Psalm 25 is a prayer of the psalmist filled with a variety of requests and offering declarations of God's goodness and grace and mercy. Two significant verses in this Psalm are vv. 4-5. There are 3 requests in these two verses, and there are two corresponding reasons why the psalmist believes those requests will be answered based upon the character of God.
First, he says, "make me to know your ways, O Lord." The psalmist desires to know the ways of God, how God works in the world, particularly in his life. Second, he requests that the Lord "teach me your paths." The psalmist desires to know the path, the road that God is taking him down in life, how to follow God through life. Third, the psalmist requests that the Lord "lead me in your truth". He desires to know the truth, that which corresponds to reality. But, his request is not for intellectual knowledge of facts, but that he might follow and live according to the truth of God that is revealed to him, hence the word "lead". It is the truth of God that provides the framework for decision-making and obedience to what God has revealed.
Now, there are two corresponding reasons why the psalmist believes the Lord will answer these requests. First, the Lord will answer because "you are God of my salvation". All of the psalmist's hope is in the Lord. In v. 1 of this Psalm, he declares, "to you, O Lord, I life up my soul. O my God, in you I trust." Then, because his hope is in the Lord, he believes the Lord will answer because he "waits all day long" on the Lord. It is in the Lord that he hopes and waits because the Lord is always faithful to come through. Both of these declarations are evidence of faith.
There is an interesting thing to notice about these two verses. They have a parallel in the New Testament. That parallel is found in Jesus' words in John 14:6. There, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". Knowing the ways of the Lord, learning the paths of the Lord, and being led in the truth of the Lord is really about following a person; that person being Jesus, the one who is our teacher, guide, and our leader, the one who is the way of the Lord, who is the truth of the Lord, and who is the life of God in us.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
On the Blogs for December 5, 2012
The Importance of a Leader's Heart
Sunday is not what you think it is (good reminder)
7 Signs the sermon is almost over - interesting article
Is your church too small? - interesting
Correcting people who say "happy holidays"
Inward Drift Churches
Gay-conversion Therapy (interesting article and implications)
Sunday is not what you think it is (good reminder)
7 Signs the sermon is almost over - interesting article
Is your church too small? - interesting
Correcting people who say "happy holidays"
Inward Drift Churches
Gay-conversion Therapy (interesting article and implications)
Friday, November 9, 2012
Church Polity, part 4
Note: If you are planning to pick apart every thing I say, I'm not interested. If you really want to dialogue about the subject, I'm all ears (and my ears are big, literally).
Last week, we looked specifically at Acts 6:1-7 making a couple of observations about the decision-making process of the early church, specifically as it related to a conflict that had arisen and the roles & responsibilities of elders and deacons.
Remember, the apostles’ function in Acts 6 is analogous to the role of pastors/elders in the church today with respect to primary responsibility of oversight, shepherding, guiding, and teaching. Given these responsibilities, it does not preclude the greater congregation of believers from having input nor does it say for the greater congregation to blindly follow the pastors/elders. In fact, while pastors/elders are the serving leaders of the congregation and the deacons are the leading servants, the New Testament places a heavy responsibility on the total congregation in certain situations.
Here are a few of them. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus gives the final authority in the decision to excommunicate an un-repentant brother or sister in Christ from the congregation rather than to the pastors/elders. While the pastors/elders would play a role in that process, the final decision is from the greater congregation.
This reality shows up in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. In this specific situation, Paul addresses the entire congregation because they have allowed a young man in the church to sleep with his step-mother without calling him and her to repentance. Paul addresses the whole congregation, not just the pastors/elders. This is a responsibility of the entire church body.
Also, while the pastors/elders provide spiritual oversight and leadership for the church body, the church body is also responsible for holding the pastors/elders accountable, particularly in their teaching ministry of the church so that they do not teach & preach false doctrine.
As the Holy Spirit leads and guides, there is a check and balance in the decision-making process of the church working through the pastors/elders and the greater congregation.
Last week, we looked specifically at Acts 6:1-7 making a couple of observations about the decision-making process of the early church, specifically as it related to a conflict that had arisen and the roles & responsibilities of elders and deacons.
Remember, the apostles’ function in Acts 6 is analogous to the role of pastors/elders in the church today with respect to primary responsibility of oversight, shepherding, guiding, and teaching. Given these responsibilities, it does not preclude the greater congregation of believers from having input nor does it say for the greater congregation to blindly follow the pastors/elders. In fact, while pastors/elders are the serving leaders of the congregation and the deacons are the leading servants, the New Testament places a heavy responsibility on the total congregation in certain situations.
