[The following is how I began my preaching ministry 10 years ago. These principles are still foundational for us today. I have adapted this transcript to apply to our present context.  My prayer is that these five ideas will revitalize your love for your church and Jesus Christ—the head of His church!]

Well… I’m scared to death! I know that might not be the most encouraging thing for you to hear, but I felt I needed to begin my ministry with complete transparency. I know my limitations and yet God, whether in his humor or his wisdom, has placed me here at this time as your minister. I must tell you, I feel like a lion in the midst of a bunch of Daniels. I’m merely pushing 28 and I’m supposed to somehow enlighten you saints-of-the-faith. Moreover, ole’ James tells me that those who take on the responsibility of a Bible teacher will face stricter judgment (James 3:1)! So, I have to be honest, I really think I’m way in over my head!

However, I’m keeping a few things in mind that are removing some of those human worries we go through.

First, while I have been designated as the one who has been set apart for the purposes of pastoring and teaching, I wish it to be plain and clear that you and I are no different. All of us here this morning are helpless without the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. A book I read once was entitled “The Witness of Preaching.” The author suggested in the book that the preacher is basically a member of the church who simply bears witness to the truth of the Gospel. That’s what I will be doing every Sunday with you: simply bearing witness to the Gospel.

Second, I am a plant eagerly waiting to be watered by the enormous amount of wisdom sprinkled throughout this congregation. I am asking you to take me under your wing and assist me in my ministry.

Finally, I also feel that God has in fact placed me with you to utilize my specific gifts of preaching, teaching, and leading, in order to edify our church. I am reminded of Paul’s words to young Timothy: “don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example.” That’s what I long to accomplish here; to set an example. So I am asking you to work along with me; allow me to lead as I seek God’s leadership for our congregation.

Now, I wholeheartedly believe that God has some huge things in store for Sonrise! I believe that Paul’s words to the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:20 are what we all should long for: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” The question is, do we truly long for God to grow our church, both spiritually and numerically? If so, I believe we as a church need to get on the same page, running the same race. For that to occur I believe we need to adopt five foundational and timely principles that will help keep all of us focused on the same goal. I want us to consider being a church that embraces an unchanging message, a fluctuating method, a focused ministry, a unifying mentality, and a proper mood.

UNCHANGING MESSAGE

If Sonrise desires to be a church that truly lives out God’s mission we first must decide that the gospel message never changes and that we never compromise the timeless truth of what we read in scripture. It may seem tempting at times to soften the truth claims of the Bible, especially when they go contrary to what the culture is saying around us. However, God will not bless the church that strays away from the Gospel. The Gospel is too important.

What do I mean when I say “the Gospel?” The phrase “the Gospel” is quite a vague and detailed statement is it not? Well yes and no. When I say the Gospel the implications that stem from it are insurmountable. In fact, in some sense everything in the Bible is “the Gospel.” The reason is because “Gospel” literally means “good news,” that is, good news concerning Jesus Christ, and the Bible from beginning to end is a big arrow pointing to Jesus. However, on the other hand the Gospel is quite simple. Paul defined it in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Thus, what we are concerned with are the fundamental areas of doctrine in which we do not compromise, which  are essentially (1) Christ, (2) our sins, (3) Christ’s burial, (4) His resurrection, and (5) his appearance. These are the essential elements of our faith; the things that we never sway on. Now, this does not mean that all other matters that are spoken of in the Bible are insignificant or unimportant. I am simply saying that the most important elements of the Gospel—the things that you and I must get right all surround Jesus. If we don’t get Jesus right we have got nothing right! Paul expresses how important the Gospel is in another letter:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).

So, in order for us as a church to succeed in furthering God’s Kingdom we must stay true to the Gospel. We live in a culture today that seeks to relativize all truth. That is, in our postmodern society truth is non-existent; the only truth that does exist is the truth that there is no such thing as truth. You have probably heard it somewhere: what you believe is true for you and what I believe is true is true for me. We live in an age of relativism.

