Fall Festival

by David Ahn

It seems the holidays come sooner every year, so don’t forget to be planning your costume for next year’s Fall Festival! On Sunday, October 31st, the Children’s Ministry hosted an event, but it definitely wasn’t just for the children. It ends up being a spectacle every year, where LBC-ers of all ages gather together for a memorable night of fellowship in the form of candy, games, and costumes.

The Fall Festival serves as an alternative to Halloween, selecting its best traditions, leaving out its more questionable aspects, and infusing genuine fellowship and an appreciation for the common bond that we share through the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the first highlights of the evening are the decorations, where members of the church take time throughout the days leading up to the event to transform the church to fit a theme. In past years, the church has been transformed into Candyland, a Dr. Seuss-like world, and even intergalactic space. Behind the scenes of the decorations, the great effort and teamwork required to make these themes come alive always serves as an excellent service opportunity for church members. If you haven’t participated in the planning for Fall Festival in the past, I’d highly recommend joining in the future, as I consider it one of the hidden gems of service opportunities at our church.

On the night of the event, there are multiple booths and activities taking place throughout the church building. These stations typically include carnival-like activities (eg. Balloon Popping), video games (Nintendo Wii), and crafts/activities (eg. Face Painting). Meanwhile, there is a steady flow of delicious foods and snacks, and handfuls of candy are distributed as prizes for participating in the various booths.

Later in the evening is my personal favorite: the costume contest! The format changes from year to year, but there typically are costumes handed out from judges for a wide-ranging list of categories. In the past, the categories have included Best Individual, Best Duo, Best Group, and Best Under Budget. The judges also try to segregate the prizes by age range as well, to ensure that the adults and children have equal opportunity to win. In past years, the quality of costumes have been refreshingly high, so I would highly suggest coming dressed to impress. Many a newcomer has come out to Fall Festival to feel shamefully underdressed. Some guidelines for costumes, however: please keep the costumes appropriate (no scandalous, cross-dressing, or horrifying outfits). This leads to more creative costumes, less nightmares for the children, and less embarrassing photos being posted on Facebook.

Also, don’t forget that there is a new tradition that was started at this year’s Fall Festival. There was a pumpkin-carving (and mini-pumpkin decorating) contest, so break out your carving knives and your clever ideas for next year. Knowing the creativity and joyful execution that our church members have, I look forward to being as wowed in the years to come as I was this year.

Living Theology #45 – Church Government (part 2)

by Garrett Glende

We left off last week having discussed the roles of the leaders of the church and how the government within the body is structured. However, there was not much to do about the practical application of this issue, so we will pick up with that here. Most of the following ideas come from the book The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I highly encourage you to do so, as the issues they bring up have been immensely beneficial for myself and for the church in San Jose.

Since we know from last week’s study that there are certain distinct leaders within the church, the next question might be: where does that leave everyone else? If the role of the pastor is to teach the word and shepherd the flock, then is everyone else less important since we don’t have a formal title? As the authors suggest in The Trellis and the Vine, there must be a ministry mind-shift that takes place among the congregation so that each member is doing what he or she should. The first step towards achieving this goal is the recognition that we are all to be ministers of the Word. This is not a job for only the pastors, elders, and evangelists. In fact, if it were left up to them only, there would not be enough time in the day for everyone in the body to be ministered to. So, every member of the church holds the responsibility to minister to one another. This is the only way that the church will truly see growth in people’s lives.

The true job of the pastor is to train up others around him so that more and more people are equipped to minister one another. As these men and women are trained, they can train others as well. Thus, the amount of people in the church that are available to effectively minister the body is increased. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:12-13 that the leaders of the church have been gifted in order “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” God has structured the church in such a way so that all of the saints might take part in “the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.”

