Book Review: Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings

As a pastor one of the things that I find most disturbing is how many people are so unfamiliar with their Bible. There are a lot of reasons for it, but one is that guys like me (pastors) haven't done a great job of teaching people how to read it. We fail to help people see how everything from Genesis to Revelation has one thing in common: Jesus. It's Jesus & His Gospel that's the lens through which we should read Scripture. Yes, a passage is to be interpreted in its immediate context, but we also have to keep in mind the broader purpose of Scripture: the revelation of God the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. That means we need to keep the Gospel in mind even when we're not reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

B&H Publishing is currently producing The Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series. In this post I'll focus on Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings. These aren't exactly the books we readily identify with Jesus. However, if nothing else the record of the kings of Israel & Judah show us the imperfection that will be replaced with perfection & the divided kingdom that will be replaced with the eternal kingdom when the prophet, priest, & king named Jesus of Nazareth shows up a few centuries later.

In this volume Tony Merida walks us through these two Old Testament books, helping the reader see how the Gospel is woven throughout Scripture & foreshadowed time & time again through the history of Israel. One of the strengths of this series of commentaries is that they don't really read like commentaries. In other words, they're not dry, boring, or academic. This book is the best kind of commentary: approachable & applicable. I would encourage anyone interested in serious Bible study to look into Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings or any of the other available titles in this series.

Disclaimer: I received a promotional copy of this book from B&H Publishing for this review.

Feast or Famine?

“The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.” -A.W. Tower

This weekend we continued our series "I Am" as one of our deacons shared a message from John 6 as Jesus says, "I am the bread of life..." As we examined the passage & its implications, I thought of this quote. The world is dying in its sin and too many have never heard the message of the Gospel from the Church. At the same time, too many congregations are dying and closing their doors because they've forgotten the message & ministry of the Gospel.

As Jesus invited people to come and feed on the Bread of Life. He not only promised that this Bread would give them life, real spiritual life, but He also showed Himself to be the sustainer of that life. He is the Source & the Sustainer. The Gospel is what bring us to life in Christ, & it's the Gospel that transforms us to live as Christ. But somehow too many of us have forgotten this. So our salvation becomes an event rather than a way of life. The Gospel becomes something that happened to us at a particular moment rather than the very life blood of our existent. And along the way, in a very slow, subtle, unintentional way, we forget the Gospel. As Jesus said in Revelation 2, we forget our first love. As we forget our first love, we also forget to do what we did at first, namely pursue Jesus & pursue the lost. So in the end we not only neglect the Gospel, we end up neglecting the Great Commission.

As a result, the world begins to starve for the knowledge of God because the vehicle for that message of God's loving, gracious pursuit of sinners has been starving for God's presence. When we stop walking in the Gospel, it won't be long before we stop sharing the Gospel. 

"Consistently & Faithfully Following Jesus Means 

Continually & Faithfully Feasting On Jesus."

How are we supposed to feed on Jesus? Let me share a couple of verses to guide us. John 1:17 says that "the Word became flesh & dwelt among us." The eternal, preexistent Word of God, the very Word of creation, the very Word of revelation, put on flesh & lived among us, & His name was Jesus. So again, how do we feed on Jesus? We feed on Jesus by feeding on the Word because He is the Word. Then what? Well, let's consider what Ezekiel 3:1 says. In this verse God commands His prophet to eat the word & then speak the word. Sound familiar? It should. As believers we consume the Bread of Life, Jesus. He gives us life & salvation. As we experience the work of Christ, we're moved to advance that Good News of life, hope, & salvation in Christ. We consume the Word, then we speak the Word so that Jesus is magnified & lives are saved. If we want the world to have knowledge of God & therefore live, we must feast on Christ & His word so that we're moved by the Gospel to advance the Gospel. 

So let me ask you, are you in a season of feast or famine? If you're feasting, is it leading to action? Are you eating the word & speaking the word? If you're in a season of famine, come back to the table. Jesus has invited you to come & dine so that you will never have to hunger or thirst again.

