by Pastor Patrick Cho

It is somewhat assumed that in order to properly gauge your spiritual health, you need to at least evaluate how your time is in God’s Word. Certainly, most Christians have been taught that reading the Bible is essential for spiritual growth. The Bible has been likened to the spiritual food we eat, and that without our daily reading we would be malnourished and unhealthy. Still, many Christians allow days, weeks, and even months to go by without spending any quality time in Scripture. They rely on the occasional Sunday sermon, Christian book, or blog to give them their boost for the week. But having a regular, daily, deliberate, disciplined time in God’s Word is becoming rarer.

Why don’t Christians read the Bible? Some may feel like it is too difficult to understand and get frustrated that much of the Bible seems irrelevant. Others might feel like the sheer length of the Bible deters them. They might argue, “I’m just not a reader.” Still others might simply be distracted by the everyday duties and busyness of life. All their responsibilities, chores, errands, appointments, and tasks crowd out all the time they might have had for God’s Word. And honestly, some might simply dismiss the Bible as boring, and so they refuse to read. Of course, none of these excuses are a good reason for not reading.

So why should you have a daily consistent time in God’s Word? There are many reasons, but here are a few.

1. First, having a deeper understanding of the Scriptures will deepen your understanding of God. If you want to seek God, you must find Him in the Word (cf. Ps. 119:1-2). God has revealed Himself through His Word, and so we read it not only to know the Book, but also to know the God of the Book (cf. Exod. 34:6-7).
2. Second, it is important to understand that without a growing understanding of God’s Word, spiritual growth isn’t possible. Our spiritual health is proportionate to our intake of Scripture. This growth takes place as we long for the Bible like infants longing for milk (1 Pet. 2:2). The maturity of the Christian comes from abiding in the sufficiency of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
3. Third, being in the Word helps the believer fight against sin. The Psalmist sang, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word. . . . I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:9, 11). Remember that Jesus quoted Scripture in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan. His familiarity with the Word helped Him in His temptation. How much more do we need to have our lives saturated with the Word of God?
4. Fourth, taking time in the Word helps build us up in spiritual wisdom. The opposite of this is to settle with foolishness. There is great wisdom in obeying God’s commands (Job 12:13; cf. Deut. 4:6). God’s wisdom cannot be found elsewhere, and it certainly cannot be found in men (Job 28:12-28). God’s Word does not only make us wise unto salvation, but gives us wisdom for daily decisions in how we act, speak, and reason.

The month of April marks the beginning of the second quarter of 2011. For those of you who began the year with the resolution to read through the Bible, how is the reading going? Have you kept up faithfully or is there some catching up that needs to be done? As I wrote in my article back in January, don’t simply quit because you are behind. Maybe you won’t finish by the end of December, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon your reading altogether. Keep reading and develop that discipline because of the great rewards that come from consistency in God’s Word. Remember always that the soul that loves the Lord will spend consistent time in His Word.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to sit under the teaching of Pastor James Lee of Pillar Bible Church as he gave three challenging messages on the topic of dependence and prayer. It was a wonderful time to study God’s Word, but a convicting time of evaluating our hearts and prayer life. Sadly, prayer is a much neglected and downplayed discipline. Many believers do not give it much effort because they doubt that it will do any practical good. This reflects not only our poor faith and understanding, but also our tendency towards self-sufficiency and self-reliance. These are blatant displays of our pride.

One of the hardest truths about living the Christian walk is that it requires a daily taking up of the cross (Mark 8:34). One realizes that if he wants to grow in faith, it is going to require the painful process of pruning (John 15:2). But what results is greater faith, greater maturity, and greater reliance upon the Lord. Because of this, the Christian joyfully accepts trials (James 1:2-4). He understands that it is worth it to sell all to obtain the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46).