The Christian Philosopher Ravi Zacharias tells a story about visiting a peculiar building. He was informed that Time magazine described it as the first postmodern building. He asked the writer “What is a postmodern building?” He said, “The architect believed since life itself has no purpose or meaning, why should our buildings have any purpose and meaning. So he designed the building without any particular purpose in mind. There are stairways that go nowhere, there are shapes of rooms that are absolutely unusable. People come to see this building, but it serves no particular purpose. When asked what he thought Ravi replied, “I have only one question for the architect: Did he do that with the foundation as well?  Did he just do it whimsically? Or did he have to follow certain guidelines because the infrastructure can look magnificent, but, if the foundation doesn’t hold the whole thing will collapse and there’s no city council that I know that will allow you to do it on a whim, without having a purpose to sustain what you are putting above it.”[1]

So in an age of non-truth we must always be on the foreground proclaiming the timeless truth of God’s word!

Bob Russell in his book “When God Builds a Church” tells that before moving into their brand new church building, which was built because of considerable growth, there staff members gathered together to pray over the future of their congregation. As a sign of always seeking to follow the truth, each staff person took spray paint and wrote scripture references that applied to their area of ministry.  Children’s ministers wrote passages like “let the little children come unto me” and the worship ministers wrote passages like “sing a new song unto the Lord.” Before long the whole church caught word and soon the entire church floors were covered in scripture references. One particular time a small group got together and decided to write some scripture on the floor. Someone asked “what should we write?” They thought a minute, and soon someone spoke up and said “what about “where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them?” Someone replied: “What is the scripture reference?” “I think it is Matthew 18:28.” With that they wrote the reference and went home. Later that evening the individual that spouted out the reference began to wonder if he’d gotten it right. He picked up a Bible and soon read: But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Bob Russell went on to say “if you are ever at Southeast CC and you get the feeling to choke someone you know why!” [2]

Folks, if we want to grow we have got to place the truth of the Gospel at the foundation of our ministry. If we don’t we had better pack up and quit now, because we will not accomplish anything without the Gospel. As Paul states beautifully: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

FLUCTUATING METHOD

For Sonrise to grow we have to maintain the unchanging message of the Gospel. But we must be willing to have a fluctuating method. Bob Russell has said, “methods are plenty, principles are few. Methods always change, principles never do.  If there is one area, I think congregations may fail to do is distinguish between the message and method. As a result, the church remains mundane, disconnected from the community, and fail to adequately reach the lost.  A sad reality is when the Gospel becomes ineffective because of an unwillingness to do what it takes to reach the world with the Gospel.

This principle for a lot of us is a difficult one to embrace. For many of us we have been doing the same thing for years and there isn’t anybody who will tell us differently. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “we have been doing it like this for years!” The problem, however, is that the way we have been doing things is not working. And because it is not working the Gospel is not successfully reaching those who desperately need it.  Evangelism methods yesterday may not be effective today. Worship services yesterday may not be effective today. Therefore, as a church we need to be willing to set aside our own personal preferences and embrace methods that will better enhance the gospel and grow believers.

The apostle Paul understood this principle well. How people heard about the gospel was not as important as to whom he was speaking the Gospel to. Listen to what he says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant of all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I might share with them in its blessings.

You see the implications here? Paul, for the sake of the gospel, is willing to use whatever means (or methods) possible in order to reach people for the gospel. The gospel is that important. Some may think that Paul seems somewhat like a people-pleaser, but that’s not the point here. What Paul is not compromising is the gospel. As we have already seen, Paul is very adamant about preaching the true gospel. However, what Paul does not discourage is using whatever means possible in order to reach people for the true gospel. Paul distinguishes between the message and the method.

A caveat here may be appropriate. I am not saying as some have popularly stated, “we should do anything short of sin to win people far from God.” I think that mentality goes a bit too far and misunderstands the meaning and purpose of the local gathering of the church. We need to understand that the Sunday morning gathering is primarily for the believer. We should never remove fundamental elements in the worship service in the name of pragmatism. Some churches for example, have taken communion out of the service because it might make unbelievers feel uncomfortable. I think that the very nature of the local gathering of the church should and will make any unbeliever uncomfortable. If it doesn’t that may be a sign that the message (see previous point) is being dulled. So what am I saying? Simply this: we need to simultaneously maintain a holiness distinct from the world while creatively seeking ways to reach our unbelieving friends and neighbors. In essence this is a call to avoid traditionalism.

