Watering Down Sin

In this week's reading I was both encouraged and fascinated with Carl Trueman's book. I found what he had to say about the church and culture to be very accurate. In this chapter he talks about the "watering down of Christian standards of behavior and ironically thought." (pg. 97) I really appreciate the fact that he mentions this mainly because I feel to often Christians try to justify what they do and their reason for whatever they have done.  Trueman uses movie watching as an example of this type of act. Many people believe that a Christian can watch any movie as long as they watch it with a critical Christian eye, however, there is no Biblical proof to justify this kind of statement. Watching a movie filled with sin is still sin. You cannot say that watching it with a "critical Christian eye" changes the sin in which you are indulging yourself in. Even today movies have changed in their rating and yet we have just slowly been sucked in, and have become to comfortable with a "rationalization for watching whatever they (we) like without having to feel guilty about it." (pg. 98) My question is this: How does the "watering down of Christian standards of behavior and thought" affect our churches and worship settings? How does this or how should this affect our personal lives?

"Father, let us be altogether here."

These words were spoken a few months ago in chapel by Pastor Ron Berrus.  His main point was this:  if we are not faithfully serving Christ today, we can have no assurance that we will serve him in the future.  In Fools Rush In, Carl Trueman makes a similar point.  He says:

"There may be bigger churches, there may be better churches, but here is where we find ourselves; here is where the Lord has put us; here is where we are to serve and to love our fellow believers in Christ" (p. 90).

My question is this:  If God has placed us here at BBC, what is our responsibility to serve Christ now, in this place?

I know we are not yet leaders, we are not ready to pastor a church, but does this excuse us from faithfully serving Christ while we are here at BBC?  Since we see school as our main priority, we finish our schoolwork and we "hang out," but this causes us to miss the real needs that exist all around us - the people who are certainly not saved, the people whose faith is on the edge, the people who are planning on going into ministry but are spiritually immature.  BBC is not a "Bubble of Baptized Christians", but it is a place where the bubble of assumption keeps us from looking for needs (because "there are none") and living out our faith (because that "is for tomorrow").  My question is this, if not us, then who?

The Little Goldfinch

In Give Praise to God, Donald S. Whitney is discussing the power of private worship in the lives of Christians.  By sharing his thoughts on routine in private worship, the daily consistency of private worship, and the point of private worship as growing close to God, he avoids making private worship part of a daily checklist or making it something that happens sporadically because it is not made a consistent priority.  On pg.311, he says that “Nothing in the Bible says that your way of ordering private worship . . . has to be the same or like anyone else’s”. While I have appreciated the wise contributions of mature Christians in my private worship, there should be no feeling of guilt in deciding that my worship of God and relationship with Him is better benefited with a certain mode of learning from God’s Word over another.  At the same time however, Whitney does not excuse a lazy and “whatever goes” approach to private worship but that it takes discipline and desire for God to make that spot in busy schedules for private worship to happen (314-315). Our daily consistent investment in private worship will make the most incredible difference in our relationship with God and our reflection of Him (316).  Thus, while not fostering a “there is only one right way to private worship and then we can check it off the list” mindset, Whitney shows that our relationship with God requires diligence and thoughtfulness in private worship. 

While I cannot say statistically how many people think like this, I know that I have to consciously think of private worship as part of my relationship with God instead of an activity to check of the list and I think that part of the Christian struggle to have private worship is related to our mindset that it is a good Christian thing to do, not that it is investing in a relationship.  How do we better promote a mindset of private worship being about our worship of and relationship with God in children’s programs like AWANA or WOL where private worship becomes part of checking it off the list?

Hearing through Heart and Mind

    In this week's reading Jeremiah Burroughs discusses the dangers we run into by not sanctifying God's name by hearing His Word. He mentions that it is up to us how we hear the Word of God. (204) In many ways people come to and understanding that The Law is everything we need. However as we see on page 207 The Law is only something, "you hear in your ears"(207) or as I think of it; It is written on your mind. Think about it, The Law whether it be the Old Testament Law or the Governments Law was written on our minds by our parents and teachers. BUT The Gospel was written on our hearts by God. This isn't something parents or teachers could have done, only God could do this. The Law is something we hear and it is Gods word however Gods Gospel is written on our hearts and we hear it but we also try to understand it and grasp it so that we use it for Gods Glory!

How Did the Gospel come to be on our Hearts? Could this relate to Election? Where do you stand?

Private Music Vs. Corporate Music

I was excited to read page 302 in Give Praise to God this week.  This is a topic that has weighed heavily on my mind since it was brought up in a career chapel last year.  On page 302, Whitney discusses the importance of singing God's word as a part of private worship.  I used to be very interested in creating music, not for corporate worship, but private.  (I have since veered in the direction of corporate.)  If music that is used in corporate worship is designed to fit the needs of the congregation, what differences should there be, or are there in music designed for private worship?  What music would be more or less appropriate for the private worship as compared to the corporate worship, and why?

One More Method Band-Aid

In Give Praise To God, Terry Johnson writes, "Evangelical Christianity has struggled to stay afloat among the flood of secular, materialistic, and hedonistic influences" (284).  In other words, many churches today are forsaking their commitment to the Word of God and embracing culture - the secular, the materialistic, and the hedonistic.

According to Johnson, the answer to this problem is psalm singing.  Psalm singing will spark a "bolder, more militant spirituality," and cultivate a "piety [that will] stiffen the resolve of Christians today as it did in the past" (284).  But the problem may run much deeper than anything one more church method band-aid will fix.

Jeremiah Burroughs writes: "It is an easy matter to convince men and women that they are bound to sanctify the name of God when they come to receive the holy communion more than for the hearing of the Word" (249).  I think this accurately describes the state of the modern church, as well.  And what I mean is this:  Many churches don't take God's Word seriously at all, but even at BBC, where reading God's Word is "in style", it is often more of an exciting thing (a spiritual experience) than a convicting and eternally significant thing (a life-changing experience).  It seems we read the Word all the time (religiously) without the real life-change that should result, and that's why I don't think Psalm singing is necessarily going to fix the problem.  It may become one more "in thing" spiritual event that doesn't touch our hearts.

How can we point people back to the Word of God as the single source of life, and help them to recognize its seriousness and importance?

The Word of God

            One point that Jeremiah Burroughs made in our reading this week was the importance of hiding away the Word of God in our hearts.  He makes the point that if we merely allow the Word of God to pass through our minds, we testify that the Word of God is not valuable enough to impress upon our minds.  In his words, Burroughs says, “Now if I received a thing that is of great value, and I slight it and let anybody take it from me, I do not give a testimony to the excellency of that thing.”  Our attitude towards the Word of God testifies to our perception of its worth. If I read the Word and do not treasure it in my heart and mind, I communicate that it is not worth pondering upon.  If I read the Word and do not walk in obedience to it, I communicate that it has no wisdom to impart to my life.  Burroughs goes on to explain the importance of knowing the Word of God as a guard against temptation (181), showing that the Word is what guides us in walking in God’s ways.  This reminder was important to me because, while I value retaining God’s Word, I do not prioritize making that possible very well.  What is the church’s general attitude towards the Word of God? Is the Word of God reverenced or is the general behavior one of apathy?