The End of Soap Oprah

By Carl R. Trueman 3/1/2011

     The passing of the Oprah Winfrey Show is surely worthy of being described with that most overworked of clichés, as “the end of an era.” Except, of course, it is not the end of an era so much as the morphing of Ms. Winfrey’s career into a new form. It is hard to imagine that the public has seen the last of her, and the values and culture that her show represented are here for the foreseeable future.

     I well remember one of my sisters raving about how “Oprah says this, Oprah says that!” in the late nineteen-eighties, which I expect was about the time her show was starting to enjoy international success. At the time, I assumed it was just another bland American show, designed to showcase beautiful people with vast wealth and minimal personality. In fact, of course, the program proved to be far more than that. It was not simply the chat-show equivalent of a soap opera, designed to fill a few idle moments that the viewing public might have in an afternoon; it became a powerful force within wider society.

     Take, for example, the idea of Oprah’s Book Club. To give credit where credit is due, many of the books chosen for the club are good reads. I confess that, when something I want to read turns out to be an “Oprah Choice,” I try either to find a copy in the store without the dreaded “O” logo on the front or I order online — like most snobs, I like to think I am not a snob, but things like this rather blow my cover. Yet the fact remains: many of the Oprah choices are good reads, and no one can deny that, whatever the motivation, encouraging people to read is on the whole a good and virtuous thing. The marketing power may be somewhat worrying — she can, literally, make almost any book into an overnight bestseller — but, as I said, credit where credit is due.

     Of course, some of the books chosen give very deep insights into the overall view of the world promoted by Oprah. Take, for example, the case of James Frey and his book, A Million Little Pieces, which was chosen by Oprah for her book club in 2005. It became a runaway bestseller, at one point selling 176,000 copies in a single week. The problem, of course, was that the book was not what it was supposed to be. It presented itself as Frey’s autobiographical account of addiction, imprisonment, and an all-around misspent youth. The book turned out to be a pack of lies. Outed by The Smoking Gun website, Frey appeared on Oprah’s show in 2007 to confess his sins. Prior to that, however, there was a most instructive television moment: Frey appeared on Larry King Live to deny the accusations made by The Smoking Gun and, during the interview, Ms. Winfrey herself called the show in order to defend Frey. During her intervention, she told viewers that she had been impressed with the book, not because every jot and tittle of its claims were true, but because it had a key underlying message of redemption.

     Nevertheless, as public outcry grew, and suspicions mounted that Frey’s motivation in passing off fiction as fact was probably motivated more by a desire to become famous and make money than offer his readers an inspiring account of fall and redemption, Oprah changed her tune and forced him to do public penance in that most modern of confessionals, her chat show. But the “poker tell” had occurred with Larry King — for Oprah, it is the emotional impact that counts; truth in the traditional sense is subordinate to truth in an aesthetic sense. Taste is tops.

     Whether Oprah is a cause, a symptom, or something of both, there is no doubt that she is a sign of the times and of the wider culture. The gospel of redemption through therapeutic public self-disclosure is her stock in trade. Frey’s book was initially attractive to her because it articulated one man’s search for his true identity and, as she herself initially claimed in her defense of him, the historical accuracy of his account was not the point at issue. The truth, if you like, is not “out there,” but within each person. That is the constant message of her shows, and it accounts for the vast number of times phrases such as “be true to yourself” and “I just know in my heart that this is true” or their equivalents occur on her show.

     Oprah’s show may be gone, but the soap opera plotline that she exemplified and promoted will live on in our society. The tragedy, of course, is that redemption of the Frey variety is exactly what it is — ultimately little more than wishful thinking. Redemption does not come from the public disclosure of a self that exists only in the imagination but from the self-disclosure of God who enters into history. That may not be tasteful by the exacting standards of the Oprah Winfrey set; but it is truthful.

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• 1     Grace Alone---Salvation as a Gift of God: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series)
• 2     Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History
• 3     The Creedal Imperative
• 4     From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective
• 5     The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
• 6     Luther on the Christian Life: Cross and Freedom
• 7     Fools Rush in Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone
• 8     Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative
• 9     The Wages of Spin: Critical Writings on Historical and Contemporary Evangelicalism
• 10     Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
• 11     Minority Report: Unpopular Thoughts on Everything from Ancient Christianity to Zen Calvinism
• 12     Precious Blood: The Atoning Work of Christ
• 13     Luther's Legacy: Salvation and English Reformers, 1525-1556
• 14     Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
• 15     John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (Great Theologians)
• 16     Histories and Fallacies by Carl R. Trueman (2011-01-21)

Preaching Christ

By R.C. Sproul 4/1/2011

     The church of the twenty-first century faces many crises. One of the most serious is the crisis of preaching. Widely diverse philosophies of preaching vie for acceptance among contemporary clergy. Some see the sermon as a fireside chat; others, as a stimulus for psychological health; still others, as a commentary on contemporary politics. But some still view the exposition of sacred Scripture as a necessary ingredient to the office of preaching. In light of these views, it is always helpful to go to the New Testament to seek or glean the method and message found in the biblical record of apostolic preaching.

     In the first instance, we must distinguish between two types of preaching. The first has been called kerygma; the second, didache. This distinction refers to the difference between proclamation (kerygma) and teaching or instruction (didache). It seems that the strategy of the apostolic church was to win converts by means of the proclamation of the gospel. Once people responded to that gospel, they were baptized and received into the visible church. They then underwent a regular, systematic exposure to the teaching of the apostles, through regular preaching (homilies) and in particular groups of catechetical instruction. In the initial outreach to the Gentile community, the apostles did not go into great detail about Old Testament redemptive history. That knowledge was assumed among Jewish audiences, but it was not held among the Gentiles. Nevertheless, even to the Jewish audiences, the central emphasis of the evangelistic preaching was on the announcement that the Messiah had come and ushered in God’s kingdom.

