Preaching – Protestant or Not?

The “worship” of the Church of Rome focuses on the mass in which the priest magically turns a wafer and wine into the body and blood of Christ. The participant then partakes in a fairly passive way of what the priest has prepared for him. The central feature of the service is the priest. The “worshipper” goes home basically unchanged and none the better for having been at “worship.”

The Protestant Reformation rescued the Word of God from the obscurity it suffered at the hands of Rome and made it once again the central feature of true Christian worship and life. However, we Protestants are in danger of returning to the centrality of a man, in this case, the preacher, at the expense of neglecting the Word of God. How so?

Part of the problem stems from the philosophy both of preacher and congregation as to what constitutes a “message” from God’s Word. When you hear a preacher talking about “getting a message” for the Lord’s Day it can reflect the mentality that borders on the prophetic, in the biblical sense of the word. It can be common to refer to someone’s preaching ministry as “prophetic.” People expect to hear messages that are not only timely, but also speak powerfully to the things around them. They want messages that confound their enemies and speak to their needy nation, as did the prophets of old.

However, the prophets of Scripture “got messages” from God because He newly revealed them to them. Their messages were revelation in the strict sense of the word. They did not so much “get” messages; rather God “gave” them to them. However, the New Testament preacher (which we all are since the ascension of Christ) is in a different situation. The canon of Scripture is closed. There is no more new revelation. There is no ministry that is “prophetic” in the strict sense of the word. The office of prophet ceased with the last of the apostles. This means that God has said all He wanted to. This also means that the Scriptures themselves are God’s message. God preaches to us in His Word.

So far, so good. But how does a preacher obscure God’s message and make himself the central feature of Christian worship? It comes back to “getting a message” for the Lord’s Day. Preacher, you already have your message – it is Scripture. You don’t have to “get” it; rather you have to study it in order to pass on what God has already said to us in the text you will preach. The text is the message; God preaches it to us. Your mission is to understand the text to the best of your ability and to “repeat” it, or to explain it to the congregation. That is all the “getting” there is (apart from the Holy Spirit’s leading as to which text to preach).

The text is the message. You don’t have to traipsing all over the Bible to pull together various threads to make a garment. The garment is fully made in the text. It may be illustrated in various biblical passages, but the thought of God is the text itself. You may need to bring in instruction from other passages and explain theological concepts used in the text, but the message itself is the text itself.

The problem comes in with the expectation of preacher and congregation. What is a “message” as far as they are concerned? Is it what God has already said in His Word, or is it what the preacher puts together from often disparate sources on a “timely” theme? Is it the plain meaning of the text or is it a compilation of timely thoughts or even good doctrinal statements that “spring” from the text? I say “spring” because a text is often a “springboard” that a preacher uses to get to the “timely thoughts” he already has in mind for his congregation. He might as well use Luke 7:40 as his text, “I have somewhat to say unto thee.”

When a preacher concocts a message from various texts or uses a passage for a purpose other than what it was inspired by the Holy Spirit to fulfill, the congregation is entirely dependent on that preacher for whatever he is going to impart. The message reflects the preacher’s own mind and not the text. There is no way the congregation could ever reread the message in the text because the message did not reflect the text. They must depend on note taking (which is not a bad practice in itself) and perhaps on a catchy alliterated outline to remember anything that is said. However, when they read the text again in their regular Bible reading what the preacher said is only a distant memory at best.

The worst thing about all this is that the congregation did not hear from God. They heard from the preacher. They might have heard truth and they might have heard some sort of helpful “ought to” for their Christian life. However, they did not hear God speak from His Word. They may have heard God speak in spite of the sermon, but they did not hear His voice through the sermon. The logic of the sermon came from the preacher’s mind, not from God’s mind.

The result of such an approach to preaching is that the central feature of the worship service is not the Word of God, but the preacher. The participant listens in a fairly passive way to what the preacher has prepared for him. The central feature of the service is the preacher. The worshipper goes home basically unchanged and perhaps none the better for having been at worship.

Never Read the Bible...

            Have you ever read a novel, or at least a short story? In a novel the author creates a world in our imagination that may more or less resemble the real world. The world he creates is one that fits his story line and characters to produce a somewhat believable whole, at least in the context of his story. When we read the story we are transported to the made-up world, and to some degree we live out what his characters experience. For the duration of our reading we are living a different life, in our imagination. However, when we close the book, we immediately move back into the real world. We might carry some residue of feeling around with us for a while and we might remember some of the lines of dialog or description. But for the most part, that “other life” is over.