Some examples may help clarify:

• Moving from passing offering plates to online giving
• Playing contemporary hymns and praise choruses.
• Our decision to sell our property to allocate funds for investing in additional staff.
• Adding additional services to accommodate growth.
• Moving locations for better Kingdom Impact.
• Utilizing technology for gospel reach.
• Eliminating programs to focus on discipleship
• Flexibility in how we go about discipleship (e.g. Wednesday gathering opposed to small groups)

I knew of a church that had an organ that was once used in the worship services 50 years prior. In its time the organ served as a wonderful tool for the worship services and blessed a number of people who attended the church. However, over time worship styles changed and it came time to move onto different types of instruments to reach a new generation for the gospel. The church decided to sell the organ and use the funds to supply the worship ministry with some much needed renovations in order to develop a service that would appeal to the un-churched. Unfortunately, a few individuals protested the idea because the organ was a donation from someone years and years ago. To sell the organ would remove a big piece of tradition to the church. So instead of improving the service and seeking to reach out to more people for the gospel tradition won and the gospel was smothered. I believe the organ still collects dust in one of the Sunday School classrooms.

Let’s not let our traditions get in the way of the gospel. Let’s decide now: whatever it takes to reach the lost—if it works , and it doesn’t compromise scriptural mandate, let’s do it!

FOCUSED MINISTRY

Tom Rainer, church growth guru, has said that “business does not equal effectiveness.” For many, a healthy church is directly correlated with a busy church. But a church can be doing a lot of things and not necessarily doing the most PROFITABLE thing. The Apostle Paul wrote, “all things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23).” We should carry that principle into our ministry at Sonrise. Just because we can do a particular program doesn’t mean we SHOULD do a particular program. Instead of doing a lot of things poorly, we should consider doing a few things well.

Imagine if you will, 10 empty five-gallon buckets. Now, imagine there is separate five-gallon bucket filled to the brim with water. The bucket of water represents a church’s resources (time, energy, people, money, etc.). The ten buckets represent various programs a church may consider implementing. If, however, you begin to pour water (resources) into each of the ten buckets (programs) you will discover that the church may be doing a lot of things, but the programs are very shallow in effectiveness. What if instead of ten-plus programs for a church of 100 members we dialed it down to 3. Yes, we wouldn’t be doing as much but we would be doing things much better. It is an issue of quality over quantity.

Presently, Sonrise has 3 main buckets of programming—(1) Sunday Morning worship, (2) Wednesday Night Gathering, and (3) Serving teams. This in and of itself keeps us plenty busy! Instead of wishing we could do more programming, let’s pour all we have into these three “buckets” until we grow and get healthy enough to add to our plate more ministry programs. As Paul told Timothy, “Fulfill your ministry (2 Tim. 4:5).”

UNIFYING MENTALITY

Why does Sonrise exist? If I was to go around to each member of our congregation and ask this question would I receive the same answer, every time? My hope would be yes, but statistically the answer would be an unfortunate no. It has nothing to do with the desire we all have to see Sonrise grow and reach the lost. It simply means that we have never had a clear roadmap of how to get it done. Thus, one of the significant principles we must have in order to be a growing church is a unifying mentality.

If we desire for our church to succeed we have all got to be on the same page. We’ve got to be heading in the same direction, with the same mission, and the same goal. If not, we’ll end up battling against each other and as a result the gospel will lose its effectiveness. The church of Corinth had troubles uniting together. They all had their own agendas and their own ideas of what the church was about. As a result, bitterness and divisiveness emerged. Paul wrote to them and gave them some timeless truths that I think are essential for us today. Listen to these words from 1Corinthians 1:10

I appeal to you brothers by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

There’s something beautiful about the piano. I started playing when I was 15 years old. I was that annoying kid that would jump onto the stage directly after the Sunday morning service and began banging away “Mary had a little lamb” while everyone was still trying to fellowship after the service. I love the piano. But for the piano to work properly all of the keys have got to function the way they are supposed to. Each key is designed to fit into the grand purpose of the piano. Suppose the g note decided to sound like an a not and a d note really liked his neighbor the c# note and so decided to sound like it. The worship band would definitely have a hard time keeping us on key. You see, the piano and all of its keys have one designed purpose, and that’s to make beautiful music. Similarly, we as the church have a design, to glorify our creator and tell everyone we can about him. However, if we as a church have no direction, no goals, no vision, then we will simply walk around aimlessly trying to figure out the best way to fulfill our purpose as a local congregation. Therefore, in order for us to grow, we have to understand where we’re headed—what our plan is to make disciples, and then use our individual gifts to make it happen.