This attitude is in contrast to one that thinks church growth is a number to be measured. It’s very easy for us to see activities and events spring up and mistake it for true growth. This is true for the church as a whole, but it is also true for our own individual lives. We must not think that we are growing in our walks with God just because we are involved in a handful of activities going on at church. Paul’s definition of growth does not include “ministry involvement,” but he rather calls for “knowledge of the Son of God [and] mature manhood.” In order to grow spiritually, we must increase in our knowledge of Christ. This is to take place as each member of the body ministers the Word to one another.

The direct application of this idea is simple. We need to speak God’s word to one another. If you’re wondering how you can serve in the church, but don’t see any specific “ministry” to join, just talk to people. Build relationships with other members so that you’re in a position to minister to them in a real way. If the whole church is committed to this principle, then the pastor’s job becomes much easier and the body will experience true gospel growth.

The Practice of Church Discipline (part 1)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The practice of church discipline in its specifics will probably differ some from church to church. The leadership of each church needs to determine the exact process by which a member who falls into unrepentant sin is removed from fellowship in accordance with biblical guidelines. Many object to the practice of church discipline because they see it as unloving or cruel, but the Bible offers the exact opposite description. Church discipline is a necessary practice if a church truly loves and cares for its members, and seeks to uphold the name of Christ and the purity of the church.

Jesus gives some basic instructions in Matthew 18:15-17. Before looking at the passage, it is worth noting that this is the second mention of the church in the book of Matthew. The first was in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus tells Peter that He would build His church. There He announces the coming birth of the church, and the very next mention of the church in chapter 18 has to do with the greatest threat to the church, which is sin. Jesus knew the danger of people falling into unrepentant sin. He not only proclaimed the establishment of the church, but also provided instructions for the protection of the church.

Going back to the text of Matthew 18, the first step in dealing with an erring brother is private, personal confrontation (v. 15). Jesus says that if you see your brother in sin, you go and confront him alone. The text is emphatic that you are not to bring in anyone else. If you have seen the fault, you go and make it known – between you and him alone. You do not go and talk to the pastor. You don’t consult your friends. You talk to them alone. One reason for this private confrontation is that there might have been a misunderstanding. It would be unwise to involve other people and bring undue shame upon an individual if the accusations were false. If the brother has committed some sin, you are to go and plead with him to repent and turn back to Christ.

The second step in dealing with the brother in sin is to take one or two witnesses with you (v. 16). If you have done all you can to correct an erring brother and he still refuses to repent, it is necessary to bring in others to assist you. These others help not only by serving as witnesses “that every charge may be established,” but also to aid in the pleading for repentance. This is why the next verse indicates, “if he refuses to listen to them.” The small group appeals to the sinning brother to see his wickedness before God and repent. The witnesses also serve to confirm the accusations to prove that it isn’t just a misunderstanding or a false accusation.

The third step is to take it to the church (v. 17). This comes after the previous attempts to win this brother over. If you feel like your personal confrontation is not getting anywhere, you bring in one or two witnesses to help in the appeal. If they do all they can but still have the brother refuses to repent, you then take the matter to the final authority, which is the church. The church then becomes the last line of defense for the individual, and seeks to call the brother to repentance. In all three stages, this is obviously a loving appeal, but one can see how the pressure increases with each stage as more and more are brought into the situation.

It is essential to see that the goal of this process is restoration and reconciliation. The goal is not to kick the brother out of fellowship, but to win him back and help him turn from his sin. The motivation behind it all is love! If you really care about a brother who has fallen into sin, you wouldn’t want him to continue in that sin. His sin does damage to his relationship with God and others, and you want those relationships to be good. You wouldn’t want his life to be offensive to God, but pleasing. This is why you go through this process. It isn’t just to show someone how lame they are or to get back at them for hurting you. The motivation is love.

Next time, we’ll take a look at what happens if they persist in their sin, how this process was exemplified in the early church, and how specifically we apply this at LBC.

Weekly Links pt. 2 (11/8/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Hey everyone.  As promised last week, here is part 2 of the weekly links.  Hopefully they’ll be an encouragement to you this week until we can get together again on Friday!

