We were looking yesterday morning at 3 of Jesus confrontations with the Pharisees in Mark 2 and 3, one about fasting and 2 about the Sabbath. I just want to walk through in my mind and using my fingers and keyboard some ways in which we may find ourselves slipping into legalism.
Firstly we need to recognise that the Pharisees didn't set out to be legalists who loved law more than they loved people. They set out to live lives that pleased God. That is why they added layer after layer of tradition to the law, they were safeguards to make sure that they didn't break the law. They were seeking to please God, but the problem was not that they went too far but that they didn't go far enough. I don't mean in terms of needing more extremely laws, I mean in terms of understanding the purpose of the law, what it revealed about the nature of the problem, and what it revealed about God.
They did not go far enough in that their traditions addressed external behaviour not heart change. Their understanding of God didn't go far enough in that they assumed they could live righteously rather than seeing the bigger picture of what the law pointed to, which was that they couldn't. But most importantly they missed the heart of God revealed in the law - a God who loved, cherished, rescued, called, protected, disciplined and blessed his people. The danger is that we fall into the same trap, so what might a creeping pharisee-icalism look like in our lives:
1. A preoccupation with externals rather than heart change.
This can take any form you like, from keeping a mental register of who is in church week by week, to a legalistic focus on bible reading. The point is that the external practise has become what matters not the internal change. In short grace is no longer at work in your heart.
2. A lack of love for others instead of a deep love.
This evidences itself in writing people off, in not loving in a way that is active, in not pursing the lost or the wandering. Instead it leads to a bemoaning of the sins of others and the rapid degeneration of society and the church, whilst failing to hold out the gospel hope society and individuals need.
3. A rush to judge others rather than assume the best.
A lack of love leads to this. We are quick to assume the worst of people rather than the best. Be it that they will not respond to the gospel, or that they are too far gone, or that they are too hard hearted. Or simply that they are too bad for the gospel. It leads us to be hyper critical of Bible teaching and doctrine that does notexactly conform or phrase things in a way we would.
4. A failure to enjoy God
If you had asked the Pharisees if they enjoyed God they would not have known how to answer. I wonder how we would answer that same question. Are you enjoying God? Because Jesus focus in is on enjoying God rather than slaving for God. He talks of the kingdom in terms of a wedding banquet, he talks of the Sabbath as being designed for man and he brings rest, wholeness, restoration and redemption on the Sabbath. Do we enjoy God? Ask yourself that question and answer it honestly, because I wonder if in answering it we really see the inner Pharisee in each of us.
Showing posts with label danger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label danger. Show all posts
Monday, 6 May 2013
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Dying churches
I came acrosss this this morning, thought it was both telling and convicting:
Dr A J Gordon was a fiery preacher from England in a dead, dull and formal church in Boston, Mass. Even though his church was dead he preached Jesus to them with passion, his church was shocked and were ready to fire him after his first month. One Sunday Dr Gordon preached a sermon called 'The Funeral of the Church', here is what he said: "Ecclesiastical corpses lie all around us. The caskets in which they respose are lined with satin and are decorated with solid silver handles and abundant flowers. Like all caskets they are just large enough for their occupants with no room for converts. these churches have died from the disease of formalism and have been embalmed in complacency. If by the grace of God this church has any life in her, I warn you that those that buried thy sister churches will be at thy door to carry thee out, because I hear the death rattle." Six men then came through the back door of the church carrying a casket which they put at the front of the church and opened. Dr Gordon then asked everyone to walk by and see their dead church. In the casket was a mirror and as they looked in they saw themselves.
Dr A J Gordon was a fiery preacher from England in a dead, dull and formal church in Boston, Mass. Even though his church was dead he preached Jesus to them with passion, his church was shocked and were ready to fire him after his first month. One Sunday Dr Gordon preached a sermon called 'The Funeral of the Church', here is what he said: "Ecclesiastical corpses lie all around us. The caskets in which they respose are lined with satin and are decorated with solid silver handles and abundant flowers. Like all caskets they are just large enough for their occupants with no room for converts. these churches have died from the disease of formalism and have been embalmed in complacency. If by the grace of God this church has any life in her, I warn you that those that buried thy sister churches will be at thy door to carry thee out, because I hear the death rattle." Six men then came through the back door of the church carrying a casket which they put at the front of the church and opened. Dr Gordon then asked everyone to walk by and see their dead church. In the casket was a mirror and as they looked in they saw themselves.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Respectable idols
Last night at Lighthouse we were looking at Jonah 2, his prayer from in the belly of the great fish. We were confronted there by the respectable nature of our idolatry.
That is the fascinating thing about Jonah's prayer. He doesn't talk about running away from God as being what has led to his judgement, he doesn't talk about refusing to take God's message, ignoring his word or setting himself on a collision course with the almighty sovereign God of the land and seas. No (v8) Jonah says it is clinging to idols that means you forfeit God's love.
