Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

The Call of the Redeemed to Love

by Pastor James Lee

Dale Galloway shares the following story:

Little Chad was a shy, quiet young fella. One day he came home and told his mother, he’d like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, “I wish he wouldn’t do that!” because she had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three whole weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made thirty-five valentines.

Valentine’s Day dawned and Chad was beside himself with excitement! He carefully stacked them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mom decided to bake him his favorite cookies and serve them up warm and nice with a cool glass of milk when he came home from school. She just knew he’d be disappointed; maybe that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn’t get many valentines – maybe none at all.

That afternoon she had the cookies and milk out on the table. When she heard the children outside she looked out the window. Sure enough here they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the door opened she choked back the tears.

“Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you.” But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was:

“Not a one… not a one.”

Her heart sank.

And then he added, “I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!”

In a spiritually dead world that is constantly and selfishly searching for “love” in all the wrong places, and thus unable to truly love, remember that as the elect of God, you are loved eternally and immensely, not because of you, but in spite of you. I find it terribly humbling that as the only people who are loved as completely as we are loved by our Creator, I am still terribly deficient in my love for people. Even the best kindness of an unbeliever, who also is made in the image and likeness of God, is nothing compared to the God-glorifying and soul-satisfying love that the Lord can work through His redeemed people, the church. The utterly amazing love of God for His children ought to make us great lovers of souls – because the white hot love of our Creator for His adopted ones is not only sufficient for our every need, but overflows beyond what we ourselves can possibly hold. We will never run on empty or be left alone in this world, if we love others, even our enemies, as He does, no matter how completely we give of ourselves.

Let us live this day and each day after as people who are consciously shattered and built up by how greatly we are loved, bearing more and more fruit of the Spirit in love. By responding to our Holy Master in daily submission to His Word, daily trust in His Sovereignty, and daily delight in His beauty, I pray we will find ourselves more and more like our Good Shepherd who already proved His love for sinners (Romans 5:8). Recently, old wounds began to bleed profusely in me and a sinful anger welled up in my depraved heart towards someone who hurt me deeply. It is so difficult to love our fellow sinners who sometimes cause us such bone-shattering sorrow. But as His elect, we are not our old flat-lined selves, but we’ve been raised to newness of life in Christ, so that even as we are in the process of being conformed into His image (Romans 8:28-29), we are enabled and are responsible, to love others as He does.

“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

I Am With You Alway

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Matthew 28:20

It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon Him who abides for ever faithful to thee. Build not thine house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure. My soul, I charge thee, lay up thy treasure in the only secure cabinet; store thy jewels where thou canst never lose them.

Put thine all in Christ; set all thine affections on His person, all thy hope in His merit, all thy trust in His efficacious blood, all thy joy in His presence, and so thou mayest laugh at loss, and defy destruction. Remember that all the flowers in the world’s garden fade by turns, and the day cometh when nothing will be left but the black, cold earth. Death’s black extinguisher must soon put out thy candle. Oh! how sweet to have sunlight when the candle is gone! The dark flood must soon roll between thee and all thou hast; then wed thine heart to Him who will never leave thee; trust thyself with Him who will go with thee through the black and surging current of death’s stream, and who will land thee safely on the celestial shore, and make thee sit with Him in heavenly places for ever.

Go, sorrowing son of affliction, tell thy secrets to the Friend who sticketh closer than a brother. Trust all thy concerns with Him who never can be taken from thee, who will never leave thee, and who will never let thee leave Him, even ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.’ ‘Lo, I am with you alway,’ is enough for my soul to live upon, let who will forsake me.

5.11a

Reflections on Ten Years of Marriage

by Patrick and Christine Cho

2015 has been a memorable year for the Cho home. This is our daughter’s first year in public school, and with all the fears we had going in, we are pleased that it has gone (and is going) much better than we could have hoped. We also had a chance this past summer to visit the Czech Republic with the church’s missions team, and it was a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship with the brothers and sisters in Beroun. We were even able to spend about a week in Paris for a family trip. Although it was completely exhausting, it was also tremendously fun! The main reason for that trip, and the biggest reason this year stands out for us, is that October 22, 2015 marks our ten year wedding anniversary.