What is our vision as a church? We exist to “pursue maturity by making disciples.” Everything we do must be filtered through this question—will this help us make disciples? Only the best of programming should be implemented for us to reach this goal!

PROPER MOOD

For Sonrise to grow we must be a church with an unchangeable message, fluctuating methods, focused ministry, a unifying mentality, and finally a proper mood. After all is said and done we as a church need to be a church that loves. We could have the right message, use the right methods, and be united but if we don’t have love it means nothing. This principle is summed up beautifully by the apostle John in 1 John 4:7-12:

Beloved, let us love one another for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Let me suggest four areas Love must exist in our church for us to be faithful:

1. Love Christ—we need to have a deep affection and desire for Christ. With the Apostle Paul we should exclaim, “I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus My Lord (Philippians 3:8).”
2. Love His Word—The love of the Word of God must saturate our gatherings. We must come eager and hungry for the Word of God. We should desire the teaching of His word and the feeding upon His truths. As the Psalmist writes, “Oh How I Love your Law (Psalm 119:97).”
3. Love His People—Jesus said, they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another (John 13:35). Love is what binds us all together. Love for one another is our greatest apologetic to a loss and dying world!
4. Love His Mission—When you believe in and love the cause we are about  (Making disciples) then you can’t wait to invite your friends to church, serve in a needed area, arrive early and stay later, fellowship, be with God’s People, Daydream about what God has in store, look forward to Sunday Morning! A church that’s in love with the Mission is a contagious church!

Conclusion

I don’t know about you but I am ready for Sonrise to explode in our community with the gospel. I believe that God has placed us together for such a time as this. However, if we’re going to sincerely seek to be as effective as we can for the Kingdom of God it is crucial for us to follow these five biblical principles: an unchanging message, fluctuating method, focused ministry, unifying mentality, and a proper mood. If we do that God will open the floodgates and truly bless our church. I hope you’re ready!

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[1] Taken from: http://rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/ravi-zacharias-if-the-foundations-be-destroyed-at-trinity-international-university-feb-9-2012/

[2] Russell, Bob. When God Builds a Church.

So….I’ve been recently reading a lot, and watching a lot of lectures/debates on Calvinism (again!). Honestly, this topic has been one that has intrigued me since I began a serious journey in biblical studies, nearly 20 years ago. The trigger this go ‘round involved my recent study in John 6. Our church is currently going through John’s gospel, so when I encountered those penetrating verses—you know the ones…

• All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
• And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
• No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

…yeah, those passages—I found myself pulling out Theologians like Pink; Spurgeon; Edwards; Calvin; Sproul; Piper; Carson—Calvinist men I highly respect. But I also had to balance it, so, I also grabbed Arminius; Cottrell; Shank; Wesley; Brown; Walls; Moore, to name a few. For several hours…well, days! I just kept reading the two positions. Both groups were able to defend their position robustly, and with some humorous sarcasm at times! But as someone who labels himself an Arminian, I still wasn’t convinced to retreat from my convictions.

What I was challenged to do however, was to study the appropriate biblical texts on the subject, along with a systematic approach to the Bible, to look afresh at this very important topic. This conversation unveils a number of very pertinent questions for the serious Bible student. Here are a few I have been re-wrestling with:

• What does it mean for God to be Sovereign?
• What is the nature of freewill?
• What does it mean for God to “love the world?”
• Does our sinful state presuppose an inability to respond to the Gospel?
• What is the ordo salutis (i.e. order of salvation)?
• Can one lose their salvation?
• Is election unconditional?
• Can God’s grace be resisted?
• What is the nature of God’s decree?
• How the heck is Romans 9 to be interpreted!!!!

 I think the two camps are two honest attempts to understand the character of God and his relationship to His creation. And as “noble” (or, “open minded”, check out the Greek word if you’re interested) Bereans (See Acts 17), we are to (1) take seriously all the Bible has to say about faith and practice, and (2) never grow bored or apathetic when theological issues are hard to resolve.