Jonah the prophet identifies idolatry as what has led him to face judgement from God (and the great fish isn't the judgement - the great fish is God's means of salvation). That ought to shock us - Jonah the prophet is an idolater. And Jonah has a respectable idol - his nation, Israel.
It opens us up, it calls us to examine our respectable idols. Ministry, my reputation, our church are all potential idols. And the status we give them can lead us to downplay the significance of our sin. We simply don't see them as idols, in fact we value our passion about such things. But whilst being passionate about such good things is right we must beware our passion for them outweighing our passion for God.
That is the fascinating thing about Jonah's prayer. He doesn't talk about running away from God as being what has led to his judgement, he doesn't talk about refusing to take God's message, ignoring his word or setting himself on a collision course with the almighty sovereign God of the land and seas. No (v8) Jonah says it is clinging to idols that means you forfeit God's love.
Jonah the prophet identifies idolatry as what has led him to face judgement from God (and the great fish isn't the judgement - the great fish is God's means of salvation). That ought to shock us - Jonah the prophet is an idolater. And Jonah has a respectable idol - his nation, Israel.
It opens us up, it calls us to examine our respectable idols. Ministry, my reputation, our church are all potential idols. And the status we give them can lead us to downplay the significance of our sin. We simply don't see them as idols, in fact we value our passion about such things. But whilst being passionate about such good things is right we must beware our passion for them outweighing our passion for God.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
How to stop drift
On Sunday night we were looking at Hebrews. It is a book of warnings, in particular it warns believers about the danger of drifting, of gradually becoming apathetic about the gospel and drifting into a sterile legalism and religiosity. But how do you avoid such a drift because if its so gradual we may not even see it coming?
That's where understanding Hebrews and reading it in its entirety helps. Chapter 10v19-25 says this:
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
The key to avoiding drift is one another, it is other believers keeping us gospel focused and applying the gospel to each others lives again and again and again. God knows it is a potential problem we face and so he graciously gives us other believers, he gives us the church.
There are however a number of trends in society that makes this difficult. The first is that we are commitmentophobic - and such relationships require commitment - we must allow the gospel to challenge our individualism and heed its call into community.
The second is that we are proud, we don't like to admit we are drifting and we certainly don't want someone else pointing out what we haven't seen for ourselves. Again the remedy is the gospel where God points out our need before we are aware of it and shows us his love.
Thirdly we devalue the church - it is fashionable to moan about the church; discontent seems to be endemic. There are things in local churches, which if there, we ought to be concerned about; a refusal to teach the Bible, poor/wrong Bible teaching, unchallenged sin. That concern shouldn't result in moaning but prayer and then an approach to the elders of the church. But some things; music style, things just not being quite how I would like it, etc... should not cause moaning. I was always told that if I found the perfect church not to join it because I would ruin it. God gives us one another to gospel one another.
Fundamentally if we don't want to be in relationships which have elements of accountability to one another, if we will not engage in gospel-ing one another then we have failed to understand the call of the gospel and we open ourselves up to the danger of drifting.
That's where understanding Hebrews and reading it in its entirety helps. Chapter 10v19-25 says this:
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
The key to avoiding drift is one another, it is other believers keeping us gospel focused and applying the gospel to each others lives again and again and again. God knows it is a potential problem we face and so he graciously gives us other believers, he gives us the church.
There are however a number of trends in society that makes this difficult. The first is that we are commitmentophobic - and such relationships require commitment - we must allow the gospel to challenge our individualism and heed its call into community.
The second is that we are proud, we don't like to admit we are drifting and we certainly don't want someone else pointing out what we haven't seen for ourselves. Again the remedy is the gospel where God points out our need before we are aware of it and shows us his love.
Thirdly we devalue the church - it is fashionable to moan about the church; discontent seems to be endemic. There are things in local churches, which if there, we ought to be concerned about; a refusal to teach the Bible, poor/wrong Bible teaching, unchallenged sin. That concern shouldn't result in moaning but prayer and then an approach to the elders of the church. But some things; music style, things just not being quite how I would like it, etc... should not cause moaning. I was always told that if I found the perfect church not to join it because I would ruin it. God gives us one another to gospel one another.
Fundamentally if we don't want to be in relationships which have elements of accountability to one another, if we will not engage in gospel-ing one another then we have failed to understand the call of the gospel and we open ourselves up to the danger of drifting.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Danger!
There are a number of dangers we face as Christians to our ongoing discipleship. One of them that Luke seems to stress is distraction.
It is there in chapter 8 as he tells the parable of the sower, in the third soil the seed doesn't bear any fruit because they get distracted by life's worries and pleasures, its there illustrated in the Stilling of the Storm as the disciples allow the waves and wind to distract them from who is in the boat with them. It comes up again in his call to discipleship - Jesus expects undistracted disciples who follow him as a priority.
And it is there in the story of Mary and Martha. Having just taught the expert in the law that loving God devotedly means loving humanity practically, Jesus surprisingly warns Martha of the danger of being distracted by serving. Martha isn't distracted by something bad but by something which is good, but the issue is she doesn't choose what is better, what is needful.