     If we take time to examine the sermons of the apostles that are recorded in the book of Acts, we see a somewhat common and familiar structure to them. In this analysis, we can discern the apostolic kerygma, the basic proclamation of the gospel. Here the focus in the preaching was on the person and work of Jesus. The gospel itself was called the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is about Him; it involves the proclamation and declaration of what He accomplished in His life, in His death, and in His resurrection. After the details of His death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God were preached, the apostles called the people to be converted to Christ—to repent of their sins and receive Christ by faith.

     When we seek to extrapolate from these examples how the apostolic church did evangelism, we must ask: What is appropriate for the transfer of apostolic principles of preaching to the contemporary church? Some churches believe that a person is required to preach the gospel or to communicate the kerygma in every sermon preached. This view sees the emphasis in Sunday morning preaching as one of evangelism, of proclaiming the gospel. Many preachers today, however, say they are preaching the gospel on a regular basis when in some cases they have never preached the gospel at all, because what they call the gospel is not the message of the person and work of Christ and how His accomplished work and its benefits can be appropriated to the individual by faith. Rather, the gospel of Christ is exchanged for therapeutic promises of a purposeful life or having personal fulfillment by coming to Jesus. In messages such as these, the focus is on us rather than on Him.

     On the other hand, in looking at the pattern of worship in the early church, we see that the weekly assembly of the saints involved a coming together for worship, fellowship, prayer, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and devotion to the teaching of the apostles. If we were there, we would see that the apostolic preaching covered the whole of redemptive history and the sum of divine revelation, not being restricted simply to the evangelistic kerygma.

     So, again, the kerygma is the essential proclamation of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and rule of Jesus Christ, as well as a call to conversion and repentance. It is this kerygma that the New Testament indicates is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). There can be no acceptable substitute for it. When the church loses her kerygma, she loses her identity.

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Robert Charles Sproul, 2/13/1939 – 12/14/2017 was an American theologian, author, and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. Dr. R.C. Sproul was founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian education and discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was also copastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., chancellor of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Dr. Sproul has contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, has spoken at conferences, churches, and schools around the world, and has written more than one hundred books. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible.

Meeting Jesus at an Old Testament Feast

By Dr. John R. Sittema 4/1/2011

     The default sin of the human heart is to put ourselves first. “It really is all about me!” was once a funny t-shirt slogan; it has now become a way of life. Unless preachers and Bible teachers are careful, the way we handle Scripture can actually feed this beast. We rush to application, consumed by the question, “How is this relevant to me?”

     But the Bible is theocentric, not anthropocentric. It is more concerned to trace God’s ways — His character, purposes, and His cosmic redemptive plan (“For God so loved the cosmos”) — than it is to give modern believers character-building resource material (“be courageous like Daniel; lead like Nehemiah; with the faith of Abraham”).

     We must start by remembering the overarching plot of Scripture. The Bible is remarkable: sixty-six books, dozens of human authors, fifteen hundred years in the making, various types of literature. But its grand diversity is held together by a golden thread, a single plot in three movements — creation, fall, redemption — that is unveiled in its first few pages. This plot establishes the crucial backstory to the coming of Jesus Christ. A backstory introduces characters, establishes relationships, and defines key terms. In this case, the Old Testament introduces Jesus, defines His work as Messiah, and establishes the theological framework for understanding God’s redemption.

     A brief glance at two Old Testament festivals is illustrative. The first is Passover, the familiar feast that anchored the exodus. Some of its features (the angel of death, blood on doorposts, a meal eaten in haste) are well known parts of the story. Others are not. What matters is that all are shadows of the coming Christ.

     Jesus ministered in a Jewish context, keeping the Passover with His disciples. But He took pains to show that the customs were more than context; they defined Him.

     The Torah required selected lambs to be put on public display for four days (Ex. 12:3–6) to verify that they were without blemish. Jesus, following the triumphal entry, presented Himself in the temple for that exact period, for that very purpose. He submitted to testing by the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and scribes (Mark 12:13), tried before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, He proved spotless.

     “This is my body” and “this cup is a new covenant in my blood” are Lord’s Supper keystones, but they were spoken during the Passover Seder. The meal — and the true exodus — are found in Jesus.

     Passover was both a family and a communal feast. The lamb chosen “for the nation” was staked out in the temple courtyard on Passover at 9 a.m, and slaughtered publicly at 3 p.m. So was Jesus — nailed to the cross at 9 a.m., He died at 3 p.m., just as the four-footed beast died in a liturgy that concluded, “It is finished!”

     Why are such details important? Because the point of Jesus’ death — contra pop theology’s selfish twist — is not merely how much physical pain He endured for me. It is, rather, what God accomplished by His death. The answer is found in Passover imagery. The Passover story (Ex. 12:2) began with strange words: “This month shall be for you…the first month of the year.” With Passover, God reset Israel’s calendar. Her old life as slaves was ending, a new life as sons beginning. Jesus’ death announced the same, but on a grander scale. Paul declares, “We have been united with him in a death like his” (Rom. 6:5). But he also exults, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). Death with a capital “D” — not only personal physical death, but sin’s devastating reign over the first Adam’s world (Rom. 5:12–21) — was defeated in the cross of Christ.

     If death’s reign was defeated in the cross, where dawns the new? It bursts forth in Jesus’ resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits. This feast’s Old Testament roots were agricultural: early sheaves were brought to the tabernacle to share God’s bounty with the poor and aliens. But the feast always tilted Israel forward, rehearsing the day when all of life would be “very good” again as it once had been.