Here are a few of them. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus gives the final authority in the decision to excommunicate an un-repentant brother or sister in Christ from the congregation rather than to the pastors/elders. While the pastors/elders would play a role in that process, the final decision is from the greater congregation.
This reality shows up in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. In this specific situation, Paul addresses the entire congregation because they have allowed a young man in the church to sleep with his step-mother without calling him and her to repentance. Paul addresses the whole congregation, not just the pastors/elders. This is a responsibility of the entire church body.
Also, while the pastors/elders provide spiritual oversight and leadership for the church body, the church body is also responsible for holding the pastors/elders accountable, particularly in their teaching ministry of the church so that they do not teach & preach false doctrine.
As the Holy Spirit leads and guides, there is a check and balance in the decision-making process of the church working through the pastors/elders and the greater congregation.
Church Polity, part 3
Note: If you are planning to pick apart every thing I say, I'm not interested. If you really want to dialogue about the subject, I'm all ears (and my ears are big, literally).
This week, let’s explore Acts 6:1-7 for few minutes as we glean some important truths about church polity.
Notice that there is a conflict occurring in the Jerusalem church about the serving of the widows that were present among the church--Jewish widows and Hellenistic widows. Out of this conflict, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we can glean some important truths even though the church is fairly young at this point in history.
First, there is a consensus of decision-making among the church. The apostles gathered the disciples together to give information about the situation. The apostles instructed the disciples as to the best method for solving the conflict and moving forward. The disciples chose the seven who would be appointed to this task of “serving tables” to aid in the ministry to the widows, particularly the Hellenistic widows. The seven were brought back to the apostles for affirmation and appointment. There was consensus among the church and the leadership (apostles) all under the Lordship of Jesus and leadership of the Holy Spirit. If you will notice the process that we have used the last couple of years in our Deacon Nomination process, we have tried to follow this pattern ourselves.
Second, there is a division of labor among the church. While pastor-teachers are not equivalent to apostles, there is I believe an analogous relationship that is borne out in this passage with respect to the primary responsibilities of pastor/teachers. The apostles primary responsibility was to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. While serving tables was not out of their purview of the apostles’ ministry and they did participate, it was not primary. The ministry to the widows had become too much for the apostles to handle to the point that they were neglecting their primary calling and responsibility to the disciples in prayer and the word. Therefore, in order for the apostles (and by analogy, pastor/teachers) to give primary attention to “prayer and the ministry of the word” to the congregation, there was a division of labor among the church with the seven taking the lead on the task of serving the widows among the church.
Third, notice the result in v. 7 - “and the word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” The conflict was resolved and the church unified. The word of God increased and the church was strengthened. This passage gives us a picture of church polity and division of labor among the church that promotes a healthy church that bears fruit for the kingdom and glory of God in making disciples.
This week, let’s explore Acts 6:1-7 for few minutes as we glean some important truths about church polity.
Notice that there is a conflict occurring in the Jerusalem church about the serving of the widows that were present among the church--Jewish widows and Hellenistic widows. Out of this conflict, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we can glean some important truths even though the church is fairly young at this point in history.
First, there is a consensus of decision-making among the church. The apostles gathered the disciples together to give information about the situation. The apostles instructed the disciples as to the best method for solving the conflict and moving forward. The disciples chose the seven who would be appointed to this task of “serving tables” to aid in the ministry to the widows, particularly the Hellenistic widows. The seven were brought back to the apostles for affirmation and appointment. There was consensus among the church and the leadership (apostles) all under the Lordship of Jesus and leadership of the Holy Spirit. If you will notice the process that we have used the last couple of years in our Deacon Nomination process, we have tried to follow this pattern ourselves.
Second, there is a division of labor among the church. While pastor-teachers are not equivalent to apostles, there is I believe an analogous relationship that is borne out in this passage with respect to the primary responsibilities of pastor/teachers. The apostles primary responsibility was to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. While serving tables was not out of their purview of the apostles’ ministry and they did participate, it was not primary. The ministry to the widows had become too much for the apostles to handle to the point that they were neglecting their primary calling and responsibility to the disciples in prayer and the word. Therefore, in order for the apostles (and by analogy, pastor/teachers) to give primary attention to “prayer and the ministry of the word” to the congregation, there was a division of labor among the church with the seven taking the lead on the task of serving the widows among the church.
Third, notice the result in v. 7 - “and the word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” The conflict was resolved and the church unified. The word of God increased and the church was strengthened. This passage gives us a picture of church polity and division of labor among the church that promotes a healthy church that bears fruit for the kingdom and glory of God in making disciples.
Monday, November 5, 2012
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