It poses the question am I serving God at the expense of my relationship with him? Or am I serving God as an outpouring of my relationship with him?
It is there in chapter 8 as he tells the parable of the sower, in the third soil the seed doesn't bear any fruit because they get distracted by life's worries and pleasures, its there illustrated in the Stilling of the Storm as the disciples allow the waves and wind to distract them from who is in the boat with them. It comes up again in his call to discipleship - Jesus expects undistracted disciples who follow him as a priority.
And it is there in the story of Mary and Martha. Having just taught the expert in the law that loving God devotedly means loving humanity practically, Jesus surprisingly warns Martha of the danger of being distracted by serving. Martha isn't distracted by something bad but by something which is good, but the issue is she doesn't choose what is better, what is needful.
It poses the question am I serving God at the expense of my relationship with him? Or am I serving God as an outpouring of my relationship with him?
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Paper Pastors
I came across this article this morning as I was browsing a blog. It challenges us about who our paper pastors are, who we hold up as the ideal pastor and unfavourably compare our own with. I found it a challenge and a rebuke to my sinfully adopted habit of creating evangelical celebrities. It is well worth a read: http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/04/porn-and-paper-pastors.html
Thursday, 6 March 2008
What do you love?
1 John 2:15-17 is a great little passage, it reminds us that actually we are to be counter cultural especially in our relationship to the world.
John calls his readers and us to a mutually exclusive love. Notice what John says (15) you can’t love the world and love God. The world is a big theme in John (23x) and it is seen as everything that is opposition to God. To love the world is to live for the world – it is about setting your heart on it.
We live in a dangerous place, as did John's readers because we live in the world, and it competes for our love. That is what advertising is about - it is designed to make us love and want the world. The danger is that without being aware of it we become ensnared by it like the frog that remains in water which is gradually boiled.
The world – human systems, morality etc… are not to be loved by those who love God. (16) Makes even clearer 3 of the dangers the world brings: literally the desire of the flesh (living for physical pleasure), the lust of the eyes (Advertising, making us want; be it sex, a certain lifestyle or better bananas) and lastly pride in what we have and do (or maybe in waht our family, children, grandchildren have or do).
John reminds us we live in enemy occupied territory and the big question he poses is do I find myself loving the world?
But John also poinst out another mutual exclusive in these verses; Mutually exclusive endings.(17) John calls believers to wake up, to recognise the danger of loving the world but he also reminds them of the mutually exclusive endings of these things. In fcat bearing in mind the temporary nature of the world and its loves will help us. The question is will you live for things that are temporary or will you live for things that last forever?
What do I find myself living for? What do I find myself loving?
John calls his readers and us to a mutually exclusive love. Notice what John says (15) you can’t love the world and love God. The world is a big theme in John (23x) and it is seen as everything that is opposition to God. To love the world is to live for the world – it is about setting your heart on it.
We live in a dangerous place, as did John's readers because we live in the world, and it competes for our love. That is what advertising is about - it is designed to make us love and want the world. The danger is that without being aware of it we become ensnared by it like the frog that remains in water which is gradually boiled.
The world – human systems, morality etc… are not to be loved by those who love God. (16) Makes even clearer 3 of the dangers the world brings: literally the desire of the flesh (living for physical pleasure), the lust of the eyes (Advertising, making us want; be it sex, a certain lifestyle or better bananas) and lastly pride in what we have and do (or maybe in waht our family, children, grandchildren have or do).
John reminds us we live in enemy occupied territory and the big question he poses is do I find myself loving the world?
But John also poinst out another mutual exclusive in these verses; Mutually exclusive endings.(17) John calls believers to wake up, to recognise the danger of loving the world but he also reminds them of the mutually exclusive endings of these things. In fcat bearing in mind the temporary nature of the world and its loves will help us. The question is will you live for things that are temporary or will you live for things that last forever?
What do I find myself living for? What do I find myself loving?
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Preparing for Christmas
I always find this time of year exciting but daunting. Exciting because there are so many opportunities to talk with people, to go into school, to preaching the gospel, the great news that Jesus comes to save us sent by God.
But also daunting because people can know the story so well that they are almost innoculated to it, the eyes glaze over as they hear another Christmas message. The biggest danger is that I feel the need to innovate - to come up with more shocking and spectacular ways of starting off the talk, or more gimmics to keep people hooked. But it is God's word that will arrest and convict people not my poor efforts at ingenuity. It is God's gospel which I must work hard at explaining to people whilst praying that God through his Holy Spirit will save who he wants to save.
But also daunting because people can know the story so well that they are almost innoculated to it, the eyes glaze over as they hear another Christmas message. The biggest danger is that I feel the need to innovate - to come up with more shocking and spectacular ways of starting off the talk, or more gimmics to keep people hooked. But it is God's word that will arrest and convict people not my poor efforts at ingenuity. It is God's gospel which I must work hard at explaining to people whilst praying that God through his Holy Spirit will save who he wants to save.
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