Your Plans Aren't Great Enough

In our current series, "Family Matters", we're heading into the last few messages that focus on parenting. To kick that group of messages off, we looked at the fact that pretty much every parent has hopes, dreams, & plans for their kids, & there's nothing wrong with that. 

However, if we're not careful we'll dream dreams & make plans without including God in the process. As a result, we're in danger of not setting the bar of expectation too high for our kids, but of setting the wrong bar for them altogether. The worst thing we can do for our kids is to teach them to be successful without teaching them to be faithful.

In 1st Samuel 16 we find God sending his prophet Samuel out on a mission to anoint the next king of Israel. Those of us who've spent a few weeks in Sunday School know this is going to be David, yet when Samuel gets to Jesse's house & begins to meet the family, none of the sons are God's man. So Samuel had to ask what had to feel like a weird question, "Do you have any other sons?" Jesse's response tells us a lot about the expectations that Jesse & that ancient culture had placed on David. Jesse's response was pretty much, "Oh yeah, I've got another son, but he's the youngest, & he's just a shepherd." Basically, everyone in David's family & in culture in general would have assumed that David wasn't worth inviting to the party. It turns out, however, that David was the guest of honor for the party. Everybody had plans for David: his dad, his brothers, his culture, but God had plans as well. As parents, we should take note of that. Even though culture had predetermined David's future, God had another plan.

"God's Plans May Not Match Your Plans

    But Are Always Greater Than Your Plans."

Do your plans, hopes, & dreams for your children take God's plans into account? Are your plans broad enough & great enough to include what God might want to do in & through the life of your child? We must teach children that being successful starts with being faithful. Otherwise, they'll pursue being successful at the expense of being faithful. It was that faithful heart of David that God wanted to do great things through. Cultivate that same kind of heart in your kids, & God's plans will dwarf even your greatest hopes & dreams for your child because He will take whatever they do & use it for eternal, kingdom significance.

Brokenness From Brokenness

This past Sunday our "Family Matters" series continued the discussion on New Testament marriage by focusing on the difficult issue of divorce & remarriage. It's a topic we don't like to talk about because it hits so close to home. All of us have been impacted by it in some way to the point that it's sadly become almost normal. Even in the church, we've adopted cultural views of marriage, divorce, & remarriage that when we take an honest look at Scripture, are in direct conflict with God's Word.

Jesus directly addressed the issue of divorce & remarriage multiple times throughout the Gospel. His message was consistently clear. His message was that the disposable view of marriage that His culture & our culture hold is in defiance of God's design. Our sinful approach to marriage doesn't negate God's design. In fact, Jesus says repeatedly that divorce was permitted, not approved. Divorce became a reality because our heart are hardened toward one another & toward God. Our broken marriages are the result of our broken hearts. Even when the New Testament discusses the grounds on which divorce is permitted, we find that divorce should be the last resort. As Gospel people, reconciliation should always be our goal. That's why in multiple places throughout the New Testament, divorced couples are instructed not to remarry but to stay single or pursue reconciliation. After all, divorces that are on unbiblical grounds only create sin on top of sin as we enter into adulterous remarriages. Based on the New Testaments warnings & instruction on this issue, there is one thing we have to recognize:

"Protecting Your Heart Protects Your Marriage."

If you're single, protect your heart now so that you know how to protect it later. If you're married, protect your heart against unforgiveness, pride, unrepentance, & selfishness. If you don't, they'll eat away at your marriage. If you're divorced & single, take God's word seriously. Was your divorce on biblical grounds of sexual immorality or abandonment by an unbelieving spouse? If not, acknowledge that your divorce was outside the New Testament parameters. Divorce is not an unforgivable sin, but we do need to call it what it is & seek forgiveness. Even if your divorce was on biblical grounds, did you pursue reconciliation? If not, confess your failure to reflect the Gospel, even in such a difficult situation. If you're divorced & remarried, was your remarriage biblical? If not, confess it, find forgiveness at the cross, & then seek to model an Ephesians 5, Gospel marriage. 

