Godliness

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A humbling and enlightening exercise - 3 February 2012

Do you want to learn a little more about yourself?

Try filling this in for a week.

A portrait of a sluggard - 30 January 2012

The sluggard does not lack ambition. He has no shortage of ideas, plans, and desires; it’s just not matched by hard work. He might start something, but he’ll never finish it. He go out hunting, catch animal, bring it home, but he won’t get round to cooking it; he’ll justt leave it to rot in his front garden. He won’t plough his field in the autumn; he’ll be worn out by the effort of harvest. But then he’ll be surprised (yes, it’s always a surprise) when the following summer he has nothing to eat. You should be careful when you’re walking past his house – falling roof-tiles and collapsing walls are all too frequent. If he ever gets a job, he’s an absolute pain in the neck to his boss: “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to the one who sends him.” His life becomes like a hedge of thorns – he’s taken the path of short-term ease so often that his affairs are in utter chaos, and eventually it’s almost impossible to sort out the mess. Finally (unless he has inherited wealth) he’ll end his life with nothing – once again, to his immense surprise, “poverty will come upon him like a robber.” (Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:26; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13-16.)

At times this comic figure will make you laugh. And of course it’s a caricature – there’s no one in the world quite like this. But in most of us we’ll find some of these traits, if we look hard enough. And look we must, because the Sluggard is, in the end, a figure of tragedy. He’s pitiful, sad, pathetic.

Four characteristics of the Sluggard from Proverbs 26:13-16:

1. Sluggards make excuses (v. 13)
2. Sluggards rarely start a job (v. 14)
3. Sluggards never finish a job (v. 15)
4. Sluggards won’t listen (v. 16)

Listen here.

Hard graft - 16 January 2012

Productive work requires perseverance at one task for an extended period of time. Graft, not flitting. So when God wanted to teach us about how to work hard, he said “Go to the ant.” He didn’t say, “Go the the moth.”

Mark Driscoll to young Christian men - 4 January 2012

“You are an image-bearer of God – I expect more from you … and you can do this, by the grace of God. And we’re here to pick you up and help you walk straight.” More here.

Mark Driscoll on studying - 4 January 2012

“If a guy is only studying for too long, he becomes an idealist. And he starts criticizing the work of other men, because he’s not busy doing his own work. And we call that Bible College.” More here.

Prayer again - 3 January 2012

Jesus is “dedicated to prayer, for he knows who moves the universe” (Doug Jones).

Prayer in a nutshell - 3 January 2012

Doug Jones nails it again: “We find Jesus regularly retreating into the real world of causation – prayer.”

Not just preaching it - 3 January 2012

Philip Ryken has some wise things to say about using the Lord’sDay:

“The Lord’s Day is for visiting the sick. It is for welcoming strangers, especially internationals. It is for helping people worship in the nursing home. It is for hosting the homeless to dinner. It is for giving fatherly care to orphans. It is for taking time to counsel friends who need encouragement. It is a day for giving all the service to God that we are unable to give the rest of the week. In addition to giving us a good day for rest and worship, the Lord has also given us a great day for the gospel – not just for preaching it, but also practicing it through loving deeds of mercy.” (Luke, p. 252)

A sign of worldliness - 22 December 2011

Romans 12:16 “Associate with the lowly.”

Charles Cranfield: “Paul is enjoining … a friendly and unselfconscious association both with ordinary unimportant people and with the outcasts of society that is free from any suggestion of patronizing or condescension … it is always a sign of the worldliness of the church then its ‘leaders’ no longer associate as readily and freely with humble people both inside and outside the church as with those who feel socially superior.” (Romans, ICC, p. 644.)

If I were a swan - 22 December 2011

Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your logicos worship.”

Epictetus: “If I were a nightingale, I would do what is proper for a nightingale; If I were a swan, I would do what is proper for a swan. In fact I am logicos, so I must praise God.”

Cranfield, Romans (ICC), p. 602.

