Introducing the King

Everyone has their own view of God.  Some scoff at the idea of God and turn their noses to anyone who dares suggest there is a God.  Others are like the men of Athens in the first century AD who believed in "god(s)" but didn't know about the one true God...at least not until the Apostle Paul told them (Acts 17).  There are others, like myself, who claim belief in the God of the Bible.  Yet, we live our comfortable lives from beginning to end, in our comfortable houses, going to a comfortable church in a comfortable car without ever stopping to think seriously about this God we claim belief in.  We busy ourselves with the things of this world and turn a blind eye to the majesty and splendor of God.  In our own ignorance we fail to know the true God and instead become idolaters, having made a "god" in our own image.  That's my tendency and it's yours.  It's the daily struggle we face as sinful people living in a fallen world.

Thankfully, God knows our natural bent, so He warned us through the prophet Jeremiah and said, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)  May we heed God's call and strive to understand and KNOW Him better...because our eternity hinges on it...

John 17:3 says "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Whether or not you know the only true God and His Son, Jesus, determines whether or not you have eternal life.  That means, the most important though you will ever think is what you think when you think about God.  In fact, all the problems we face living on this little ball of dirt floating in the universe and the solutions to those problems are theological (relating to the study of God).

In the early days of the Christian church various groups began to develop creedal statements and catechisms.  These short statements were often committed to memory because they clearly and succinctly describe what we believe to be true based on the teaching of the Bible.  One of the more well-known catechisms, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, asks and answers this question: "What is God?" The answer: "God is Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth." That's a great starting point for knowing God better but the people who can recite it from memory today are few and far between.

One of the blessings of living in the age in which we live is that we have almost an endless number of resources at our fingertips.  One of the curses of living in the age in which we live is that we have almost an endless number of resources at our fingertips.  I say that because people rarely stop to internalize or remember some of these vital truths.  YET, we must!

I encourage you to check out our current sermon series at Geist Community Church called Introducing the King.  May we "press on to know the Lord." (Hosea 6:3)

Anchors are Important

A couple of weeks ago I took our little boat to the lake with my dad and my six year-old son on his first fishing trip.  He was so excited he almost couldn't sleep the night before (in case you can't tell from the photo)!  Even though we didn't catch many fish we had a blast out on the water.  As my son told his mom while shrugging his shoulders when we arrived back home, "some days the fish just don't bite."  He was right, but there was one area of the lake where the fish seemed to be biting.  We pulled between some fallen trees and on my first cast I reeled in a fish.  Since it was the only action we had all morning I figured this was a place where we might want to sit for awhile.  I shut off the motor and we soon had multiple lines in the water waiting for the next catch.

Unfortunately, the slight wind that had previously gone unnoticed soon began pushing us across the lake away from the fallen trees where the fish were biting. Within minutes I was starting the motor and taking us back to the fallen trees only to be pushed away, yet again, by the wind the moment the roar of the motor subsided.  One small thing, that we didn't have with us, could have solved the problem: an anchor.

We all need anchors in our lives; something that can hold us firm when we begin to drift away from where we are supposed to be; something that can counter the many forces that seek to detrail our priorities and blur our boundaries.  We need anchors that will stand strong no matter how fierce the winds around us become.

One such anchor comes in the form of a letter written in the middle of the first century A.D. to a group of Christians living in a small city called Colosse.  The Christians in Colosse came to faith in Jesus through the faithful ministry of a man named Epaphras but they soon found themselves being blown off course by the winds of false teaching. Around AD 62 news of their struggle against the false teaching reached one of the pillars of the early church, the apostle Paul.  At the time, Paul was almost 1,000 miles away imprisoned under house arrest for preaching the gospel of Jesus in Rome.  He could not travel but he could write, so he penned the letter that we now call the book of Colossians.

While there are countless vital truths packed into this short letter, one section stands above all others as a solid anchor for our lives.  In Colossians 1:15-20 we find a densely packed description of the person of Jesus that is unparalleled in the rest of the Bible.  With laser-like focus Paul describes seven eternal, life-altering realities that impact everything in creation and every area of our lives.

7 characteristics of Jesus, which fittingly quailfy Him to "be preeminent" (1:18) in everything:

(1) Jesus reveals God - "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15a)

• While God made man in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), Jesus is the image of God (cf. John 1:18; 14:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:4).  Jesus didn't take on flesh to be like us humans.  Rather, humans were created in the likeness of God - Jesus.  
• "To call Christ the image of God is to say that in Him the being and nature of God have been perfectly manifested - that in Him the invisible has become visible." (F. F. Bruce, "Colossian Problems," Bibliotheca Sacra 562:101.)
• As Jesus said, "anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." - John 14:9

(2) Jesus is the rightful heir of all things - "the firstborn of all creation." (Col. 1:15b)

• "Firstborn" denotes 2 things: (1) He preceded the whole creation; i.e. before the creation came into existence - He was.  Jesus eternally existed with the Father. (2) He is sovereign over all creation in rank.  There is nothing and nobody who ranks higher.
• This echoes the words of Psalm 89:27 where God says of the coming Davidic king, "I will make him firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth."

(3) Jesus is the Creator & Sustainer of all things (Col. 1:16-17)

• Jesus was not the first thing created as some cults teach.  Jesus is the Creator.
• Jesus is the agent of creation and He is the goal of creation (cf. John 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:25; Phil. 2:10-11)
• Without His powerful hand holding all things together we would cease to exist.

(4) Jesus is the head of the Church - "he is the head of the body, the church" - (Col. 1:18a)

• Jesus is the head of this new special body of people, in which there is "neither Jew nor Gentile" but a whole new creation of God.
• This should form your view of the church.  This church is all about and under the authority of Christ.  The church isn't about us.  It isn't about our needs being met or getting our way.  It's all about Jesus!

(5) Jesus is the first to rise to eternal life - "He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead." - (Col. 1:18b)

• Verse 18 may sound a lot like the end of verse 15 but the meaning is different.
• Jesus was the first to rise from the dead to eternal life.  Others had been brought back from the dead only to die again.  Jesus' resurrection was an eternal resurrection.  He continues to live "on the basis of the power of an indestructible life."
• That first Easter morning saw the dawn of a new hope for humanity as Jesus' resurrection marked his triumph over death (1 John 3:8).

(6) Jesus is fully God - "all the fullness of God" - (Col. 1:19)

• Just in case you're tempted to think that Jesus being the "image" of God somehow makes him less God, Paul adds yet another statement clarifying the full deity of Jesus.
• Later in Colossians 2 we read that "in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."

