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Small Groups begin June 2, 2010 at Front Street Baptist Church

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Walking in the Truth: Notes from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and secondly, for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

Since this blog series is entitled Walking in the Truth, I thought it relevant to share an entry from pastor James MacDonald's (whose preaching and radio ministry has been a blessing to me for a number of years) blog, Straight Up. Walking in the Truth means loving God's Word, obeying it, and reflecting it to my family, friends, and neighbors. I link to his blog as an additional spiritual treat this week, but also to remind us that God's Word is our life, meant to be hidden in our heart, to bring glory to Him.

Now, here are the notes and and reflections from this past Sunday's lesson on Marriage, the matrix of Christian Hedonism.

How does the world view marriage? It is assuredly 100% antithetical to the biblical portrait of God's design and purpose for marriage. Today, many Christian marriages do not look all that different than the marriages of nonbelievers. Marriage by and large has become a matter of convenience; vows are flippantly recited in marriage ceremonies. Roles of husbands and wives have become distorted and twisted and many believers have grossly misinterpreted the writings of Paul and Peter on this subject. Fay Angus offers the "Four D's of Marriage": "Depression, despair, drink, and divorce." Ms. Angus has clearly not seen the desire of God's heart. Chuck Swindoll wrote that the world views marriage like the sign on Ken Stabler's boat: "Get in, sit down, shut up, hang on." This vision of marriage is tragic; far from the truth of God's Word on the sanctity of this institution.

I never want to minimize marriage, but I see marriage summed up in one phrase: "One Flesh." Genesis 2:24 states: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (also quoted in Ephesians 5:31).

The Bible speaks of harmony, unity, joining, and cleaving. In the original language the Hebrew word for "cleaving" is translated "glue". So, the portrait here is marriage in essence is two people who "stick together," not two people who are "stuck with one another." Listen to this beautiful illustration offered by Dr. Piper in his book, Desiring God:

"A different kind of unity is enjoyed by the joining of diverse counterparts than is enjoyed by joining two things just alike. When we all sing the same melody line, it is called unison, which means 'one sound.' But when we unite diverse lines of soprano and alto and tenor and bass, we call it harmony; and everyone who has an ear to hear knows that something deeper in us is touched by great harmony than by mere unison."

What a beautiful picture of marriage and the marriage relationship. So, with my bride, I would so much rather be waltzing in harmony than stepping in unison. Dr. Dwight Hervey Small explains, "It is humbling to the woman to know that she was created for the man, but it is for her glory to know that she alone can complete him. Likewise, it is humbling to the man to know that he is incomplete without a woman, but it is to his glory that the woman was created for him" (qtd in Warren Wiersbe, Life Sentences 28-29). In 1 Peter 3:7, Paul calls marriage and this kind of relationship between men and women the "grace of life."

Now to our focus passage. Let's read Ephesians 5:25-30 together: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

Notice vv 28-29. What does Paul mean when he says husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies . . .loving his wife as he loves himself." ? That sounds hedonistic, doesn't it? But Piper explores this passage from the perspective of Christian Hedonism. He writes, "love is the pursuit of our joy in the holy joy of the beloved" (206). Doesn't that seem self seeking? "Selfishness," Dr. Piper continues, "seeks its own private happiness at the expense of others, [whereas] love seeks its happiness in the happiness of the beloved" (207). Here is Christian Hedonism defined again in context of this passage in case we have forgotten: According to vv. 28-29 of Ephesians, "Husbands should devote the same energy and time and creativity to making their wives happy that they devote naturally to making themselves happy. The result will be that in doing this, they will make themselves happy" (209).

This verse gives commentary on Matthew 7:12: In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. This verse formulates the foundation of goodness and mercy--the kind of love God demonstrates to us everyday, the kind of love we should demonstrate to our circle of influence everyday. This I am sure is what Paul meant by "grace of life." What would like most from your spouse (or friend/family member)? Let me share mine, and this is definitely not to say that I am not receiving these things from her: respect, love, understanding, acceptance of who I am. So, in turn, I must (not when I feel like, or maybe, or only if she gives this to me in return--but must) show her respect, love, understanding, and acceptance. As husbands and wives, we will be Golden if we follow this Rule. Reflect on these questions: Are we more likely to apply the words of Christ in Matthew 7:12 at home or outside of the home? Why? Now this one: Why must our homes be the place we most strive to love others as we love ourselves? Spend time praying through that. If you find yourself willing to show others outside your home more love and acceptance and understanding than your spouse or children, then take it to the cross.