Paul understood this truth well and gladly accepted the exchange. He referred to the hardships he faced as a result of the gospel as light momentary affliction, and compared it to an eternal weight of glory to be had in heaven (2 Cor. 4:17). He understood that in his weakness, God’s strength could be put on display (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

It is very difficult to be in the place where you do not know what to do, what to say, or even what to think about a hard situation or your difficult circumstances. It can be a terrifying experience to be at the end of yourself, where all you can do is pray and trust in God. There is a certain amount of faithlessness that most Christians struggle with when they get to that point because of the sense of vulnerability, powerlessness, and ignorance.

But still, the truth remains that there could be no better place for the believer. In Christ, and with Paul, we can boast about our weaknesses. As we lean on the Lord, how much more will we be amazed at what He accomplishes through us? And when we see spiritual fruit, we can confidently praise God because we know it was Him and not us. This is a difficult road, indeed, but a glorious one as well. The one who takes to this road will see the Lord more clearly, will know the Lord more deeply, and will experience His power more consistently.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday, we met for the first of four Bible studies on end times. It is easy to see why such a topic would generate such great interest. It isn’t an everyday occurrence for people to hear that someone could accurately predict future events. This is one of the most fascinating studies in the Bible. Of course, secular scholars have tried to debunk biblical prophecy for ages. Since they operate from the presupposition that predictive prophecy (or anything else that is miraculous and supernatural) is impossible, they need to find some other solution for it. They postulate that these portions of the Bible were not written when they say they were, but were added later, even though evidence indicates otherwise.

For the believer, this is an essential study. It is important to know what the Bible says about how everything will end. God is the one who began everything, and He has also given us great detail about how it will all end. Here are some basic reasons why studying end times should be pursued by every believer.

First, these portions of Scripture are Scripture. Paul told Timothy that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). If God decided to reveal something to us in His Word, we would do well to study and learn it. Every believer is to engage in a pursuit of truth. We are to grow deeper and deeper in our understanding of God’s Word and to be diligent to handle it accurately (2 Tim. 2:15). The deeper our understanding of God’s Word, the deeper will be our understanding of God.

Second, knowing the end gives us great confidence as believers to live the Christian life. Christ promised that this world would hate us just as they hated Him (John 15:18). Paul told Timothy that those who seek to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). The question is left, then, “Is it all worth it?” Having a clear understanding of the future brings greater confidence that the answer is yes. This is why Paul said that if we did not have any hope for the future, we are of all men most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). Who signs up for a difficult life if there is no hope that things will be better in the end?

Third, studying end times gives us a better understanding of the character of God. He is in control. He knows the beginning, and He knows the end. Despite what Open Theism might teach, God does know with absolute certainty what will happen tomorrow. The Psalmist wrote that God knew all his days even before he saw one of them (Ps. 139:16). The greater our appreciation of God, the deeper our worship of Him will be.

Fourth, knowing what the Bible says about end times gives us greater urgency to tell people about Jesus. This life is short to begin with. That is one of the major themes of Psalm 90. Man is transitory, but God is eternal. But, aside from the fact that life is short, Jesus is also coming quickly (Rev. 22:20; cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). Indeed, He could come today. Knowing that our time is limited drives us to share the gospel with those around us, and especially with those we love.

Fifth, understanding the end motivates us to live holy lives. When I was a kid, sometimes I would do things I wasn’t supposed to do (I won’t give any details). But I always made sure that I wasn’t doing those things around the time that my parents would come home. Why? Because I didn’t want to get in trouble, but also because I didn’t want to suffer the shame of being caught in it. Those who live with the realization that Jesus could come today probably will not comfortably allow sin to be in their lives. Those who live as though the Lord will tarry for sure might be more at ease to fall into the temptations of this world and sin. Having a good understanding of the future is the basis behind leading righteous lives in the present (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).