We must take God's word seriously. We must spend time in it & asking God to reveal its implications for us & our situations. If not, we are doomed to embrace the cultural view that marriage is for us & about us, & therefore no matter your situation, you have every right to marry, divorce, & remarry as many times as you want until you find that elusive thing: happiness. Instead, let's pursue holiness by protecting our hearts & as a result, protecting our lives & our marriages.

Is A Happy Marriage Enough?

This week in our current series "Family Matters" we looked at the issue of marriage. Marriage has been one of the biggest social topics in the last few years as we've seen the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on same sex marriage & begun to look at what that's going to mean for our culture & our churches.

While many people feel that June 2015 is when the church lost the marriage debate, I would argue that we lost the debate long before that when we began to exchange the New Testament, Gospel driven view of marriage for the cultural views & perspectives on the marriage relationship. For example, many Christians would be quick to praise a couple that is celebrating 50 years of marriage, but what if the goal of marriage isn't just to stay married? What if the goal in marriage is just managing to not kill each other or abandon each other? What if there's something far more significant? What if there is something deeply spiritual about marriage?

If you look at Ephesians 5:21-33 you'll find the answer to those questions. There is something more to marriage than just surviving it. There is something deeper than just managing to stay together. And there is something incredibly, profoundly spiritual about the marriage relationship. Paul says that when husband & wife submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, they're not only reflecting Christ's submission to His Father's will & our need, they're also growing in holiness. When the husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church & when the wife submits to her husband as she would to Christ, they are illustrating what Paul called a "profound mystery." When husband & wife fulfill their roles, their marriage covenant becomes a reflection of Christ's love for the Church & the Church's devotion & submission to her Savior. They're relationship becomes a picture of the Gospel for a watching world that needs to not simply see healthy marriage, but needs to see Christ.

However, too many of us have exchanged the beauty described in Ephesians 5 for the world's cheap substitutes. We've managed to be content with simply having a "happy marriage," whatever that means. And by the way, it's usually defined by MY happiness, not the happiness of my spouse. What if in prioritizing & focusing on happy marriages we've missed out on what God really wants for us?

"Stop Focusing On A Happy Marriage & Start Pursuing A Holy Marriage."

You might be wondering if there's really a difference between happy & holy. My answer would be "Yes" & "No." In the short term there's a big difference. After all, the thing that I deeply feel & believe will make me happy right now might lead me away from holiness. On the other hand, if we take the long view, pursuing holiness will lead us to happiness & something even greater than happiness: joy. It's really a matter of what we prioritize. If our goal is happiness in our marriage, we'll find ourselves chasing mirages because happiness by the world's standards is so fleeting & fragile. If however we pursue holiness, husbands will sacrificially love their wives & wives will respectfully & lovingly support her husband, & as they do this, they'll grow in holiness & oneness in both the happy times & unhappy times in a way that reflects the oneness of Christ & His Church.

So stop focusing on a happy marriage, & start pursuing a holy marriage. It may seem counterintuitive, but that's the Gospel life: denying self in favor of Christ. If you'll pursue the path of holiness in your marriage, you won't have to worry about happiness.

To access the full teaching on this passage click visit our HERE. Then click the Family Matters graphic to launch the message player.

Complain, Compromise, Or Confront?

Recently our church has been digging into Jesus' words to the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. One of the reasons why these passages are so important & so practical right now to the church in America is that these churches were living in the middle of a very hostile culture. Being the church in the 1st century Roman Empire was not easy. Pretty much no matter where you lived in the empire, you & your church were going to be under pressure & would probably face persecution of some kind. As Jesus speaks to these churches, He's talking to them about what they need to do in order to be a faithful effective witness even in the midst of a hostile culture. In America our culture is becoming increasingly hostile to faithful Christianity. This however is a new development for most of us. Until recent years, for the most part the church & the culture agree on some basics of right & wrong, good & evil. There was never total agreement, but in general biblical values, ethics, & principles translated to our culture. Those days are long gone. That's why Revelation 2 & 3 are some of the most relevant passages for the church to look at. In these 2 chapters we run into many of the problems that plague churches & threaten their ability to effectively advance the Gospel & make disciples. However, we also see what needs to happen in order for congregations to right the ship & become faithful witnesses to their world again.