Let's turn our attention to Ephesians 5:31-33: FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Is this mystery the fact that God has called to very diverse individuals to be "joined" as "one flesh." That sounds remarkable and only an act God can accomplish through is goodness and grace, but Paul calls it a mystery. He gives us a hint in v. 32 when he writes, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Question: Which came first, the marriage relationship between man and woman or the relationship between Christ and the Church? Dr. Piper responds: "The mystery is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage--just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church" (213).

Look back at v. 31: See it? "One flesh". In Ephesians 1:22-23, we read And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. He is "head" of the "body" (the church). By faith a person is “joined” to Jesus Christ, thus we become one with all believers (Galatians 3:28). So Paul sees that husbands and wives become "one flesh" and that Christ and the church become "one body". For the Christian marriage is to be loving, holy, pure, self-sacrificing and mutually submissive because those virtues characterize the relationship of Christ and the church. So, why is it important that we joyfully fulfill our roles in marriage? Simple, we are copying and reflecting the relationship God intended for Christ and the church.

According to Ephesians 5:22-33, we have specific roles and specific role models that create the harmony of marriage. Let's begin with the wives. Read closely vv. 22-24: Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. So, what is the role of the wife? To submit, to be subject to their husbands.

This reminds of the story told by Charles Swindoll: "A couple went to a two day conference on marriage; one of those speakers just hammered away at the wife on being in submission to her husband; the woman's husband was drinking it in, wanting to stay late and get everything this speaker had to say; when they got home, walking inside, the husband closed the door and said, 'I want to get something straight with you right now. From now on, that is the way things are going to be. You got that? You submit to me.'" He didn’t see her for two weeks. At the beginning of the third week he could begin to see her out of one eye.

We laugh at stories like this--perhaps they ring true. At times, husbands seem to focus on the "submission of wives," but they skip over what Ephesians 5:21 says: be subject to one another in the feat of Christ. Or what Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:7: You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way. In what same way? In a submissive way (Ephesians 5:21). John MacArthur explains in his note n 1 Peter 3:7 in the MacArthur Study Bible, that the husband is equally responsible to submit, but not the wife as leader but lovingly submitting by "being sensitive to the needs, fears, and feelings of his wife." "Be subject" in Ephesians 5:22 was not in the original, but the meaning is carried over from v. 21: Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (and as a first example) wives to your husbands; the original Greek emphasizes the willing submitting of oneself--a voluntary response. The submission is not the husband’s to command but for the wife to willingly and lovingly offer. John MacArthur writes in his study on Ephesians: "A husband is not to treat his wife as a servant or a child, but as an equal for whom God has given him care and responsibility for provision and protection" (281). We are only slaves to Christ, not to one another.

I love this. Notice that it says in Ephesians 5:22 that wives are to be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Look again, own husbands. This limits her submission to one man God has placed over her but gives balancing emphasis that he is hers as an intimate possession--she submits to the man she possesses as her own.

Ray Stedman, in his book on Ephesians, tells a relevant story: "A Woman approached me with an insightful question: 'Does Ephesians 5:22-23 mean that my submission to my husband is a gauge of the degree to which I am submitted to Christ?' 'Yes, it is exactly that,' I replied. 'Well then, my submission to my husband is not some sort of gift that I give my husband, that he should feel indebted to me for. Nor should I use my submission to him as some sort of manipulation or blackmail. I can’t say to my husband: ‘I submitted to you, now you have to do such and such for me.’ Nor can I say to God, ‘I submitted myself to my husband so you have to produce certain results in my life.' No! If I submit to my husband as unto the Lord, I should not care what the results are; that is up to my husband and to God.'"

Stedman exclaimed in the book. “She got it.”