I’m sure especially with a young church, a decade of marriage may sound like a really long time to some. Understandably, it also may not seem as long to those who are a bit more seasoned. In either case, the time really has flown by and this milestone serves as a fitting time to reflect on lessons learned and blessings experienced. Christine and I recognize God’s kindness to carry us through ten years of marriage, and there are many things we have been able to learn from it all. Here are some of the things the Lord patiently taught us over the past ten years.

  1. Marriage is truly a gift of God. One of the lessons we have learned is not to take the gift of marriage for granted. We still stand behind the words of Proverbs 18:22 which state, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Whatever the Apostle Paul might say about the value of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7, we also understand that marriage itself is a profound blessing. It has been a great journey walking together in faith. It has also been a blessing to simply undergo the process of learning one other. We know that there are many who desire marriage that for whatever reason in the purposes of God will not experience it, so we are extremely grateful for this gift of grace.
  2. Marriage requires teamwork. This is a theme that we cover in any premarital counseling sessions with other engaged couples. Love is not easy. Yes, there are times when everything seems to be working really well in the relationship and we are pushing in the same direction with a profound like-mindedness, but there are also times when the relationship is more difficult. There are times it seems we are seldom on the same page and are not understanding each other. There have been times that we have hurt and failed one another. And there have been times when it has been necessary to share a hard word with our partner. It’s in these times that it has been tremendously helpful to remember that we are on the same team. Whatever hardships we might walk through, we are walking together. We are cheering for each other and desire each other’s success. I know I want the best for my wife and she wants the best for me. It reminds me of the thought from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, that there is strength in numbers. Being on the same team means that there will be times that we need to lean on each other, especially when one is not as strong. There will be times that we need to protect and defend each other. There are times when we need to encourage and cheer for each other. Being on a team means that we don’t speak ill of each other to others. We don’t throw each other under the bus. Instead, we work things out in private until the relationship is good.
  3. There is value in affection. Christine and I joke around that we are still in our honeymoon phase. We enjoy each other’s company because fun is a non-negotiable factor in our relationship. I sometimes tell other married men in the church that you cannot express love to your wife enough. You can’t say it enough and you can’t demonstrate it enough. Some may have heard the joke of the husband saying to his wife, “I told you I loved you when I married you, and if anything changes I’ll let you know.” But especially in a Christian marriage, love is the ultimate expression since it is the summation of the Law of God (Matt. 22:37-40), and there should be a consistent expression throughout the marriage relationship. As Dr. Ernie Baker recently shared at our recent married couples’ weekend conference, the Bible instructs us to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39), and perhaps our closest neighbor is our spouse. Of course, there are many different ways to express love and affection (e.g., physical affection, intimacy and sex, verbal communication, acts of service, acts of sacrifice, gifts, etc.), and different occasions will warrant different expressions. The important thing is that it is being expressed and that the relationship is being affirmed.
  4. There still is a lot to learn. There are many other lessons and blessings I could add to this list that Christine and I have gained over the past ten years, but if anything is concrete and clear, it is that we are not at the journey’s end. We still have so much to learn about marriage and each other. We have much to learn about what it means to love one another in the love of Christ. Our selfishness and pride oftentimes get in the way. We constantly find ourselves returning to the throne of grace begging for mercy and help. Even with all the lessons learned, we praise God for the arena of marriage where God continues to make and mold us into the man and woman He desires us to be.

Thanksgiving in the Church

by Pastor John Kim

As Thanksgiving is approaching, I would like to challenge you in your attitude of gratitude when it comes to how you view those in the church. It is all too easy to grumble and complain and gripe about all the problems: the problematic people, how things are going too slow, how things are going too fast, how we never did it this way before, how we always did it this way, and a host of other things that get uttered as we keenly observe all the faults and weaknesses and short-comings of anyone and everyone around us.

I have to admit that sometimes it’s hard to stomach the continued stream of negative comments that come from the self-appointed judges who seem to measure everyone against themselves and are quick to offer their complaints while at the same time there hardly seems any positives. Every conversation is simply an opportunity to lodge a charge against someone or something that brings offense or “bothers me” and it seems as though there is not even a glimmer of hope that things will ever change for the better.

It’s no surprise that there are many conflicts and divisions that build up between church members and one glaring blind spot is the lack of a thankful heart. Thanklessness is something that can stay under the radar for most people as comments are couched as “concerns, observations, issues, prayer requests” and the obvious command to be thankful according to Scripture is summarily dismissed as being irrelevant to whatever it is being addressed.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 provides a blueprint for the kind of heart attitude that should be a constant presence in our lives if we are walking in the Spirit, especially as we consider our relationships with one another in the church.

