Thoughts on the Marriage Amendment

I copied this from my Facebook post, but wanted it here for posterity.

There seems to be quite a bit of animosity about the Marriage Amendment vote. As an Christian American that is sad for several reasons.

1. I am sad that there are those who are improperly characterizing the church as being hateful, ignorant, closed minded, too political, homophobic, etc. Please realize that it was individuals who voted, not the church. Christians have the right to voice their views and vote just as much as any other citizen of this country. It should be no surprise that most Christians came out in favor of marriage as being between a man and a woman. This does not make Christians hateful, closed minded, too political, or homophobic. Are there some hateful, closed minded, too political, homophobic Christians? Probably so, but there is no need to characterize the church in this light when the church as a whole has not changed its position on these issues since long before there even was a USA or NC.

2. I am sad that there are accusations that pastors are being too political for even speaking about the issue of marriage. Again, that is what pastors do. We speak about issues related to God's Word. Marriage was instituted by God between the first man and first woman. Again, that hasn't changed. Regardless of how this vote turned out, the final Word was spoken on this issue long ago. As a pastor I spoke on marriage many times before this amendment, and I will speak on it many more times in the future, as the Lord allows. My position will not change as long as the Bible I preach does not change, regardless of what this state or the federal government choose to do. This amendment may one day be repealed, but God's Word will stand forever.

3. I am sad that although we live in a democratic society, people still act badly when it doesn't go their way. I served my country on active duty to preserve every citizens right to cast their vote. The vote was 61% for and 39% against. At this point in time that seems to be a clear majority. Since we still live in a democracy, we need to all move forward with the result graciously and not with either gloating or anger. In case anyone hasn't noticed, moral conservatives have endured their fair share of defeats in the public square over the past 60 years. It goes without saying, that the real driving forces behind the opposition to this amendment will not simply accept this. They will continue the fight in some other venue. I am perfectly fine with that. In the meantime my fight for the good news of Jesus Christ. I will love EVERYONE who voted for or against this amendment. I will minister to them, share Christ with them, pray for them, and help them to know the joy and peace of God in any way possible.

4. I am sad that there is such broad misunderstanding about the relationship of the church and state. For those who think the separation clause of the Constitution means that the church cannot speak to the governing of our society, please go back and re-read the Constitution. It does NOT say the church cannot speak to government. It does say that the government cannot establish a religion. In other words, the church can influence how the government is to run, but the government cannot influence how the church is to run. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

5. Finally, I am sad that there may be negative consequences as a result of all this. What will be the long term result of this decision? There are a couple issues to consider.
Has this hurt the witness of the church? Probably in some ways, but the day the church stops speaking to the issues of our day is the day the church will no longer be the professing and confessing church instructed to "observe all things that I [Jesus] COMMANDED (emphasis mine) you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Will this affects benefits to partners, children, etc. under the laws of NC? I have no idea, for I am not a lawyer, judge, or politician. I do hope, however, that some common sense will rule and that no child or any other person would be harmed.

The GC3 Church

A couple years ago I wrote and presented this to a small vision team in our church. It's the missional foundation for who we are and what we do. I want to share it with you. I hope it will help you in your own church.

GC ¹ :  WHO WE ARE - Great Confession:              Jesus is Lord and Savior

We commit to live confessional lives as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and to call others to do the same. Romans 10:5-17

GC² : WHY WE ACT  -  Great Commandment:       Love God and love neighbor

We commit to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Matthew 22:37-40

GC³ : WHAT WE DO  -  Great Commission:                       Make disciples of all people

We commit to go, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ from our front door to the world, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all Christ’s commands.  Matthew 28:18-20

Values Comparison                                                 Religious                         Relational

Authority (is what we say true?)                                majority rule                   Word/Spirit of God

Focus (where are we looking?)                                  focus on past                   focus on future

Control (who runs the show?)                                    man centered                   God centered

Target (who will we influence?)                                inward                               outward

Receptivity (how are we perceived?)                         closed                              open

Passion (what do we care about)                                programs                         people

Compassion (how do we treat the hurting?)              indifferent                       loving/caring

Responsiveness (how do we handle change?)           resist                                resolve

Diversity (how do we handle conflict?)                     fight                                 forgive

Relevance (do we matter?)                                         irrelevant                         relevant

Our vision MUST NOT BE: Our goal for our church (personal or corporate). Keeping up with the “church down the street.” Not marching to the beat of a denominational drum. Not passed on to us by our ancestors. Not the pastor’s personal agenda.