     Paul uses festal language to explain this (1 Cor. 15:20). As Jesus’ death conquered death, so, too — as the second Adam — His resurrection dawned a new creation, a kingdom of grace (Rom. 5:21). Christ is the “firstfruits” of this new world. Raised with Him, we, too, who “have the firstfruits of the Spirit” (8:23), are the firstfruits of the new creation (James 1:18).

     Thus the Old Testament Feast of Firstfruits is the ground of a vigorous and practical New Testament eschatology (view of the age to come).

     These are only two brief examples; there are many more feasts, countless temple practices, and narrative stories that serve to rehearse the redemption that would come in Jesus. A gospel shaped by the rich Old Testament backstory is evangelistically more compelling, for it honors the cohesive unity of Scripture. And such a gospel produces disciples with a healthier self-image: they resist the default sin of putting themselves first and learn to deny themselves and follow Him.

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• 1     Meeting Jesus at the Feast: Israel's Festivals and the Gospel
• 2     With a Shepherd's Heart: Reclaiming the Pastoral Office of Elder
• 3     Called to Preach: Pondering God's Commission for Your Life
• 4     With a Shepherd's Heart: Reclaiming the Pastoral Office of Elder by John R. Sittema (1996-06-03)

Killing Anger

By John Piper 4/1/2011

     In marriage, anger rivals lust as a killer. My guess is that anger is a worse enemy than lust. It also destroys other kinds of camaraderie. Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises. When willpower hinders rage, anger smolders beneath the surface, and the teeth of the soul grind with frustration. It can come out in tears that look more like hurt. But the heart has learned that this may be the only way to hurt back.

     It may come out as silence because we have resolved not to fight. It may show up in picky criticism and relentless correction. It may strike out at people who have nothing to do with its origin. It will often feel warranted by the wrongness of the cause. After all, Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5), and Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26).

     However, good anger among fallen people is rare. That’s why James says, “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19–20). And Paul says, “Men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Tim. 2:8), and, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you” (Eph. 4:31).

     Therefore, one of the greatest battles of life is the battle to “put away anger,” not just control its expressions. To help you fight this battle, here are nine biblical weapons.

     First, ponder the rights of Christ to be angry, but then how He endured the cross, as an example of long-suffering: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

     Second, ponder how much you have been forgiven and how much mercy you have been shown. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32)

     Third, ponder your own sinfulness and take the beam out of your own eye: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:3–5).

     Fourth, think about how you do not want to give place to the Devil, because harbored anger is the one thing the Bible explicitly says opens a door and invites him in: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Eph. 4:26–27).

     Fifth, ponder the folly of your own self-immolation, that is, numerous detrimental effects of anger to the one who is angry — some spiritual, some mental, some physical, and some relational: “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Prov. 3:7–8)

     Sixth, confess your sin of anger to some trusted friend, as well as to the offender, if possible. This is a great healing act: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

     Seventh, let your anger be the key to unlock the dungeons of pride and self-pity in your heart and replace them with love: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4–7).

     Eighth, remember that God is going to work it all for your good as you trust in His future grace. Your offender is even doing you good, if you will respond with love: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4).

     Ninth, remember that God will vindicate your just cause and settle all accounts better than you could. Either your offender will pay in hell or Christ has paid for him. Your payback would be double jeopardy or an offence to the cross: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Rom. 12:19). “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting his cause to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

     May we kill our anger, and fight for joy and love each day.

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Young Women, Idolatry and the Powerful Gospel

By Elyse Fitzpatrick 4/1/2011

     We are all inveterate worshipers — it’s just something we do without thinking about it. Worshiping is part of our nature because God created us to worship Him, and, by doing so, we bring both Him and ourselves deep pleasure (Pss. 16:11; 149:4). The world is full of worshipers, and some of them actually worship God. But the truth is that most of us worship idols.

     It’s easy to identify idols that exist outside of us — like statues of Buddha, fast cars, or beautiful houses. Pinpointing the idols that reside within is a little trickier, however. These idols of our hearts are the desires, ideals, or expectations that we worship, serve, and long for. James 1 tells us that these desires motivate us to sin. In James 4, we learn that our desires are the cause of the conflicts in our lives. Our idolatrous desires entice us to sin in order to obtain what we think we must have in order to be happy. Young and old, male and female alike, we’re all driven by our deep desires, our idols.

     Because women have been created with a specific call to relationship — to be their husbands’ helpers (Gen. 2:18) — it is very easy for them to idolize and live for relationships with men, to look to men as the source of their identity and purpose. Many young women, in particular, are tempted to see themselves as having worth only if they are in a relationship with a man. This propensity toward idolizing men is easily seen in family life. How many conflicts have been occasioned by parents’ restricting of contact between their daughter and a guy she thinks she just can’t live without? Frequently, what girls wear, who they hang around with, and what forms of media they embrace are intrinsically tied to getting or keeping the attention and approval of boys. Protestations of Christian allegiance aside, popularity with certain guys is often our daughters’ functional god.

     Of course, the gospel provides a young woman with the ultimate antidote to the worship of any human’s acceptance and approval. The antidote is the worship of the One she was created to worship, Jesus Christ. He, the God-man, can become her identity as she hears Him call her to come and worship Him and find her life in Him rather than in any other man (Col. 3:4). He welcomes and assures her that, although she is an idolater, she is also loved and welcomed by the only Man whose opinion really matters. She doesn’t need to attach herself to anyone other than Him, for in Him she has everything she needs (Phil. 4:19). He is her Bridegroom. She is clothed in His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). She is complete in Him (Col. 2:10).