            The same is true of movies, and even TV series. The world of the movie is our world, and the lives of the leading characters, or heroes, are our lives for as long we watch. But when the movie credits come on, the lights come up and we step out of the air-conditioned comfort of the theater into the steamy, hot parking lot and get in our stuffy car, the alternate reality is over and “real” reality kicks back in. We go and get a pizza and get back to the humdrum of everyday life. [For those who do not frequent movie theaters, the same experience of a return to “real” reality occurs, except perhaps for the pizza, when the DVD is over and the children are sent off to bed.]

            One of the elemental features of reading fiction is that when we close the book, life in that unreal world is over. We entered that world for a time to understand the author’s point, if there was one worth understanding. But once we finished the book, we finished life in that world. It’s over. However, one of the problems with fiction is that people can think that the imaginary world is the real one, and it can be lived out in this world. Star Trek comes to mind as one example where people adopted the identities and characteristics of fictional beings and attempted to live life as a “Trekkie.” Thankfully, most people recognize that this is not the secret to a fulfilling life. Once the story is over, life in that world is over, too. Then, it is “back to porridge,” as the British say.

            Christians generally like to read. One popular genre is the Christian biography. We all have our heroes of the faith. Reading the lives of those who have gone before us can be encouraging and edifying. It is heartening to read how God met simple people who had a great and faithful God working on their behalf. We can receive hope for our difficult times and strength of heart for the long nights of suffering as we see God meet others with similar needs. However, in reading Christian biographies there is a danger similar to the one faced by novel readers and movie watchers. As we read the dramatic accounts of the lives of others, we can imagine that we ourselves are actually experiencing what they went through. We can identify with these heroes of the faith to the point of assuming something of their path in life. Their experience becomes our experience, at least in our imagination.

This is especially true of 19^th Century missionary biographies. Although the stories of those heroic characters are largely true, they are often recounted in a “larger-than-life” way that approaches fiction. Such books border on praising men for the work of God. If a reader has any sensitivity to the “greatness” of the call to the mission field, or any other kind of “full-time service,” he can begin to see himself in that same “larger-than-life” way. If the reader is to any degree idealistic, then what he has read of others must also become true of himself. He becomes like the Trekkie who lives out the imagined “Spock” or “Kirk,”, but the name has been changed to “Hudson Taylor,” “C. H. Spurgeon,” or “Amy Carmichael.” What the hero of faith did and experienced must be seen again in the reader’s life. They did certain things that God blessed, so to have the same blessing, I must do the same things, or live with the same convictions. Then I will see the great blessing of God as they did.

I hope we can see the fallacy in such thinking. God creates everyone to be different, to live in different circumstances and times, and to do different things in the kingdom of God. I can learn much from the lives of others, perhaps mostly from their mistakes. But to think that my feeble efforts of imitation, even my best efforts as a Christian can guarantee the blessing of God is to treat God as a giant candy machine. If I put the same money in the machine that my hero did, then I will get the same candy as he did. This might sound a little harsh to those who believe that the greatest benefit of historic examples comes from imitating them. As far as I understand from Scripture, God is the Hero of history, not man. We have only to ask our heroes, with the apostle Paul, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor.4:7). Furthermore, as far as our heroes were truly men and women of God, they certainly did not attribute the blessing of God to their efforts. “God did not bless us,” they would say, “because we were good. He blessed us because HE is good.” God is the real Hero of history.

To take this thought to a higher level, such a man-centered “candy machine” mentality can bleed over from reading biographies to reading the Bible. Bible characters can assume a heroic status and become examples for us to imitate. Of course they were not perfect, it is reasoned, but they must be in the Bible to show us what God expects from us. That conclusion is built upon the assumption that man is the most important person in the universe. Man, it is wrongly supposed, must be the center of attention. After all, look what God did for him at Calvary. However, the Scripture is clear that what God did at Calvary was first of all “To the praise of the glory of His grace… to the praise of His glory…(and) unto the praise of His glory” (Eph.1:6, 12, 14). However much God may value those He purchased at the cost of the substitutionary death of His Son, the primary beneficiary of the cross was not man, but God Himself. If, however, we read the Bible with man in the forefront of our thinking, then the not-always-implicit supposition is that if we do imitate them, we will get the same blessing they did. In fact, it can even be communicated that unless we do imitate them we will get no blessing at all.

The God who is the Hero of history is first and foremost the Hero of the Bible. God is the central Figure in the Bible, which makes Him the central Figure in every book of the Bible, which makes Him the central Figure in every chapter of every book. His role might be only implicit in some places, but we must NEVER read the Bible without God foremost in our mind. The book is not about great believers, but about the Great God they believed in. They, too, would rebuke us with, “What did we have that we did not receive?” To be sure, they performed great exploits. But “they were what they were by the grace of God” (1 Cor.15:10). They only performed those exploits because God was gracious in turning their hearts to Himself, and faithful in doing what He promised to perform, usually in spite of their unbelief and disobedience. (That, by the way, is the whole point of Hebrews 11. It is not “The Hall of Fame of Faith” but “The Hall of Fame of the Faithful One” who is worthy of our continued trust in Him.)