  • Here’s an easy one to get you started…Al Mohler talks about reading. (VIDEO)  It’s comforting to know that childhood-Mohler and childhood-me have something in common; unfortunately it’s the fact that we both prioritized reading over obeying our parents.
  • I don’t agree with everything that Peter Kreeft writes, but this quote about the Christian’s view of Heaven is spot on. (WEB)  And before you ask…no.  That is not a picture of Peter Kreeft.
  • You didn’t think that I would let the week go by without giving you a dose of Paul Tripp did you?  It’s not really Halloween-themed, but the timing is appropriate.  So without further ado, here is his article on Christian living entitled The Costume Kingdom. (WEB)
  • And on a related theme, over at the CCEF blog, Ed Welch has a great article on the issue of Living Publicly. (WEB)
  • So…Kevin DeYoung writes a book about the Heidelberg Catechism.  CJ Mahaney reads said book and appreciates it (I haven’t read it yet, but from having read four Pastor DeYoung’s other books, I imagine it’s fantastic).  So he challenges his friend Curtis Allen…aka Voice…to write a rap song about it.  So, may I present to you, the first ever rap song about the Heidelberg Catechism. (AUDIO)
  • I have long maintained that two of the best things that Dan Phillips (of TeamPyro fame) ever wrote were a couple articles on prayer (What?  You haven’t read them yet? Go…go!)  Well, now I have to add a third article to the list since he’s Biblically dissected the idea of “trust.” (WEB)

Alright, that’s all I have for you.  My quiver of articles is once again empty, and Google Reader has brought me hundreds more.  I’ll be back with a few of them on Friday.  Between now and then…well, you did read that article by Ed Welch right?

Pro Rege

We Will Be Glad and Rejoice In Thee

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Song of Solomon 1:4

We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. We will not open the gates of the year to the dolorous notes of the sackbut, but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy, and the high sounding cymbals of gladness. ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation.’ We, the called and faithful and chosen, we will drive away our griefs, and set up our banners of confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over their troubles, we who have the sweetening tree to cast into Marah’s bitter pool, with joy will magnify the Lord. Eternal Spirit, our effectual Comforter, we who are the temples in which Thou dwellest, will never cease from adoring and blessing the name of Jesus.

We WILL, we are resolved about it, Jesus must have the crown of our heart’s delight; we will not dishonour our Bridegroom by mourning in His presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New Jerusalem.

We will BE GLAD AND REJOICE: two words with one sense, double joy, blessedness upon blessedness. Need there be any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be camphire and spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now, and what better fragrance have they in heaven itself?

We will be glad and rejoice IN THEE. That last word is the meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source, ay, and every drop of their fulness in Him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in Thee. Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus.

1.1p

Editor’s Note: This was accidentally a repost of Morning and Evening 1.1p.  That was a mistake on my part, and 1.15a will follow next week.  In the meantime, considering that this was the same time as the church retreat, it’s a timely reminder.  And even if I make mistakes, God doesn’t. *wink*

Weekly Links pt. 1 (11/5/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Well hello there…(ok, that came out a little too much like the Old Spice Guy commerical). In any event, welcome back to this weeks edition of the Weekly Links, where I bundle up a whole passel of articles, videos, and whatnot for you. This week was actually problematic…unlike last week where I focused entirely on one article, this week I find myself with an embarrassment of riches and a head full of cold medicine. So rather than swamp you in a ton of links, I’m going to split them up and give you part deux on Monday. So that’s something to look forward to. Or dread. Up to you really.