(7) Jesus alone provides true reconciliation - "through him to reconcile to himself all things" (Col. 1:20)

• Jesus is the only way to God the Father (John 14:6).
• Jesus has gained submission of all things through His sacrifice - either willing or unwilling.  One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father. (Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10)

In a world where the wind of false teaching concerning Jesus blows stronger every day, we need to stand firm on the anchor of Truth perfectly preserved for us in the book of Colossians!

REMEMBER: You can only give up your desire to compete in the world when you accept being complete in Christ.

For more on the book of Colossians visit the Geist Community Church website and search for the Colossians sermon series preached during the summer of 2013.

Person of Interest: Lamech

Throughout history, the world has been filled with people who never make the "headlines."  Many of these people lived their lives in obscurity yet had a profound impact on the world as we know it today. Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the Bible from Latin to German?  Who spoke to a young Dwight L. Moody in the shoe store that day; a conversation that ultimately led Moody to Christ and eventually countless others through his evangelism?

To bring it a little closer to home: what is the name of the person who changed the brakes on your car that you trust with your life every time you press on that little peddle?  What about the airline mechanic who repairs the plane you're about to fly on?  How about the soldier who stands watch at a base in Afghanistan while you sleep peacefully in your bed at home?  Each of these individuals are what we might refer to as often overlooked lives of significance.

The Bible is filled with stories of people who are often overlooked by hurried readers; men and women who lived their lives in the shadows away from the limelight.  Yet, their lives - for better or for worse - are etched forever in the pages of God's Word.

Although we are separated by thousands of years, the 2,390 people mentioned in the Bible struggled with the same pains and experienced the same joys that you and I face on a daily basis.  We must learn from their mistakes, strive to model their successes and allow ourselves to be challenged to live lives of significance for eternity.

One of the first individuals we are tempted to overlook in the Old Testament is a man named Lamech.  There are actually two Lamechs mentioned in Genesis but the one I'm referring to is found in Genesis 4:17-24. (Listen to my sermon from last Sunday on Lamech here)  Lamech is the 7th generation from Adam through the line of Cain (the guy who killed is brother out of jealously). Lamech is the first of serveral men mentioned in the Bible that took more than one wife.  While it may not seem like a big deal it reveals a major issue in Lamech's life.

God's design for marriage from the very beginning is one man and one woman joined together in an inseparable union (a plan that Jesus affirmed in the New Testament).  Anything other than the one man and one woman relationship is a distortion of God's plan and always involves some sort of sin.  Lamech's sin of taking two wives opened the door for evil to overrun his life.  Like an ingested poison that slowly kills it's unsuspecting victim from the inside-out, Lamech allowed sin to corrupt his thinking.  The next thing we know, Lamech is bragging to his wives about killing a young man (Genesis 4:23-24).

Sin is a slippery slope.  As God told Lamech's great-great-great-grandfather, Cain, "sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7) Sin is like a wild animal crouching in the bushes waiting for the moment to pounce on it's prey and kill it. 

Thanks be to God that he has given us freedom from the bondage of sin and death through Jesus!  Through the work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells every believer we have the power to fight off the attacks of sin on our life.  Like the great Puritan John Owen said, "be killing sin or it will be killing you."

Will we ever live perfect sinless lives this side of eternity?  No.  Should we as Christians expect non-Christians to say "no" to sinful desires?  No.  In fact, Romans 8 tells us that the person without the Spirit can't say "no" to sin.  God calls us to extend grace AND truth to those who are far from God and by loving them and gently pointing them to the Truth of God's Word.  Ultimately, we need to realize we must be different than the world around us.  We are to live lives worthy of the One who has saved us. (1 Peter 2:12)

Remember Lamech and don't allow sin to corrupt your thinking.

Next Sunday's "Person of Interest" - Jethro (and not the Beverly Hillbilly)

The Combination to Your Heart

Every heart has a combination.  Everyone has something or someone that unlocks their heart.  It's like the master password that protects the financial and other identity information on your computer or smartphone.  When that person or thing collides with your heart it reveals what's really inside.

In Mark chapter 14 we discover the combination to the heart of one of the 12 disciples.  Judas had spent almost every waking hour for three years of his life with Jesus.  Yet, when the right combination collided with Judas' heart it revealed a rotten core.  What was the combination to Judas heart?

In Mark 14:1-9 Judas witnessed a woman pour a very costly oil on Jesus.  As keeper of the money bag, Judas chastised the woman for wasting the oil when it could have been sold to help the poor.  After witnessing this event Judas when straight to the religious leaders and offered to deliver Jesus over to them in exchange for... you guessed it, money.

For three years Judas ate with Jesus, he ministered in Jesus name and even cast out demons in His name.  Yet, he was bought off when the right combination collided with his heart.

What's the combination to your heart?  Let's face it, Judas isn't the last person to exchange Jesus for money.  What will you give up Jesus in exchange for?

Another way to look at it is by asking this question: Where do you draw the line in following Jesus?  You may not verbalize it, but there are many who think things like: "I'll follow you Jesus unless 'this' happens or unless 'that' happens."  or "I'll follow you Jesus, as long as it's convenient for me but the moment I have to step out of my comfort zone I'm done."

Here's what you need to do: Put your heart on "trial."  The purpose of going before a judge or jury in a "trial" is to try and reveal the truth.  Sometimes our human courts get it right and sometimes they fail miserably.  There is One Judge that never get's it wrong, God.  Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts."

Ask God to put your heart on "trial," so that your true heart might be revealed.  I'm warning you from personal experience.  It may be painful...It will be hard...but it will be worth it.  Getting the correct combination to your heart will enable you to "live the life" God has called you to live. (Eph. 4:1)

(This post is based on the sermon I preached at Geist Community Church on October 28, 2012.  You can listen to/watch it or download the notes here.)

Know the Truth; Live by the Truth

A couple weeks ago my two kids and I were out in the backyard.  Grant (five) was swinging on the swing set while three-year-old Grace decided to grab a spray bottle filled with water.  She was spraying the flowers, patio, grill and anything else that crossed her circuitous path.  I knew what she was plotting as she inched closer to her brother sitting innocently on the swing. 

Grace glanced back at me, knowing that dad had told her she could spray anything in the backyard except for her brother.  She knew if she squirted him the spray bottle would be taken away just as dad had promised.  Yet, like Eve in the Garden of Eden, she couldn't resist the ONE thing she wasn't supposed to do.  Grace knew the authority, she knew the consequences of her disobedience, yet she chose to allow her own desire to trump the authority of her father.