     Young women, like the rest of us, were created to worship. The sirensong of the world entices them to believe that outward beauty, popularity, and the right boy will satisfy, but it never does — no matter how she pursues these gods, not even if she marries Mr. Right. Like us, she will never be satisfied with worshiping and serving the creation because there is a Creator who has already claimed His place as Husband. He not only deserves our worship, He’s the only One grand enough to captivate our hearts and turn our futile idolatry, our chasing after the wind, into joyful worship. Our young women need to be dazzled by the beauty of their Redeemer King. They need to hear His story, His beauty, His love, His excellencies over and over again so that the images they are tempted to worship will pale in comparison.

     Daughters may begin to learn how to identify idols in their own lives as parents and leaders transparently admit and confess their own struggle with idolatry. When a dad confesses that he longs for a promotion at work more than he should (and is angry when he gets passed over again) or when mom admits that she’s addicted to over-exercise so that she can approve of her appearance, a daughter will feel at liberty to admit her slavery to the boys’ opinions. A young woman who knows that she’s not alone in this struggle for singlehearted devotion will more freely admit her own idolatry and will listen more closely when her parents speak out of hearts drenched in humility. And, of course, parents can also help their daughters by praying that the Holy Spirit would make Jesus more beautiful than anyone else.

     How long has it been since your daughter’s heart was soaked in the gospel truth of this great One who gave His life for her that she might be free to worship Him and rest in His welcoming love? The antidote to idolatrous worship isn’t found in rules prohibiting idolatry. Rules don’t dazzle and captivate. They can’t generate worship. They’re not powerful enough to transform. What is? The glory of the Lord as seen in the face of Jesus Christ. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18; see also 4:6).

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• 1     Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus
• 2     Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life
• 3     Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone, Revised and Updated
• 4     Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety: Becoming a Woman of Faith and Confidence
• 5     Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation
• 6     Comforts from the Cross (Redesign): Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time
• 7     Love to Eat, Hate to Eat: Breaking the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits
• 8     Counsel from the Cross (Redesign): Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ
• 9     You Never Stop Being a Parent: Thriving in Relationship With Your Adult Children
• 10     Good News for Weary Women: Escaping the Bondage of To-Do Lists, Steps, and Bad Advice
• 11     Home: How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings
• 12     Helper by Design: God's Perfect Plan for Women in Marriage
• 13     Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ
• 14     A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God's Comfort in Life's Storms
• 15     Comforts from Romans: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time
• 16     Women Counseling Women: Biblical Answers to Life's Difficult Problems
• 17     Will Medicine Stop the Pain?: Finding God's Healing for Depression, Anxiety, and Other Troubling Emotions
• 18     Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
• 19     When Good Kids Make Bad Choices: Help and Hope for Hurting Parents
• 20     Ídolos del Corazón: Aprendiendo a anhelar solo a Dios (Spanish Edition)
• 21     Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions: Helping Them Understand Loss, Sin, Tragedies, and Other Hard Topics
• 22     Women Helping Women: A Biblical Guide to Major Issues Women Face
• 23     Uncommon Vessels: A Program for Developing Godly Eating Habits
• 24     The Afternoon of Life: Finding Purpose and Joy in Midlife
• 25     Mujeres Aconsejando Mujeres
• 26     Counting the Days, Lighting the Candles: A Christmas Advent Devotional
• 27     The Empty Nest: Finding Hope in Your Changing Job Description

Man in the Middle

By Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra 2/23/2017

     David Dockery, president of Trinity International University, knows the feeling of exhaustion. His wife, Lanese, gave birth to their three boys in three years. While he was president at Union University, one student shot another, and an EF4 tornado tore through while half of the students were on campus.

     But the most emotionally exhausting day in his life came on January 24, 1992.

     “It was one of the happiest days and one of the saddest days of our lives jammed together,” he said.

     For Dockery, January 24 started early. His commute to downtown Nashville normally took about 20 minutes. Although he was an assistant professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville, he was on loan to the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board (precursor to LifeWay Christian Resources) in order to serve as the general editor for the New American Commentary series.

     But that Friday the drive was three hours, and took him up Interstate 65 back home to the SBTS campus in Louisville.

     That he was employed at the seminary at all was a minor miracle, the result of a growing conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which included pressure to hire faculty who affirmed biblical inerrancy at SBC institutions.

     January 24 would mark a sharp turning point, both in his life and also in the theological direction of the SBC’s oldest seminary.

Dawn of the Conservative Resurgence

Read The Psalms In "1" Year

Psalm 80

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!

19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

By John Walvoord

Jerusalem’s Many Sins

     Ezekiel 22:1–31. In almost every possible way Jerusalem and its inhabitants have sinned against God. They had been guilty of shedding blood (vv.  1–4 ). Their objects of worship had been idols (v.  4 ). Because of their many sins they had become “an object of scorn to the nations and a laughing stock to all the countries” (v.  4 ).

     Their princes had shed blood, treated father and mother contemptuously, and “oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and widow” (v.  7 ).

     They had been guilty of despising the Sabbath and despising holy things (v.  8 ). They had been guilty of slander, worshipping at idolaters’ shrines, and committing lewd acts (v.  9 ). They had been guilty of many sexual sins (vv.  10–11 ). They had accepted bribes and charged usury and excessive interest and made unjust gains by extortion (v.  12 ). As a result of their many sins, God predicted that they would be dispersed among the nations (v.  15 ).

     God compared the house of Israel to dross, the material left over after the refining of copper, tin, iron, and lead. He declared, “They are but the dross of silver” (v.  18 ). God predicted that He would gather them into Jerusalem just as men gather metals and put them in a furnace to melt them (vv.  19–20 ). “As silver is melted in a furnace, you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you” (v.  22 ).