  • Ok, this is truly awesome news.  The free audiobook this month from christianaudio.com is John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life.  We all know the expression that “you can’t have it all,” but in this case you can have the audiobook, the study guide, and the sermon for free…and that’s a LOT! (AUDIO/PDF/AUDIO)
  • Also, it’s November!  And that means that the new edition of Tabletalk is out…this one deals with the subject of College and the Christian. (WEB)
  • We’ve had quite a few articles about the church lately, so I thought that you might benefit from this article from the Mars Hill Blog on the Invisible and Visible Church. (WEB)  And just in case you’re not familiar with those terms, the “invisible church” is not where the Invisible Woman goes to worship when she’s not hanging out with the rest of the Fantastic Four.  (Ok, only Pastor John will get that joke, but he will love it, and he needs to laugh).
  • Not too long ago we highlighted specific ways that you can serve the church.  Those are important, and if you’re a member and aren’t currently serving in some capacity, I would challenge you to really think about why that is.  However, the 9Marks blog recently ran a great article on how everyone can serve the church. (WEB)  There’s 15 ways there…I’d personally challenge you to pick three and just go for it on Sunday.  I dare you.
  • I don’t know Rosie Martinez personally (fun fact: I think my mom does), but this makes me really wish I did. (WEB/VIDEO) If you know a missionary, this might be a great time to drop them a line of encouragement, pray for them, and thank God for them.
  • One year after he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, Matt Chandler has an interview up over at Justin Taylor’s blog about theology and suffering.  (WEB)
  • And last but not least, RC Sproul reflects on the horrendous train wreck that could have killed him, and the sovereign hand of God that prevented it from doing so.  (WEB)

Alright everyone.  Hopefully I’ll see you at the church retreat this weekend.  Spurgeon will be filling in for me tomorrow, and I’ll be back with part 2 on Monday.

Pro Rege

Grace Life 2nd Hour Ministry

by Pastor Patrick Cho

GraceLife, the marrieds/family ministry of LBC, is currently conducting a study in the book of Mark during the Sunday School hour. So far, it has been a good series examining Jesus’ earthly ministry. Since we moved the general meeting to the Sunday School hour, the participation has increased and is more consistent. It certainly helps that all the Children’s Ministries run simultaneously to free up parents to participate in the general sessions. During each meeting, we begin with a small memory verse quiz. We then discuss the previous week’s homework. When we eventually get to the current week’s passage, we start by breaking up into smaller discussion groups to work through general observations. The meeting ends with a short time of instruction to prepare the group for the week’s homework.

One of the biggest changes to GraceLife structurally is that we are taking a break from organized small groups. After meeting up with several men in the church, it became clear that one area of growth that was needed was to promote more spiritual conversations in the home. The homework for GraceLife addresses this need by providing daily discussion questions from the week’s study. Each individual is supposed to work through the questions on their own and then come together to discuss their answers as a couple. The hope behind the assignments is that having spiritual conversations would become more the norm in our homes rather than the exception.

So far the study has been very beneficial. The feedback being received is that the assignments are stimulating greater spiritual health in the home. The instruction from the general sessions are recorded and placed on the church’s website, as well as the weekly homework worksheets.

Once a month, we take a break from our regular Mark study to focus solely on improving our relationships. The questions for those weeks are geared towards providing accountability for our spiritual walks and marriages. All in all, the goal is to strengthen the church body by building up our married couples and families. As more and more interaction takes place between members, we are confident that the whole church will benefit from a stronger GraceLife ministry.

LBC Weekly SPARK – November 3, 2010

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Greetings to all our LBC family and friends!