All this to say, I am still thinking through this issue. I am still an Arminian, but I never want to close myself off from the truth. Like the Bereans I want to “go to the scriptures to see if these things be true.” And so that’s what I plan to do! And probably will be doing that until I die. Then, the Lord will sit both me and my Calvinist friend down, and explain things fully!

One final word. I think as serious Bible students there is a perpetual state we live in, where there is a real tension in regard to these kinds of topics. My encouragement is to live in that tension, with humility as the key character trait to guide you. Furthermore, I think there are two extremes we want to avoid when wrestling with theological differences: 1. Apathy—just not caring to dig in and seek the truth. “Let’s just all get along” and 2. Close mindedness—thinking we have it all together and never open to change our position if the truth leads us there. The answer is to “study to show ourselves approved (see 2 Tim 2:15).” And then to be humble and always open minded to the truth!

Alright..back to reading!

If I were sitting across from someone seeking proof that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God I would offer them the following three points. This is obviously not an exhaustive outline of all the Bible has to say about the deity of Jesus Christ, but a good place to start. I hope you find the following outline beneficial in your understanding of this important doctrine.

#1 Passages that unequivocally teach that Jesus is God

John 1:1

Colwell’s rule shows that John 1:1 is correctly translated “The word was God (Not the Word was A God).” Colwell’s rule simply states that in the event where the predicate noun precedes the copulative verb (the verb “to be”) then the predicate noun will drop the article. The reason the Jehovah Witness’ translation reads “the word was A god” is because in the Greek the definite article is absent before “God.” But they simply are incorrect about Greek grammar as the above rule specifies.

John 5:18 and 19:7

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18)

The Pharisees claimed Jesus being equal to God and Jesus never denied there claim.

John 5:19-24

John 5:17-24 is basically saying –“Like Father , Like Son.”

Mark Moore metaphorically speaks of Jesus pointing to his sameness to God as having the

• Same power
• Same hands
• Same eyes
• Same breath
• Same tongue
• Same honor

Same Power

The issue is raised when Jesus says what he says in verse 17—“may father is working and so I am working…”

“My Father-“—first shocker! He makes God his personal father—points to the nature of his relationship with God

“I am working…” Points to his eternal omnipotent power with the father!

So Jesus first points to the fact that he is one with the father in eternal power!

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.(Colossians 1:17)

 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.(Hebrews 1:3)

Same Hands (5:19)

Everything the father does the son does

Same eyes (5:20)

“father Shows him all he himself is doing…”

Same breath (5:21)

Raises the dead and gives life…

Same tongue (5:22)

Judges the world

Same Honor (5:23)

The most radical statement! He is saying that you are to worship the son just as you worship God the father!

Application—the real Jesus is first God in flesh! The eternal begotten son!

That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
    neither blending their persons
    nor dividing their essence.
        For the person of the Father is a distinct person,
        the person of the Son is another,
        and that of the Holy Spirit still another.
        But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
        their glory equal, their majesty coeternal
  What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
        The Father is uncreated,
        the Son is uncreated,
        the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
    The Father is immeasurable,
        the Son is immeasurable,
        the Holy Spirit is immeasurable
The Father is eternal,
        the Son is eternal,
        the Holy Spirit is eternal.
And yet there are not three eternal beings;
            there is but one eternal being.
            So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
            there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

Athanasius Creed (4^th Century) 

John 8:58

“I Am” is the same name God gives himself in Exodus when speaking to Moses—see Exodus 3:14

John 20:28

Here Thomas explicitly calls Jesus Lord (kyrios) and God (theos). Those who claim that Thomas was involuntarily speaking to God about Jesus’ appearance miss the emphatic phrase “Thomas answered and said to him.” That is, Thomas directed his comment to Jesus himself. He was not merely speaking abstractly into the Heavens.

Acts 3:15

Jesus is called the “Author of life.” The word “author” is the Greek word “archegos.” Zodhiates defines this word as “originator, founder, leader, chief, first, prince, as distinguished from simply being the cause.” 

Philippians 2:5-11

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

• “Form”- the nature or character of something, with emphasis upon both the internal and external form—‘nature, character (Louw-Nida)
• “Equality”- pertaining to that which is equal, either in number, size, quality, or characteristics—‘equal, equivalent, same (Louw-Nida)
• “Emptied Himself”- The incarnation.
• Verses 9-10- Quoted from Isaiah 45:23 about God.

