Whose Disciple are You?

Whose Disciple Are You? That is a question we should all ask ourselves.

A disciple is a student who not only learns from a teacher but also seeks to live out what is learned. The Pharisees had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples. And, of course, Jesus had them, both those He called to follow Him, and others who chose on their own to follow Him for a time until they no longer liked what He was teaching.

Many of us call ourselves Christians which implies we identify ourselves with Christ, But how much time do we actually spend learning what what Jesus wants His followers to know and do?

Matthew 28:16-20  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.   (17)  And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  (18)  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19)  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus said to make disciples and teach them to observe all that He had commanded them. That is what disciples are supposed to do. Learning a little about Jesus is not the same as learning to observe all that He commanded. To do that takes time and diligent effort.

How much time do you and I spend learning what Jesus wants us to know and do? Is it an hour or so in church once a week and maybe a handful of minutes on the other days of the week?

Another question to should ask ourselves is how much time do we spend watching TV, movies, and reading printed and online materials for entertainment purposes. How expert do we become and playing games, socializing, and learning how to tell jokes, or interesting stories or news items? Are we more disciples of those things than we are of Jesus?

And when we do learn what is called Christian things from books or other media, do we check Scripture carefully to make sure they line up with what is actually inspired by the Spirit of God? Or do we allow ourselves to become disciples of false teachers because what they say tickles our ears?

I want to do better at being a disciple of Jesus Christ. I know Christ is ready and willing to help each of us do that. I believe that is why He concluded His commission to those 11 disciples who were to go out and make disciples of all nations with the promise that He would be with them always, to the end of the age.

The gift of faith that God gives us in the finished work of Christ on the cross is what provides us with salvation. In gratitude we now ought learn all that God wants us to learn from His Word so we can please Him in all He has for us to do. Then we'll be the kind of disciples God wants us to be.

Can We Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Us?

In Paul's letter to the Philippians he wrote

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ESV

What a wonderful statement. Does that mean that all Christians can apply that statement to ourselves and expect to accomplish just about anything we can imagine? Does it mean there are no limits to how much success, wealth, and health we can achieve?

Of course to get God's perspective on any particular verse of Scripture it can help a great deal if we look at it in the context of where it is written. Before we quote any Bible passage we ought to check to see what leads up to it. Here is a bit more of Philippians chapter 4:

Philippians 4:12-13  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  (13)  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  ESV

Paul made it clear that he was not proclaiming health and wealth for himself or other Christians. In serving God he said there were times when he had abounded, yet other times when he's been brought to very humble lows. There were times when his physical and other needs had been met abundantly, and other times when he'd gone hungry and done without.

Paul was fully convinced that God worked all things together for good for those who were called according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28). Therefore if Paul found himself in prison chained to guards 24 hours a day, then he accepted it as an opportunity to share the gospel with those guards. If Paul found himself free to roam and visit new towns, he thanked God for the opportunity to tell others of Jesus and see God raise up new churches.

It seems clear that when Paul wrote that he could do all things through Him who strengthened him, he was saying that with the help of God he could and would serve him during times of pain as well as times of comfort.

Let us always seek to understand every Scripture verse in its proper context. No one has the right to change what God meant when He inspired it to be written down for believers to read and heed.

Want to Know How to Fix Church Problems?

Want to fix problems in your church? Well, if your church has problems and you care about your church then of course you want solutions to whatever is going wrong.

As it so happens, God also wants problems in churches to be fixed. After all, they are His churches, because they are part of His Church of which His Son Jesus Christ is the head. So He's seen to that there are things written in His Word on how to deal with those difficulties.

The following video by Phil Johnson can be a good start towards resolving church problems when things are going in the wrong direction. If you care about the condition of your church I encourage you to watch it and share it with others.

Church Growth the Biblical Way

Is there a Biblical way to promote Church Growth? There certainly should  be. After all, the early church grew rather well based on the preaching and teaching of the apostles. The miracles were good for getting people's attention but it was what they said that the Holy Spirit used to bring people to both faith and spiritual growth in Christ.

Today I watched the following video about Church Growth and if that's something that interests you I urge you to give it look. It also has some good insights in how men can be the spiritual leaders in their homes, even if they came to Lord much later than their wives did.  Take a look and listen.

Jesus Found Guilty for Telling the Truth

Mark 14:60-64  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"  (61)  But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  (62)  And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (63)  And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?  (64)  You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Angels had told Mary about her giving birth to Jesus even though she'd never been with a man. An angel also told Joseph in a dream about His birth. Then, when He was born more angels appeared to certain shepherds, who then went and saw the baby Jesus.