The point of this long ramble is this: when we read Scripture, especially the stories (narratives), our question must NOT be, “How can I do what they did for God?” but “How can God do for me what He did for them?” NOT, “What does God expect from me?” but “What can I expect from God?” After all, He is the Savior, not me.

The Process of Change – 4: Correction

            If the second step of biblical change outlined in 2 Timothy 3:16 is seeing what I am doing wrong (in thought, speech, and action), then the next step must be to see what I need to do in order to live correctly. What is “right?” The answer to that question should not be too difficult, since the Scripture that convicted me also spells out how to act in a way pleasing to God. In fact, the correction may be little more than making the negative statement, “Stop doing this” into “Start doing the opposite.” To use Paul’s language (Eph.4:22-24) the second step shows me what I need to “put off” (like dirty clothes) and the third step shows me what to “put on” (clean clothes).

What I do that displeases God needs to be repented of. Often people misunderstand the word “repent” to mean, “be sorry for.” However, that is only one element of true repentance. Sin has been defined as “any want (lack) of conformity unto or transgression of the Law of God” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 14). Sin is not only a failure to obey God (want of conformity), but it is also active rebellion  (transgression) against God. Repenting is therefore not only desisting from the active rebellion, it also involves active conformity (obedience) to God’s revealed will. Stopping a sinful action is only the beginning. True repentance moves us on to loving obedience to our Heavenly Father.

So, the liar, for example, has not repented when he stops telling lies. Repentance takes him on to speaking the truth. Correction is the goal of repentance. Doing right is what the child of God aims at. However, much of our problem stems from the fact that it is easy to be complacent in the Christian life. If we are not conscious of flagrant sin in our life, then it easy to go through our busy days on “auto-pilot,” much as a jetliner does on long flights. The captain sets certain instruments to automatically guide the plane along its route, and than he relaxes and more or less keeps his eye on things. If only living a fruitful Christian life were as easy as flying a plane! I am afraid we have very low expectations when it comes to bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

We all have many relationships to look after, many responsibilities to take care of, and many shortcomings and failures that need attention. God has something to say about all those things, and more besides. If we were to take inventory of the various connections we have with people and simply aim at loving each one as we love ourselves, it would take more study than earning a PhD! Add to that all the complications created by our own sin and theirs, as well as the lost world that needs to hear and see the gospel, and a lifetime is not long enough to take care of it all. Correction will keep us busy for the rest of our lives. How can people ever think they do not need more biblical input, that they have somehow "matured" or "arrived?"

The Process of Change – 3: Conviction

           According to 2 Timothy 3:16, when we come face to face with God’s righteous will we begin to see how unrighteous we are. Just take a look at the “practical” sections of Paul’s epistles to see not only how much we still fail to obey, but also how much we continue to disobey. Some of the things written to Christians make one wonder just how sinful we really are. 

           People can be forgiven it they think that conversion makes such a dramatic change in our lives that sin is not much of a problem any more. Although it may not be directly stated in evangelistic presentations, much of modern evangelism is focused on “getting saved” and on missing Hell.

The fact that the repentance that begins at conversion must continue and grow throughout the Christian life is often ignored. Some may think that salvation by grace excludes the idea of a changed life. They want to become believers but not disciples. While we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, yet that saving grace comes “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit.2:12). The idea that once we are saved we are done dealing with sin is absolutely foreign to Scripture. Christians should be the most sin-conscious people in the world. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

Therefore, when we read the Bible, we should not be surprised to see our own faults and shortcomings. On the contrary, we should look for them. We should look for the specific commands of Scripture to see that “there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1).

However, do not let Satan burden you with vague accusations and condemnation. When the Holy Spirit shows you your sin His work is precise and specific. He shows you the very definite, and usually obvious ways you still miss the mark of love for God and for your neighbor. This work of conviction is not for the purpose of making your life miserable. The aim of the Bible’s conviction is to save you from a path of sin that you habitually walk on. The aim of this second step is biblical change. The only path of joy in the Lord is the path of obedience (John 14:21-23).

The first step of biblical change leads us to say, “I know the will of God.” This second step brings us to say, “I see my sin and I repent.” What will the third step show us?

The Process of Change – 2: Doctrine

In 2 Timothy 3:16 the word translated “doctrine” in our Bible speaks of instruction by means of giving information. The emphasis of the word is on the content of what is taught. The Bible is our source of information about God and His saving work and will. Without Scripture we would have no redeeming knowledge that would “make us wise unto salvation” either in our conversion or in our daily progress in holiness. Without Scripture we would be ignorant of these things.

