On Good Deeds Before Men

Yesterday I wrote about making sure you do not hope in the same things that the worlds hopes in, but, rather, hope in Christ. That is your true apologetic. However, there is something to say about doing some of your hope-filled good deeds privately. "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" Jesus said, (Matthew 6:3). Read John Piper on when and how to do good deeds before men. He concludes:

"The great issue here is our heart. We have all heard people going on and on about how they mean for God to get the glory as they do their public ministry, but it sounded hollow. The very words seemed part of the act. Yet public ministry is inevitable and good. The focus should not be on techniques of self-effacement. The focus should be on our hearts. What do we really crave? Really. Have we been broken by our sin? Are we overflowing with thankfulness for truly all the good we don’t deserve? Do we really stand in awe of Christ? Is his reputation a happy burden to us?"

Hope as Your Apologetic

To Defend is to Proclaim

First Peter 3:15 reads: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." This is the verse that is commonly pointed to by Christian apologists (those who argue on behalf of the trueness of the Christian faith). They say, passionately, that Christians must be able to defend what they believe. It is not enough just to believe. That belief must be explained, or as the verse implies, defended. Now God does not need defending (Acts 17:25). That is not the purpose of the verse here. The defense spoken of, of course, is your proclamation of the Gospel. That Christ came to the world to redeem humans through his work at the cross is now the reason we live and breathe. However, because the Gospel is "foolishness" to those who do not yet understand it (1 Cor. 1:18), it must be defended. This is how people who do not believe come to belief. They hear about Christ from those who believe.

A Non-Typical Emphasis

Now maybe you have read this verse before, or it has been pointed out to you in a sermon. Usually, the preacher or teacher explicating this passage explains only the first half of the verse. This happens for two reasons: (1) The active part of this verse is at the beginning: "Be prepared to give an answer." That is simple enough to understand, giving the reader a picture of what it might look like to share/defend the gospel. (2) The preacher assumes that you already understand the back-half of the verse: "For the hope that you have." Now I want to try and prove that the back-half is the more important half. Why? Quite simply because without the back-half, there is no front.

There is No Defending Without Hoping

It is simple enough to be pragmatic when reasoning with someone about your faith. Why do I believe? Because I believe in Jesus. Though conversations will surely go deeper and be more nuanced, the basis for the discussion is the same. But what is implied by this is that these conversations will happen automatically. By emphasizing only the first half of the verse, one misses out on the reason conversations start in the first place. The only way you will get to defend your "hope" is by having hope in the first place.

Peter breaks down our "faith" quite simply here. He says that your new life is now defined by hope. Hope in what? Jesus. That is the gospel. Religious people say "What must I do to get right with God?" Gospel-centered people say, "I am now right with God, what must I do?" Do you see the difference? One is highly self-centered and is (precisely) self-righteous. The other is God-centered and understands that righteousness comes not from our work but from the work of Christ (bringing us into right relationship with God). And this work is continual, keeping us righteous forever. That is what we have our hope in. So though the back half of 1 Peter 3:15 is implied, it cannot be forgotten.

The implication of this is that you must aim to show that hope you have in Christ in everything you do. For that is what people will question. They won't question you because you have lots of knowledge or because you are eloquent. People seek after your answer because you have something different to offer. You hope in something that is unseen. And that is what they want. They sense that behind your hope is something glorious, something that will save them.

What Hope Looks Like

But here’s the problem. What good are we when we hope in the same things the world hopes in? If you put your trust in the same things your neighbor does, what reason would he have to inquire about you and, more importantly, Jesus? Though this might sound a bit mysterious, I think you know what I am talking about. Test yourself: Do you hope in money or in TV? Do you hope in sex or in getting drunk? Do you hope in hatred or in jealousy? You can determine this two ways.

First, look at your heart and ask yourself point blank if something has become an idol in your life. A car? A vacation home? Partying with friends? Communicating only through gossip or negativity? Ask God to help you determine what in your life keeps you from hoping only in him.