Finally, understanding what happens in the end will keep our priorities in the right place. Jesus told His disciples to store up treasure in heaven, and not on earth (Matt. 6:20-21). Those who live as though this life is all there is will invest everything they have into this life. They will pursue the pleasures of this world (which are not all evil necessarily). They will make their lives all about pursuing pleasure, seeing the world, and living and dying comfortably. Those who have a clear sense that this life is not the end will invest what they have in the life to come. Compared to eternity, what is our existence here on earth?

For these reasons (and many more!), I wanted to conduct that evening study on end times. Hopefully all the members of the church will be able to come out and benefit from it. For those who came out on Sunday, hopefully it wasn’t too confusing, fast, or frustrating! As long as we have God’s Word, let’s not slow down in our pursuit to know it from cover to cover.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday at our Vision Quest, we had a chance to examine more closely the Vision Statement of LBC. This is the “V” of our MVP Statement, which stands for Mission, Vision, and Passion. As our members know, the Vision of LBC is to plant churches. Church planting has been a goal at Lighthouse since we first began in 1998.

Although Acts 1:8 does not specifically mention church planting, it does lay out the outline for the remainder of the book of Acts (in which numerous churches were planted!) and the scope of the Great Commission itself. Christ’s commission is given in Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all the nations. This entailed bringing them to an understanding of the gospel and to a point of saving faith (i.e. baptizing them), and teaching them so that they could grow in spiritual maturity (i.e. “teaching them all that I have commanded”).

According to Acts 1:8, Jesus intended this discipleship ministry to extend to the ends of the earth. As you read through Acts, you see the disciples spreading the word of the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  As others who have written significantly on the subject of missions have pointed out (John Piper and Dave Doran come to mind), these three areas represent a natural progression from local to cross-cultural missions:

1. Jerusalem – The central city of those who were initially given the Great Commission. This would be analogous to the city of San Diego for us.
2. Judea and Samaria – The region in which Israel was located which shared a common language and cultural history.  This does not mean however, that there were not significant points of disagreement among people in this region. (John 4:9, 20) This would be something like North America for us today (which by-and-large shares a common language and culture).
3. The Ends of the Earth – Exactly what it sounds like; this is taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, which is the central theme in the ministry of Paul. (Rom 11:13; 1 Tim 2:7)  This involved people, cultures, and languages that were utterly foreign to first-century Jews.  To us today, this would be going somewhere with a different race, culture, and/or language.

You also come to find that the primary vehicle that God uses to fulfill the Great Commission is the church. The Apostles establish churches in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, and they do not see their work completed until elders are appointed in every church (Acts 14:23; cf. Titus 1:5). This is why at Lighthouse we teach that doing missions God’s way means being committed to church planting.  And it also takes some of the mystery out of missions, especially for those who have never gone on a missions trip before.  As Pastor John was fond of saying, “missions is just doing church somewhere else.”

This past July, we were able to send a team to San Jose to begin a Lighthouse church plant in Northern California. This certainly does not mean that we are done with church planting! Perhaps someday soon, Lord-willing, we will be able to announce the beginnings of a new work elsewhere. We do not want to simply check off our church planting box now that the ministry is established in San Jose. Our hope is to plant many more churches in obedience to the Great Commission.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the things that I have always been encouraged by at LBC is the members’ commitment to one another to build deep relationships and have meaningful conversations. I know this is happening because more and more new people tell me that it is one of the reasons why they want to join as members. They tell me that the conversations they have with members at LBC are spiritual. At lunch on Sundays, people are often heard talking about the Sunday sermon or what they read the past week. One time I joined a group for lunch and ironically it short-circuited these conversations because the group was sheepish about discussing the sermon with me there. But it was nice to know that they had grown accustomed to having those conversations.

I’m really appreciative of these conversations because the Bible calls us to invest in each other in this way. In Ephesians 4:15 and 4:25, Paul encourages the church to speak the truth to each other in love. There are many various applications to this command, but one way to do it is to initiate spiritual, meaningful conversations with one another. My hope is that these kinds of conversations would continue to permeate the church. It would be great if eventually these conversations would not be awkward, but that it would seem out of place if these conversations didn’t take place.