Our vision MUST BE: God’s promise to Live Oak Baptist Church in this place, at this time, for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.

KEY QUESTIONS:                       Where do we see God working?

                                                        How may we most effectively join Him?

Our Vision must then SMART:

Significant –        What significant problem do we as God’s people address with the gospel?

Measurable -       At the end of next year, how will we know if we’re winning?

Attainable -         With God’s help, can we really see this become reality?

Relevant -            When we’re done, who will care besides us?

Tenable -             What will our efforts look like in 2-3 years?

Salvation in Spirit and Truth - Part 2

Acts 19      

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”  3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that

(1) they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 

                 5 When they heard this, they were 

(2) baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

(3) 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, 

(4) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all. 

 

1. This is the core of the gospel, to believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. These early hearers of John's gospel heard the message of repentance, that is turning away from sin and law, towards love and grace.

2. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. John's baptism was an Old Testament ordinance of washing (Exo. 29:4) whereas Christian believers are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:3). Just as Jesus changed the meaning of the Passover meal to the Lord's Supper, so He altered the OT rite of washing into a New Covenant observance. 

3. Paul laid hands on them as an identification with the church. There was nothing mystical or magical in the laying on of hands; rather it is a sign of unity and solidarity one with another (1 Tim. 4:14).

4. The true baptism is in the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit came upon these new believers and they experienced the true change from death to life. We must say that anyone who does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit is not Christ's (Matt 3:11, Acts 1:5; Rom. 8:9). Does then everyone speak in tongues when they receive the Holy Spirit? 

No. Just look back to Acts 18:24ff to see the example of Apollos. He knew only the baptism of John, but was instructed more fully in the truth of Christ. He did not speak in tongues but spoke boldly the gospel. The true evidence of the Holy Spirit is not merely a new tongue but a new life (2 Cor. 5:17).

This then is salvation in Spirit and in truth. The Spirit of God and the truth of Christ working fully in every believer.

Salvation in Spirit and Truth- Part 1

We have perverted the gospel in many ways erring to the extremes. Two such extremes are easy believism on one hand and mystical experience on the other.

Easy believeism is the notion that all you need to do is sign your name on the bottom line and get your ticket punched to heaven. 

This is totally a work of man's religion and denies the power of God.

On the other hand is some kind of mystical experience where you must experience something unusual or strange to prove an encounter with God, either to yourself or others.

I’m not concerned about proving my salvation to anyone in that regard for it is God who has proven our salvation to the world, and that was through the work of Christ on the cross. It is also God who proves our salvation to us, and that is through the work of God’s Spirit in our hearts and in the changed life.

Is there a way true to the gospel? Yes, as we see in Acts 19.

When Paul encounters some believers who have not yet fully heard the gospel of Christ, been baptized into the resurrection of the dead, identified with the church, and received the Spirit, he instructs them more fully in the good news of Jesus.

In this account we see how the gospel "works" in Spirit and in truth. In this passage we see Paul presents the necessity of (1) accepting Christ by believing in Him, (2) being baptized into Christ's death/burial/resurrection, (3) identifying with the church, and (4) receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace.
Acts 19      

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”  3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that

(1) they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 

                 5 When they heard this, they were 

(2) baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

(3) 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, 

(4) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.

I will begin explaining these in turn next time.

Final Words of the Lamb of God - #1 - Redemption

1. The Final Word – REDEMPTION

Luke 23:46

"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said,  “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last."

This was actually a Jewish bedtime prayer taken from Psalm 31:5

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

His mission complete, free to return to home, into the loving hands of the Father the Son committed His Spirit. And with that, He breathed His last breath of agony on this earth, His work as the Lamb of God complete, victory assured, the final sacrifice for sin was made.

Confidently, willingly, victoriously He returned to glory until the time He returns to once again rule among us as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Redemption is a word often used in church but perhaps little understood. Redemption carries the meaning of buying back or regaining at some price that which was lost.

with the final price of His life, Jesus redeemed all humanity from the wages of sin, which is death. With that complete His Spirit was free to be return to the Father with whom Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, had been from all eternity. 