Those passionate Puritans - 25 November 2011

Stephen Prothero has written a good article on the CNN Belief Blog entitled “Puritans gave thanks for sex and booze.” The argument will be familiar to anyone who knows anything about what the Puritans were really like. However, it may be news to people who think they know all about the Puritans when in fact they have simply imbibed the myths put about by the secular media and the liberal church establishment.

Here are a few of the salient highlights:

The standard depictions of “the New England Puritans” included “killjoy and prude.” But “New England’s Puritans were by no means allergic to fun.”
On drinking, “While hard alcohol was frowned upon, beer and wine were celebrated as gifts from above.”
On the other alleged Puritan taboo, “Another gift from above was sex, which New England Puritans liked just about as much as the rest of us (or more). They sought to channel sexual desire into the institution of marriage, but inside marriage they let their lusts run free.”
This high view of sex combined with their high view of church authority to produce some interesting moments around the Lord’s Table: “New England’s Puritans disciplined church members who refused to have sex with their wives, including one James Mattock, excommunicated from his church in Boston in 1640 because he ‘denied conjugal fellowship unto his wife’ for two years.”
In summary, “After the eating and drinking was done, plenty of Puritans thanked God for saving them from celibacy.”

HT: Joel Garver

An unsightly reminder - 15 November 2011

“If a man could look into the dungeons of hell, and see the poor damned souls that lie bound in chains of darkness, and hear their cries, what would he be taught?” (John Owen)

Where temptation leads - 15 November 2011

We’re continuing our series on the subject of Temptation in next Sunday’s Forum. Here’s a sneak preview – a list of some of the things described in Scripture as sinful, and a sobering reminder of where temptation leads.

False testimony, refusal to worship God, dishonouring your parents, joylessness, idolatry, murder, false accusations, adultery, lust, fear, anger, anxiety, being ashamed of Christ, violence, robbery, stealing, bitterness, astrology, blasphemy, wilfully distorting the teaching of Scripture, failure to bless those who curse you, failure to pray for your enemies, boasting, leading little children into sin, causing another Christian to stumble, neglecting to welcome other Christians, slander, failure to help orphans and widows in their distress, becoming polluted by the world, discord, sowing dissention, divisiveness, giving or receiving bribes, worldliness, refusal to discipline your children, despising the discipline of your parents, provoking your children to anger, not going to church, going to an idolatrous church, dressing indecently, dressing immodestly, lack of compassion, complaining, conceit, pride, lack of meekness, lack of contentedness, lovelessness, being double-tongued, engaging in foolish conversation, craftiness, speaking evil about God’s word, being quick to speak, corruption, tax evasion, despising correction, lack of courtesy, covetousness, cursing, taking on bad debts, arguing, unedifying debate and discussion, fraud, despising divinely-ordained authorities, failure to repay debts, impartiality to the poor, impartiality to the rich, lack of zeal for reading and studying and meditating upon God’s word, lack of commitment to the Church, seeking to please men rather than God, despising your neighbour, not resisting the devil, drunkenness, elevating to laws of men above the law of God, marital unfaithfulness, ingratitude, envy, making excuses for your sins, not hating evil, failure to abstain from the appearance of evil, rewarding evil with good, rewarding good with evil, wilfully misunderstanding God’s word, praying in order to impress people, fearing men, not fearing God, fighting, taking a brother to court, flattery for gain, not crucifying the flesh, not forgiving others, irresponsible gambling, giving to the poor in order to be seen by others, giving grudgingly, gluttony, denying that Jesus is the Christ, failing to give to a brother or sister in need, denying that God has come in the flesh, hardening your heart, seeking glory due to God alone, speaking evil, not seeking first the Kingdom of God, wilful failure to understand the will of God, using gifts for our glory rather than the benefit of others, pointless arguments, lukewarmness, preaching a false gospel, thinking that godliness is a means to financial gain, testing God, not tithing, hatred, greed, gossip, refusing instruction, stirring up mischief for others, setting your heart on things below rather than on things above, heartlessness, homosexual conduct, dishonesty, lack of hospitality, idleness, jealousy, impudence, coarse joking, unkindness, kidnapping, profaning the Lord’s Day, trusting in man rather than God, laziness, malice, grumbling, bad manners, teaching that marriage is bad, calling evil good, calling good evil, loving money, obstinacy, observing days and months and seasons and years, not keeping your word, oppressing widows or orphans, believing or teaching un-Christian ideas, denying that Jesus is the only way of salvation, loving pleasure rather than God, despising the poor, being a bad example to younger Christians, not honouring older Christians, withholding wages, prayerlessness, seeking preachers who teach false doctrine, seeking preachers who don’t challenge sin, preaching unbiblical doctrines or flattering words or human traditions, speaking the truth without love, doing anything good without love, leaving your toys all over your floor when your mum has told you to tidy them away, loving to be called “Rabbi”, rage, rape, not providing for your own family, exalting yourself, trusting in wealth, not taking up your cross, wanting to be rich, rioting, selfishness, thinking you know what will happen tomorrow, divination, prostitution, fornication, allowing even a hint of sexual immorality, not being ashamed of your sin, refusing to confess your sin, slandering your neighbour in secret, claiming that you have not sinned, arson, stubbornness, wanton extravagance, pornography, evil thoughts, unbelief, witchcraft, contradicting the Bible, treachery, forgetting God’s commandments, twisting the truth, trying to earn favour with God, letting the sun go down while you are still angry, obeying your parents reluctantly or slowly or resentfully, refusing to suffer for Christ, suffering for Christ resentfully or grumpily or proudly, being ashamed of the testimony of Jesus, lack of enthusiasm for worship, excessive concern about your appearance, excessive lack of concern about your appearance, lying in bed when you should be praying, harbouring grudges, self-pity.