In College Life and Single Life, we occasionally have what are called RAP groups to discuss the Friday night sermons in small groups. RAP is an acronym for Reflection, Application, and Prayer. I have always enjoyed these conversations because I want to know how people think in response to the messages. In Grace Life, this is the reason why we have assigned the weekly homework, to promote spiritual discussion in the home, and help to make those interactions customary.

Colin Marshall and Tony Payne elaborate on the need of these spiritual conversations in The Trellis and the Vine. This is how we build one another up in the faith. Sunday sermons are necessary and helpful, but they are not sufficient. Using a military analogy, sermons are like spiritual bombs that minister to large groups of people at a time. They are necessary because they bring much needed instruction and understanding to the text. But the spiritual conversations that take place throughout the week are like spiritual snipers that target and minister to individuals in a personal way.

There is no way that any one pastor is going to be able to adequately minister to an entire congregation in this deeply personal way. It is going to require a commitment by the members to one another to speak truth to each other, praying for one another, encouraging one another, and building each other up in the faith. But as each member commits to doing this, the church as a whole will be strengthened. And as we have seen in the past, and hopefully will continue to see, people will be drawn to the church if its members keep speaking truth to one another in love.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday, I announced that theme for 2011 at Lighthouse would be “Bound as One.” This theme will focus on the instruction given in Scripture for believers to live consistently with the unity that has been established through the gospel. One particular point of application will be in the practice of the Peacemaker pledge. This pledge is derived from Ken Sande’s book, The Peacemaker, which is a very helpful resource dealing with conflict resolution. In Sunday’s sermon, I listed six reasons why I believe this theme is necessary.

1. The theme would remind us that our unity matters to God.
2. It would show how God can work all things together for good (Rom. 8:28).
3. It will help us live consistently with the unity that God has established in the church.
4. It will remind us that unity is something that has to be worked for and is not easy.
5. It will challenge us to not simply side with people in conflicts, but to help those involved to consider responding to the conflict in a God-honoring manner.
6. It will remind us that no one is above this, and all members of LBC have made a promise to being Peacemakers.

Certainly, God is not pleased with our conflicts. They are sinful and a clear manifestation of our jealousy, selfishness, and pride. God is the one who establishes unity through His truth. Our sin is what causes divisions. This is why our conflicts are things that need to be repented of, and why reconciliation needs to be our goal. God is not pleased when believers are not reconciled.

But still, as sinful as our conflicts are, they present an opportunity for obedience and worship. While our conflicts are sin, the way we respond to them can be honoring to God. There are a number of ways this is true, but I will highlight a few.

First, through our conflicts, we can see God’s character and will. For instance, we can see God’s sovereignty. We can recognize that He has placed us in these circumstances to help us to grow and to give us an opportunity to respond rightly. We can also see how He always has the best in mind for us because of His goodness. We can see how He always stands for truth and will not tolerate lies. Our conflicts can remind us of His holiness.

Second, we can see through our conflicts how far we fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We are selfish, arrogant, and envious. God is good, just, and true. We want to control our circumstances because we want to get our way. God is sovereign and will not relinquish His control because of our sinful desires. God desires our good and growth, but we seek harm for others and want to get even. God wants us to respond to our conflicts in a way that would honor Him, and yet so often we add fuel to the conflict by piling sin upon sin.

Third, we can recognize our dependence upon God to respond to our conflicts in a God-honoring way. Jesus told His disciples that apart from Him they could accomplish nothing (John 15:5). So it is with us. Understanding how difficult conflict resolution is and how hard it is to live at peace and in unity with one another, we need to seek God’s help to give us the wisdom, strength, courage, and determination to do it. By relying on Him and confessing our dependence, He then gets the glory when broken relationships are mended.