In Mark 12:18-27 we read about a group of religious leaders who were acting very much like my three year-old daughter.  They allowed their own interests and desires to trump the authority of God's Word in their lives.  In the middle of that section Jesus zeroed in on two reasons they failed to submit to the authoirty of God's Word:

(1) "you know neither the Scriptures" - They didn't know the Bible!  The Sadducees only viewed the first five books of the Old Testament (the Books of Moses) as authoritative, so they really didn't know and understand the truth of the entire Old Testament Scripture.

(2) "nor the power of God" - Since they didn't know the Bible, they failed to know it's Author, God.  If the Sadducees would have truly known the Scriptures, they would have understood and believed that God can do anything - including raising people from the dead.

May we not stumble down the same path as the Sadducees; failing to know the power of God because we fail to know His Word.  We must know the Truth and we must live by the Truth.

          "The law of the LORD is perfect,
                  reviving the soul;
            the testimony of the LORD is sure,
                  making wise the simple;
           the precepts of the LORD are right,
                  rejoicing the heart;
            the commandment of the LORD is pure,
                  enlightening the eyes; "
                                        - Psalm 19:7-8

Divorce & Remarriage

This past Sunday was the second hardest message I've ever had to preach. It was based on Mark 10:1-12 and you can listen to it here.  As expected, the emails are already filling my inbox.   I can almost hear the pain and turmoil embedded in each word I read as people wrestle with the truth of God's Word.  Many of the questions/concerns are similar the ones I had during my months of study leading up to this message.

The foundational point of the message was that marriage is permanent.  Mark 10:9 states, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."  I was first exposed to this idea of the permanence of marriage almost nine years ago in J. Dwight Pentecost's class on the Life of Jesus at Dallas Theological Seminary.  I can still remember how it challenged (and somewhat offended) my long-standing view on divorce & remarriage.  Admittedly, I hadn't really studied the topic all that much, nor had I heard one sermon devoted to the topic.

A good summary statement of Pentecost's perspective comes from his epic work entitled, The Words & Works of Jesus Christ.

"The Pharisees viewed marriage as a social institution governed by the laws of men.  But Christ viewed marriage as a divine institution governed by the laws of God.  At the time of the institution of marriage, God had said that the two became one flesh.  One is an indivisible union and the two became one.  An indivisible union was established.  Jesus, quoting Scripture, forbade man to separate what God has united." - pg. 356

My wife, Anna, still remembers me coming home from that particular class fixated on trying to prove my 91-year-old seminary professor wrong.  The results of my (highly bias) study yielded a lot of material to support my position at the time; that remarriage was allowed on certain "biblical" grounds.  Over the ensuing nine years I was quite happy living with that view as my foundation for pastoral care; until I began my study of Mark 10.

What I uncovered during my study really did turn my view upside-down. I continue to ask questions.  I continue to wrestle.  I continue to study.  My prayer is that this very difficult message has encouraged the body of believers at my church to do the same.

Strive for Holiness

(The following blog is based on the sermon on Mark 9:42-50 I preached yesterday at Geist Community Church.)

At the end of Mark chapter nine Jesus clearly teaches about two dangers we face on a daily basis; two dangers that if unchecked in our lives will have dire consequences both now and for eternity.

The first danger is found in Mark 9:42:  The danger of causing other believers to sin.

Jesus warned anyone who would deliberately hinder someone from abiding in Him.  The damage to the work of God's Kingdom program is immeasurable because causing another believer to fall into sin effectively neutralizes their work for God.  1 Corinthians 8:12 explains that sinning against your brother in Christ and wounding their conscience when it is weak actually results in you sinning against Jesus!

The second danger is in Mark 9:43-50: The danger of our own sin.

Sin is a hideous, sly monster that seeks to devour us.  As a believer in Christ there is now no condemnation before God because of our sin (Romans 8:1).  However, sin is still incredibly dangerous because it can render us ineffective for the work God has prepared in advance for us to do.  Avoiding sin and living a holy life is hard.  It requires drastic measures, but it is the way that leads to life.  As a surgeon does not hesitate to cut off a gangrenous limb to save a life, so sin must be radically severed to save the soul.

That's the truth.  It's hard to be much more clear than Mark 9:42-50.  The question is: how do we put it into action in our lives?  How do we respond to this truth?

As Prof (aka Howard Hendricks) always used to say in my Bible Study Methods class at Dallas Theological Seminary: "to know and not to do, is not to know at all."  Thus, we must DO to show that we truly believe the truth of Scripture.

One of the clearest passages in the Bible that shows us what we must do is found in Hebrews 12:1-4; 12-14.  Specifically, the command given in 12:14 is "strive for holiness."

We must: Strive for Holiness

3 Reasons Why:
(1) it is a command of God - 1 Peter 1:15-16
(2) it is the only appropriate response to God's grace in our lives - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
(3) without holiness "no one will see the Lord"  - Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8

3 Ways How:
(1) Strive for holiness by dwelling on the Gospel

• Titus 2:11-15
• When we dwell on the truth of the Gospel it should drive us to live holy lives out of gratitude for God's gracious act of saving us.
• We should be driven to live holy lives when we dwell on the fact that we were dead in our trespasses and sin, unable to love God, unable to do anything good to try and earn a good standing before God until God intervened through His mercy and made us alive in Christ Jesus.
• When we dwell on the power of Gospel we will WANT to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God as our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).

(2) Strive for holiness by radically repenting of sin

• John Owen said it this way: "be killing sin or it will be killing you."
• We must get radical!  It is exactly what Jesus taught.
• Does your computer cause you to sin?  Get rid of it!  If your job requires you to use computers, get a new job!
• Does your television cause you to sin?  Throw it out!
• Does hanging around with your "friends" tempt you to sin?  Get new friends, for they are no friend.
• We must radically repent of sin if we are to strive for holiness.
• In Philippians 3:12-16 the apostle Paul likens perfection/holiness to a prize or a trophy.  He acknowledges God has given us the trophy.  It can never be taken away from us.  It is our free gift.  However, we must hold tightly to that trophy as if it depended on us, even though it does not.

(3) Strive for holiness by living under the Spirit's power

•  The Holy Spirit is power! (Acts 1:8)
• We are to live by the Spirit. (Romans 8)

When we strive for holiness by dwelling on the Gospel, radically repenting of sin, and living under the Spirit's power we will ultimately elevate and focus on the glory of God, the Holy One of Israel. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another."  In other words, we become what we behold.  If you truly behold "the Holy One of Israel" you will "be holy, as He is Holy."

Discipleship in the Gospel of Luke

Since we are currently studying the Gospel of Mark at Geist Community Church I thought it might be interesting to look at another Gospel writer's take on discipleship.