“Rejoice always”

Rejoicing is not something that we will always feel emotionally consistent. While we are quick to quote certain verses to others such as James 1:2 or Philippians 4:4 when we see them down or discouraged, do we have a rejoicing attitude when we consider the church family God has called us to be a part of and are we especially rejoicing in the Lord?

It is definitely a challenge to rejoice when there are various trials. But rejoicing can take place when one is walking in the Spirit and as joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), this fruit can actually grow during times of testing because the glory of God and His kingdom purposes are being carried out. And even though there is some discomfort or even suffering involved, we can still rejoice because the rejoicing is not based on the circumstances but in our relationship with the Lord that is being strengthened and confirmed in the midst of the trials.

Rejoicing will definitely not take place if one is walking in the flesh, if your eyes are fixed on the circumstances instead of Christ, and if the love of Christ is not controlling your heart and mind. A lack of joy in the life of the Christian definitely leads to spiritual weakness as the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and it really is impossible to stand strong in your faith without the joy of the Lord undergirding the heart and mind.

“Pray without ceasing”

One thing that is easy to do is to grumble and complain about someone but never actually pray for them. Do you realize that God has put certain people in your life to not only cause sanctification to take place but to also remind you of your ultimate dependence is not to be in your own abilities, your own righteousness, your own wisdom, but to deepen your trust in the Lord?

Before you lodge a complaint about the pastor, the pastor’s wife, the pastor’s children, the elders, the elders’ wives and children, the deacons, the deacons’ families, the Sunday school teachers, the nursery department, the praise team, the sound team, the setup team, the cleanup team, the parking team, for that matter, anyone and everyone at the church, could you honestly come before the Lord with such complaints without once ever genuinely praying for them, their welfare, their good, and their benefit? It is no surprise then that there is a thanklessness that dwells like an ingrown toenail that never heals, when there is a prayerlessness in relation to those that you might have complaints. This is particularly a point of conviction because I find it very easy to highlight the faults of others, even share those faults with others, but never pray for them.

We are actually called to not only pray without ceasing, but to pray for all (1 Timothy 2:1-2) as well as to pray for one another (James 5:16); so that pretty much covers everything. But we can’t just talk about praying – do you actually pray? Do you especially pray for those that you are struggling to be thankful for, no matter what the circumstances? If you refuse to pray for others, not only are you being disobedient, but you show a lack of care that God’s children should show toward one another in the church. To fail to pray is to fail to love. This should not be so.

“In everything give thanks”

Here it gives a great challenge that we are to give thanks in everything. This is not necessarily the same thing as giving thanks FOR everything. It is obviously difficult to give thanks when there are difficult situations or circumstances, especially in dealing with people. But the lack of thanksgiving in one’s life during the tough times can reveal a deeper issue, namely that of a hardened heart that is not led by the Holy Spirit. The exposure of a thankless heart can often be a blind spot because it is too easy to be singularly focused on the circumstances or the people that are associated with hardships, and so Christ is no longer front and center in how we have set our minds as well as our hearts.

This really follows the previous two thoughts about rejoicing and praying. It’s like a package deal – the one who rejoices always and prays without ceasing will also be the one who gives thanks in everything. You don’t pick and choose in this matter.

Are you truly thankful? Can you see the grace and mercy and kindness that God shows you in all the little ways as well as the big? Do you see His lovingkindness manifested to you day by day? Even though there are difficult people, can you see how God is sharpening you and maturing you and sanctifying you to not only trust Him more but to love others more in a 1 Corinthians 13 way? Do you take time to see the blessings that come with the challenges, that to even have a church family in which you can have relationships is not something to be taken for granted? That you have a pastor and teachers who are committed to the Word of God in preaching and teaching and living it out, however imperfectly but faithfully? That you have brothers and sisters in your church family, that you have the opportunity to fellowship and share in the grace and truth of God and that you can be a part of each others lives as well as investing in the future generation?