These and many other ways are examples of how our conflicts can be turned into opportunities for worship. God really can take even some of the ugliest situations and use them for our benefit and His glory. As we focus on the theme “Bound as One” this year, let us strive to push each other to focus not on ourselves, our circumstances, or those who have harmed us. But instead, let us remind one another that our chief end is to glorify God in all things, including our response to conflict.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Many people make it a resolution each New Year to read through their Bibles. Perhaps that is your resolution this year. And if you are like most individuals, even now in the month of January, you are already behind. Year after year, this resolution is made, and it seems year after year, the resolution is broken. I wanted to offer some thoughts to help you keep this resolution in 2011.

First, it is helpful to consider some not-so-helpful motives for reading your Bible:

1. Please do not read your Bible because you think that God will do nice things for you if you do. God probably won’t miraculously make that Porsche appear on your driveway just because you read your Bible this year.
2. Please do not read your Bible as if it is a chore that needs to get done. Reading your Bible should rank higher on your list of priorities than doing your dishes or washing your car. If all you are trying to do is to get to the end of the year to be able to say that you did it, that won’t benefit you much.
3. Please do not read your Bible solely to impress an individual of the opposite gender. That is all I’m going to say about that.
4. Please do not read your Bible because you think you are better than others and spiritually superior to them. That was always a pet peeve of mine when someone would ask (looking down their nose at me), “Did you read your Bible today?” just because they had read theirs that day.

I’m sure there are many more not-so-helpful motives for reading your Bible, but these were just a few that came to mind.

So, why should you read your Bible this year? Why put in the effort knowing that it gets difficult once you get past all the narrative sections? Why trudge through the Old Testament Law or Prophets? Why try to make it all the way to Revelation in such a short time? Here are a few reasons:

1. By reading the Bible at that quick of a pace, you will not lose sight of the overall theme of the book. At a church like LBC where we listen to verse by verse exposition, sometimes it is easy to forget overarching themes. We can get so focused on details in the minutia that we miss how those details contribute to the whole message of a book.
2. By reading the Bible in a year, you will see how the drama of the Bible unfolds from book to book. You’ll see how Genesis flows right into Exodus. You’ll see the connection between Deuteronomy and Joshua. You’ll sense the flow of narrative from the Gospels into Acts.
3. By reading the Bible in a year, you’ll see how the different books of the Bible are interrelated. You’ll see the significance of the genealogy of Matthew 1 in light of the promises of the Old Testament. You’ll also see the familiarity of most of the book of Revelation because of what you read in the Old Testament prophets.
4. By reading the Bible in a year, you’ll become familiar with portions of Scripture you’ve never read before. You’ll see exactly how encouraging Habakkuk is as well as how sad Lamentations is. You’ll walk through all the rich themes in the Psalms. Just think, you’ll crack open all the places in the Bible where the pages are still stuck together from the gild.
5. By reading the Bible through each year, you can focus on various themes as you read. Perhaps the first time, you can do a study of the Messiah and focus on all the passages that speak of the coming Christ. Then the next year, you can do a study of God’s attributes. Maybe the year after that, you can study the ugliness of sin in the heart of man. There are so many great themes in the Bible that you will never be able to exhaust them all. In other words, you won’t be able to read through the Bible enough!
6. By reading the Bible in a year, at least in 2011, you will be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer only by putting your love for God and His truth into practice. You’ll support in your reading your confession of commitment to the Scriptures.

I’m sure there are many other great reasons for reading through the Bible in a year, but these are just a few to motivate you!