I hope your week has been going well! What an exciting week it will be for us as we look forward to our All-Church Retreat this weekend at Pine Valley. Some of you have been reading Jonathan Leeman’s book, The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love, and have found it to be tremendously beneficial and challenging. I really think this weekend at retreat is going to be a great time and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there. I’m particularly excited as I look through the list of people who have registered and see some names I am not familiar with. It’ll be a great time to get to know some new people and continue to grow together as a church family!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. All-Church Retreat. The retreat is this weekend, November 5-7, at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. A map and directions can be found at their website (www.pvbcc.org). Carpools are encouraged! Registration will begin at 5:00 PM, but dinner will not be served on Friday evening. You’re welcome to come up early, but be sure to bring food. The evening session on Friday will begin at 8:00 PM. Try to be there early to give yourselves some time to register. Here’s what you need to pack: Bible, Journal, Pen, Sleeping Bag, Pillow (linens will be provided in the lodges), Clothes, Comfy Shoes, Jacket or Sweatshirt, Toiletries, Towel, Shampoo, Soap, Shower Slippers, Sunblock, Lip Balm, Sunglasses, Alarm Clock, Flashlight, Board Games (for free time).  If you have not yet paid your balance for retreat, please bring a checkbook to the retreat site and pay when you register. Paintball is no longer being offered, but there is still time to sign up for the High Ropes Course and Zip Line ($10/person). Please email Pastor Patrick if you have any questions.
  2. Sunday Service. If you are not going to the retreat, we will still be having service at the church building on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM. Sunday School hour will be cancelled. We may need some help with this service, so if you are planning on coming Sunday morning to service, please contact Pastor Patrick.
  3. Q&A. On Sunday after the retreat at 6:00 PM, we will be having a special Q&A time at the church with Pastor Patrick about his recent series through 1 Corinthians 12-14. All are welcome to bring a dinner and come fellowship together!
  4. Kids’ Club. Don’t forget that Kids’ Club meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM at the church. All children in preschool to 5th grade are welcome to participate. Currently they are going through a series on the attributes of God! The cost is only $30/child ($20 for each additional kid).
  5. Membership Class. Our next membership class will be on Saturday, November 13, from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, and Sunday, November 14, from 1:00-4:00 PM. Both sessions are required for membership. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application.
  6. Operation Christmas Child. We will be taking part in Operation Christmas Child this year. The pickup date for LBC will be on Sunday, November 14 before service begins. Brochures with more information will be handed out at the retreat. You can also visit their website (www.samaritanspurse.org/occ). Talk to Mrs. Grace S. Lee if you have any questions.
  7. Thanksgiving Potluck/Vision Quest. Our next Vision Quest for the year will be on November 21 at 5:30 PM for our annual Thanksgiving Potluck. This will be a great time of fellowship and food. We’ll also learn more about the Mission of LBC. Please come prepared to share what you have been thankful for! Signups for the potluck will be taken in the coming weeks.
  8. Christmas Concert. Our Christmas Concert is set for Saturday, December 11 at 6:00 PM at the church. If you would be interested in performing, please contact Eugene Park as soon as possible. Don’t forget that you can still get involved with the choir and orchestra. Talk to Eugene Park this weekend!
  9. LBCSJ. God has been gracious to help Lighthouse Bible Church San Jose grow. It really has been exciting to see the church plant get off the ground. LBCSJ will be having its official inaugural weekend on January 28-30. If you are planning to go up to support the church plant, please contact Pastor Patrick so that adequate plans can be made for that weekend. Please continue to pray for Pastor John and Angela, and the church planting team!

Living Theology #44 – Church Government (part 1)

by Garrett Glende

Up next in our discussion of the church is the issue of church government. This chapter comes on the heels of the chapter discussing the power of the church, namely through church discipline. One of the questions someone may have after learning about this function of the church may be, “Who decides which people are placed under discipline and how is it carried out?” This chapter provides an answer to this question and informs us of a framework for which the church is to operate under. Grudem makes it clear at the beginning of his discussion that he believes there is not a command in the Bible for one specific way of setting up the government within the church. Thus, he offers various views and points out the strengths and weaknesses of them all. For our purposes, we will focus heavily on the model that is most like the one practiced here at LBC, while also mentioning other ideas as well.

The New Testament describes three different roles when it speaks of those who are involved in the leadership of the church: apostle, elder, and deacon.

Apostle

While there are no longer any apostles active in the life of the church today, we see from the accounts of the New Testament that this was a vital role in the establishment of the early church. Each of these men had the ability to dictate God’s word to the people because they had been grated this authority from Christ himself. Christ specifically commissioned certain men who had witnessed his resurrected body to be his witnesses throughout the world so that His Name would be made known. Paul defends his apostleship by submitting to the people that he had indeed seen the Lord, and that He was specifically commissioned by Christ (1 Cor. 9:1, Acts 9:5-6, 26:15-18). Grudem argues that “no apostles were appointed after Paul, and certainly, since no one today can meet the qualification of having seen the risen Christ with his own eyes, there are no apostles today.”