The concept of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke is not only implicitly modeled by Jesus but explicitly taught by Him as well. Luke in particular views discipleship in much broader terms than Matthew or Mark.[1]  As Goodnough explains, in Luke “Jesus’ disciples included a large number of followers.”[2] So, just so we are all on the same page for this post let me propose Goodnough's definition for discipleship as “a comprehensive process of coming to faith in Jesus Christ and growing in commitment to him throughout a lifetime.”[3]

Let's first look at Christ’s model of discipleship in Luke's Gospel and then evaluate three major passages where He explicitly taught on discipleship.

     Christ’s Model of Discipleship

In order to study the concept of discipleship in Luke it is of the utmost importance to look at the life of Jesus Christ. The twelve apostles (including the "betrayer," Judas) were privileged to witness Jesus’ model first-hand for around three years. They observed first-hand Jesus’ incredible commitment to fulfill the will of the Father even as they saw Him being beaten and hung on the cross. We too are privileged to have a written record of Jesus modeling discipleship in the Gospels. To facilitate our understanding of discipleship in Luke it is important to look at four main ways in which Jesus’ life and ministry clearly illustrated the concept of discipleship.

First, Jesus’ modeling of discipleship clearly involved building relationships. These relationships were not limited merely to the twelve disciples. Throughout the book of Luke Jesus speaks to crowds of people numbering into the thousands. Luke 12:1 says that “a crowd of many thousands had gathered” just to hear the incredible teaching of Jesus. Goodnough points out that “While it is true that in the later part of Jesus’ ministry He did focus more and more attention on the twelve disciples, He never abandoned His ministry to the crowds.”[4] In Luke 19:37 Jesus was riding the colt down the Mount of Olives making His final trip to Jerusalem and what Luke describes as a “whole crowd of disciples” began praising Jesus.

Jesus obviously had varying degrees of intimacy among those whom he referred to as His disciples. In Luke 10:1 Jesus appointed 72 others and sent them out in groups of two. In Luke 6:12-16 Jesus called His disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom he designated apostles. There were more than twelve disciples, but it was the core of twelve that Jesus chose to concentrate on developing relationships with. Of those twelve, Jesus also seemed to have a much closer relationship with Peter, John, and James as those are the three disciples He chose to reveal His glory to on the mountain in Luke 9:28-36. Regardless of the varying degrees of intimacy, it is clear that Jesus developed relationships with those He was leading.

The second way in which Jesus modeled discipleship was by focusing on the personal development of others through teaching and real life scenarios. Of the twelve apostles that Jesus originally chose, none of them were skilled in theology or Old Testament studies. Jesus made it a priority to develop them personally by teaching them what it means to be a disciple. He focused on developing them through many different situations. As stated earlier, the twelve disciples witnessed Jesus’ miracles first-hand as He fed over five thousand people in Luke 9 and healed a blind beggar in Luke 18. Jesus also put them in situations where they were forced to exercise their faith, or lack there of, in passages like Luke 8:22 when Jesus calmed the storm.

Third, Jesus modeled discipleship by making prayer a priority in His ministry. The first mention of Jesus praying in Luke’s Gospel is found near the beginning of His ministry in Luke 5:16 where it says “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Again in Luke 6:12 is says “Jesus when out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” Jesus not only modeled prayer, but he modeled it in a specific manner. Jesus’ prayer was done in private and often at the most difficult times for our human bodies to respond physically, early in the morning or late at night. Jesus likewise called upon His disciples to pray in Luke 22:40, in perhaps one of the most vivid images of Christ’s anguish as His death on the cross drew near.

Finally, Jesus modeled discipleship in the ultimate way possible by obeying the will of the Father and willingly dying on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for sin. He proved that He was completely committed to the will of the Father by giving of His own life. In Luke 14:11 and 18:14 Jesus said, “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:8 that Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Jesus exhibited the ultimate form of humility possible by giving of His own life and thus perfectly modeled true discipleship.

     Christ’s Teaching on Discipleship

The entire Gospel of Luke is filled with Jesus’ teaching on discipleship. There are, however, three main passages in Luke where Christ explicitly taught on discipleship.

Luke 9:23-27

In this first passage, Christ clearly “made high demands on those who would be His true disciples.” [5] This paper will briefly highlight two main calls of Christ in the passage. The first call of Christ toward true discipleship is that self denial and taking up one’s own cross daily. Weirsbe reminds us, “In the Roman world, the cross was a symbol of shame, guilt, suffering, and rejection. There could be no more despicable way to die. Crucifixion was not mentioned in polite conversation, and the people would no more think of wearing crosses on their person than we would think of wearing gold or silver electric chairs.” [6] In the shadow of just explaining His coming death and resurrection He calls all those who follow Him to “be prepared every day to die for Him.”[7] Discipleship is not just a one time thing. It is a daily commitment to following Christ even unto death.

The second main call of Christ in this passage is the call not to be ashamed of the Son of Man. Pentecost points out that in 9:26 Jesus basically states that “those who have rejected Him will be excluded from His kingdom. Only those who have received him will be accepted into that kingdom.”[8] When writing on this passage Bock states “discipleship is not easy, but difficult, for it involves suffering. The cost of total discipleship is the giving up of self for God.”[9]

Luke 9:57-62

The second main passage that deals with Christ’s teaching on discipleship is found at the end of Luke 9. Having already established earlier in the chapter that discipleship requires self-denial Luke transitions to issue three reminders about the requirements of discipleship after the disciples witness Jesus’ rejection in Samaria in 9:51-56. The first reminder in 9:57-58 is a reminder that Christ’s disciples are separated from this world. Even as foxes have holes and birds have nests, those who follow Christ as His true disciples do not have a home in this world. Bock explains that “disciples must recognize that they will be distanced from the world by their discipleship, and that family matters may suffer inattention in comparison to their discipleship.”[10]

The second reminder is that of the preeminence of proclaiming the kingdom of God over all other aspects of life, 9:59-60. Commitment to discipleship requires abandonment of personal goals and desires for that of the Lord. Bock surmises that “disciples must place Jesus and the kingdom first.”[11] Again, Jesus was the perfect model to follow in this regard having subjected Himself to the will of the Father even unto death on the cross.