     Their drought had been declared a day of wrath because their rulers behaved wickedly like roaring lions. They had stolen treasures and precious things and made many widows (v.  25 ). The priests also violated the Law and profaned sacred things (v.  26 ). They did not distinguish between clean and unclean and did not keep the Sabbath (v.  26 ). Her officials were described as if they were wolves that kill people (v.  27 ). Her prophets were accused of whitewashing their deeds (v.  28 ). Extortion and robbery and oppression characterized the people of the land (v.  29 ). When God looked for a man to stand in the gap to prevent Israel from being destroyed, He could find none (vv.  30–31 ).

     The Word of God clearly described these sins as absolutely forbidden in the Law (cf.  Lev. 18:7–20; 20:10–21; Deut. 22:22–24, 30; 27:22 ). There were few sins that Israel had not committed. Jerusalem was judged in the Babylonian captivity ( 2 Chron. 36:11–15 ).

The Two Sinful Sisters

     Ezekiel 23:1–49. Ezekiel was given a special revelation concerning two women. Described as daughters of the same mother, they became prostitutes. The older was named Oholah and her sister Oholibah (vv.  1–4 ). Oholah represented Samaria and Oholibah represented Jerusalem.

     Oholah was described as a prostitute who sought Assyrian lovers. Her prostitution had begun in Egypt (vv.  5–8 ). Eventually the Assyrians stripped her and killed her with the sword (vv.  9–10 ).

     Oholibah, representing Jerusalem, was even worse. She not only had Assyrian lovers but also sought lovers from Babylon (vv.  14–21 ).

     The Lord predicted that the Chaldeans, whom she sought, would come against Jerusalem and destroy her (vv.  22–24 ). They would mutilate her noses and ears, take away her sons and daughters (v.  25 ), strip her of her fine clothes, and take her jewelry (v.  26 ). In judging her, God would “put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt” (v.  27 ). God predicted that He would turn her over to her enemies (vv.  28–31 ).

     In poetic form God declared that Oholibah would “drink your sister’s cup, a cup large and deep” (v.  32 ). They would bear the consequences of their sins (v.  35 ). God’s judgment would put an end to her many flagrant sins and would demonstrate that God is sovereign (vv.  48–49 ). These judgments were fulfilled in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

The Sign of the Cooking Pot

     Ezekiel 24:1–27. Ezekiel was commanded to record the date, because on that date the king of Babylon would begin the siege of Jerusalem (vv.  1–2 ). This date was in the ninth year of King Jehoiachin. The tenth month and the tenth day may be computed as January 15, 588 BC. This significant date was mentioned elsewhere in Scriptures ( 2 Kings 25:1; Jer. 39:1; 52:4 ). The city was not immediately conquered and was not destroyed until 586 BC.

     Ezekiel was told to enact another parable. He was instructed to put on a cooking pot and add meat and the best pieces. He was to put wood under it and bring the water to a boil ( Ezek. 24:3–5 ).

     In the verses that follow, the city of Jerusalem was compared to the pot. What was in her would be emptied (vv.  9–10 ). Ezekiel was then instructed to put the empty pot on the fire until its impurities were melted (v.  11 ). But the fire did not remove the deposit (v.  12 ). God declared that this deposit was a picture of the Israelites’ lewdness (v.  13 ). Though God attempted to clean away the impurity, it would not be cleansed until His wrath had been expressed (v.  13 ). God declared that He would not show pity and they would be judged according to their sins (v.  14 ).

     In support of this sign, God told Ezekiel that his wife would die. He was not to lament or do the various things that were normally associated with mourning for the dead (vv.  15–17 ). In keeping with this prediction, his wife died that evening.

     When Ezekiel did not follow the usual customs of mourning, he declared to Israel the message from God that He was about to desecrate her sanctuary. Her sons and daughters would be killed, and when this happened, she too would not mourn. Ezekiel was a sign to Israel of what was going to happen (v.  24 ).

     Ezekiel was told that when this event took place and Jerusalem was destroyed, he would receive the news and at that time God would speak to him ( 2 Chron. 36:11–15 ).

Prophecy Of Judgments On The Nations In Ezekiel | The Prophecy Against Ammon

     Ezekiel 25:1–7. This section begins the prediction of coming judgment on the Gentiles. In keeping with previous prophecy against Ammon, this further word was recorded here. Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Ammon (vv.  1–2 ). Because Ammon rejoiced when Israel’s temple was destroyed and the people of Israel were taken captive, God would give them also “to the people of the East as a possession” (v.  4 ). The reference to “the people of the East” apparently refers to nomadic tribes who lived east of Ammon. Some think this refers to Nebuchadnezzar and his army (cf.  21:31 ). The destruction of this ancient people led to their disappearance from history. (For earlier prophecies concerning Ammon, see  Jeremiah 9:25–26; 25:21; 49:1–6; Ezekiel 21:28–32. )

The Prophecy against Moab

     Ezekiel 25:8–11. The Moabites were a traditional enemy of Israel, beginning when they opposed Moses leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land ( Num. 22–24 ). In the time of the judges, Eglon, king of Moab, oppressed Israel. They also figured in the opposition to Saul, but David later conquered the Moabites, and they continued under Israel’s power until Solomon’s death. Moab had also attacked Judah during the reign of Jehoshaphat. God predicted judgment on Moab because of their contempt for Israel. Like the Ammonites, they would be conquered by “the people of the East as a possession” (v.  10 ). This was fulfilled by the Babylonians who attacked Moab.