This Jesus grew to manhood and then for 3 and a half years demonstrated who He was by His words and miraculous deeds. This was God come in the flesh. He was therefore both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He was the long awaited Messiah. Some people believed in Him. Others did not. He didn't fit what many people expected the Messiah would be like, and rather than accept that they were wrong, they decided Jesus was an imposter.

Jesus was arrested and tried during the night. His prosecutors brought forward their hand picked witnesses, but their testimonies conflicted with one another. So the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Jesus knew He who He was. He also knew that if he answered truthfully that He would be crucified to suffer not only physically by the hands of men, but also in a far more severe way that we can't even comprehend. Jesus knew that while on that cross His Father would consider Him guilty of all our sins that ever had or would be committed. For a time while on that cross Jesus would be forsaken by God. I don't know how that is possible. But it happened. Jesus endured that to provide redemption for us, not so we would go on doing what we like, but so that we could become true worshipers of God.

So Jesus answered the high priest, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 

The high priest was enraged. He tore his garments, declared Jesus a blasphemer and demanded a verdict, which was immediately given as guilty and deserving of death. Because Jesus told the truth He was declared by men to be unworthy to live.

So Jesus was tortured and tormented and nailed to a cross. As He hung there, many stood by watching Him suffer, and some mocked Him. This was the One who had made everything that has been made (John 1:3) now nailed to a tree, barely able to breathe. 

 Then came mid afternoon, about the sixth hour. And something changed. Darkness covered the whole land. Apparently those who had been taunting Jesus became quiet. This wasn't part of their plan for dealing with Jesus. Later, when the priests and other Jews who were at the cross returned to the Temple they learned what the priests still at the Temple already knew. The curtain shielding the entrance to the Holy Place had miraculously been torn in half from top to bottom

Luk 23:44-48  It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,  (45)  while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  (46)  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.  (47)  Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!"  (48)  And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. (ESV)

The centurion and those with him were awed. He knew this was no ordinary man that he had crucified. He praised God. He knew something extraordinary had taken place. They not only realized that He was innocent, but in Matthew 27:54 we read that they also said "Truly, this was the Son of God."

When that time of darkness covering the land ended, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit!"  Doing so was another miracle in and of itself, because a crucified man can barely breathe, yet one it was at that time Jesus cried out with a loud voice to commit His spirit to the Father, then breathed His last.

I am posting this on my blog on the day we call Good Friday, so it is suitable that we take time to think about what Jesus did that day. He chose to endure what He went through that day. It was worse than we can imagine. But unless He endured the wrath of God we all would have to endure it for all eternity. We're all sinners whether we admit it or not. We need to admit that, repent of it, thank God for the acceptable sacrifice that was made by Jesus, and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord every day forevermore.

Roles of Men and Women in Church Then and Now

Ever heard of a church that has done away with calling anybody an elder? I just heard of one that has done that. The church does have a pastor who is a man who does the preaching on most Sundays. That church also has a woman referred to as a minister who does a variety of things, including preach to the congregation on a Sunday about once every six weeks. This church used to have a board of deacons made up of men and women that functioned exactly like what other churches call their board of elders. (A very long time ago thier board of deacons consisted only of men.)  But now they no longer use the terms elder or deacon but instead has a group of men and women who help lead the church.

Convenient. If those in that group of church leaders helping to serve the church along with the pastor and minister aren't called elders then surely they can't be doing anything contrary to the Bible, can they? When Paul wrote those pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus it's quite clear that godly upright men were to be appointed as elders, but he didn't say anything about a group of church leaders that weren't called either elders or deacons, so such a group could be without any gender limitations, and that would be fine with God, wouldn't it?

After all, other churches actually include women not only as elders but also as pastors. Things change. This is a new time and culture, and women are so much more educated now so the church has to change, too, right?

Sometimes change is indeed not only appropriate but also necessary. After the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for our sins there was no longer any need for the sacrifice of animals which only demonstrated the seriousness of sinning against God but could never atone for anyone's sins.

But do new times and different cultures dictate ignoring what is written about the roles men and women are to have in the Church?

In addition to the passages describing the kind of men who could become elders (1 Tim 3:1-11, Titus 1:5-9), Paul also wrote the following.