The third and final reminder of this section is that commitment to Christ must not only be first, but it must remain constant, 9:61-62. A true disciple cannot commit to Christ and begin the work of the ministry and then turn back and put other things in life ahead of Christ. Hobbs correctly points out that none of the men in this passage who wanted to follow Christ “possessed the qualities necessary for successful discipleship.”[12]

Luke 14:25-35

This specific passage of Luke provides one of the most explicit descriptions of discipleship in the teachings of Jesus. Bock explains that in this passage Luke is essentially asking, “If the Jewish leadership does not teach the way to follow God, then what is required to follow God?”[13] In the midst of immense popularity Jesus was teaching to large crowds of people when he suddenly turned and said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Imagine the stir that Jesus’ words must have created in that large crowd! Hobbs comments on this verse by saying, “Jesus said that if one would be His disciple he must be prepared to choose Him over every one of life’s closest relationships. What is more, he must choose Jesus over life itself if such a choice is necessary.”[14] It is important to note that this verse does not mean that a disciple of Christ must completely ignore their family responsibilities and obligations. Other passages in Scripture clearly teach that husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children all have responsibilities.

In the next verse, 14:27, Jesus returns to the same call to carry one’s own cross as He used in 9:23. Thus, Jesus clearly teaches that “no one can be His disciple who is not prepared to die daily for Him.”[15] The core of discipleship means placing Christ above all other areas of our own life. Discipleship according to Jesus’ teaching in this passage of Luke requires that our priorities be arranged properly.

Jesus then gives two illustrations using a builder and a king as examples in 9:28-32. The purpose of these illustrations was to show in a more tangible way the incredible cost of discipleship. Hobbs explains, “The point of these parables is that one should count the cost before proposing to be His disciple. There is no need of attempting it unless one is willing to pay the price. Anything less is not true discipleship.”[16]

Jesus then makes a comparison, “in the same way,” to that of material possessions in 14:33 by requiring disciples to be willing to “give up everything he has.” Bock explains, “Jesus seeks to lead people in doing the Father’s will, offering to the disciple the treasures of heaven.”[17] Discipleship means being able to give up momentary treasures in this life and look with great expectation to the eternal treasures waiting in the Kingdom of God.

In the final two verses of this section Jesus turns to use the image of salt. Salt is useful because it performs a function. If salt didn’t provide saltiness that it would be absolutely useless. In the same way, discipleship requires a complete and total commitment to the work of the ministry so that one doesn’t become useless.

Overall, this passage provides a vivid reminder that discipleship does not come without a price. Bock summarizes this section by saying,

                          “discipleship is demanding. Jesus asks both
                           the disciple and the potential disciple to
                           consider the cost of following him. It is
                           better to assess the risk, complete the task,
                           and remain useful to God. Associating with
                           God is not an easy affair. Commitments
                           come with the territory. In fact, Jesus is to
                           come ahead of all one’s possessions, family
                           and soul. It is embarrassing and fatal
                           to enter into discipleship and not complete
                           the task.” [18]

     Conclusion

The concept of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke is far more than a label or a simple one time act. It is an abiding condition of life for any follower of Christ. Citing the three passages discussed in this paper Zuck and Bock state,

                        “Above all, Jesus made it clear that discipleship
                          is a total commitment of one’s life and self to
                          God. In terms of God’s expectation and will,
                          there is no minimal discipleship; what He
                          desires is everything.”[19]

Discipleship is something radical. The cost is far more than some are willing to pay, as evidenced by Christ’s teaching. Bock reminds us, “Any disciple who would follow Jesus needs to understand that this choice will require complete commitment.”[20] For those who are willing to count the cost and be a disciple of Christ, we have Jesus’ incredible model of discipleship to follow as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

---

[1] Dana L. Goodnough. “Jesus’ Ministry as a Model for Discipleship Training.” (D.Min. Dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 20020, 26.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Goodnough, 40.

[4] Goodnough, 67.

[5] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1981), 254.

[6] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), 218.

[7] Herschel H. Hobbs, An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), 160.

[8] Pentecost, 255.

[9] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, volume 1: 1:1-9:50. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 851.

[10] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, volume 2: 9:51-24:53. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), 977.

[11] Bock, 977.

[12] Hobbs, 177.

[13] Bock, 1280.

[14] Hobbs, 230.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Bock, 1290.

[18] Ibid, 1292.

[19] Roy B. Zuck, Darrell L. Bock, A Biblical Theology of the New Testament. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 115.

[20] Bock, 974.

The Jewish Synagogue

The Origin and Role of the Jewish Synagogue During the New Testament Period

Throughout our sermon series on Mark's Gospel at Geist Community Church (which we started a year ago this Sunday) we've read about the synagogue multiple times.  Since it's rather a foreign concept to most people today I wanted to provide some further explanation to aid our study.


In A.D. 70 when the focal point of the Jewish sacrificial system, the Temple, was destroyed, “Judaism survived, because the institution on which its survival, and Jewish community life in general, depended was already well established,”[1] the synagogue. When the Temple was destroyed it had, for all practical purposes, outlived its usefulness to the nation of Israel.[2] The synagogue had been established for generations as the heart and soul of Judaism. Instead of the intense sacrificial system that the Temple thrived on, the synagogue focused on the reading and exposition of the Law and Prophets. The intense focus upon the Scriptures developed a new way of thinking in many Jews that began to be obsessed with following the Law. It was these popular teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, who became the new voice for the people in the community and who ultimately became Jesus’ staunchest opponents.

The development and function of the synagogue ultimately proved to be a vital and effective avenue for the spread of the Gospel message throughout the Jewish and Greek communities.

     The Development and Function of the Synagogue

The rise of the synagogue is very obscure but often linked with the Babylonian captivity of Israel.[3] In response to the loss of the Temple before the exile, which was the center of the Jewish religious life, the synagogue may have arisen to fill the void. Although this may be the case, there is no direct evidence of the presence of a synagogue, nor is a synagogue mentioned by name in the Old Testament other than possibly Psalm 74:8. Regardless, when the Jewish community returned from the Babylonian exile there must have been local places of worship that undoubtedly began to assume the form of the synagogue found in the New Testament.[4] The simple fact that a developed synagogue form existed in the New Testament points to its beginnings throughout the preceding centuries.

Generations before Jesus many, if not all, Jewish communities had the synagogue as the common center of worship and community life.[5] When Jewish communities began to spread out across the land, particularly throughout the post-exilic centuries, the increased distance from the Temple made it nearly impossible for the Jewish religious life to focus solely on the Temple. As a result, local religious activities began to take place within individual communities apart from the Temple. Groups of Jews would gather together to provide mutual encouragement to each other and worship God. These gatherings are undoubtedly the beginnings of the synagogue and had no intention of displacing the Temple.[6] As the post-exilic centuries progressed the synagogue developed into a permanent fixture of Jewish life in Palestine and even in Jerusalem itself.[7]

The function of the synagogue was firmly established before the New Testament era. Any ten Jewish men who came together to worship and share the law in order to learn and fulfill God’s will constituted a synagogue.[8] By the time of Jesus, its main purpose was to supply the community with a local center of worship, teaching, and community ties.