Still for most, it’s difficult to practically accomplish this goal. Most people are self-proclaimed non-readers. If this is you, here are some practical tips for reading through the Bible:

1. Remember that you are reading the Bible – God’s Holy Word. Pray before you read that God would help you get the most out of your time in it. Try not to get in the habit of reading just to check off a box. In fact, read deliberately slowly to help ensure you catch the things you might have otherwise missed.
2. Use a Bible reading plan to help you pace yourself. Professor Grant Horner of The Master’s College has a helpful Bible reading program that will walk you through several passages of Scripture from different genres at the same time so that you aren’t just reading the book cover to cover (that way you won’t spend a great number of days only in Leviticus or the Prophets, if this is helpful for you). I have a Bible reading plan that walks you through the books in a more chronological way so you can see the story of the Bible unfold chronologically rather than thematically.
3. Break up the reading if necessary. My Bible has 1328 pages, so dividing that by 365 days, it comes down to a little over 3.6 pages a day. That doesn’t seem like a lot of reading to me, but for some people that is difficult to do in one sitting. If that’s the case for you, read half of it in the morning or midday, and read the rest in the evening.
4. Prioritize your day. You don’t need to do this legalistically, but you can make your Bible reading a priority. One year, I devoted myself not to eat anything until I did my Bible reading for the day. This was easier for me since I do not typically eat breakfast. There were some days where I made an exception, but generally it helped me to be consistent. If you are reading something else (especially if it is not spiritual like the Twilight series or something like it), commit yourself not to read that before reading the Bible.
5. Get accountability. It is often helpful to read together with someone. That way, not only can you hold each other accountable, but you can also share observations you’ve made or lessons you’ve learned. More importantly, you can walk through together how you will apply the Word to your lives. One idea would be to start a private blog together with your accountability partner where you both could record what you learned online.
6. Find an undistracted time to read. This is sometimes the hardest thing to do. You want to read, but you can’t find a quiet minute to do it. For moms (who are typically busier than most), try to read after you put the kids down or while they take their naps. Instead of wasting time on Facebook or surfing the web to “unwind,” pray and read God’s Word.
7. Buy a good reading Bible. It is helpful to purchase a translation that is easy to read but still faithful to the text. I would recommend the ESV translation because of its readability. For the same reason, I would generally discourage reading the KJV. Also, get a Bible that is portable. That way you can take it with you and read whenever it is convenient (e.g. waiting at the DMV, in the bathroom, on the bus, before class begins, on your lunch break, etc.).
8. Remember that practice makes perfect. Many people tell me they are not readers. I typically respond by telling them there is little hope for them to be the men and women God wants them to be unless they develop this discipline. My high school English teacher once told me, “The best writers are often those who hate to write.” Reading, in the same way, is a discipline that can and should be cultivated. Get in the habit of reading and make it part of your daily routine. Before you know it, you won’t remember what life was like without it.
9. Don’t quit. Some people get so far behind in their Bible reading plan that they throw up their arms, give up, and hope for better in the following year. I never really understood this. Why give up? Just pick up where you left off and keep going. Otherwise you will read Genesis every January and never make it to Kings. Just keep reading and whenever you finish, do it all again striving to be more consistent.

These things are written for your benefit and I hope you find it to be helpful. My purpose in writing is to cultivate in you a greater love and appreciation for God’s Word and a greater devotion to Him. Please understand that the majority of what I have written is in principle, not command. There are many ways to help an individual develop a discipline. These are merely some suggestions to help you accomplish your goal of reading the Bible in 2011.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

He could have been born in a palace, if that was God’s plan. It could have been in a royal bed with dozens of nurses and midwives at hand. He could have had the luxury of the finest doctors. Certainly, God could have orchestrated it to happen at one of the best hospitals. I suppose it didn’t even have to happen two millennia ago. Certainly, God could have waited for the days of modern medicine, sterilization, and hospital equipment. That is what is so shocking about the birth of Christ. He was born in a stable. He was laid in a manger. It is the exact opposite of what any contemporary parent would desire for their child. Yet, this was the King of kings and Savior of the world!

When our daughter Eden was born, we were told that there would be the possibility of having to share a hospital room with another family. We were thankful that we ended up with a room of our own complete with our own private bathroom. For Christ, there was no room at the inn. Our hospital room “magically” was replenished whenever we ran low on diapers, wipes, towels, or even food! Nurses waited on us bringing us cold drinks whenever we asked. Jesus’ had no such attendants; only animals making their animal sounds and producing their animal smells.