Colossians 2:9

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1

Both these passages fall into the category of the Granville sharp rule, which states “when two nouns of the same case are connected by kai, a single article before the first noun denotes conceptual unity, whereas the repetition of the article denotes particularity.  In these two passages “God” and “Savior” are governed by one article. Thus, God and savior refer to Jesus. It is wrong to render the passage “of our God and of our savior Jesus Christ,” distinguishing between God and Jesus. The proper understanding is that Jesus is both God and savior.

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the member of the Godhead chosen to be the exegete (the revealer) of God’s glory and it is only through His revelation that God can be known, Matt. 11:27; John 1:18; 12:45; 14:9. The Son is “the brightness” (the effulgence, the radiation, the outshining, the out-raying) of God’s glory (we do not see the sun itself but its being and its glory are revealed to us by its rays, its outshining). Christ is the member of the Trinity who out-rays the otherwise inscrutable God.^[1]

He is stated to be the expresser of God’s person (essence). He is the precise expression, the perfect resembler, the exact reproduction, the accurate counterpart, the express image, of God (because He is God and possesses the same nature as God). Christ is the only image of God that we are permitted to worship for He is the only perfect image of God. All other images of God are caricatures of God and so tell lies about God.^[2]

1 John 5:20

Here Jesus is clearly called the true God. He in the latter part of the verse clearly fits the antecedent “Jesus Christ.”

#2 The New Testament quotes Old Testament Passages that in their original context referred to God, but in the New Testament they apply them to Jesus.

Texts:

• Psalm 45:6-7……………………………….Hebrews 1:8-10
• Psalm 110:1…………………………………Matthew 22:41-46
•  Isaiah 6…………………………………………John 12:39-41
• Isaiah 9:6………………………………………Luke 2:11
• Isaiah 40:3…………………………………….Matthew 3:3

Comments:             

• Psalm 45:6-7

This quotation from Psalm 45:6-7 is a description of Jehovah God. The Hebrew writer applies the meaning to Jesus Christ.

• Psalm 110:1

The most quoted OT passage in the NT.

Jesus uses this passage in Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37, and Luke 20:41-44 to prove his messiahship and deity. The verse implies that the Lord (Jehovah) said to my Lord (Jesus the son) sit at my right hand. How can Jehovah speak to himself? He must have been referring to another person.

• Isaiah 6

After quoting Isaiah 6:10 John (12:39-41) refers to Jesus as the one he saw in the vision recorded in Isaiah 6:1-6.

• Isaiah 9:6

This messianic passage explicitly calls Jesus “mighty God.”

Some state that the term mighty God is different than almighty God. They point out the fact that only the term almighty God is a reference to Jehovah whereas “mighty God can refer to anyone. This is simply not true. In Isaiah 10:21 and Jeremiah 32:18 both refer to Jehovah as “mighty God”

• Isaiah 40:3

Prophetic text referring to the messiah. Used by John the Baptist in Matthew 2 as he prepared the way for Christ. In this passage the terms Lord and God are both used to describe Jesus.

#3 If God is the only one worthy of worship (Matthew 4:10) why then is Jesus worshipped?

• Matthew 2:2,11
• John 20:28
• Hebrews 1:6
• Revelation 5:14
• Revelation 22:3

Note: In Rev. 22:9-10 John falls down and begins to worship the angel who had been speaking to him in the vision. But the angel stops John, and tells him not to worship him, but to worship God. It is only fitting then that if both the son and the father are worshipped in Revelation then both are in fact God. If not, then John contradicts his own message when he pictures Jesus as being worshipped.

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^[1] Roy E. Gingrich, The Book of Hebrews (Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing, 2004), 11.

^[2] Roy E. Gingrich, The Book of Hebrews (Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing, 2004), 11–12.

Another popular, evangelical leader has decided to leave the faith. This time it is Kevin Max, former singer of DC Talk. He announced his exiting of the evangelical scene with the hashtag “exvangelical.” Later, he would tweet, “Hey, it’s ok to be estranged from everything that you were taught.” This would be good advice, except the thing he is estranging himself from is ironically the truth he is so desperately looking for! The apostle Paul would offer our brother some different words. If Paul were using the medium of twitter today I can imagine he would respond to brother Max’s tweet with the following:

“Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” (1 Timothy 1:19.) #truthisinJesus

If I can be so bold, may I encourage any fellow believer who may be thinking of following a similar path as the DC Talk superstar—Don’t! Oh how painful, how dreadful, how sorrowful a decision! To walk away from the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” is as grievous as Judas kissing the face of Jesus, only to sell him for the price of a slave. Or as preposterous as Pontius Pilate staring truth in the eyes and asking him, “what is truth?!”