The Prophecy against Edom

     Ezekiel 25:12–14. Israel’s conflict with the Edomites goes back to the time of the exodus when they opposed the path of the children of Israel. Saul fought them ( 1 Sam. 14:47 ), and David made them subject to his reign ( 2 Sam. 8:13–14 ). After gaining freedom from Israel, however, the Edomites became subject to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Egypt (605 BC). Their sin was that they took vengeance on the house of Judah. They will be punished for their opposition to God and to Israel. Edom was mentioned as subject to God’s judgment in other Scriptures ( Isa. 11:14; 63:1; Jer. 9:26; 49:7–22; Joel 3:19; Mal. 1:4–5 ). This was probably fulfilled by the Babylonians’ attack.

The Prophecy against Philistia

     Ezekiel 25:15–17. Israel’s conflict with the Philistines also had a long history, and here God pronounced judgment on Philistia. From the time of the exodus, the Philistines opposed Israel and attempted to control their territory in the time of the judges. David finally conquered them, and they remained under Israel’s control until the death of Solomon. The contest between Philistia and the divided kingdom was finally settled when Babylon established control over her. Because Philistia had acted in malice against Israel, God judged her for her attempt to destroy Israel, and especially Judah. Like many other ancient nations, Philistia disappeared in the period before Christ and became merged with other people.

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Every Prophecy of the Bible: Clear Explanations for Uncertain Times

The Continual Burnt Offering (Luke 24:46-47)

By H.A. Ironside - 1941

August 1

They knew that their Redeemer lived,
His friends of long ago.
They saw Him die and mourned for Him
In hopelessness and woe;
And then they saw Him, touched His hand,
Heard His familiar voice;
And they in wonder and in awe,
Believing, did rejoice.

We know that our Redeemer lives,
Though hidden from our view;
For in His life we have found life,
Life full and rich and new;
Our hearts have felt His touch, our ears
Have heard His blessed voice;
We have the witness in our hearts;
Believing, we rejoice.
--- M. B. Smith

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Translated by Henry Beveridge

     32. The design of the Sixth Commandment is, that, since God has bound mankind by a kind of unity, the safety of all ought to be considered by each person; whence it follows that we are forbidden to do violence to private individuals, and are commanded to exercise benevolence.

33. The design of the Seventh Commandment is, that, because God loves purity, we ought to put away from us all uncleanness. He therefore forbids adultery in mind, word, and deed.

34. The design of the Eighth Commandment is, that, since injustice is an abomination to God, he requires us to render to every man what is his own. Now men steal, either by violence, or by malicious imposture, or by craft, or by sycophancy, &c.

35. The design of the Ninth Commandment is, that, since God, who is truth, abhors falsehood, he forbids calumnies and false accusations, by which the name of our neighbour is injured,--and lies, by which any one suffers loss in his fortunes. On the other hand, he requires every one of us to defend the name and property of our neighbour by asserting the truth.

36. The design of the Tenth Commandment is, that, since God would have the whole soul pervaded by love, every desire averse to charity must be banished from our minds; and therefore every feeling which tends to the injury of another is forbidden.

37. We have said that Christ is revealed to us by the Gospel. And, first, the agreement between the Gospel, or the New Testament, and the Old Testament is demonstrated: 1. Because the godly, under both dispensations, have had the same hope of immortality; 2. They have had the same covenant, founded not on the works of men, but on the mercy of God; 3. They have had the same Mediator between God and men--Christ.

38. Next, five points of difference between the two dispensations are pointed out. 1. Under the Law the heavenly inheritance was held out to them under earthly blessings; but under the Gospel our minds are led directly to meditate upon it. 2. The Old Testament, by means of figures, presented the image only, while the reality was absent; but the New Testament exhibits the present truth. 3. The former, in respect of the Law, was the ministry of condemnation and death; the latter, of righteousness and life. 4. The former is connected with bondage, which begets fear in the mind; the latter is connected with freedom, which produces confidence. 5. The word had been confined to the single nation of the Jews; but now it is preached to all nations.

39. The sum of evangelical doctrine is, to teach, 1. What Christ is; 2. Why he was sent; 3. In what manner he accomplished the work of redemption.

40. Christ is God and man: God, that he may bestow on his people righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; Man, because he had to pay the debt of man.

41. He was sent to perform the office, 1. Of a Prophet, by preaching the truth, by fulfilling the prophecies, by teaching and doing the will of his Father; 2. Of a King, by governing the whole Church and every member of it, and by defending his people from every kind of adversaries; 3. Of a Priest, by offering his body as a sacrifice for sins, by reconciling God to us though his obedience, and by perpetual intercession for his people to the Father.

42. He performed the office of a Redeemer by dying for our sins, by rising again for our justification, by opening heaven to us through his ascension, by sitting at the right hand of the Father whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead; and, therefore, he procured for us the grace of God and salvation.

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BOOK 3

43. We receive Christ the Redeemer by the power of the Holy Spirit, who unites us to Christ; and, therefore, he is called the Spirit of sanctification and adoption, the earnest and seal of our salvation, water, oil, a fountain, fire, the hand of God.

44. Faith is the hand of the soul, which receives, through the same efficacy of the Holy Spirit, Christ offered to us in the Gospel.

45. The general office of faith is, to assent to the truth of God, whenever, whatever, and in what manner soever he speaks; but its peculiar office is, to behold the will of God in Christ, his mercy, the promises of grace, for the full conviction of which the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds and strengthens our hearts.