Elder

The elder is presented as the primary leader within the church in the New Testament. They are also called bishops, overseers, and pastors, but the most common term used is elder. We see that the churches in the book of Acts often appoint elders shortly after the church begins. Elsewhere, Paul instructs Titus to “appoint elders in every town” so that the church might be in order (Titus 1:5). Peter called for the “elders among you [to]…shepherd the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-2). James also says that the one who is sick should “call for the elders of the church” to pray (James 5:14). So we see that both James and Peter fully expected that all churches would have elders in place for these duties to be carried out.

The qualifications for such a role are found in passages such as 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The overwhelming majority of the qualifications pertain to the character of such a man. He must be:

“above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

It is the responsibility of the elder to lead the church that God has placed him in. Just as he is to “manage his own household well,” so he is to govern the church as a whole. It is clear that there is an authority given to these men, as Peter calls us to be “subject to the elders” (1 Peter 5:5). The author of Hebrews also says to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17). There is also a responsibility of teaching the word of God to the church that is included in the role of an elder. However, this may not be the primary role of all the elders in a given church, as Paul writes, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). Grudem argues that this verse implies that there are certain men who are specifically devoted to the preaching and teaching of God’s word and are perhaps even paid for their “labor.”

Deacon

We get the term “deacon” from the Greek word diakonos, which simply means “servant.” It is often translated to “servant” outside of passages that deal with the specific roles of people inside the church. Paul gives specific qualifications that are similar to those of elders in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, also heavily focused on character traits. There is some ambiguity as to whether or not this needs to be a distinct role in the church. That is, do we really need to call certain people “deacons”? If they are just meant to be servants, shouldn’t anyone who serves in the church be called a deacon? There is a bit of difficulty surrounding this issue it is handled differently from church to church. However, it is clear from Acts 6, where the verb form of the word is used, that deacons are simply there so that the elders of the church can be freed up in order to perform their responsibilities.

Now that we’ve discussed various roles within the leadership of the church, we are able to look at how they are structured within the body. Across the many denominations within Christianity, there are many ways in which churches choose to organize their leadership. Some have only one elder within the whole assembly, others have many elders, and some choose to have no elders at all (this method seems to contradict the New Testament teaching, but it exists nevertheless). For our purposes, we will examine the model of a plurality of elders. This view sees the elders of the church as the leaders, but each elder may have different practical responsibilities. For example, there is often a pastor-teacher who is the leader of the elder group. There may also be an elder in charge of finances or a specific ministry within the church. While the pastor does not work for the elders, he is often supported by the church for his work in the ministry. Together as a group, this team of elders is charged with shepherding the flock of God so that they might all grow up into maturity in Christ.

There is much more to say about the form and responsibility of the leadership within the church, but this article is already getting quite lengthy (I’d be surprised if anyone made it this far, in fact). So I believe it’s best to end it here and leave the application until next week. I believe there is much to be said about this and it has a profound impact on how we view everyone’s roles in the body. Until then, consider your pastors and elders this week and pray for them. They really do need our support and encouragement, so try and go out of your way to thank them for all that they’ve done in your life.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions (Part 1)

by Elder Mike Chon

In a life full of decisions, why do you choose what you choose? As we looked at the last article, many of us make decisions based on what works before we consider what God’s Word has to say about our decisions. Many times this is a clear indication that our worldview is not based on Scripture alone but has been influenced by worldly thinking. In today’s culture, we have all been exposed to postmodern thought. Postmodernism teaches there is considerable doubt as to the existence of objective universal truth.  If it doesn’t exist, then it stands to reason that no one can confidently make it known, which tends to lead to the pluralistic belief that there are actually myriad forms of personal truth. Most of us can barely get through an hour of our day without encountering this belief in some form or another.  So the question is, have you been influenced by this lie that teaches that God’s Word is not truthful and sufficient? For most of us, we will agree that God’s Word is truth but yet we will live our lives as though it does not apply.  We say that God exists and that He speaks, and then we go and live like He doesn’t.  We can get a clear picture of this in what has been going in the last two decades through the Emergent Church or Conversation.