We have so much more in common with the past than we realize. Then, like now, there was the temptation to engage culture in one of two extremes: complain or compromise. The complaining church walls itself off from the world, points their fingers, & complain about how bad the culture is, how hopeless it is. The irony however is that in their pursuit to "remain pure", they've actually walled themselves off from the very people they're called to reach. They've also unintentionally denied the power of the Gospel. After all, to think that anyone is "too lost" for the Gospel denies the Gospel's power. The other extreme is to compromise. The compromising church worries about "being on the right side of history." The compromising church is more focused on cultural tolerance than faithfulness to Christ. Therefore, it becomes easy for that congregation to begin to mix a little bit of our culture's values in with biblical teaching. They may even do all of this in the name of reaching the lost. After all, didn't Jesus hang out with sinners? Yes, He did, but there's a big difference between going where they are & doing what they do. In all of Jesus' encounters with sinners, no one ever accused Him of sin. The worst they could do was try to make him guilty by association. 

Jesus was tolerant of sinners, but not in the way that we define tolerance in 2015. Jesus' tolerance refused to condemn the sinner & instead compassionately confronted the sinner & invited the sinner to follow Him. That's the kind of tolerance the church should exercise today. In Revelation 2 in His words to the church in Thyatira, Jesus makes it clear that He cannot tolerate a church that is more tolerant than He is. We're called to follow His cue. not the world's.

"Culture Doesn't Need A Church Who Complains Or Compromises. 

It Needs A Church Who Courageously & Compassionately
Confronts It With The Gospel."

The church that either sits back & complains about the culture or who compromises to the culture actually robs the culture of the Gospel. Compromise dilutes the power of the Gospel because compromise always leads us away from its transforming power. Complaining does no good at all because it subtly tells the world, "You're too far gone." If the Gospel you believe in is too weak to save the worst sinner you know, it's probably too weak to save you as well. We have a message that has unimaginable power to raise the dead & transform sinners to saints. If you've really experienced the Gospel's power, you know there is no one that God could not save. So we can't afford to turn our church buildings into bunkers where we talk about the good ol' days & complain about the culture, & we can't afford to check Jesus at the door of our churches so that we can be more appealing to the culture. Neither of those approaches requires any faith or courage. It's time for us to be courageous enough to contradict our culture by compassionately confronting it with the hope of the Gospel. We have three paths to choose: complaining, compromising, or compassionately confronting. Which will you choose? Which will your congregation choose?

Where Do You Draw The Line?

People are funny, & by funny, I mean strange. We all would say that we would like detailed information or instructions when making a big life decision. In fact, those of us who are Christ followers are perhaps more likely to say that. We want God to give us clear guidance, maybe even step by step instructions to follow in order to not only make a good decision but a decision that is in God's will. This is where the funny/strange part kicks in. My life & my work with other people tell me that as badly as we want detailed instructions from God, we are still prone to end up doing what we want in the end.

1st Samuel 15 gives us a painful insight into this truth about humanity. Though we would read this passage & point our fingers at King Saul, if we're honest, Saul is an empathetic character. We know what it feels like to be Saul. We've been there; we've done it. We've decided to pick & choose which part of God's word we'll follow & which parts we'll ignore or reject. We, like Saul, give reasons/excuses as to why we don't do what God has shown us in His word, but the result is the same: When we reject doing God's word, God rejects using us. We need to understand a powerful spiritual truth at play when it comes to our faith, love, & obedience to God.

"The Line Where Our Obedience To Christ Ends 

Is The Same Line Where Our Love For Christ Ends."