There is much to be thankful for and I want to particularly challenge you to consider evaluating how thankful you are in the context of the local church. Get a piece of paper (physical or digital) and start writing down the followings responses:

  1. Thankful for your pastor and leaders – Take some time to write out how you are thankful for your pastor and leaders. Be specific and note what they do in providing spiritual leadership for the church. This is not to gloss over their shortcomings or weaknesses but you should be able to thank God for your spiritual leaders who watch over your souls.
  2. Thankful for your fellow members – Think of specific members who you can look back on and see how God has used them to bless you, to encourage you, to challenge you, and to spur you on in your spiritual walk. While it might seem strange, think of those who also might have been difficult, awkward, and even discouraging and consider how God used them to grow you and mature you. You can still give thanks to God, even for those who meant evil toward you, but God used it for good (ex. Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 50). The dynamic of various relationships can definitely be stretching but it provides ample opportunity to love one another with the love of Christ.
  3. Thankful for the gospel – Give thanks to God how precious the gospel is to you as well as how the grace and mercy of God has been shown to you. Consider also how God uses sinners like us to share the good news of the gospel. Remember that the members of the church are really all united as forgiven sinners because of the cross of Christ and that it is only by His kindness that we are granted the privilege to be ambassadors of the gospel to this world.
  4. Thankful for the Word of God – If we didn’t have the Scriptures, we would truly be lost. In a world that continues to insist that there is no such thing as objective propositional truth that governs all of mankind, we see how the world continues to spiral down as the whirlpool of conflicting worldviews sucks people into confusion and conflicts. But with the sufficient and authoritative Word of God as our lamp to our feet and a light to our path, the church can walk in confidence both in unity as well as in purpose in carrying out the Great Commission and in obeying the Great Commandment. Thank God for His Word and thank those who faithfully preach and teach and counsel and model the Word of God in your life.
  5. Thankful for the head of the church – At the end of the day, we will always have reason to be thankful when we are with the church because the head of the church will always be true, faithful, trustworthy, and the one who leads us. If we fix our eyes on Christ as a church, then we will not only be undistracted by the things of this world, we will also be able to be united in our focus as a body and be more useful for the kingdom of God as well as united in how we view each other. Give thanks for our Lord and Savior who will always be the true and only head of the church.

The Only Begotten Of The Father, Full Of Grace And Truth

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

John 1:14

Believer, YOU can bear your testimony that Christ is the only begotten of the Father, as well as the first begotten from the dead. You can say, ‘He is divine to me, if He be human to all the world beside. He has done that for me which none but a God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a heart of adamant, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He hath turned for me my mourning into laughter, and my desolation into joy; He hath led my captivity captive, and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think as they will of Him, to me He must be the only begotten of the Father: blessed be His name.

And He is full of grace. Ah! had He not been I should never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape from His grace; and when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit to His mercy-seat He said, ‘Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee: be of good cheer.’

And He is full of truth. True have His promises been, not one has failed. I bear witness that never servant had such a master as I have; never brother such a kinsman as He has been to me; never spouse such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a better comforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside Him. In life He is my life, and in death He shall be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness He makes my bed; in darkness He is my star, and in brightness He is my sun; He is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and He shall be the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan.

Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: and of truth and grace He is full, infinitely full. My soul, this night, bless with all thy might ‘the only Begotten.”

5.10p

A Guide to Counseling One Another

by Roger Alcaraz

So you’re at church on Sunday and everything is going peachy as you’re getting to know some of the newer faces of the church. You find yourself bonding with a younger member who reminds you of yourself from 5-10 years ago–perhaps they’re even struggling through some of the same issues that you once did. You pray with them and tell them if they ever need someone to pray with, to find you. Then they ask you the all terrifying question: “Can we meet up regularly?”

Gulp. “Regularly?” I mean, praying with them is one thing, but how would you go about counseling them week to week? Well, I hate to break it to you, but as the church gets bigger, the more impossible it becomes for the leaders to counsel everyone. And so the church must rely on its members (including you if you’re part of Lighthouse) to point each other to Christ, to shoulder one another’s burdens, and weep with those who weep.

But if you’ve never done this, it could be a daunting task. Heck, I’ve done it many times and I still get scared. Questions run through my mind like, “Do I have the time to invest in this person’s life? What if the situation is more than I know how to handle? What if I make things worse?” Still, I trust God with all of those things and find the experience rewarding every time. So even if you’ve never regularly counseled someone, I encourage you to serve the church in this way. And to help you in this, I’ve written out some steps to guide your times together in counseling.