Second, look at yourself from the world's perspective. Let's say ten unchurched people watched a 30 minute video of your life. And they see everything. The way you spend money, the things you do in your off-time, the way you treat people. Would they say your life looks any differently than theirs? Now this does not mean you must act completely oppositely from the world. We must pay taxes, provide for our families, wear clothing, etc. Some cultural immersion is necessary and good. But are you so culturally immersed that you are indistinguishable from everyone else? Test yourself.

Get Drunk or Sing Songs?

Here is a good example. In Ephesians 5:18-19 Paul writes: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." So Paul is saying that you should not get drunk and you should sing. What do those two things have to do with each other? Paul knew that in his day one of the main things people did was drink way too much. And when they did that, they sang. Literally. They would sing rousing drinking songs together. So Paul's recommendation is not all that odd. His imperative is that you not do what they are doing by getting drunk. Rather, stay sober and show where your hope is by singing to God! This will show that you hope in something eternal.

This is highly applicable to us today. Though I occasionally drink, I must be extremely weary about how much I drink. It must always be in moderation. If the unchurched see me get drunk, they'll just assume I am just like them. And to make it clear to them that I do not hope in drinking, I've got to be open about my faith. That is my singing.

Satan's Dread

Satan will not stand for us to live like the redeemed. He knows that our greatest opportunity to reach the lost is by the way in which we live. So be bold and strong. Hold each other accountable so that you may always show your hope in Christ. For hope is our best apologetic.

Chapter 2: Bigger

The message from April 27th, by Steve Luxa:

The scripture was Matthew 13:31-33.

Laminin

My friend posted this video of Louie Giglio on his blog. Watch the whole thing.



I suppose it could be a coincidence.

HT: Bryan

Rip Out John 7:53-8:11 from Your Bibles

Ok, that might be taking it a bit too far. Check out this fascinating article in CT on whether or not John 7:53-8:11 (the account of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery) is truly "Biblical." This is important because the passage in question is one of the most well known and is commonly quoted by Christians and non-Christian alike.

Also, if you want to learn a bit more about textual criticism and how scholars determine what should be included in scripture and what should not, check out these interviews with New Testament scholar Daniel Wallace: Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

A Quote on Prayer and Evangelism

"Effective mission work (evangelism) begins with appealing to the King for opportunities to tell people about his kingdom and the gospel that makes a relationship with him possible. We must model and teach our people that effective mission work begins with faith-filled prayers and petitions for opportunities. Every day that we wake up and go to work or go to the gym is an opportunity to share the gospel...

"But this point needs a warning label underneath it: enter at your own risk. If you pray for opportunities, they will happen. And often they will happen at the most awkward, inconvenient moments. So teach your people that often it may be the very circumstances that are inconvenient and interruptions to their normal lives that are the opportunities that God is giving them to share his gospel!"

-Eric Simmons, from the excellent article "What is the Missional Life?"

Should I Save for Retirement?

That question might be a no-brainer for you. Listen to John Piper talk about how to reconcile passages like Matthew 6:19-20 ("Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal") with how we save for the future. His answer might surprise you.



What did he say that you had not heard before? Where is he correct? Where is he misguided? Piper is, to some, extreme on this issue, and I don't post him here because I agree with everything he says. However, I do think he helps us turn our eyes away from the world a bit and back to God. How that helps you decide how much to contribute to your 401k (or just plain deal with money, for that matter) is for you to decide.

To read the transcript, go here.

Reel Theology: Little Miss Sunshine

Pastor Steve Luxa's message from Sunday:

Lars and the Real Girl

Like I said, I've been watching lots of movies lately. Many of them have been coming from CT's Most Redeeming list. I watched their #2 last night, Lars and the Real Girl. No words can express how delightful and moving this film is. Though I hesitate to say this, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Not unlike Juno, it just felt real and in fascinating ways exemplifies Christian community and sacrifice. There were a few scenes that were potently endearing. And all of this in a movie about a guy who falls for a life-size doll. Not kidding. Here's the trailer:



Christianity Today said: "Long before we saw this film, its official synopsis made us nervous: 'A lonely, delusional young man buys a life-size sex doll on the Internet and falls in love with her, telling people it's his girlfriend.' Based on that premise alone, we considered skipping it outright. But we're very glad we didn't, because this was one of the sweetest, most sensitive movies of the year, and, surprisingly, a powerful look at the body of Christ in action—and the relentless and patient nature of God's love. When Lars brings his new 'inflatable friend' home—and yes, their 'relationship' is pure and chaste—it's heartwarming to see how his family, friends, and fellow churchgoers (including even the most skeptical among them) love him unconditionally by playing along and embracing him in spite of his bizarre behavior. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll walk away with a smile and warm fuzzies."