Oh shaken and confused friend, can’t you see that the truth is in Jesus (Eph 4:21)? Can’t you see that enveloped in his word is the truth you seek, for his word is truth (John 17: 17)? Stop looking to the worldly philosophers on twitter and the social activists filling your media feeds for answers. Look to the Bible; look to the revealed word of God for the truth. There, you will discover a “lamp for your feet and a light to your path” (Psalm 119:105). How my heart breaks with each of these gut-wrenching stories. The Lord grieves for our generation just as he did those alive when he walked our sod. Jesus is saying now what he said then—“oh exvangelical, how I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks, under her wings, but you were unwilling (Matthew 23:37).”

On a number of occasions while discussing with a fellow Christian about their Christian life the area of personal Bible study comes up.It soon becomes apparent that my fellow brother or sister is embarrassed to confess that for them, studying the Bible is hard—where do I start? Is a common question.  Unfortunately, many Christians grow frustrated because the Bible can seem overwhelming in its scope and unattainable in its content. Feeling defeated, many may feel tempted to pick up the remote rather than peruse through the Bible. But I believe the Bible is alive and active, and the treasures of truth that await each of us make the effort to pick up and read so worth it. 

Admittedly, seeking to study the Bible can feel challenging. But one of the reasons I think Christians struggle in this area is because for many, the only way they study their Bibles is by simply reading it. One may rightfully interject at this point and say,”but isn’t that the point? Studying the Bible is reading the Bible, correct?” Well…yes and no. On the one hand, reading the Bible is essential to studying the Bible. You can’t study a text without reading it! But on the other hand, reading the text is only the beginning. Studying the Bible involves moving from simply reading (Observing) the text to interpreting the text. The Bible comes alive when you begin to understand it in its original historical and literary context. And this takes particular tools the reader must use, in order to help get a full grasp of what the biblical authors meant to say, by what they wrote. 

Like a mechanic who needs tools to fix cars, or a doctor who needs tools to perform an operation, so students of the Bible need tools to help them exegete (i.e. draw out the meaning of a passage) scripture. So, here are four tools I think every Christian should put in their belt in order to become better Bible students, as well as reignite a passion for God’s holy, and inspired Word. 

#1 Get a good Study Bible

A study Bible is a Bible (found in all the major translations)  loaded with helps that aid the Bible student in their understanding. A good study Bible will include helpful introductions to each book of the Bible so that one gains familiarity with the author, date, place, and setting of each book. Below the biblical text there are footnotes that supply a sort of commentary on various verses, that offer information that may be unfamiliar to the lay reader (e.g. defining terms, historical background info, various interpretive positions on a controversial passage). Cross references are given in the margin of a good study Bible that point the reader to other texts that relate to the verse one is reading. Other helps included in a good study Bible are maps, theological articles, word studies, and archeological details. A good study Bible is a one stop shop for helping the serious Bible student study the Bible well.

Suggested Study Bibles:

ESV Study Bible
NIV Study Bible
Nelson Study Bible

#2 Invest in Bible Commentaries

Some may be weary of reading bible commentaries or even scoff at such an idea. Some may protest because perhaps one gets skeptical about having a scholar tell them what a passage means. Or maybe it’s as practical as one not having an interest in reading seemingly dull and dry material! But I would lovingly push back on such resistance. Ephesians 4:11 tells us that Christ gave the church “Pastor-Teachers.” In that light, biblical faithful scholars have much to contribute to our understanding of scripture. To say that we do not need the wisdom and insight from hours of research and study; that one can learn the Bible on their own, is a bit arrogant.

Bible commentaries come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more technical while others are more devotional. Nevertheless, I would encourage every Christian to invest in a few commentaries on the whole Bible as well as commentaries on each individual book of the Bible. The benefit of Bible commentaries is the depth of explanation one gets on a particular passage. The notes in a study Bible offer only a surface level explanation of the text. A commentary will offer a richer and fuller explanation of a given passage. When reading a commentary you will discover insights into the text that otherwise you may have never known.