Gain Involvement

Interestingly, your very first goal as a counselor is to gain involvement—establish the kind of relationship with the individuals that they tell their problems honestly and honestly take the counseling to heart. Without this, there is a lack of trust and the counseling becomes questionable for the individuals. I cannot emphasize this enough. If the counselee doesn’t trust you, they will likely hide their deep struggles from you. And even if you manage to draw them out, they will likely ignore any counsel you give. So building trust is a must.

Gather Data

Next, you need to gather data that would allow him to understand the individuals and the problem as much as possible. This should be done regardless of how well you think you understand the person or the situation because there will always be new things revealed that will affect how you counsel. Often times, gathering data is done by asking a lot of questions. The questions range from focusing on what happened, to why it happened, to how the person felt when it happened, all to gain clarity on the situation. It may seem like a tedious time and perhaps even a waste of time, but you should not feel bad if you spend a majority of your early sessions just asking questions and learning. Data gathering can also be used to gain involvement and trust from the individual. It can also be used to know just what homework to assign. Overall, it sets the foundation for the rest of the time with the individual and helps make all those times profitable. Once the you feel confident that you have all the relevant data, you must then proceed to interpreting that data.

Give Hope

After this, you need to give hope. It starts as early as the first session because most people who come for counseling are lacking hope. It is your job to offer the hope that can only come from God and his word. Look for the promises God gives concerning their situation and continually remind your counselee of them. They might be comforted by God’s word, but it’s up to you to have them meditate on Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to bring about change.

Provide Instruction

After all of this, you are finally ready to provide instruction from God’s word. The warnings in Scripture towards those who teach should cause a healthy fear during this time. Hopefully, by this point, you understand the person you’re counseling and the situation in full to know how to instruct. The most important thing to consider is that your instruction is biblical. For this, it’s helpful to categorize your instruction as either a biblical mandate (such as avoiding fornication), or a helpful instruction (such as setting a curfew in dating). The difference between the two is whether or not Scripture commands it. Disobeying would then be a sin. But our instruction can also include things that would serve as a help to our counselee, even though Scripture doesn’t directly command it. But we should always make the distinction clear to our counselee so we don’t promote legalism (the idea that if we follow man made rules, we’re more righteous before God). The helpful instruction we give is meant to help people obey biblical mandates.

Assign Homework

In school, homework is used to improve one’s ability to perform some task and it is also used to mark progress. The same can be true for homework regarding one’s spiritual life. More than just the need for homework is the need for specific homework. The difference between that and vague homework is that specific homework can be monitored and directly measured. For example, for someone who is struggling with selfishness, homework that consists on putting others’ needs before your own is vague. What does it mean to put someone’s need before your own and how would one be sure it was done? However, more helpful homework would be to require the person to treat three people out for a meal or ask five people for prayer requests and praying with them. The difference is that at the end of the week, one can be sure whether or not the homework was done. This allows you to provide greater accountability, and give the counselee a time to build better habits. This is all aided with the use of specific homework, cleverly chosen according to the need of the counselee.

Theology and Practice of Corporate Worship (Part 5)

by Pastor Jim Kang

Where to Worship Corporately?

Recently there’s been a popular saying amongst Christians that goes something like this: “You don’t go to a church, you are a church!”

The point is church is not a building but people. I get it. Certainly I understand it. Such saying is a reaction against people who have sentimental attachments to a physical church building more so than people. So I understand the context in how such popular saying came about.

But the problem is that there are too many people today who use popular sayings without discerning them biblically. People just say things without thinking. And saying things without thinking is dangerous.

I agree with Michael Horton, Carl Trueman, and others that a slogan like “You don’t go to a church, you are a church” have encouraged selfish and individualistic view of Christianity. The fruit of such a view prompted many people to have a low view of church attendance, church membership, accountability to the local church, and many other issues.

I agree with that slogan to a certain degree, but church is also a place where God’s people congregate. You don’t have a church (or be a church) if people don’t congregate. And people can’t congregate if we don’t have a place. Hence, we assemble at a certain time and a place with a certain address to worship together as a local church. It is because the word of God mandates his church to do all things with decency and order (1 Cor. 14:40).

That’s why we don’t do “church on wheels.” We don’t say to people, “if you want to know where we would meet next, follow us on Twitter.” So, church is both people and place.