As always, check out the Kids in Mind review before seeing this (though the movie is very tame for PG-13).

God and Government

NPR recently hosted a dialog on God and government. Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd and Shane Claiborne were the participants (I guess representing right, middle and left perspectives, though these men are too serious and nuanced to be pigeonholed like that). Their conversation dealt with these overarching questions: "Should Christians be involved in politics and if so, how? What has gone wrong, and what has been learned from the Moral Majority up until now." And perhaps these questions are ones we should answer, too.

How do we, as Christians, engage with politics insofar as it changes the culture and brings people to Jesus? Yes, this is dealt with on a large scale with Christian organizations and churches. But perhaps more importantly, how does it affect your life? Obviously, this question is not easily answered and those answers are even less easily put into practice. The conversation posted below is a good one and will help you think more deeply about this important issue.



(Disclaimer: GracePoint Community Church does not support any political party or endorse any candidate running for office. Posts such as these are meant only to engender discussion by bringing attention to contemporaneous issues.)

HT: JT

Juno

For whatever reason, I've had some time to watch some movies as of late. My wife and I watched Juno last night, finally. My brother and sister, and about a million other people, had told me (ok, begged) me to see it. I am glad I did.

Running about 92 minutes, there doesn't seem to be any wasted space in the thing. It follows the 9 months of a girl named Juno and her ill-timed and unwelcome pregnancy. Beyond the super cool phraseology and the obscure pop-culture references, and beyond the alien-like quirkiness of Juno herself, the movie just feels real. Usually, movies dealing with issues like teenage pregnancy, choice, abortion, adoption and marriage do so at either end of the ideological spectrum (usually to their detriment). And that usually means much of their content is untrue, and therefore feels unreal to the viewer. Juno deals deftly with said issues, but in an intensely personal and real way. And that's only because the movie is so open. For example, the opening scene has Juno buying multiple pregnancy tests in the corner store and taking them right there in the bathroom. As she comes in and out, she debates with the cashier about what the tests might mean. And this happens in full-view of anyone around. This sort of openness does not stop for the whole movie, and the viewer is better off for it.

I know that the makers of the film are not happy that the pro-life crowd has claimed this movie as a pro-life vehicle. And I can understand why. Juno is not meant to be an apologetic for choosing life and adoption, or an argument against abortion. Its only intention is to shine a bit of light on a little girl named Juno and the big issue she faces.

I do heartily recommend Juno, but of course advise you to check out the content review at Kids in Mind before you see it.

Expelled

Released just yesterday, the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed has stirred up a lot of controversy. Though the surrounding rhetoric includes words like Creationism and Evolution, the movie is really about Intelligent Design (ID) and, more to the point, about the scientists and scholars who propound this view. Simply put, ID is the theory that the universe was not created by chance or out of nothing, but by an intelligent creator. Now the movie (really a documentary) is not a pure defense of ID and critique of Darwinism. Rather, it is about the ramifications of believing ID and questioning Darwinism. The movie brings attention to the fact that many in the scholarly community who have espoused belief in ID, or who have questioned Darwinism, have been shunned, fired from their jobs, or, in some instances, black balled. Here's the trailer for the movie:



I doubt the film would have garnered so much attention had Ben Stein not signed on to host it. But I am glad for that. Now I'm not glad because I believe that the universe was intelligently designed (though I do) and want it promoted. I am glad that there is a bit of light being shed on the fact that many who claim to be tolerant of all views are, in fact, very intolerant. I don't think it's a coincidence that this sort of intolerance usually shows itself when God is pointed to. Let's pray that changes.

