uk/dls/christ_paper.pdf ). I hope you will read Dennis Johnson’s Him We Proclaim for I am sure that you will experience heart-warming discoveries of your Lord and His saving grace as you see Him in the light of the OT and again in the NT. Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:27,32, see also v45). Then with burning hearts, let us proclaim, and with open Bibles, let it be Him that we proclaim – even like Paul who was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening (Acts 28:23).

One last observation on this exemplarist issue… Dennis Johnson exemplifies that man of God whose heart has drunk in Christ from Genesis to Revelation. (By the way, get his commentary on Revelation too – The Triumph of the Lamb, P&R, 2001 and The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, P&R, 1997). I was privileged to sit under Dr. Johnson’s instruction. His example of Christ-like graciousness and humility coupled with solid biblical and Reformed conviction has compelled me to know Christ as He is revealed throughout redemptive history, and knowing Him, Him I’ll proclaim.

Alan Dunn, Pastor
Grace Covenant Baptist Church
Flemington, NJ

Published with the author’s permission.

Recommended Reading:

D. Scott Meadows

These meditations are commendable for their warmth and simplicity. Like the writings of the Puritans, they give off both “light and heat.” One is led to hope and pray with the psalmist, “I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.”

You can read Expositions on Psalm 119 by clicking on the link below. Stay posted for new material added weekly!

Read Meditations on Psalm 119 by D. Scott Meadows

We’re going to consider the priority of shepherding God’s flock.

We need to be the best preachers that we can be, and through the public ministry of the Word of God, endeavor to feed the sheep with the truth of the Word.

Indeed in Jeremiah 3:15, the Lord promises,

Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.

The shepherd is one who feeds the flock of God with the food of the Scripture, but the pastor is more than a public speaker, and his ministry of the Word of God goes beyond preaching in the pulpit. He is a shepherd, and he is concerned that each individual sheep in His flock receives the nourishment of God’s Word personally and specifically.

We turn to Colossians chapter 1 and we read of Paul’s description of this concern for every man who sits under his public ministry.

Every man is the concern of the apostle. He speaks to all kinds of men, and he speaks to individual men. Every man. He does this at great cost with labor agonizing, striving, relying not on His own strength but on the power that works mightily within him, with an energy and ability that is given to the man of God to do the work that God has called him to do, for he is a man gifted by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit works mightily within Him as he works as hard as he can.

I labor says Paul, I work myself to the point of exhaustion. I drop in to bed at night sometimes absolutely exhausted emotionally, spiritually, physically, having labored to the point of exhaustion but not with my own power: laboring with the strength that comes from God.

The work of the pastoral ministry requires that we shepherd the sheep, that we feed them with the Word of God, not only publicly, in corporate worship, from the pulpit but also personally, privately, individually as we endeavor to meet with them one on one.

Read More

The name “Christ” means “Anointed One”. Theologians have pointed out that in the OT, prophets, priests and kings were all anointed for their offices. As the Anointed One, Christ is our prophet, priest and king. This suggests a helpful way to evaluate whether a ministry is “Christ-centered”.

Christ’s work as a priest focuses especially on His saving work on the cross. A properly Christ-centered ministry will clearly proclaim and steadfastly maintain that Christ’s work, and His work alone saves sinners. We must not tolerate the notion that saving merit comes from any other source than from Christ, not even from the sinner’s own heart in his exercise of faith. Furthermore, such a ministry will emphasize the Christian’s continuing absolute dependence on Christ. Since every believer is a redeemed sinner, he will be constantly reminded to abide in Christ by confessing his sins and placing his trust in Christ for forgiveness and strength to obey (Matthew 6:12; 1 John 1:9). As the well-known hymn reminds us, “Every hour I need Thee”.

A Scripturally Christ-centered ministry will teach clearly, carefully, and unashamedly about our Lord’s saving work, including such important subjects as reconciliation and propitiation. Such teaching may not be welcomed with open arms by the MTV generation, but it is vital if we wish to prevent the gospel from being watered down to the point that it becomes meaningless. Thus will the church avoid producing Christians who mindlessly repeat “in Jesus’ name”, but she will beget a generation who intelligently and truly “glory in the cross”.

Further, a Christ-centered ministry, even when it is more directly concentrating on the Christian’s duties of obedience and mortification of sin, will always be guided, motivated and empowered by the crosswork of Jesus Christ. Moreover, its goal will always be the glory of Christ and the urging of every guilty conscience to flee to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. As the apostle wrote, “God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

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Recommended Reading:

If we are to locate the ‘place for guilt,’ we will have to navigate by the objective points of reference revealed in Scripture. If we merely discuss what you or I feel about guilt, we will soon be adrift on the murky sea of subjectivity. We need to fasten our moral sextant on the objective ‘stars’ of God’s revealed truth. Previously the first two points of reference were identified: first, the fact of God as our Creator, Judge, and Lawgiver; and second, the fact of our accountability to God, our Creator-Father. As His image-bearers, we are obligated to love Him and obey His words with filial trust so as to image Him accurately in creation.