Every year, I know we are reminded of the humble circumstances of the birth of Christ. He was born in an insignificant town to a poor family and given a common name. Almost everything about the beginnings of Jesus’ life and ministry was humble. It was conspicuously devoid of the spectacular. Sure, hosts of angels came to proclaim his birth, but their only audience was shepherds in the field.

The significance of Jesus’ humble beginnings can’t be missed. He became a man so that He could represent man. He would eventually go to the cross and die for the sins of mankind. He serves as the sympathetic High Priest interceding for man and serving as the mediator between God and men. It simply adds to the amazing grace of God that He would come in such lowly estate. In so doing, Jesus could identify with the lowest of men. He could sympathize with the poorest of men.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:26-29 that it was in God’s plan to bring salvation to the “nobodies” in the world in order to put the “somebodies” to shame. He chose the foolish and weak. He bypassed most of the powerful and noble. This is because even though God the all-powerful and glorious Creator, He gives grace to the meek, humble, and lowly. God’s grace reaches to the lowest of men.

Jesus demonstrated this grace by coming to earth in a lowly way. This truth is worth dwelling on this Christmas holiday. Take time to meditate on the amazing grace of God. Think of the kindness and mercy He shows to the lowliest men. Truly He gives grace to the humble. He doesn’t go around picking the best-looking, smartest, richest, and noblest. That is not what qualifies us to have a relationship with the King of Creation. Praise God for His grace!

by Pastor Patrick Cho

In a recent article entitled “Four in 10 Say Marriage Is Becoming Obsolete,” by Hope Yen, posted on Yahoo! News, studies have shown that the general public does not consider marriage to be as much of a necessary factor in what constitutes a family as in times past. While most society-defined “families” today still include a husband and wife in a marriage relationship, single parent homes and same-sex couples with children are also gaining widespread acceptance as “families.”

Since the numbers for divorce continue to rise and single parent homes are more the norm than the exception, Yen writes, “More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren’t needed to have a family.” Certainly, the article is not offering anything particularly new. One merely needs to flip on the television and watch a few sitcoms or dramas to see the paradigm shift. It is becoming less common to see television shows focused on nuclear families. Instead children on TV are being raised by single parents or same-sex couples (consider for example shows like “Modern Family,” and “Two and a Half Men”).

Certainly, a single mother living with her children constitutes a family (albeit a broken one), but what is troubling about this article is the idea that the definition of family should be adjusted to more accurately describe what we are seeing in today’s society. Not only is this simply mistaken, it is also a case of missing the point.

Yen reports, “When asked what constitutes a family, the vast majority of Americans agree that a married couple, with or without children, fits that description. But four of five surveyed pointed also to an unmarried, opposite-sex couple with children or a single parent. Three of 5 people said a same-sex couple with children was a family.” What is a family anymore? To the general public, the definition seems to be getting more and more blurry. Broken homes are no longer considered broken, but rather are accepted as common. Divorces are seen less as unfortunate and more as expected. Celebrity marriages in particular become the butt of jokes as people estimate how long they will last.

But does this unfortunate trend in society mean that the definition of family needs to change? This is indicative of a culture that is not anchored by truth. Words become muddled. Definitions become difficult to nail down. Right changes to wrong, and wrong to right. All of this stems ultimately from an abandonment of the Giver of truth and the Word of truth. Sadly, the ideals of Christianity, which were once widely accepted, are now looked upon less as good and more as antiquated, intrusive, obnoxious, or hateful. Even that might not be so bad, were it not for the overwhelming tide of pluralism that seeks to relegate religious belief entirely to the realm of subjective, personal experience.