46. Faith, therefore, is a steady and certain knowledge of the divine kindness towards us, which is founded on a gracious promise through Christ, and is revealed to our minds and sealed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

47. The effects of faith are four: 1. Repentance; 2. A Christian life; 3. Justification; 4. Prayer.

48. True repentance consists of two parts: 1. Mortification, which proceeds from the acknowledgment of sin, and a real perception of the divine displeasure; 2. Quickening, the fruits of which are--piety towards God, charity towards our neighbour, the hope of eternal life, holiness of life. With this true repentance is contrasted false repentance, the parts of which are, Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction. The two former may be referred to true repentance, provided that there be contrition of heart on account of the acknowledgment of sin, and that it be not separated from the hope of forgiveness through Christ; and provided that the confession be either private to God alone, or made to the pastors of the Church willingly and for the purpose of consolation, not for the enumeration of offences, and for introducing a torture of the conscience; or public, which is made to the whole Church, or to one or many persons in presence of the whole Church. What was formerly called Ecclesiastical Satisfaction, that is, what was made for the edification of the Church on account of repentance and public confession of sins, was introduced as due to God by the Sophists; whence sprung the supplements of Indulgences in this world, and the fire of Purgatory after death. But that Contrition of the Sophists, and auricular Confession (as they call it), and the Satisfaction of actual performance, are opposed to the free forgiveness of sins.

49. The two parts of a Christian life are laid down: 1. The love of righteousness; that we may be holy, because God is holy, and because we are united to him, and are reckoned among his people; 2. That a rule may be prescribed to us, which does not permit us to wander in the course of righteousness, and that we may be conformed to Christ. A model of this is laid down to us, which we ought to copy in our whole life. Next are mentioned the blessings of God, which it will argue extreme ingratitude if we do not requite.

50. The sum of the Christian life is denial of ourselves.

51. The ends of this self-denial are four. 1. That we may devote ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. 2. That we may not seek our own things, but those which belong to God and to our neighbour. 3. That we may patiently bear the cross, the fruits of which are--acknowledgment of our weakness, the trial of our patience, correction of faults, more earnest prayer, more cheerful meditation on eternal life. 4. That we may know in what manner we ought to use the present life and its aids, for necessity and delight. Necessity demands that we possess all things as though we possessed them not; that we bear poverty with mildness, and abundance with moderation; that we know how to endure patiently fulness, and hunger, and want; that we pay regard to our neighbour, because we must give account of our stewardship; and that all things correspond to our calling. The delight of praising the kindness of God ought to be with us a stronger argument.

     Christian Classics Ethereal Library / Public Domain

     Institutes of the Christian Religion

Making It Personal

By Robert Jeffress 2023

     For better or worse, our perspective on the church is filtered through the Western mindset of individualism. Everything is about me — my needs, my concerns, my preferences. How to discover my spiritual gift. How to define my purpose in life. How to feel excited about my relationship with God.

     In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul offered some much-needed perspective: “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” Our individuality exists within the larger body of Christ. That’s important to remember as we address some key questions about our relationship with the church.

Do I Have to Attend?

     Once upon a time, it was easy to go to church. Our culture offered little in the way of competition. Many stores were closed on Sunday mornings. Employees were rarely asked to work on Sundays. Youth sports leagues didn’t schedule games on Sundays. And the only thing on Sunday morning TV was televised church services.

     Today, on the other hand, competition is fierce. Any number of things, from soccer tournaments to lawn care, vie for our Sunday hours. That raises the question of how important it really is to attend church regularly.

     Popular thinking is that church exists for our convenience. The congregation will still proceed through the same order of worship, hear the same sermon, and sing the same songs, whether we take part or not. So we’re tempted to believe that our presence at church doesn’t make much of a difference.

     But that’s not the case at all. Beyond our responsibility to our own spiritual well-being, which suffers every time we miss an opportunity to worship, we have a responsibility to other believers. Now, at First Baptist Dallas, where I serve as pastor, we have hundreds of thousands of people who watch our worship services online and participate in our iCampus ministry, especially those who are physically unable to come to church and people who have not yet been to a church. But we also realize that viewing a church service online is no substitute for being in God’s house with God’s people.

     In the previous section, we talked about the things other Christians can do for us. But we must never lose sight of the fact that we, too, are those “other Christians.” We have a responsibility to encourage and stimulate one another to love and good deeds. We can’t do that in absentia. To be who our fellow believers need us to be, we must assemble with them, week in and week out.

     When you’re not present in church, there’s one less voice praising God in song. One less prayer being offered at the throne of grace. One less person exercising her or his spiritual gift in the body of Christ. One less person sitting under the teaching of God’s Word who will go out and transform the world. Your presence, or lack thereof, impacts other people tremendously.

Do I Have to Become a Church Member?

     At First Baptist Dallas, visitors come to our church on any given Sunday. We’re so happy to have those guests. But something I’ve been noticing is how long it takes for some guests to become members. As I’ve talked with other pastors around the country, they’re seeing the same phenomenon: it takes longer and longer for people to become members of the local church. When I talk to guests who have been coming to our church for a while, they often say something like, “Pastor, we like the church and will continue to attend, but we’re just not joiners.”

     There are a lot of Christians today who would put themselves in that category. The prospect of joining a church brings out the fear of commitment in a lot of believers.

     But if we look past our own “my-opia,” we can see how our willingness to join a church can benefit others. When we become a church member, we say to everyone else in the congregation, “You can count on me to be here through thick or thin. I’m not going to walk away when conflict arises; I’m going to be part of the glue that holds things together. I’m going to sacrifice my own desires for the sake of the whole. I want to take on the responsibilities of membership. This isn’t just a matter of convenience for me; it’s a matter of commitment and accountability.” And that means a lot. Being a member of a church isn’t just a responsibility or duty; it’s an indescribable privilege.

How Much Do I Have to Give?

     Many believers approach tithes and offerings in the same way they approach taxes: pay as much as you have to so that you don’t get in trouble, but no more. And that amount, as they see it, is the tithe — 10 percent of their gross income. The tithe, in effect, becomes their “dues” for attending church.