The Emergent Conversation began as a response to what many young postmodernists saw as a need to change church and ultimately the truthfulness of God’s Word. They wanted to experience something more authentic and something with substance in their life. Their motivation for this was not entirely bad or wrong; they felt that the church was not meeting their needs or reaching their generation, and so they began in the early 1990s a network of similarly-minded individuals who embraced postmodern values and were convinced that postmodern times demanded major changes in the church. However, they had their own disparate agendas and views of what needed to change, which were primarily discussed through the internet in the form of various blogs and forums. They began calling themselves the “Emerging Church” since they were convinced that a radical new Christianity was on the horizon (“emerging”). In 2001, a group of key leaders jumped on the Emerging bandwagon and either called themselves the “Emergent” or “Emerging” Conversation. (Editor’s note: even among themselves, not all who adopted these labels agreed on common definitions of what they meant). Within a few years, the Conversation seemed hopelessly hung up on terminology and even ideology and began to dissolve. There was no structure and nothing holding them together since ultimately their postmodern philosophy prevented the exclusivism necessary to define their movement. Everyone had anything and everything to say, and eventually the leaders of the movement themselves have retreated from using the term “Emerging.” Even though this term may not be used, their influence is continuing through other avenues which you still should be aware of.

This is a wide-scale example of what postmodern thinking can do to influence large numbers of people; it can even cause people to redefine the Word of God as such, and undermine its authority. But even for the believer that can discern this type of error, we sometimes allow this type of thinking to influence our daily decisions. How many of us have an “opinion” on what type of church is a good church for “us?” To determine what is considered a “good” church by a subjective standard that the individual determines is a hallmark of postmodernism. The emphasis on an objective standard of truth is removed; in it’s place is substituted an idea that individuals must determine truth on a personal level.  However, where we need to start is with what the Word of God says. If a church is subjecting itself to the Word of God and following the principles of the Word of God, and you still have a problem with the church not fitting your needs, maybe the problem is with you. Could it be that your life is not following the Word of God and that you are living your life for yourself and not for God? Before you criticize a church for not meeting your needs, maybe you need to look at your life and determine if you are following Christ as Lord in your life first.

So why is it so easy to fall prey to this type of thinking in our decision-making? We need to start with the knowledge that we were all enslaved once to sin. Sin not only affected the way we live our life outwardly, but it also inflicted our mind and how we think (what theologians call the “noetic effect” of sin). The Bible has a lot to say about how we thought before we became believers in Christ. Scripturally speaking, an unbeliever is a fool because he has forsaken the source of true wisdom in God. Here is a quote from Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen to describe how we all used to think:

“He is unteachable (Prov. 10:8) and despises instruction (Prov. 15:5); whereas the wise man heeds counsel given to him, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Prov. 12:15). The fool has utter self-confidence and imagines himself to be intellectually autonomous. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov. 28:26). A fool cannot think of himself as mistaken (Prov. 17:10). He judges matters according to his own pre-established standards of truth and right, and thus his own thoughts always turn out in the long run to be correct. The fool is sure that he can rely on his own rational authority and intellectual scrutiny. “The fool beareth himself insolently and is confident” (Prov. 14:16), and therefore he utters his own mind (Prov. 29:11).”

If this is how we all were (there is more but I thought this would be enough to get the point across), you can see how easily we can fall back into this type of thinking with anything that we do. So what can we do to guard against such errors and being a fool in the way we make decisions? In Romans 12:1 it tells us what must be done to make decisions that are God-glorifying, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In the next article, we will look at how we can practically accomplish this so that we will make decisions in our life that is biblically based and God-honoring.