Every service of worship in the synagogue consisted of prayer, the reading of Scripture, including the Law and the Prophets, and often exhortation. Each of these functions was carried on by laymen in the synagogue. There was at least one presiding officer in the synagogue that was simply referred to as the ruler in Luke 13:14.[9] After prayer was offered by one of the laymen present, the reading of the Scripture would take place. The Law was read through consecutively according to a specific cycle. On the Sabbath, the consecutive lesson from the Pentateuch was followed by a corresponding lesson from the Prophets that related to the Pentateuch lesson.[10] Thus, the prophetic lessons were not read in consecutive order, but were chosen to complement the Pentateuch lesson.

Teaching in the synagogue also took on the form of a school for young boys.[11] It became a school where they could learn to read and know the Scriptures at the same time. The influence of the teaching of the Scriptures in the synagogue most likely led the transition from the Jewish focus on sacrifice to a focus on the Law. At the forefront of teaching boys from a young age to know and follow the law were the Pharisees. Thus, the fiercest challenges Jesus faced in the synagogues of Galilee was from the Pharisees and Scribes.

Even before the destruction of the Temple, the synagogue had established itself as the premier fixture in the Jewish faith. With Jewish synagogues scattered throughout the land, the Law could be read and taught taking the place of the sacrifice. This new fixture in the Jewish community had a worship service that afforded the opportunity for Jesus and the apostles to propagate the gospel message quickly.

     The Involvement of Jesus in the Synagogue

Throughout every major Jewish community in Galilee, Perea, and Judea Jesus found a synagogue.[12] Essentially, he used the synagogues as a springboard to begin his ministry because through them he could quickly reach the people.[13] He often preached in the synagogues because he would be permitted to speak after the reading of the Scripture. After his baptism and temptation in the desert Jesus returned to Galilee where he “taught in their synagogues” (Luke 4:14-15 NIV).

Unfortunately, "very little of his synagogue preaching has been preserved.”[14] However, one instance that was recorded by Luke provides a significant look into the service of the synagogue. In Luke 4:16-20 Jesus returned to Nazareth and entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, which “was his custom” (Luke 4:16 NIV). Jesus stood up and read from “the scroll of the prophet Isaiah” (Luke 4:17 NIV). After reading the passage “he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down” (Luke 4:20 NIV). Jesus then began to admonish the people from the Scripture he had just read which follows the typical synagogue pattern of reading and exhorting.

It was in the synagogues that Jesus encountered some of his greatest opposition because he was at the center of Pharisaic influence.[15] Thus, this opposition was not accidental but inevitable because he was in essence preaching out of their headquarters. Nevertheless, the synagogues were an incredible platform for Jesus to present the gospel message to gatherings of people.

     The Apostles’ Involvement in the Synagogue

The apostles, even more than Jesus, used the synagogue as a springboard and staging ground for their ministry in each new city they entered. By visiting the synagogues first, the apostles were able to appeal to people who already had at least a partial knowledge of the promised coming Messiah. Luke records that Stephen, who was a member of a Greek-speaking synagogue in Jerusalem, made some of the first gospel presentations to representatives of other Greek-speaking synagogues in Acts 8:8-9. Several of the Jews from these synagogues argued with Stephen but could not stand up against him.

Paul was the only apostle on record to use the synagogues for two distinct purposes. Before his conversion, Paul grew up as a strict follower of the law and was most likely taught much of what he knew about the Law in the synagogue. He was traveling to Damascus because he was going to visit the synagogues and flush out the followers of the Way to take them back as prisoners to Jerusalem. Paul even states later in his life that “many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished” referring to his persecution of believers (Acts 26:11 NIV). Thus, Paul originally used the synagogues as a place to catch and punish early believers. However, it was along that road to Damascus that Jesus appeared to Saul and gave his life a new direction. Paul, continued on to Damascus and still visited the synagogues, but instead of capturing the believers he was preaching “that Jesus is the Son of God” as a believer (Acts 9:20 NIV).

Whenever Paul entered into a new city it was his regular practice to begin preaching in the local synagogue.[16] The synagogue order of service provided him with an opportunity to speak to a crowd of people with the permission or at the invitation of the synagogue officials.[17] Many of the synagogues that Paul visited throughout his missionary journeys were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. These Gentiles were called God-fearers because they attended the synagogue and somewhat followed the Jewish tradition, but were not fully incorporated into the Jewish community. One such synagogue Paul visited was in Pisidian Antioch. When he stood up to speak he addressed the group as “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God” (Acts 13:16 NIV). It was out of some of these Jew/Gentile synagogues that the sharpest expression of the Christian faith and “its clearest challenge to ancestral Jewish customs” arose.[18] The main cause for the instant explosion of Christianity among Greek-speaking synagogues was the instant appeal the gospel made to the Gentile God-fearers.[19] Suddenly, there was an offer of salvation and acceptance by God without the strict requirements of the Mosaic Law or circumcision. The Gentile God-fearers that were present at Paul’s first synagogue message at Pisidian Antioch quickly spread the message and on the next Sabbath the synagogue was filled with Gentiles from “almost the whole city” (Acts 13:44 NIV). Many of those God-fearing Gentiles believed and “formed into the Christian church of Pisidian Antioch.”[20]

After leaving Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas visited the synagogue in Iconium and again “a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed” (Acts 14:1 NIV). Paul visited several synagogues throughout his missionary travels. Luke records that he visited the synagogues in Damascus, Salamis, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. These records show that by the first century A.D. synagogues had already permeated Jewish communities throughout the Greek-speaking world.

As Paul continued to visit these Jew/Gentile synagogues as he traveled, the Gentiles who were considered to be on the fringe of the synagogue now formed “the nucleus of the church.”[21] Paul stayed at several synagogues for extended periods of time preaching the gospel message, sometimes exceeding a year or more at one location.

     Conclusion

Even before the destruction of the Temple, the synagogue had established itself as the premier fixture in the Jewish faith. The format of the worship service in the synagogue afforded Jesus and the apostles the opportunity to quickly propagate the gospel message. Jesus frequently visited the synagogues, especially in the infant stages of his ministry, and encountered fierce opposition from the teachers of the Law who ruled the synagogue. Likewise, Paul spent as much time as he could speaking in the synagogues and using them as a mouthpiece for the gospel message. Throughout the God-fearing Gentile portion of the Jewish synagogues Paul witnessed explosive growth.

The synagogue served as one of the major, if not the major, conduit through which the Gospel message was preached. This pillar of the Jewish community became an instrument in the hands of the apostles to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. In some cases, the first Christian churches were even formed from large portions of former synagogue congregations.