One of the important themes in the redemptive history is the land, namely God’s Promised Land. The promise is given to Abraham in Genesis 12:1. But the descendants of Abraham did not get to the Promised Land until they first experienced God’s redemption from Egypt. After the exodus from Egypt, the people of Israel set out to the Promised Land. In their journey, the people received various laws, including how they should live and worship as God’s redeemed. However, none of the laws contain an instruction for the people to live and worship however they desire. Rather, God gave specific commands related to what, how, when, and where they must worship. Hence, where God’s redeemed people worshiped matters. This also applies to sacraments or ordinances.

Where God’s people worship also includes where sacraments or ordinances are served. For instance, if I want to be baptized, I can’t just ask someone off the street to baptize me in my bathtub just because I want to. Also, just because I want to have the Lord’s Supper, I can’t ask someone off the street or have one of my friends to perform it at my home. Just as there is no private baptism, there is no private communion. Rather, sacraments or ordinances are served in the context of the local church by the local minister.

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) has something to say on this regard. For example:

Question 75. How art thou admonished and assured in the Lord’s Supper, that thou art a partaker of that one sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross, and of all his benefits?

Answer: Thus: That Christ has commanded me and all believers, to eat of this broken bread, and to drink of this cup, in remembrance of him, adding these promises: first, that his body was offered and broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as certainly as I see with my eyes, the bread of the Lord broken for me, and the cup communicated to me; and further, that he feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life, with his crucified body and shed blood, as assuredly as I receive from the hands of the minister, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, as certain signs of the body and blood of Christ.

Also, the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) points out how the sacraments or ordinances are served in the context of the local church.

There are only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any, but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained (27.4).

Likewise, the London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) shares the same conviction.

These holy appointments are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ (28.2).

Although a Christian can pray and sing individually (even read the Bible individually), the sacraments or ordinances are done in the context of corporate worship in the local church. Hence, for a church to be a church, it needs both people and place.

But Now Is Christ Risen From The Dead

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

1 Corinthians 15:20

The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that ‘Christ is risen from the dead;’ for, ‘If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins.’

  • The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since He was ‘Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.’ It would not be unreasonable to doubt His Deity if He had not risen.
  • Moreover, Christ’s sovereignty depends upon His resurrection, ‘For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.’
  • Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ’s triumphant victory over death and the grave; for ‘He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’
  • Nay, more, our very regeneration is connected with His resurrection, for we are ‘Begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’
  • And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here, for, ‘If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.’ If Christ be not risen, then shall we not rise; but if He be risen then they who are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall surely behold their God.

Thus, the silver thread of resurrection runs through all the believer’s blessings, from his regeneration onwards to his eternal glory, and binds them together. How important then will this glorious fact be in his estimation, and how will he rejoice that beyond a doubt it is established, that ‘now is Christ risen from the dead.’

‘The promise is fulfill’d,
Redemption’s work is done,
Justice with mercy’s reconciled,
For God has raised His Son.’

5.10a

Pierced for Our Transgressions

“Jesus did not come to meet friends; He came to save enemies.” (Pierced for Our Transgressions)

by Josh Liu

In College Life, we have been studying the gospel of Jesus Christ. We followed Christ as He washed His disciples’ feet in the upper room (John 13:1-5), listened to His prayers in the garden in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46), watched his trials before the councils and officials (Luke 22:54-23:33), mourned at His crucifixion (Luke 23:33-43), and rejoiced in His resurrection (Matt. 28:1-15). We are continuing to reflect on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection by considering biblical (theological) implications. Recently, we studied Christ’s penal substitutionary death that makes atonement for sinners.

First, it may be helpful to identify some misconceptions (the following beliefs contain errors at multiple points and are stated in the negative, indicating that they are to be rejected). Christ did not die as a ransom paid to Satan in exchange for souls held as his captives. Christ’s atoning sacrifice was not in the midst of a battle with Satan and the forces of evil. Christ’s death was not purely an example for others to follow or simply a demonstration of God’s love. Christ’s death did not reconcile all sinners in all time to God.