Moreover, apart from God’s revelation of Himself in the “sacred writings,” we would have many wrong ideas about Him. We are not born as a “tabula rasa” (blank slate), as unbelieving psychologists claim. We are born as sin-darkened rebels who hold many wrong concepts about God and salvation. We need the Bible not only to inform our ignorance, but also to expose and rectify our native idolatry.

So, the first reason we read Scripture daily is to grow in our knowledge of God as He informs us via the inspired page. God’s Word is our “instruction book” for life. In the OT the Hebrew word often translated “law” is the word “torah,” which speaks of instruction. The “law” is far more than only the Ten Commandments, or even all the commandments. Everything God says is “law,” in that whatever He speaks is authoritative instruction for man. And is that is just what we need – authoritative instruction for life and godliness.

We need to know God’s will for everything that touches our eternal destiny as well as our temporary stay in this world. In fact, from our present perspective, the eternal destiny part is pretty simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” It is the daily slog that we need daily light for. We have so many relationships, responsibilities and opportunities that we need a personal coach all along the way. And that is just what we have for daily Christlikeness – our gracious Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, enlightening and enabling us by the Holy Spirit to conform to His loving will as revealed in His infallible Word.

Is that why you read the Bible? I am sure that often we have read it in order to “get a blessing,” which may mean nothing more than a good feeling or a sense of God’s love. However, God’s aim is far higher – he wants to understand His will for our daily lives in this world. And that means far more than just what He wants us to do. It includes the multitude of ways that we need to change in order to stop reflecting our own egocentric lives and instead to reflect His love and holiness. It takes in all that there is of Christlikeness. Not a small topic! You think you studied in school! Christian, you are just beginning to get the picture! That Bible could be a lot bigger than it is, but what we have will take a lifetime to learn. Your assignment: know the Lord.

Next: think about what the second step might be. What will happen to us when we learn God’s will? 

The Process of Change – 1

2 Timothy 3:16

I thought I’d give you a few extra days to look for it. This verse outlines the four-step process of biblical change. This is how “progress in holiness” takes place. This is how we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2  Pt.3:18).

            In 2 Timothy Paul is seeking to fortify Timothy’s courage and faith. Paul himself is on the way to glory and this, of course, gives Timothy cause for concern. The young minister had leaned heavily on the old apostle and would miss him greatly. What’s worse, the outlook on the horizon is not any brighter, and the battle for the church is heating up considerably. Younger Timothy feels some trepidation over the prospects. Paul senses this concern and writes to help his younger protégé buck up for the coming battles. One of his themes throughout this epistle is the sufficiency of the gospel and the Word of God for all Timothy has to face.

            Paul reminded Timothy of the sacred writings he already knew in what we call the Old Testament. These Scriptures were used of God to make him “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (3:15). [Note: the OT is about “salvation through faith in Christ {Messiah} Jesus.” It is not a catalog of examples and precepts for us to follow. More on that in another post.] Moreover, the apostle urges him to “continue in the things” he had learned from Paul. Paul lets him know several times in this epistle that the apostolic teaching of the gospel is as authoritative as the sacred writings of the OT. In other words, they are the NT of God’s Word. Both OT and NT were “breathed by God” to be authoritative and reliable communication to us of God’s saving work and will.

            It is the same Word that was instrumental is Timothy’s faith in Christ that would be instrumental in both his work as a minister and his personal growth in grace as a believer. Christ our Prophet makes known to us by His Word and Spirit “what we must do to be saved” as well as “what we must do to be sanctified.” So, what must I do to be sanctified? Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and see what you can come up with before my next post, Lord willing.

Change: Sanctification

In our last post we thought about the three changes that occur in the Christian: conversion, sanctification, and being “made perfect in holiness” at death. The change that happens at death is obviously out of our hands. But the first two, conversion and sanctification, involve human activity. No one is converted who does not repent and believe the gospel. While only the Holy Spirit can enable someone to do that, no one is saved who does not do that. In the same way, our progress in holiness is both enabled by the Spirit and advanced by our obedience. This is what Paul says in Phil.2:12-13 – “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you (enabling) both to will and to do (obeying) of his good pleasure.” That is the lifelong change we call sanctification. The Holy Spirit is at work in you to lead you into a life of obedience. He directs that obedience through His Word.

Some people have said that this work of sanctification is a mystery. They don’t know how it happens. And as far as God’s part is concerned it is unseen, mysterious, and something that is beyond our comprehension. However, sanctification has two sides to it. From our side of things, there is no mystery about it at all. The Bible is perfectly clear about the process of our continual progress and growth in grace. God’s Word outlines our contribution to this process of change we call sanctification. That outline is found in – see if you can find it before tomorrow’s post.

Change is what Sanctification is all about.