---

[1] F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1969), 147.

[2] Ibid.

[3] William G. Blaikie, Bible History. (New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1925), 372-73.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 44.

[6] Ibid, 44.

[7] F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1969), 143.

[8] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 44-45.

[9] Mark 5:22 and Acts 13:15 may indicate that some synagogues had more than one ruler, “the synagogue rulers.”

[10] F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1969), 144.

[11] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 45.

[12] Ibid, 44.

[13] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 93.

[14] John Bligh, Historical Information for New Testament Students. (Baltimore: Helicon Press Inc, 1967), 49.

[15] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 116.

[16] Acts 17:1-2 explains that it was Paul’s normal custom to go into the synagogue and preach when he came to a new city.

[17] Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 211.

[18] Ibid, 200.

[19] F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1969), 147.

[20] Ibid, 275.

[21] Ibid, 147.

What does God say about Parenting? (part 2)

This blog entry is based on a sermon I recently preached at Geist Community Church - The nature of the message was very philosophical, as opposed to practical. If you would like further practical advise on parenting I recommend the following books:

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof

Grace-Based Parenting: by Tim Kimmel - (still very philosophical)

1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents: by Thomas W. Phelan and Chris Webb



While the Bible clearly gives parents direct and indirect guidance raising children there are also a few things we need to avoid. (interestingly enough, both New Testament passages mentioned earlier tell us what to avoid)


AVOID:

(1) “provoking to anger”

How we respond to and talk with our children can easily provoke them to anger. They are kids, but they are still little humans created in the image of God.  Children are also, before coming to Christ, sinful, depraved "little humans" that desperately need a model of grace in their lives.

Far to many people view God as some tyrannical dictator because that is how their dad or parents treated them.

God is our “Father in heaven." Jesus said, we are to pray to “our Father in heaven.” Yet, far too many people get hung up on that concept because their earthly dad gave them a horrible image of God’s nature.  Their earthly dad provoked them to anger in everything!

God does not provoke us to anger?? He is gracious, compassionate, merciful with his children


(2) “hypocritical actions”

One of the main reasons so many young people leave the church is they see hypocritical actions, primarily in their own parents.  Make sure your kids understand you are going to fail them.   You should never be your child’s hero.  You’re going to fail them again and again. God will NOT.  Point them to God and be willing to confess your own hypocritical actions.


(3) “biblical labels” on certain methods of parenting

Many methods that are passed off as “biblical” are really cultural or done only because “that’s what mom & dad did with me and I ‘turned out ok.’”

If you’re going to call something “biblical” you better be sure it is.  Just because it was written by a “Christian” organization or a well-known Christian author, doesn’t make it biblical!


(4) “Avoid being a legalist”

2 things I want to say about this:

     (1) Don’t scare your kids into obeying a list.

Some churches and parents have done an absolutely abysmal job teaching kids about obedience and sin.  They explain that we better not sin because "God will be waiting for us when we get to heaven."  Sure, they will get to Heaven because they have trusted in Christ, "but if you don't listen to mom & dad then God’s going to have some wrath reserved for you!" The "threat" then is: you better listen to mom and dad and you better not sin or God will be waiting for you!!

Wrong!  Jesus took all of God’s wrath destined for you and me when He died on the cross. (Romans 8:1)  If you receive even a fraction of God’s wrath you’re in trouble!  As a believer, your destiny for eternity is with Him in the new heaven and new earth.  Instead, what we ought to be teaching our kids , and reminding each other of, is that when you trust in Jesus ALL is forgiven.  We must reinforce that truth with our kids.

As a child it was drilled into my head through the teaching of different local churches that drinking alcohol was such a "bad" sin that I thought if I drank even one sip of alcohol I would be condemned to hell forever.  I even remember having nightmares that someone tricked me into drinking a sip of alcohol and awoke in a panic because I thought I was going to hell.

That is legalism!  It is WRONG!

     (2) Parenting is NOT about a list of "dos" and "don’ts".

Isaiah chapter one is the perfect example of how obedience isn't what it's all about.  Yes, we ought to pursue obedience, but our justification before God is not based on our obedience to Him.  In Isaiah one God is a perfect parent and his children still rebelled. What was Israel’s problem? Their heart! They went through the motions. They did every task they were supposed to do. Yet, it was all in vain because their heart wasn’t in it!


As I wrap this up, let me give you two truly "biblical" keys to parenting:

(1) Pursue the heart!

This is straight out of Isaiah 1.  We must pursue peoples' hearts.  We must aggressively pursue our children’s hearts.

One of the key themes in the Gospel of Mark is the hard hearts of the disciples.  We must avoid hard hearts at all costs! We must avoid hardening our children’s hearts at all costs!

We pursue the heart!!! By focusing on the inward, not on the outward.  You can easily create a bunch of "rule following" legalists, but if their heart is not transformed it doesn't matter.


(2) Create the Norm!

Everything we teach our kids will be normal to them! Think about that for a moment! Everything will be the norm.  I was raised putting maple syrup on my cottage cheese. I thought it was normal. (It's really doesn't taste that bad!)

What happens every day in your home defines what normal is for your family! It may be normal for you to eat a hamburger every Friday night. It might be normal for you to get ice cream every Tuesday after school. It might be normal for your family to have a game night each week; where you shut off the TV and play a family game. Parents determine what’s normal for their homes by the patterns they establish! If you get up every morning and run around your house three times yelling at the top of your lungs, your kids will think it’s normal!

Is God the normal part of your family life or do you treat God like fancy china in a special cabinet? You know, the dishes that only come out when the governor, boss, or friend-that-we-don’t-really-like-that-we-are-trying-to-impress comes over. When those dishes come out everyone, especially mom, is a little on edge. You suddenly forget how to handle a plate or a cup without fear of breaking it.  You don’t know how to handle it. You don’t know if it should go in the dishwasher or not. (always choose "not")

Some of you treat your faith, and even God, like the fine china. Oh, God is important, but we don’t bring Him up much in the daily patterns of life.

Some of you grew up in a home where going to church was not the norm.  For some of you going to church was the norm, but it was just a once a week deal and like the fine china, God didn't see much time in your normal family life.

Worshiping God is an attitude of the heart; not a special event set aside for a specific time once a week or even once a day.





Every parent will leave a personal legacy. What legacy are you leaving your children? What legacy are you leaving with your co-workers?

We become so preoccupied and focused on making sure our kids have a good education so they can get a "good" job that we forget what’s most important.  NOTHING matters at the end of your child’s life – NOTHING – EXCEPT whether or not they know God and have been reconciled to Him through His Son, Jesus.

The most important thing for your children is that they have an authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ! In the end, all that matters is Christ!