Who is the wife’s role model? Verses 23-24 gives us a clue. The church. How does the church submit to Christ? The body recognizes Christ's headship; we surrender to His Lordship; we obey His word; we walk uprightly, honestly, and righteously. In that vein, the wife’s submission is based on His headship and the headship of the man in the family. What is the relationship to the head and the body? The head leads, guides, nourishes. Therefore, husbands are called by God to take the primary responsibility for Christlike servant leadership and protection and provision in the home. What are specific was wives can honor and affirm their husband’s leadership? 1 Peter 3:1-6 states that it is with humility, love, moral purity, kindness, and respect. The consequences of such willing and loving submission, MacArthur writes, is a wife who is "an honor to her Lord, her husband, her family, her church, and herself" (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Ephesians 288)

Return to verses 25-33. What is the husband’s role and role model? The husband’s primary submission to his wife is through his love for her. The apostles clearly say that it is a boundless kind of love. Look closely at verses 25-30. Identify the verbs Paul uses to describe Christ’s commitment to His bride: "love," "gave," "sanctify," "cleansed." What does this say about the Husband’s responsibility in marriage?. Verse 25 commands, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her." Dr. Piper comments on this passage by saying, "If the husband is the head of the wife" (v. 23), than he is to primarily lead out in "the kind of love that is willing to die to give her life" (Desiring God 217)

God commands us to love as He loved, right? MacArthur says, “loving as Christ loves does not depend in the least on what others are in themselves, but entirely on what we are in Christ (New Testament Commentary on Ephesians 297).

Read carefully these words from MacArthur: "The Christian who loves because of what other people may do for him or because they are attractive does not love as God loves. The husband who loves his wife only because of her practical attractiveness or pleasing temperament does not love as Christ loved the church. The husband who loves his wife for what she can give him loves as the world loves, not as Christ loves. The husband who loves his wife as Christ loves His church gives everything he has for his wife, including his life necessary. If a loving husband is willing to sacrifice his life for his wife, her is certainly willing to make lesser sacrifices for her. He puts his own likes, desires, opinions, preferences, and welfare aside if that is required to please her and meet her needs. He dies to self in order to live for his wife, because that is what Christ's kind of love demands" (298)

We are to love with not only a sacrificial love but a purifying love as well (v. 26-27), protecting our wives from defilement, protecting her holiness, virtue and purity, protecting her from the world’s contamination, never inducing her to do that which is wrong or unwise or expose her to that which is less than good (MacArthur, New Testament Commentary 300). Look at vv. 28-30. How do we nourish and cherish our wives? When she needs strength, we give her strength; when she needs encouragement, we offer her encouragement, to provide for her needs, to help her grow and mature in favor with God, to provide tender love, understanding, consideration, sensitivity, to give her warmth and comfort, protection and security.

Dr. Piper says that "If you want to be a Christian husband, you become a servant, not a boss" (217). So what does Christlike leadership look like? Dr. Piper continues: "You [speaking to husbands directly] should feel the greater responsibility to take the lead in the things of t he Spirit; you should lead the family in a life of prayer, in the study of God's Word, and in worship; you should lead in giving the family a vision of its meaning and mission; you should take the lead in shaping the moral fabric of the home and in governing its happy peace" (218). There use to be famous cigarette billboard pictures of a curly headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The caption read "Where a man belongs." Society teaches this, and at the same time perpetuates a lie. This is not the biblical portrait of a man. Where a man belongs is at the bedside of his children leading devotions; with his family serving together, worshiping together; up early with God, kneeling, confessing, seeking. That is the role of the man in general, and husband specifically.

I close with these final two passages:

Matthew Henry wrote, "the woman was not made our of his head head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and hear his heart to be beloved" (qtd. in Warren Wiersbe, Life Sentences 28). Now, this sums up beautifully the role of the husband in marriage and the spiritual harmony in the marriage relationship

A Prayer for Married Couples written by Bishop Slattery, soon after his marriage, to be used each day in their family devotions at home in Boston, Massachusetts. I pray this prayer be blessing to you and your spouse.