The downhill slide of temptation - 15 November 2011

In Forum last Sunday we were thinking again about the subject of Temptation. I talked a little about what I called “The Downhill Slide of Temptation,” and then we looked together at four scenarios to try to figure out how Temptation is taking hold in each case. Here is the “Downhill Slide,” followed by the four scenarios:

The Downhill Slide of Temptation

I’m in a situation where I realise I could sin if I wanted

I’m leaving open the possibility of sinning

Sin is starting to seem attractive and compelling

Sin is starting to seem increasingly attractive and compelling

Sin seems more attractive and compelling than godliness

I’ve finally done what I was being tempted to do

Four Scenarios

Read the following stories, and try to work out (1) What the person is being tempted to do; and (2) where they are on the downhill slide of temptation as the story progresses.

1. Late-night YouTube

I got home later than I’d expected on Saturday night, and I was pretty tired. I was about to go upstairs to bed, but I just checked my email, and a friend had sent me a link to a YouTube clip – he said it was really funny. It was. Really funny. Before I knew what had happened, I’d watched several more, and almost an hour had passed. I finally stumbled into bed, completely exhausted. When the alarm went off the next morning I slept right through it. My mum yelled up the stairs that it was time for church, but I just grunted back. There’s no point in going to church when you can’t keep your eyes open. And I’d probably be late anyway. Never mind – I’ll go next week.

2. Tax return temptation

I really need to finish that tax return. I’ve been putting it off for weeks, but John reminded me again today. He filled his in last week, and he was bragging as usual, all about how he never mentions all the cash-in-hand jobs he does at the weekends. The tax man never checks, John says. He’s probably right. They’ll never find out, especially if I don’t mouth off about it like John…

3. Keeping up with glamourous Jane

Jane was back at work again today. She looks very glamorous – all suntan and new hairstyle, fresh back from holiday. She’s actually not as pretty as everyone says she is – at least, not under all that make-up. Her hair does look nice, but you can do anything if you spend enough time and pay enough money. I’ll try out that new salon on Saturday – that’s where Jane goes, and they’ve got loads of new products in the window. My sister says I spend too long in the bathroom already, but who cares what she thinks…?