Jesus makes it very clear when He said, "If you love me, you'll keep my commands." What's Jesus mean here? It's pretty simple. If you love Jesus, you'll trust Jesus. If you trust Jesus, you'll obey Jesus. Simply put, your obedience to Christ & His word is a reflection of your faith in & love for Christ. This is an uncomfortable truth. We don't like to acknowledge that our love for Jesus has its limits. We somehow think we love Jesus the way He loves us: eternally & unconditionally. Well, I hate to break it to us all, but we don't love Jesus like He loves us. Wherever we choose to disobey is a place where we're choosing not to love Jesus. You see, Scripture doesn't present an emotional view of love. Instead, love is presented as an act of someone's will. Therefore, you can choose to love even when you don't feel it, which also means you can choose not to love even if you claim to "feel" it. 

Where is that line in your life? Where is the line where your love for Christ ends? We all have that place, & we owe it to ourselves to identify where that place really is. After all, we need to be aware of just how far we have left to grow, & we also need to recognize that place where we don't yet trust or love Jesus because that's exactly the place where God is going to press into us, stretch us, & challenge us to greater depths of faith & love. So where do you draw the line?

5 Things That Make Anyone A Better Communicator

If you have some responsibility of communicating to a group of people on a regular basis you know the pressure that comes to have something to say. You want it to be fresh, inspiring, challenging, maybe even life changing for someone. However, if you teach every week, preach every week, or give presentations every week, you know it can be difficult to muster both the energy & the content to bring compelling, helpful messages that your audience walk away from knowing something new & knowing what to do with it.

With that in mind, I want to offer five very simply, very practical things that anybody can do to stay on top of their speaking/teaching/preaching schedule. These are simple things that I do all the time that have helped me grow as a communicator. By no means am I some kind of preaching & teaching guru, but I do want to pass along things I've learned over the years so that other teachers, preachers, & communicators can grow as well. Putting these things into practice won't insure that every message or every presentation is a home run, but it will insure that you have fewer swings & misses. 

1) Spend At Least A Little Time In It Every Day

This is one place where the seeds for future ideas come from. Whether this happens in your personal study or in your study time specifically for future message prep, let your daily time in God's Word be a springboard for what God might want to say to others. Looking at your upcoming messages or their texts some everyday also helps you let go of your notes so that you're more connected to your audience.

2) Listen, Listen, Listen

Let's face it, podcasts are the new commentaries, especially when looking for help applying. Listen to super practical preachers & super doctrinal communicators. If you tend to lean toward the doctrinal, textual side, you need help making it practical. Listen to pastors who ask the questions that lead us to wrestle with the text. It will help you not only teach your audience but teach them what to do with it. On the other hand, if you're the person who always wants to wrestle with "what does this mean for real life", you may need to listen to the communicators who help you connect on a deeper level to the timelessness of God's Word.

Listen to great communicators outside your field. A great resource that's out there are the endless supply of Ted Talks. While the presenters may have very little in common with you, they're a resource for you. After all, if someone can give an 18 minute talk about economics & make it somewhat interesting & compelling, you need to figure out what they did as a communicator to make you feel that way about their topic because there are probably people in your meetings, classes, or congregations each week who walk into the room with the same attitude toward whatever you're talking about.

3) Read, Read, Read

Read stuff that makes you think. One way to do that is to read stuff that you might not normally read. Perhaps the author comes from a different background, tribe, or denomination than you. That doesn't mean you can't learn something from them. Don't simply consume material that you know will agree with before you read page 1. Also, read old stuff. If you don't have dead folks in your library, you're missing out on centuries of wisdom. At the same time, read the latest & greatest. There are some incredible men & women producing great work. However, don't assume that what's new is what's better. There's a reason some things are called "classics." To ignore the classics is silly. So go buy some C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, or Martin Luther while also checking the latest from Matt Chandler or Steven Furtick.

4) Stay Ahead Of The Calendar

Working only on this week's message this week almost insures that it won't be your best. If you're a preacher or teacher or utilizes series based approach, this is almost a necessity. After all, doesn't a series build on itself? That means part 1 & part 4 of a series are connected. You have to know where you're going & how you're getting there. Each message is a whole while also being a part of a bigger message. So if you're only tackling things a week at a time, you're not maximizing your potential impact with your messages. One thing I try to do is to be finishing my next series while I'm preaching my current series. I may have already put outlines together for a series or two down the road but both my current series & my next series are done & ready to go.