What does God say about Parenting? (part 1)

Some of the most exciting, fun, challenging, hilarious and painful experiences of life come with the responsibility of parenting.  I remember vividly the first time that I held both of my children…it’s amazing! Then you go home from the hospital with that little bundle and you wonder: now what do we do?  Thankfully God has given us our own parents from which to learn from.  He has also given us friends to call in a panic who have gone before us in their own parenting journey.  Most importantly, God has given us His Word to guide us in raising the precious gifts that He entrusts to our care.

Based on the importance of the parent child relationship, you would think that a large portion of the Bible would offer direct guidance to parents.  Surprisingly, there are two whole verses in the entire New Testament that directly address parents regarding raising their children. 

Colossians 3:21 - “Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged.”

Fathers, (the Greek word does leave the door open for "parents," so moms aren't completely off the hook) you must be very careful how you interact with your children. They need your support.  They need your care.  They need your love! If all you do is speak negatively into their lives they will become discouraged or perhaps even angry, which is what the only other verse giving direct guidance to parents in the New Testament mentions.

Ephesians 6:4 - “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

That’s all the guidance that the New Testament directly gives to parents and the Old Testament doesn’t provide much more help.  Only two books (out of the 39) offer direct guidance for parents. There are a few passages in the book of Deuteronomy (4:9-10, 6:6-9, 11:18-19) and several verses sprinkled throughout the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs is wonderful, but the difficulty with the book of Proverbs is that it is “proverbial.” It is a collection of general principles; many of them hidden inside of complex metaphors, similes and other colorful language.  Each proverb must be carefully interpreted and correctly understood; lest it be applied in gross error.

Likewise, since the Proverbs are principles and not promises we must avoid claiming them as such.  A perfect example is Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." It is a principle that is often claimed as a promise.  Yet, we all know of situations where two children were raised identically and one of them follows God while the other does not.  Is the proverb wrong? No.  It's not a promise and here's how we know:

In Isaiah chapter one God refers to the nation of Israel as his children.  God said in Isaiah 1:2, “I raised children, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me!” (NET)

Is God a bad parent? Of course not! He is the perfect parent, yet His children rebelled.  The implication: You can do everything perfectly and children can still rebel.

Given the fact that no human has more potential to influence a child than his or her parent it’s rather shocking that the Bible doesn’t give more direct guidance to parents.  However, as you study the Bible you begin to realize the entire Bible gives parents INDIRECT guidance on raising their children.

What do I mean by indirect guidance? Well, let’s go back to a couple of the verses I just mentioned.

The end of Ephesians 6:4 says, Fathers, or parents, are to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Parents, you are to provide for physical and spiritual needs of your children You are to "bring them up," raise them by training and instructing them regarding the Lord.  The center of the parent-child relationship and all of the teaching and learning is God.

So, how does the Bible give us indirect guidance regarding parenting? The first way is that the Bible teaches us about God!  The Bible is ALL about GOD and His Son, Jesus, the God-man.  People today often feel as though the Bible is primarily about us, humans. The Bible is not about us; it’s about God.

When God is the center of the parent-child relationship, or any other relationship, we reveal His glory among creation.  The reason God put us here on earth is to reveal His glory.  (cf. Isaiah 43:7)  Every relationship is an opportunity and responsibility to correctly reveal the glory of God. In the parent child-relationship the responsibility is magnified!

The second way the Bible provides us indirect guidance in parenting is by revealing how God’s parents us.  We, as believers, are God’s children, just as the nation of Israel was in the Old Testament. God parents us, so we need to understand who God is and observe how he treats us!

Two things we must do as parents….

(1) Teach your children about God

You are your child’s primary spiritual leader!  You, as a parent, need to teach them the Bible, which means you need to know and study the Bible.  It’s not the church’s job to teach your children the Bible.  (churches have them for one or two hours a week and you have them all the rest!)

Teaching them about God by teaching them the Bible is just one way to teach them. Parents also need to teach their children about God by showing them who God really is.

Joiner and Nieuwhof wrote, “your role is not to impress your children or anyone else with your ability to parent; your role is to impress your children with the love and nature of God.”

How do parents know about the love and nature of God?  Yet again, as parents we must study the Bible!  As you study the Bible and learn about God’s nature you can better reflect Him to your children.

A good place to begin is the book of Exodus.  In the book of Exodus God used Moses to lead the nation of Israel (God’s children) out of slavery in Egypt.  God led them to Mt. Sinai where they camped and Moses went up on the mountain. At the top of the mountain God gave Moses the 10 commands on tablets of stone.  While Moses was gone things got a little messy with God’s children.  They actually formed a golden calf and began to worship the idol.  Long story short, Moses returned to the mountain top with 2 new tablets, since he threw the first two down and broke them a the sight of the great sin in the Israelite camp.  When he returned to the mountain top and God descended once again here is what God said: “the LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)

How does God, as a parent, treat his children? He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. That is the God we are to proclaim in word and deed in every relationship we have! And when we do, we proclaim God’s glory among creation!

When we treat our children in a merciful, gracious way, with great compassion; we teach them correctly about God!

We reveal the glory of God when we are slow to anger as we respond and talk to our children!

When your kids cry and whine – as the Israelites did; when they talk back and argue – as the Israelites did; when they’re tired, when their frustrated - as the Israelites were... your response, whether you like it or not, teaches them about God.  It reveals God to them!

God treats his children with grace, mercy, compassion, steadfast (loyal) love. What view of God are your words and actions forming in the mind of your child?

We must teach our children correctly about God but once they begin to understand who God is they also need to be keenly aware of the fact that they can communicate with God.


(2) Teach your children to talk with God

We are to teach our kids how to pray like the two little boys who were staying with their grandparents and had obviously been taught to pray by their parents. While kneeling to say their bedtime prayers the smallest boy began yelling his prayer at the top of his lungs:

"DEAR GOD, FOR CHRISTMAS I WOULD LIKE A IPAD, AN XBOX CONNECT, A SCOOTER, NEW VIDEO GAMES...”

His brother interrupted him, "Why are you yelling? God can hear you; He is not deaf." The younger brother replied, "I know God is not deaf, but grandma is..."

Our kids must understand that God hears our prayers! And once again, we must not only teach them, but we must model for them.

[view part 2 here]

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This blog entry is based on a sermon I preached during the summer of 2012 at Geist Community Church.  The nature of the message was very philosophical, as opposed to practical.   If you would like further practical advise on parenting I recommend the following books:

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof

Grace-Based Parenting: by Tim Kimmel - (still very philosophical)

1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents: by Thomas W. Phelan and Chris Webb