Read the CT review here or read all the reviews here. Darrel Bock has a good post on the reviewers that just plain misunderstand the movie here.

A Quote on God's Passion for Himself

"At least a great part of the moral rectitude of God, whereby he is disposed to every thing that is fit, suitable, and amiable in itself, consists in his having the highest regard to that which is highest and best. The moral rectitude of God must consist in due respect to things that are objects of moral respect; that is, to intelligent beings capable of moral actions and relations. And therefore it must chiefly consist in giving due respect to that Being to whom most is due; for God is infinitely the most worthy of regard. The worthiness of others is as nothing to his; so that to him belongs all possible respect. To him belongs the whole of respect that any intelligent being is capable of. To him belongs ALL the heart.

"Therefore, if moral rectitude of heart consists in paying the respect of the heart which is due, or which fitness and suitableness requires, fitness requires infinitely the greatest regard to be paid to God; and the denying of supreme regard here would be a conduct infinitely the most unfit. Hence it will follow, that the moral rectitude of disposition, inclination, or affection of God CHIEFLY consists in a regard to HIMSELF, infinitely above his regard to all other beings; in other words, his holiness consists in this."

-Jonathan Edwards, in The End For Which God Created the World

Reel Theology: The Bourne Ultimatum

Here is my (Ryan's) sermon from April 13. The scripture passage we surveyed was Romans 6:1-5.



The two resources that helped me bring this sermon together:

1. Tim Keller: "All of Life is Repentance."
2. John Piper: "Gutsy Gilt."

Both Keller and Piper helped me understand that the life removed from sin is not one that is perfect, but is, rather, motivated by the truth. It is the truth that Christ has saved you and that you now no longer stand condemned that helps you down the path of holiness and sanctification. John Stott understands your dying to sin as being released from the guilt of sin. Though I would go a bit further and say you are no longer under the power of your sinful nature, his point is a good one.

Shout to the...Huh?

Last week on American Idol Gives Back (their program devoted to raising money for the needy), they closed the show with the extremely popular Christian worship song "Shout to the Lord." Watch it here:



Now there was some controversy over this because (beyond the fact that they sang an evangelical song on the most popular show in America) they replaced the phrase "My Jesus" at the beginning with "My Shepherd." But the next night, they sang the tune again and included Jesus' name. Now this probably should not have been as controversial as it was. Some friends of mine were quick to point out that having this song sung was a good thing and planted "seeds". I agree. I am pretty sure it will bring about more good than confusion. And this was made clearer to me when I read a post on a blog from a Christian who works on a different Fox show. Her comments are illuminating and help direct our prayers:

“I work on one of the ‘sister shows’ of American Idol...so picture an office, with all of the producers, crew, etc. gathered in watching the live feed at our CBS offices, then this song comes on...an office filled with a few Christians....atheists and agnostic Jews. You could hear a pin drop....it was awesome.....the power that came through....nothing had to be said...no debates....just people being touched more than they realized...producers, writers...crew that had never darkened a church door in their lives, or their only experience with Christians was a negative one. You don't always see the workings of us Christians that are behind the scenes...you don't know how much prayer went into getting a song with that message on a, let us not forget, a SECULAR show. So, from someone behind the scenes, the best thing you can do is write to the producer of Am. Idol and simply state how much you appreciate the diversity they showed in having a very inspirational song in their program. Period. No criticizing. This will go farther than you realize. Also, pray, pray, pray for us Christians who have chosen Hollywood as our vocation, career and our mission field.”

HT: Josh Harris

Don't Forget!

We're almost done! On April 13th, we'll have a town hall meeting shortly after the service for one last pass over the bylaws before we hand them in for incorporation. You can get the full set of bylaws by going to our incorporation website here.

In February, the steering team and I met with all of the Life Communities, hosted a dessert, and went to lunches to interact over the issues of our statement of faith and membership at GracePoint. In March, the steering team did the same thing only to interact about our governance structure and women in leadership. The steering team then took all the comments and questions and considered them all to develop the bylaws from Grace Chapel's bylaws (since we are a church launch of Grace Chapel).