O God, our Heavenly Father, protect and bless us. Deepen and
strengthen our love for each other day by day. Grant that by Thy
mercy neither of us ever say one unkind word to the other.
Forgive and correct our faults, and make us constantly to forgive
one another should one of us unconsciously hurt the other. Make
us and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in
heart, devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the
other's best. Then we pray Thee add to our common life such
virtues as only Thou canst give. And so, O Father, consecrate
our life and our love completely to Thy worship, and to the
service of all about us, especially those whom Thou has appointed
us to serve, that we may always stand before Thee in happiness
and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Walking in Truth: Notes from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and second, then for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

I must say that one of my deepest passions is to teach THE Word; and each Sunday, God has blessed me with that opportunity. I have been really enjoying our study of John Piper's Desiring God, not only a challenging read, but also intentional about drawing us closer to God. How often do we feel distant from God? Have we lost passion for Him? How often do we love well or love loudly (I love that--just heard that is an upcoming theme for our Baptist Association)? Do we have radical faith? Are we committed to worship, by living a life-style that reflects His heart, and His desires? In short, do we desire Him above all other pleasures? God's Word has brought clarity to these areas of our walk. God has used Piper's work as an instrument to deliver that message.

Our focus yesterday? Prayer, the Power of the Christian Hedonist.

Why do people pray? Rightly, we pray to align our will with His Will; we pray to glorify His name; we pray to worship; we pray to fellowship. We pray to cry to Him our sufferings and hurts; we pray for others and their needs. Wrongly, we pray to ask for things; we pray to say we did; we pray because we believe that is what "good Christians" do; we pray because we feel guilty when we don't.

Our main text on Sunday was John 14:13: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

and John 16:24: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In these two verses, Jesus points to the reasons we ought to pray, really the two primary reasons: To bring glory to the Father and to be given the fullness of joy (that is joy in Him). For these reasons, Christian Hedonists will be devoted to prayer, for he or she operates under two pursuits: The pursuit of God’s glory and the fullness of our joy (that is delight and joy in Him, the great giver of joy and sustainer of joy); and it is God’s desire that He be glorified and that we (his children) experience complete joy--and prayer is the privilege that accomplishes both.

Let's examine John 14:3 a little more closely. If I ask you, as my friend, to do something for me, would you feel complimented or insulted? Why? If you said you wanted to help me but I brushed you off saying that I could do it better, how would you feel? Would I demonstrate your character by asking for or refusing your help? How? It is obvious that if I were in need--let's say paralyzed--and I asked you, my friend, for help I would then demonstrate your character as strong and kind, for I would trust in your strength and kindness to meet my need; I glorify you by needing you and asking for your assistance, for I know that without you I can not do for myself. In this same vein of thinking we are paralyzed--helpless before our Father. Without Christ we are unable to do for ourselves. When we realize our weakness, our need for Him, and seek His face, we are glorifying Him.

Let's take a deeper look shall we? Take the time to read John 15:1-17. What does Jesus call himself? He calls us "friend" (v. 15), in deed a strong friend. As the "vine", he is giver of life, sustainer of all things; we must be connected to that "life", for separated from the vine, we (the branches) dry up, and no long do what we were made to do. So, according verse 5, what were we made to do, that which God intends (commands)? Bear fruit. But notice the last part of verse 5: "a part from me you can do nothing." Christ promises to do for us what we can’t possibly do for ourselves. So, how do we reflect the character of--that is, how do we glorify--Christ? We glorify Him by needing him, by abiding in him, by clinging to him, by trusting in Him, by believing (refer to a previous post about examining our faith) in Him. All we need is Jesus, just Jesus, not Jesus plus anything else, but JESUS. Notice what verse 7 says: We pray! We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves--that is bear fruit. Dr. Piper says that "prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in confidence that He will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy" (161). Psalm 50:15 says, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. We call; God delivers; we glorify. At the heart of Christian Hedonism, "God gets the glory; we get the delight" (Piper 163).

Can prayer be self-centered? What about when you hear phrases like, "we get the delight", or when Christ says that "our joy may be made complete"? In the Disciples prayer (Matt. 5:9-13), what did Jesus say for us to pray for in verses 9-10? For God’s Will, for his name to be glorified, for His kingdom to come. That doesn't sound self-centered, in fact just the opposite, very God centered. Even though the focus in verses 11-13 is on our most basic of needs, the prayer is still God-centered, for it is a prayer to bear fruit, to be forgiving (forgive others), patient (give us our daily bread--just what we need), and self controlled (lead us not into temptation) We can see that prayer to bear fruit and do God’s Will is far from self-centered.