Today is Easter, the great day of the resurrection of Christ. It is the resurrection to life of Jesus that attests to the fact that His sacrifice was accepted and that truly that which was lost has been won back to glory, with Jesus Himself being the first fruits of life being eternally raised from the dead.

Here is the question for all of us today. Will we commit our Spirits into the hands of the Father? Will we follow Christ as the redeemed of the Lord?

Thank God, thank God, we have that opportunity today!

Final Words of the Lamb of God - #2 - VICTORY!

2. The Word of Victory

John 19:30

"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,  “It is finished!”

Are you struggling to win today? 

Do you feel like you try, and try, and try, but never get ahead?

Have you ever looked back on your life and felt like a failure, like you just never quite measured up?

Beloved friend, may I tell you today, that the eternal victory has already been won, and YOU are the recipient of the glory.

 The Victory is Won! It is finished!

                     Listen.....

Jesus came to do the will of the Father who sent Him.

Jesus came to bring many people to glory through the way of the cross. 

Jesus came to give everlasting life to everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him. 

Jesus came to die so that the resurrection of life might be accomplished for those who will die with Him.



In John chapter 6:37-40 the words of Christ are recorded, 

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

In life Jesus revealed God.

In the cross Jesus covered sin.

In sin Jesus bore the full wrath of God.

In death, Jesus gave life.

In the tomb, Jesus defeated death.

In glory Jesus reigns supreme.

Beloved, no one or no thing will ever add to, or take away from what Jesus has done for you.

Isn't that a great relief? The victory is won and with Jesus we are the recipients of the victors crown. 

Praise God, it is finished!

Final Words of the Lamb of God - #3 - Anguish

3. The Word of Physical Anguish

John 19:28

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”

Forsaken of God the physical anguish begins to set in. The desert travelers of the East will tell you that when they have endured the pain of thirst, they would give all the gold on earth for even a single drop of water.

Luke 16 tells the story of the beggar Lazarus, who lay ill daily at the gates of the rich man who lived sumptuously. Both died, Lazarus being carried to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man to the torments of hell. The tormented man lifted his eyes to gaze across that great impassible gulf, begging that the tip of Lazarus’ finger might be dipped in water and placed on his tongue to ease for even a second the torment he endured.

 Psalm 69 records the prophecy of Christ's own physical torment on the cross:

3 I am weary with my crying;

 My throat is dry;

 My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

20 Reproach has broken my heart,

 And I am full of heaviness;

 I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;

 And for comforters, but I found none.

21 They also gave me gall for my food,

 And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Jesus became sin for the salvation of sinners. The Suffering Savior endured the torments of wretched humanity and there was none who could give relieve His suffering in that horrible moment. 

One of the great privileges and challenges of being a pastor is to bring comfort to those who are hurting. The privilege is that I am many times allowed to be the presence of Christ to people whom I would not be otherwise so that I can comfort them. The challenge is that I so often want to do so much more, and feel quite helpless. This is when I must rest on my faith in God that He can and does what I cannot. 

Standing at the welfare line, I can't feed all those hurting people, but God can.

Standing in the broken home, I can't reconcile a marriage, but God can.

Standing in the hospital room, I can't heal anyone, but God can.

Standing at the graveside, I can't fill the void left behind, but God can.

Oh God can, and He does. Why? Because Jesus hung on the cross. He has felt our pain. He has born our burdens and known anguish in body and soul. He sympathizes with us.

So what can we do? Be the presence of Christ. Offer comfort whenever and wherever you can. Be compassionate and kind to the least of these.

Jesus says tells His church, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Mark 9:1

Would you not have willingly offered that cup of water to Jesus as He hung on the cross? Surely you would. Okay, then offer to a thirsty person who lives in your own neighborhood. 

Let us not add to the misery of this world, but relieve its suffering in the name of Christ.

Final Words of the Lamb of God - # 4 - Desolation

4. The Word of Spiritual Desolation

“It is about twelve o’clock noon. The crowd stares up at the men dying as they hang bleeding on their crosses. The agonizing moans of the two malefactors ring in the ears of those who will hear as the blood of Jesus trickles to the ground. From time to time the silent sobs of the faithful few may be heard. Will the Father continue in silence forever concerning His Son, and not somehow make it known to the world by some sign that He is watching?