(1 Tim 2:11-14) Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ESV

The first reason Paul gives for women not teaching or exercising authority over men was that Adam was formed first, then Eve. Did God have to do it that way? Was He unable to to have formed Eve first and then Adam? No, of course not. But it was God who chose to make man and then woman and to do so in that order. We need to acknowledge that God is God and has the right and authority to do whatever He does and to command us to do whatever He wants us to do.

The death of Jesus on the Cross pays the penalty for our sins, but it does not negate the relationship of God to us as our Lord Whom we are to obey.

The second point that Paul made in this passage was that Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Does this mean that men can't be deceived? Certainly not. Eve listened to, believed, and did what the deceiver convinced her to do. Adam then went along with it and joined her in what she was doing even though he knew it was against what God had told him. Today when women refrain from teaching or having authority over men hopefully both will be reminded of both how God made man and women and how they lost the relationship they had with God, one another, and the creation.

OK, but what about the wording in this passage where Paul writes "I do not permit a woman to..."  Could that mean that this was simply Paul's rule, not God's? Maybe he had a low regard for women. Or because of the times and cultures back then that it was right for then but not for now?

Well, let's take a look at another passage:

(1Co 14:33-38)  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,  the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?  If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. ESV

Look at that again. Paul states that the things he is writing are a command of the Lord. Did you get that? A command of the Lord.

As the Creator of everything including us, and as our one and only Savior who suffered and died that our sins could righteously be forgiven, our Lord can not only teach us what He wants us to know but also command us to do obey what He tells us to do or not do.

Scripture does address the issue of the roles of men and women in marriage and in the church. Do you think you know better than God?  Want to that explain that to Him?

Is Right Teaching a Numbers Game?

Is it likely that the discernment of two people would be more accurate than the discernment of 15 consultants and 99% of the membership of a church? Well, based on that wording, it would seem unlikely that the vast majority would apt to correct and the one or two who came to perceive things differently.

But right sound Biblical doctrine is not a numbers game. Instead it is what does Scripture actually say. Again and again God has raised up men like Noah, Abraham, Moses and the prophets and had them preach and teach what He wanted His people to believe and live by. Sometimes the people would obey for a season and then stray into believing other things.

Then God sent His very own Son, who was and is the way, truth, and life. Jesus in addition to being one and only sacrifice that can redeem us, taught his disciples what He wanted them to teach others. He also directly taught Paul. Those apostles taught others, and what they taught was the sound teaching that God wants His church to know and obey.

But individuals and entire churches would listen to other teachings and believe them. Paul had to both write to those churches and go to them to correct the errors that kept creeping into the churches.

Paul also spent years teaching individuals like Timothy and Titus to be able to teach correctly and straighten out errors that had infiltrated the churches.

However, as generations went by, error crept in and false doctrines came to permeate the Church. But in His mercy God brought along men who took the time to study Scripture and see how far what was by then the accepted teachings in the Church had caused it drift away from what is in God's Word.

The great reformers in the history of the Church were able to be used by God to help people get out of the mire of deception they were in by diligent study of Scripture and then preaching it. Most often they would go through books of the Bible verse by verse since God had a purpose both in what He said and how He said it in Scripture. They always used Scripture to explain Scripture. They also took the time to investigate the meanings of words and phrases in the original languages and what was being referred to in the time God had it written, believing that what God meant when He inspired its writing He still meant.

Even what is written in the Old Testament means the same thing now as it meant them. But how it was understood by the priests and teachers in their time had to change when God Himself came in the flesh and clarified what such things as sacrificing animals was a foreshadow of. Jesus was the actual Lamb of God to take away the sins of world. And many of the teachings of those who taught the Law of God were wrong. Not because there was anything wrong with the wording of Scripture, but those who were teaching it were in error. They were false teachers and didn't know it.

To teach what is right takes careful study of God's Word. We always have to go back to Scripture and read it in context, and read entire books of the Bible, and as much as possible learn about what it says in the original languages and historic context. Getting deceived is easy. Entire churches and even denominations have started with a strong clear understanding of Scripture and over time became swallowed up in deceptions that had them compromising into religiosity and worldliness.

Let us remember:

(2 Tim 3:16-17)  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. ESV

Right teaching is not a numbers game. It is a proper understanding of Scripture. If you'd like to grow in your understanding of Scripture you should take the time to study it. One place you could do that for free is with the online resources of the Masters Seminary where John MacArthur is president. Here is a link to the resources page:

http://www.theologicalresources.org/the-masters-seminary/tms-resources/

On that resource page you can access the free courses by clicking the link below the Online Lectures paragraph.

Let's study God's Word so we continue to learn what God wants us to know, believe and obey.