For a full list and of available commentaries see https://www.bestcommentaries.com/

Suggested whole Bible (or all NT) Commentaries:
Matthew Henry Commentary
The Wiersbe Bible Commentary
William Barclay
John Stott

#3 Read Good Books about the Bible

In order to deepen your love and understanding of the scriptures, read books from faithful Bible teachers that will help you mediate on the principles of scripture. While reading books like “Knowing God” by J.I. Packer, or “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis I find myself having certain  “aha” moments. I’ll sit back in my chair and think—“Man! That is such a good insight!” Or, “wow, that’s a paradigm shift in my thinking.” Books like “Christianity and Liberalism” by Gresham Machen fuels my love for doctrine. Saint Augustine’s “Confessions” remind me of the grace of God. Reading some of the Puritans help me see my sin for what it is, and desire the holiness of Christ. Reading a systematic Theology like Jack Cottrell’s “The Faith Once for All,” or Grudem’s “Systematic Theology” helps me see how scripture relates to other scripture.  Reading good books by godly, Bible-believing authors help the Christian understand and treasure scripture. 

#4 Listen to Good Preaching

Finally, I would encourage every Christian to get into a habit of listening to good preaching. Preaching is the event in which a Bible passage is explained and then applied to the hearer. Listening to someone walk through a particular text, explain it, and then show how the biblical principles apply to our lives today will not only assist us in our own personal study, but will also call us to put what we are learning into action. Every Great sermon will not simply explain what a text means but will also apply that text so that the scriptures can be lived out as well.

Preachers I enjoy:

Bob Russell,bobrussell.org
John Macarthur, Grace to You
Alistair Begg, Truth for Life
Chuck Swindoll, Insight for Living
Adrian Rogers, Love Worth Finding

Inevitably, in every generation, talks and speculations concerning the second coming of Christ crop up. But these conversations intensify when certain worrisome circumstances collide with our every day lives. The past year’s dealings with the Coronavirus, political divides, and the increase of immorality, are no exceptions to this phenomenon. The rise of such circumstances increase Christian conversations concerning the imminent return of Jesus. From T.V. prophets to local Pastors, there are all sorts of theories about when Jesus will be returning.

I want to challenge the entire enterprise of so called “Prophetic voices” regarding Jesus’ return. And I want to encourage anyone who may find such theories intriguing to do an about-face and run away as fast as you can, grab your Bibles, and listen to the words of Jesus:

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Acts 1:7

These words from our Lord came in response to his disciples the day Jesus was to return back to his Father in Heaven. After Jesus’ resurrection the disciples were curious to know when Jesus was going to “restore the Kingdom to Israel (see Acts 1:6).” This question posed by the disciples indicates that they were wanting to know if the end of the age had come. Like many today, the disciples were observing their surroundings, trying to connect their biblical dots, and inquire about when the end was to come. But Jesus’ response directed the disciples to think differently. According to Jesus God has a fixed time when for the end of time. He’s got this entire plan, from beginning to the end, all mapped out. He knows everything. Therefore, to ask the question “when” is the wrong question altogether. We are not to concern our selves with times or seasons.

Jesus is refreshingly helpful isn’t he? In a day when eschatological speculation runs rampant, it is assuring to know that (1) God has the end “fixed by his own authority,” and (2) we don’t have to worry about it! “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” Jesus said elsewhere, and that includes when He will return!

Instead, let us not be concerned about when Jesus will return but what we are to do until he does. This question is the right one, and we are given a clear and defining answer to it. In the very next verse Jesus directs his disciples to the right concentration:

“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'”

Acts 1:8

I.Howard Marshall was right when he wrote,

“Since this is God’s secret, there is no place for human speculation—a point that might well be borne in mind by those who still anxiously try to calculate the probable course of events in the last days. Instead of indulging in wishful thinking or apocalyptic speculation, the disciples must accomplish their task of being witnesses to Jesus”

I. Howard, Marshall

So, Christian, in the midst of times when it seems Christ’s return is near, resist the temptation to ask when Jesus is coming? Instead, ask “what can I do to be a witness!”

Maranatha!

Will