4. Kid chaos

It has been a very busy day, but I’ve finally got the kids back home. Time to get dinner ready. But all I can hear is the three of them shrieking and shouting in the lounge. That new game is certainly a big hit, but I wish they’d calm down. The noise is starting to make my head ache. I can feel myself getting more frustrated – none of them has offered to set the table, and none of them have taken their muddy shoes off, so all of them have trampled mud all over the floor again. Oh, I’ll just set the table myself. Hold on – what’s that smell? Oh no – now the baked beans have burned! Another shriek from the lounge, followed by a crash and more shouting. Right that’s it, I’ve had enough…

Money, money, money - 22 May 2011

Today at Emmanuel I preached the third of a short mini-series of sermons on the subject of money. Here’s a brief rundown of what we’ve covered so far.

1. Foundations for handling money (Psalm 24:1-2)

God is the Creator and he owns everything. God lacks nothing; God could give us anything; God has rights over everything; God knows the best way to handle everything.
God is triune and he gives everything. Giving is receiving.

2. Caring for the poor (various passages, including many of these)

Help for the poor is the responsibility of the church
Help for the poor should be overseen locally
Help for the poor is not just handouts

3. Tithing (Deuteronomy 12:8-14)

A year in the life of Eli
Tithing is a part of the normal life of faith
The tithe is given to support celebration, the poor, and the provision of worship and teaching
Tithes should be given to the local church
Tithe as you receive
Approximation is inevitable
The Bible encourages generosity beyond the tithe

Click here to listen to all three sermons.

Guard my lips - 2 February 2011

Just a few of the things the Bible says about words:

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

Proverbs 17:27-28 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

Proverbs 17:27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Proverbs 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

James 3:6-8 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Self-examination - 16 January 2011

The good folks over at Walking Worthy have published a short piece I wrote on self-examination that some may find helpful.

Bad guides to guidance - 13 December 2010

Here are two of the more common mistaken ways in which well-meaning believers sometimes seek to discern the will of God:

(1) “Inner peace”; “it just feels right.” This is hardly a reliable guide to right and wrong. Samson “felt right” abt Delilah; David “had peace” about Bathsheba.

(2) “A door has opened.” Again, the presence of an open door doesn’t mean that walking through it is the morally right thing to do. After all, one day Judas Iscariot was wondering what to do to raise a bit of extra cash, when suddenly a door opened for him to earn 30 pieces of silver.

Time is not the great healer - 9 December 2010

There are two ways to respond when we have sinned: the Christian way and the pagan way.

The Christian way is to repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord and anyone else we have wronged. The pagan way is to push it to the back of your mind and let time take its merry course, hoping that a bit of emotional distance will do the trick.

The Christian way works; the pagan way does not. Tragically (not to say bizarrely) too many Christians take the route of paganism, neglecting their obligations to seek forgiveness from the Lord and to apologise to those we have wronged.

The pagan path to forgiveness is fundamentally idolatrous in relation to God, for it seeks to find in a created thing (the passage of time) what can only be found in the Creator – namely the forgiveness of sins.

The pagan path is also abusive in relation to other people, because it seeks to find in one part of the creation (again, the passage of time) what can only properly be found elsewhere (in the face of the person whom we have offended).

Abuse and idolatry are both bad ideas, so Christians need both to repent of their unrepentance towards God and also to seek forgiveness for failing to seek forgiveness from others.

Time is not the great healer; God is.

You just can’t carry on - 30 November 2010

A couple of highlights from Alexander Whyte’s Teach us to Pray.

“And the magnificence of all true prayer – its nobility, its royalty, its absolute divinity – all stand in this, that it is the greatest kind of act and office that man, or angel, can ever enter on and perform. Earth is at its very best; and heaven is at its very highest, when men and angels magnify their office of prayer and of praise before the throne of God. I. The magnificence of God is the source and the measure of the magnificence of prayer.”

“Prayer is far too princely a life for most men. It is high, and they are low, and they cannot attain to it. True prayer is colossal work. There were giants in those days. Would you be one of this royal race? Would you stand in the lot of God’s princeliest elect at the end of your days? And would you be numbered with His Son and with His choicest saints? Then, pray. ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’”

“Once you begin to think aright of Him Who is the Hearer of prayer; and Who waits, in all His magnificence, to be gracious to you – I absolutely defy you to live any longer the life you now live.”