Our guilt has a third objective point of reference: the fact of our sin. God commanded Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit. When Adam ate that fruit, he sinned and incurred the punishment of death for himself and for humanity. We do not now stand in that ‘good’ relation to God in which He originally created us.

There is an aspect of ‘The Fall’ that cannot be ignored: the role of Satan. Jesus says Satan was a liar and murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Satan deceived the couple by placing a question mark over the Word of God, enticing them to suspect God’s goodness and justice. He encouraged them to break God’s Law, promising that they would be ‘enlightened’ and become divine themselves. He tempted them to this self-idolatry with the lie of Genesis 3:4, “You surely shall not die!” when God had said, “you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). When they ate the fruit, they were ‘enlightened,’ not to become divine but to become dead.

The first thing the fallen couple did was to separate from one another. They sowed fig leaves together and covered their loins, separating from each other and from the purposes of God. They aligned themselves with Satan, believing the lie in rebellion against God. God approached the couple but they hid from Him. When Adam reluctantly admits that he knew that he was naked, God asks, “Who told you that you were naked?” This question assumes that Adam has listened to somebody other than God. Adam could not know of his nakedness in his innocence, some one had to tell him. God did not tell him. Therefore another voice has spoken to Adam in competition with God’s words. A rival revelation has been deceptively given and obviously Adam has believed it! God gives him opportunity to indict Satan and expose his lies, but he doesn’t. Instead he blames the woman and then blames God Himself! Then, almost as an after thought, he lamely admits, “and I ate.”

Which brings us to sin: sin is essentially the violation of God’s Law. Later, God reiterated the morality of creation, codifying it as The Ten Commandments. God’s moral Law in brief is: I: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” II: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” III: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” IV: “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” V: “Honor your father and your mother.” VI: “You shall not murder.” VII: “You shall not commit adultery.” VIII: “You shall not steal.” IX: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” X: “You shall not covet.” Jesus taught that obedience to the Law is not mere external performance, but involves the actings of the heart (see Matthew 5-7). Obedience to the Law is essentially love to God and love to neighbor (cf. Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:8-10). In regard to Adam, God’s creature son, his sin evidenced a heart which no longer loved God. How did Adam, who was created in righteous communion with God, sin!? I cannot say. Sin is essentially irrational. There is no logical explanation, no reasoned defense which justifies sin. We can analyze sin and discover its roots and identify it by its violation of the Law, but it makes no sense.

Death is not essentially a biological phenomenon, but is a legal punishment executed by the Divine Judge upon morally accountable Lawbreakers. The meaning of death is not to annihilate, but to separate. Because of man’s sin, death now conditions a fallen creation. When Adam disobeyed God, the created order began to crack apart. Adam experienced death’s separation in himself: his body would return to the dust; in being separated from his wife; in being separated from his labor; in being separated from creation; and in being separated from God.

Guilt is incurred when we reject God’s Word and believe Satan’s lies, when we sin by transgressing God’s Law and render ourselves liable to death. Sadly, like fallen Adam, many today believe lies, and cover sin with the ‘fig leaves’ of their supposed ‘spirituality’ in an attempt to keep God at a distance. Those who reject God ultimately get what they desire: separation from God. Ultimate and eternal separation from God is called ‘hell.’

Adam totally misunderstood God’s approach to him after he sinned. God would have been righteous had He immediately cast the couple into hell. But, without compromise to His justice, God disciplines the couple in mercy. In Genesis 3, God came to salvage creation and to give sinners the promise of salvation! Yes, we are guilty. Yes, we deserve death. But there is forgiveness with God! “The Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Do not misunderstand His dealings with you. He is not now approaching you to damn you, but to save you from the death you deserve because of your sin!

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Every sincere Christian desires a “Christ-centered” ministry. But, what constitutes a “Christ-centered” ministry? Frequently, preachers or churches which address the subjects of sin, repentance, obedience, Christ’s commands, duty, or self-denial are criticized as being not “Christ-centered”, even though Christ’s own Word overflows with teaching on these topics.

Is a sermon “Christ-centered” only if it is an evangelistic sermon which is primarily directed at the unconverted? Jesus preached and taught regarding many other subjects, often directing his words to those who were already his disciples and not to the unconverted. The same is true of the epistles of the New Testament. Certainly the teaching and preaching of Jesus and the apostles were properly “Christ- centered”. If we preach nothing but so-called “salvation” messages, we cannot fulfill Jesus’ mandate to teach those who have already been baptized to “observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), and we will fail to produce stable, well-instructed Christians and mature churches.

It seems that in our day, “Christ-centered” is used by some to mean “positive” or encouraging rather than “negative” or convicting. This raises the question, Could it be that “Christ-centered” is often simply used as a synonym for “comfortable”? As the religion editor of a large city’s newspaper once wrote, “Church is the one place people ought to be able to go and be assured that their emotional eggshell won’t be cracked.” It seems that Jesus did not know this. The response of many who heard Him was to become angry or to go away sad (Matthew 19:22). Paul had a different opinion as well. He believed that the result of the Holy Spirit’s working in a church service would not be that an unbeliever would go away with a warm glow, but that he would be “convinced by all” and “judged by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you” (1Co 14.23-5). May God the Holy Spirit so bless and attend our worship services today.

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