Interestingly, the same redefinition is happening with the church. The popular trend has been to see the church as obsolete. Christians are encouraged to go on “spiritual journeys” and find individualistic ways to develop their spiritual well being. Church is no longer thought to be necessary because people have deemed it as such. Doesn’t this sound eerily similar to what Yen is writing about the family? I wouldn’t be surprised if some popular Christian author came out with a new book entitled something like Family Revolution, arguing for an abandonment of a biblical understanding of family and instead adopting a sociologically defined one.

What is needed is not a redefinition of terms to justify the unfortunate trends we see in society. If definitions are constantly changed in order to describe current societal trends, definitions will eventually become obsolete, and discussing anything in absolute terms will become next to impossible. Instead, what is needed more than anything else is for people to turn to God’s Word to see how God has defined terms, concepts, and ideas. Society needs to be anchored in truth so that we can know when we are straying from what was originally intended. It is as if in our attempt not to label anyone as wrong, we are simply redefining words to make wrong more acceptable. This is not charitable, it is cheating; to borrow a sports analogy, it’s simply a case of moving the goalposts. Only when one begins with God’s truth can there be a true understanding of right and wrong, along with the ability to discern one from the other.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Last time, we looked at how church discipline is a step-by-step process. First, it begins with one believer privately confronting another. If that fails, then the process is repeated and one or two additional witnesses are included in the attempt. If that still fails to resolve the issue, then the third step requires taking the situation to the church. And at all points of this process, the goal is restoration and reconciliation, not petty vindictiveness.

Even still, after all these loving attempts, he still might refuse to turn from his sin. In that case, Jesus says you must treat him as an unbeliever (v. 17). Notice that there is not a higher authority to turn to. Jesus doesn’t say, “Take it to the denominational heads” or even “Take it to God.” If a person refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be disregarded as a believer. The church represents God in the matter (vv. 18-20). Jesus even goes so far as to say, “I’ll be there” to confirm the process (v. 20). This isn’t to say that this person is necessarily an unbeliever. That is between him and God. What Jesus is advocating is that in the church’s eyes, if a brother is refusing to act like a believer, then the church should not treat him as one. This final step may confirm that he was never a believer in the first place, or that he is a believer whose heart has been hardened by sin so that he doesn’t want to act like a genuine believer.

Not only do you see the instructions for this process from Christ in Matthew 18, you also see the practice of church discipline in the early church. Paul chided the Corinthians for not removing a brother who had fallen into gross immorality (1 Cor. 5). He tells them that should not associate with anyone who bears the name “brother” and does not want to repent. Paul himself exercised apostolic authority to remove Alexander and Hymenaeus from fellowship since they rejected the gospel and made shipwreck of their faith (1 Tim. 1:19-20). It isn’t just the “big” sins that are worthy of church discipline, but even comparatively innocuous ones as well. For instance, in 1 Thessalonians, Paul confronts the church to deal with those who are lazy and unwilling to work with their hands. By 2 Thessalonians, he tells the church to disassociate with them because of their refusal to repent.

At Lighthouse, we seek to emphasize that this is a ministry of love to our members. This is why it is part of our Member Care process. If we didn’t care, we would let you continue on in your sin. If we didn’t care, we would not seek to help you grow in your faith and point out areas of concern. Because we care, we provide this ministry to our members. The church is a family, and that is why we make these issues known to the church. If one of our brothers or sisters falls into unrepentant sin, as a loving family, we should rally around that person and help restore them to fellowship.

Paul writes that when he practices church discipline his hope is that the erring individual would one day come to their senses. By “delivering a person to Satan” and treating them as “a Gentile or a tax collector,” his desire is that the erring brother would see the emptiness of life apart from Christ and the fellowship of the church. Hopefully he would see the threat that comes from turning away from God and be restored again. It has been sad that we at Lighthouse have had to practice church discipline in the past, but this is our hope as well. If these individuals would see their sin, repent, and turn back to God, we would joyfully and eagerly restore them to fellowship. But may the Lord work in our hearts so that we would never require going past the first step of the Matthew 18 process. May the Lord bring us to speedy repentance and reconciliation, all to His glory.