So then, what is the substitutionary death of Christ that makes atonement for sinners? To answer that, we must examine the Old Testament. The Hebrew term that is most commonly used in regard to atonement is kaphar. It literally means to cover. It is more specifically understood to atone by offering a substitute. Since death is the required punishment for sin, the life of a sacrificial animal, specifically symbolized by its blood, was required in exchange for the life of the worshipper. This is seen in the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:1-30), the Levitical sacrifices: burnt offering (Lev. 1:3-17), peace offering (Lev. 3:1-17), sin offering (Lev. 4:1-35), and guilt offering (Lev. 5:14-6:7), and the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-34; 23:27). These passages do not conclude that animal sacrifices ultimately cover a person’s sins, or saves them from wrath. It was abundantly clear that these sacrifices were limited. They do not fully atone for sins (cf. Ps. 40:6; 51:16; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8). They do not completely remove guilt (cf. Heb. 9:9-10; 10:4). The New Testament provides the final, perfect atoning sacrifice: Christ (cf. Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:19, 37; John 1:29; 11:49-50; 15:13; 1 Cor. 5:7; 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:4; 3:13). Hebrews 9:11-14 says,

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (cf. Heb. 9:23-28)

Christ’s death on the cross paid the penalty of sin–death. Christ’s death was substitutionary: He died on behalf of sinners.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)

His substitutionary death that atones for sins is graphically described in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:4-6; emphasis added)

Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution (by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, and Andrew Sach) summarizes Scripture’s definition and description of Christ’s atoning sacrifice: “The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin” (21).

Why is this important? You need atonement! Without Christ’s atoning death, you could not be made right with the holy, perfect, righteous, just God of the universe, since you are utterly sinful, depraved, rebellious, unrighteous, and spiritually dead. But take hope! If you will repent of your sins, depend on Christ to save you from God’s wrath, you will be saved!

Always remember the love of Christ who took the death that you deserved, suffered the wrath meant for you, and was forsaken so that you might be reconciled to God. May you be in awe of the suffering and passion of the Servant of God, the Lamb who takes away your sins, who dispels despair and fear of condemnation, who was pierced for our transgressions.

(For further study, I suggest Charles H. Spurgeon, “Our Suffering Servant” on 1 Peter 3:18).

Who Does Your Worship Look Like?

by Pastor Mark Chin

If we were to take a road trip across America, visiting a different evangelical church every Sunday, I suspect we would soon discover that there are as many different styles of worship as there are churches. At times these differences have been the source of encouragement and help as they challenge our own preferences and styles of worship. At times these differences have been the source of confusion and offense, creating distance between fellow believers. These differences raise some necessary questions. What is Christian worship all about? What is Christian worship supposed to look like? What is Christian worship?

The temptation is to build our view and definition of worship around what we do at church on Sunday mornings. Sometimes our view and definition of worship can be reduced to the singing of praise songs. Frequently the term “worship team” is used primarily to identify the musicians who lead us in songs of praise on Sunday morning. But if “they” are the worship team – then what does that say about everyone else – the Sunday School teachers, the refreshment team, the cleaning team, etc.? To what degree is our worship defined by what we do and who we are – as opposed to who God is and what He has done in Christ in your life and mine? Is it all about me?

It helps to define what one means by worship. Allen P. Ross defines worship in this way. “Thus, in general terms, ‘worship’ refers to the appropriate response to the revelation of the holy God of glory. More specifically, Christian worship, whether individual or collective, is the structured and ordered expression of the proper response of the people of God to the revelation of God in Christ.” [1] In light of this definition, one might add that Christian worship is to be the right response and participation in the Gospel that is made possible by grace through faith in Christ alone, in accordance with the will and Word of God.

Defined as such, the testimony of Scripture clearly demonstrates that true worship begins and ends in one place – and that place is not with us. Though the technical terms, styles, songs, and practices of worship may change, there is one overwhelming constant of all true biblical worship. From the creation of the world to the New Jerusalem, from the Holy of Holies to the cross at Calvary, from the Passover to the Lord’s Supper, from the tabernacle of Sinai to the temple of New Covenant saints, the constant that initiates, defines, sustains, and accomplishes true worship in each case is the God of the Bible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – His person, His Word, and the presence of His glory. Without the person of God and the presence of His glory, there is no true worship. This is the testimony of Moses (Ex. 33:12-16), Ezekiel (Ez. 10), Jesus (Mt. 23:37-39), Paul (Rom. 1:22-23) and every saint of the Bible, Old Testament and New. So John Owen says, “ The principal and adequate reason of all divine worship, and that which makes it such, is what God is in himself.” [2]