If you're not already doing this, you need to map out your year. There are some things that you need to communicate regularly. In my context as a pastor, I know that every year I'm going to tackle issues like biblical stewardship, mission, family issues, not to mention Christmas & Easter. I also like to do a summer series that's usually through an entire book of Scripture. By getting some of those on the calendar as early as possible, I have some idea of where I'm headed. Staying that far ahead also frees you up to handle other responsibilities you might have or to be able to adjust on the fly. People I've talked to who are only going week to week feel such immense pressure that they can't adjust what they're doing. My experience has been greater preparation tends to make me more able to adjust to God's leading should He change my topic for the week.

5) Be You

Everyone is influenced by what they hear, but don't try to be Andy Stanley, Tim Keller, John Piper, or anyone else. God wouldn't have called you if He just wanted a copy of those guys. Plus they're better at being them than you ever will be. Whatever your voice is embrace it. Don't be a parrot of someone else, & don't be a puppet for others. There will always be someone who thinks you should be more "fill in the blank". However, if you're not a screamer, don't try to force it, but if that is who you are, embrace it. God called you & equipped you so that through you, He could be magnified. He doesn't need another version of your favorite communicator. He needs a faithful you. Learn from your influences. Incorporate things you see in them, but don't try to be them. 

These five simple practices are something any of us can do, & as you put them into practice, you'll begin to see the benefits & fruit from it. Don't get caught up in the seemingly endless treadmill of being a regular communicator. Get ahead of the pressure by working harder & smarter. When you do, not only will you benefit & grow from it. Those you lead & teach will as well.

Not Just What, But What To Do

I remember the first time I heard the Bible taught in a way that I not only understood what God's word said, but I also know what to do with what God's word said. I was at a BigStuf Conference at Union University, & this skinny youth pastor from First Baptist Church in Atlanta walked on stage. From the moment he began sharing from God's word I was drawn in & hooked. He happened to be teaching on sex & purity so he had every teenage boy's attention for a little longer than he might normally, but the hook was set. And he didn't set the hook with something flashy; he set the hook with the truth from God's word. I remember one phrase to this day, "Purity paves the way to intimacy." The point he was making we don't abstain from sexual sin simply out of fear or religious duty. Instead we pursue purity because it leads us to the thing that sexual sin promises but never can deliver: real intimacy, an authentic relationship with someone else that is unlike any other.

Well, that youth pastor was a guy you probably have heard of. His name is Andy Stanley, & those messages that night at the conference are a sort of spiritual mile marker for me. It showed me God's word could be understood & acted upon. It wasn't just another subject to memorize like math equations or historical dates. That practical biblical teaching stirred a hunger in me for God's word that I had never had. Thankfully, I also had a new youth pastor at our church who taught in the same way. He didn't just teach us the Bible; he taught us what to do with the Bible. 

As I've grown up, gone into ministry myself, & taught God's word more times than I can count I've learned an irrefutable truth:

"Application, Not Information, Leads To Transformation."

This truth explains so many of our experiences. It explains why we know people who've only been in church a few months who seem to be growing at warp speed & why we know people who've been in church for decades who still seem to be cold & detached from God & His will. It's because it doesn't matter how often you go to church or how many sermons you hear. It's about what you do with what you hear in those sermons. If you put God's word into practice, it transforms you. If you simply store it away in your memory banks, you will never experience Christ-like transformation. 

That means that guys like me have a huge responsibility. We have to make sure that our teaching is not only biblical but that it's also practical. Biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible, but practical biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible & what to do with the Bible. It asks hard questions. It forces us to wrestle with God's truth & whether it's being trusted in the way we live our lives. Practical biblical teaching removes the excuses of "I don't understand it," or "It's boring" & instead makes the issue a trust issue, a faith issue. It's at that point that our faith can be stretched & therefore strengthened as we surrender new parts of our lives to Christ as we're challenged by His will as revealed in His word. That's why it's so crucial that we not simply teach what God's word says but also help each other understand what to do with it.