     The problem with that mindset is that it overlooks two important truths. The first is that everything we own belongs to God. One problem with fixating on 10 percent is that we start to believe that the other 90 percent belongs to us, to do with as we please. The reality is that 100 percent belongs to God. Look at His words in Job 41:11: “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.” We don’t own anything; we’re simply managers of what God has given us.

     The second truth is that, as God’s money managers, we should seek the highest rate of return with God’s resources. Most wealthy people rely on experts to manage their money. Those managers typically earn a percentage of the assets they invest. If a money manager does well in her investments, she receives a bigger income. So she has a strong incentive to seek a good return for the person she’s investing for. The same truth applies to us as God’s money managers. We should seek the highest rate of return, because we will earn a higher reward for eternity.

     That was the principle behind Jesus’s parable in Matthew 25:14–30. Before the master left for a long journey, he divided his assets among his three servants. The first servant was given five talents — roughly four hundred pounds of gold. He invested the talents and doubled the assets entrusted to him. The second servant was given two talents. He, too, invested them and doubled the assets entrusted to him. The third servant was given one talent. He buried it, just to be safe. He gave back to his master exactly what had been given to him — and nothing more. The master congratulated the first two servants and condemned the third. He then wisely took the third servant’s talent and gave it to the first servant.

Matthew 25:14–30 (NASB95) 14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.
20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’
21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’
23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
25 ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30 “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

     Jesus’s point was this: one day we will have to give an account of what we did with the time, opportunities, and financial resources God entrusted to us. For that reason, we should always seek the highest rate of return.

     That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 6:19–20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” In other words, if we try to hold on to our money — to use it to buy all kinds of earthly things — one day we will be humiliated by our return. Inevitably, those things will wear out, lose value, get stolen, or be left behind. But if we invest our money in eternal things that will further God’s kingdom, we will receive the highest rate of return. So the right question is not “How little can I give?” but rather “How much can I give and invest in God’s kingdom?”

Do I Have to Get Involved?

     Some Christians have a consumer mindset toward church — the idea that it’s okay to be a mere spectator. You may think it’s perfectly fine to sit in the back row, observe the service, and then slip out quickly without connecting with anyone — week after week. However, the spiritual gift you received from the Holy Spirit when you gave your life to Christ says otherwise. If you need another opinion, try Paul’s words in Romans 12:6: “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.”

     If you’re not sure what your spiritual gift is, think about where your passions lie. Do you have a heart for service? A knack for explaining God’s Word? A desire to show mercy? An ability to meet people’s practical needs? A gift for encouraging others?

     Think also about what people compliment you on — the things you’ve been told you’re good at. Sometimes other people can spot your spiritual gift before you can.

How To Choose A Church

     The way to choose a church is to be guided by God’s principles, not by personal preferences. The four elements necessary in the church — worship, instruction, nourishment, and sharing — give us a checklist of questions to consider.

     For example, is the Bible the foundation of the pastor’s message and all the teaching in the church? Does the music, regardless of whether it’s contemporary or traditional, direct our attention toward God? Does the church offer opportunities to enhance our fellowship with other believers? Does the church care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of its members? Is there an active evangelism and missions program that takes the gospel into the world? Is there something supernatural happening in the church that can be explained only by the working of the Holy Spirit?

     No matter what your spiritual gift is, the only place it can be fully expressed is in the local church. That’s the purpose for which it was given. That’s the place where it will have the greatest impact.

     Every Christian must be a part of a local body of believers, and every Christian must find a place of service in that local body of believers. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

The Church Is God’s Idea

     The final takeaway of this eighth core belief of Christianity is this: the local church is God’s idea. It didn’t come from some ancient hieroglyphic flowchart featuring a pastor, some deacons, and a worship leader strumming a lyre.

     God created the church to fulfill His purposes in this world. He also created it as a conduit to provide the things He wants to give us. And through the church, God provides what we most need, including challenge, encouragement, and correction. The church is His instrument for pouring those things into our lives.

     For us to receive those things, we need to recognize the church for what it is. Let’s close with an analogy featuring everyone’s favorite form of travel, flying. The airline industry is a favorite punching bag in our modern culture. It seems everyone has a horror story about lost luggage or a midflight mishap. Frequent fliers commiserate over such pet peeves as crowded seating, inconsiderate passengers, and unexpected delays.

     Yet even the most aggravating of these petty annoyances is shown for what it really is when we consider the grander reality. And that grander reality is this: there exists a vehicle, weighing over 900,000 pounds, that is capable of soaring to heights of 35,000 feet (or more) at speeds of 650 miles per hour (or more). This vehicle allows people to travel almost anywhere on earth in a matter of hours. It makes what was once considered impossible commonplace.

     When we fix our minds on the grander reality of air travel, that lack of leg room in coach loses a little of its ability to annoy.

     The same principle applies to the church. It seems everyone has a horror story. Longtime members commiserate over their pet peeves. Yet these petty annoyances are shown for what they really are when we consider the grander reality. And that grander reality is this: there exists an institution, called the body of Christ, that has reshaped the world in which we live. The church is the vehicle God uses to accomplish His work in our lives, in the community in which we worship, and across the globe. The Lord has designed the church in such a way that it runs at peak performance only when all its members, its various body parts, are working together.

     The grander reality is that the Holy Spirit has equipped every one of us to play a key role in the church, to use our gifts to serve God and others. Through the church, God gives us the privilege of representing Christ to people who don’t know Him. Through the church, He shows us our spiritual purpose and helps us experience spiritual fulfillment.

     Kind of puts those petty annoyances in perspective, doesn’t it?