So this town hall meeting is a culminating work for us as a church! It is the frosting on the cake as the steering team has spent hours working on this and as people in the church have spent hours pouring over documents and adding their insights.

So read over the bylaws, bring your questions and interactions and thoughts, and voice them at the town hall meeting so that we can close out this phase and transition to a fully incorporated church!

A Quote about the Gospel

"The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is 'if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is, 'if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference."

-Tim Keller

HT: DJC

Marriage Retreat

Man, it was so cool to hear about all of the couples from GracePoint who went on the marriage retreat in Maine this past weekend. In all, 7 couples went. This might sound obvious, but they went to strengthen their marriages. That sort of humble intentionality is amazing and is wholly God-honoring. From what I heard, the retreat was awesome and edifying. If you'd like more information on this and other retreats in the area, go to the Home Improvement Ministries website.

Reel Theology: Hotel Rwanda

Steve's message based around the movie Hotel Rwanda and Luke 16:1-9:



Download the mp3 here.

Reel Theology

I am going to start posting all GPCC the sermons here for you to listen to each week. Maybe someday I will figure out how to podcast them. Here is Steve's first message from the series Reel Theology.

Jogging as Worship

John Piper answers the question "How do you glorify God through exercise?" It may seem an unnecessary, but his words are worth hearing. Near the end he asks, "Do you have an eye for turning [exercise] into ministry?" Since joining the gym near where I live, I think about this a lot. Usually, I just like to get in and get out. But are there ways I can minister or evangelize when I'm there? I see some of the same people every day. If I start up relationships with them, perhaps I can, at some point, tell them about Jesus. Anyway, enjoy:

Zoei

A Quote on the Beauty of Christ

"I believe there is nothing lovelier, more sympathetic, and more perfect than the Savior; there is in the world only one figure of absolute beauty: Christ. That infinitely lovely figure is...an infinite marvel."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky

Did Jesus Laugh?

From R.C. Sproul (at the Ligonier blog):

Did Jesus ever laugh? What do the Scriptures tell us about his character and sense of humor?

"I’ve heard some people answer this question in the negative by saying that laughter is always a sign of frivolity and a thinly veiled attempt to make light of things that are sober. They say life is a sober matter; Jesus is described as a man of sorrows. He’s described as one who was acquainted with grief. He walked around with enormous burdens upon him. Add to that the fact that there’s not a single text in the New Testament that explicitly says Jesus laughed. There are texts, of course, that tell us he cried. For example, John 13 tells us that in the upper room Jesus was deeply troubled in his spirit. We know that he experienced those emotions, and yet it’s strange that nowhere does it tell us that he actually laughed.

"You also asked if he had a sense of humor. When we translate any language into another, we will often miss subtle nuances of speech. If we don’t have a knowledge of the original language and its idioms, we might miss the humor. Also, different cultures have different ways of being humorous. Jesus used one form of humor we call sarcasm. In his responses to Herod, for example, he called him a fox and made other statements that I think had a touch of oriental humor to them. It’s purely speculative whether or not Jesus laughed, but I can’t imagine that he didn’t laugh for this reason: He was fully human, and he was perfect. We certainly wouldn’t attribute to Jesus any sinful emotions or forms of behavior, and it would seem to me the only reason to think he didn’t laugh would be if we first came to the conclusion that laughter is evil.

"The Bible does say that God laughs. In the Psalms it’s a derisive laugh. When the kings of the world set themselves against God and take counsel against God, it says that he who sits in the heavens shall laugh. God will hold them in derision. It’s sort of a “huh!” kind of laughter. It’s not a jovial response of happiness, but nevertheless it’s laughter.

"In the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament—for example, in Ecclesiastes—we’re told that certain things are appropriate at certain times. There’s a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to build, a time to tear down; there’s a time to dance, a time to sing, a time to laugh, a time to cry. Since God has, in his seasons, appointed appropriate times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, he laughed."

HT: Z