From the creation of the universe, to the giving of the Law of the Mosaic Covenant, to the inauguration of the New Covenant by the flesh and blood of Christ, to the coming of the New Jerusalem, the creator, author, designer, and giver of all true worship is not man, but the God of the Bible. Worship, like salvation, is entirely a work of God’s grace in which God’s people have been called to participate. Its starting point, like the salvation of God’s people, is the will and the word of God. Any deviation from His will and His word is a departure from true biblical worship and an embrace of false worship (Ex.32:1-10; Rom.1:18-32). Worship that is truly God’s is worship that is wrought by His Holy Spirit who always acts in accordance with the Word He has given us. As such it is characterized by a clear and faithful expression of His person, His will and His word, in every aspect. This is a worship that is most fully expressed in the ministry of His Son – His life, His death, His resurrection, His present ministry at the right hand of the Father and in His bride, the Church. Does our worship look like Jesus? Is that what a visitor would say as he leaves the church doors?

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). [3] If the starting and end point of all worship is the God of the Bible and His Word, then the defining characteristic of all worship and the end of all worship is the glory of the God of the Bible. From the Hebrew term kabod to the Greek term doxa, Allen P. Ross notes the following: “When the Bible uses the word “glory” or “glorious” with reference to the LORD, it is basically saying that he is the most important or preeminent person in this or any other universe. And when the Bible refers to the ‘glory of the LORD,’ it is usually referring to all the evidence of God’s preeminence.” [4] That evidence, as John Owen points out, is the revelation and manifestation of His divine attributes, the fullness of God’s nature, His attributes, and His will – in short, the totality of His essential being. [5] Is God and His glory preeminent in our worship?

The glory of God, then, is the essential quality of all true worship, the purpose of all true worship, and the end of all worship. If worship does not exalt the preeminence of God through a clear manifestation and revelation of His truth and grace, as opposed to the needs or desires of worshippers, then it is not true biblical worship that is from God or for God. That is not to say that the God of the Bible ignores our needs or desires. To the contrary, He is greatly concerned about the needs and desires of His children. However, when our needs and our desires become preeminent, then we are worshipping a different god. True worship exalts God by placing His glory on display, not that of man, doing so according to the will and word of God. The attributes of true worship, then, are nothing less than the attributes of the God of worship.

From the human perspective, the beginning of biblical worship, then, is the beholding of the glory of God (Isa. 6:1-5). The NT informs us explicitly that we behold this glory in the person of Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-4). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The NT also informs us that it is only by faith which is a gift of God’s grace that we are able to see the glory of Christ (Matt 11:25, 16:17; Lk 10:21; Rom 1:17; Eph 2:8; Heb 11:3 ). This faith comes from hearing the Word of God. “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ,” (Rom 10:17). That faith through the word is needed for true worship serves as a reminder that the greatest hindrance to true worship is us – specifically our sinfulness and sin which is an offense to the holiness of God and which blinds our eyes to His glory. It is only the forgiveness of sin that comes from Christ’s death on the cross and that is received by faith in Christ alone that removes the scales of sin from our eyes. So it is the Gospel, as presented in the written Word of God, that serves both as the path and pattern of worship that places the fullness of God’s glory in Christ on display and that enables the blind sinner to see His glory when it is embrace by faith in Christ alone.

Such worship is nothing less than transformative for the beholder of divine glory. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as through the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). Transformation, then, is one of the essential consequences of true worship in the life of the worshipper and the worshipping community of God’s people – a transformation into the image and glory of God, not into the image and glory of the surrounding culture. It is a transformation wrought by the Spirit of God through the Good News of God’s written Word. As such, worship that is transformed by God and His Gospel looks like God and His Gospel, as do the worshippers who are transformed by God and His Gospel. Such truth begs the question, who and what does our worship look like? Does it look like us or does it look like Him? Have we been transformed by His worship lately? As a pastor, these are questions that I need to be confronted with on a regular basis – questions that bring me to my knees at the foot of the cross as they show me my desperate need for Christ and the Gospel of His Word.

[1] Allen P. Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2006), 50.

[2] Sinclair Ferguson, John Owen on the Christian Life. (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987), 274,

[3] All Scripture references, unless otherwise specified, have been taken from the NASB.

[4] Allen P. Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2006), 47.

[5] John Owen, The Glory of Christ: His Office and Grace. (Fearn, UK: Christian Heritage, 2004), 54.