At that moment a sign appears, but what type? Who could have anticipated this thing? Surprise increases to horror, amazement to dismay. The sun, having just arrived at the meridian, withdraws its beams, as if the earth were no longer worthy of its light, and begins visibly, in a clear sky to grow dark. First twilight comes, then evening, and finally the gloomy darkness of night. The funeral pall extends not only over Judea but over the whole of the earth.

The animals cower in frightened silence. The birds flutter to their nests and the masses of people who surround the place of execution hurry back to Jerusalem with loud outcries, wringing their hands, and beating their breasts.

What does the darkness mean? Those who had demanded a sign now have one, not the miraculous display of power they so wrongly associated with Messiah, but the sign of the 9th plague on Egypt, which Exodus describes as the darkness that may be felt. Whereas that darkness covered only the land of Egypt, and not of Goshen which was the dwelling place of the Hebrews, this darkness covered the whole land.

In that moment the Lord withdrew Himself from the eyes of men behind the black curtain of appalling night, as behind the thick veil of the temple. For three full hours He hung there in impenetrable darkness. He is in the Most Holy Place. He stands at the altar of the Lord. He performs His sacrificial functions. He is the true Aaron, and at the same time the Lamb for the slaughter.”[1]

Mark 15:34

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’

The darkness is nearing its end. The time approaches 3 pm. The final agonizing moments of this scene are being played out.

The sinless One has become sin for His beloved. In this moment His Father turns away. He is alone. The perfect communion of the God-head is broken. Somehow, incomprehensible to us, all the sins of the world were laid on Jesus and the full weight of the wrath of God against sin was emptied on Him.

Martin Luther, sitting wide awake and motionless for several hours without good, returned from deep meditation on these words of Christ and exclaimed, “God forsaken of God! Who can understand it?” 

Have you ever felt forsaken of God? If you have felt that, let me tell you with 100% confidence, you have never been. Why? Because Jesus was. 

In His cry of desolation, there was a transaction made that traded all our sin for His righteousness and all our just punishment for His acceptance. He was forsaken so that we never would be. We are not and can not be abandoned in our sins. Jesus secured that for all eternity. 

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

          “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
          We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   (Romans 8:31–39)

---

[1] F.W. Krummmacher, “The Suffering Savior: Meditations on the Last Days of Christ.”

Final Words of the Lamb of God - #5 - Provision of His Beloved

5. The Word of PROVISION for His Beloved

John 19:26,

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother,  “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple,  “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

The world is a cruel, hard place, especially when you face it alone. At this point in time it is clear that Jesus’ earthly father Joseph has died, and His mother Mary is without the normal provision of a husband.

Surely Jesus’ half-brothers would have cared for her but here she was at the foot of the cross, her eyes locked upon her son, her first born child, being unjustly crucified for crimes He did not commit.

I spoke with a woman once who recounted a time when her son played the role of Jesus is a Passion play. As the tears streamed down her face she watched her own little boy being hoisted up upon the cross and she realized just what it must have been like for Mary to watch the cruel scene unfolding before her.

Sitting in a theater watching Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ some years ago, the most heart wrenching scene to me was at the particular point where Mary was running through the streets trying to keep up with Jesus as He made His way up Calvary burdened with the heavy cross. Throngs of people lined the Via de la Rosa as Mary worked her way in and around the crowd.

There is a flash back to a time when Jesus was a little boy, perhaps 4 or 5 years old. Little Jesus was running a bit too fast and falls, skinning his knee as his mother runs to pick Him up, cuddling Him in a mother’s arms. But now her Son is driven to the ground beneath the angry hands of His abusers and she is unable to pour her love upon Him again as she so desperately wants, to simply pick Him up and kiss the hurts away.

In the theater that day you could hear one great collective groan and I looked over to see the mother of my own children sink into tears in the seat beside me.

Jesus, looking down from the cross said, “Woman, behold your son,” and looking to the beloved disciple John, “Behold your mother.”

What amazing love that Jesus would provide for His mother in a real and tangible way through the apostle John.

In light of that provision I wonder how we will behold the lonely, the orphaned, the widowed, the disheartened who live all around us beneath the cross.

Will we love them like Jesus?