But what oftentimes makes up the bulk of our prayers? Prayers motivated by selfish desires. Listen to what James says about wrongly motivated prayers: When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? (3-5) Notice that he calls the Jewish believers “adulterous people.” How do believers commit spiritual adultery with our prayers? Selfish desires lead to wrong praying. Dr. Piper offers quite a shocking view of spiritual adultery. Listen to what he says: "So there is a kind of praying that is wrong because it makes a cuckold out of God. We use our Husband's generosity to hire prostitutes for private pleasures . . . . he pictures the church as the wife of God. God has made us for Himself and has given Himself to us for our enjoyment. Therefore it is adultery when we try to be 'friends' with the world. If we seek from the world the pleasures we should seek in God, we are unfaithful to our marriage vows" (165). Instead, we should sing God-centered, faithful prayers like this psalmist. There is no infedelity here:

Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Dr. Piper says that "we do not glorify God by providing His needs, but by praying that He would provide ours--and trusting Him to answer" (168). Read the following verses:

Psalm 27:14:Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 37:7: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;do not fret when men succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:34: Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Proverbs 20:22: Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Isaiah: 8:17: I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Isaiah 26:8: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

What then is the predominant role and attitude of the believer in prayer? To be still and wait. The psalmists declares in Psalm 33:20-22, that he will hope in the Lord, for He is hope and protection, that in Him we find joy and delight, and because of that, we trust. Dr. Piper renders it this way: To wait "means to pause and soberly consider our own inadequacy and the Lord's all-sufficiency and to seek counsel and help from our Lord" (170). But, why would we rather work than wait? First, waiting does not produce immediate results. We have a tendency to work harder because we can see the immediate fruit of our effort, all the while pushing us to burn out, or work for the sake of work--to say that we have one more thing checked off our "list." or by working, we run so far out ahead of God, that he is distant blip on the GPS of our hearts.

Read the words of David in Psalm 40:1-3:

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Notice how praying and then waiting for God to answer resulted in glory for God and joy for David. God works for those who wait on Him (Isaiah 64:4). According to Dr. Piper, "God aims to exalt Himself by working for those who wait for Him. Prayer is the essential activity of waiting for God--acknowledging our helplessness and His power, calling upon Him for help, seeking His counsel . . . . Prayer is the antidote for the disease of self-confidence . . . .God is not looking for people to work for Him [and we often have that attitude about "working for Him], so much as He is looking for people who will let Him work for them" (170-171). As one of our class members said (and this Rocks), "Let go, to let God." Simple and profound wisdom.

Now to John 16:24. Let me offer Christ's words again: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Question: If the aim of prayer is to glorify God and give fullness of joy as we delight in Him, then why is there so much prayerlessness? What does prayerlessness signify? Lack of passion, lost delight, overwhelming burden, weary souls, seeing praying as a "thing" to do. There are countless of reasons, I am sure. Dr. Piper offers this insight: "There is a direct correlation between not knowing Jesus well and not asking much from Him" (162). Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). Dr. Piper continues, "a failure in our prayer life is generally a failure to know Jesus. A prayerless Christian is like a bus driver trying alone to push his bus out of a rut because he doesn't know that Clark Kent is on board" (162). If we knew, we would ask.

I was never a math wiz in school, but let me give you two equations; and these two equations I get: Prayerlessness = Joylessness; Prayerfulness = Joyfulness. Why are these equations true? John 16:20-22 gives answer: I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. Here are two more: Separation from Jesus = Sadness, lostness, confusion, emptiness; then as verse 22 states, Fellowship with Jesus = Joy.

Listen to Jonathan Edwards, a soldier of faith, as he discusses the height and intensity of this fellowship with Christ: "I had vehement longings of soul after God and Christ, and after more holiness, wherewith my heart seemed to be full, and ready to break . . . .I often felt a mourning and lamenting in my heart, that I had not turned to God sooner, that I might have had more time to grow in grace. My mind was greatly fixed on divine things; almost perpetually in the contemplation of them. I spent most of my time in thinking of divine things, year after year; often walking alone in the woods, and solitary places, for meditation, soliloquy, and prayer, and conversation with God; and it was always my manner, at such times, to sing forth my contemplations. I was almost constantly in ejaculatory prayer, wherever I was. Prayer seemed to be natural to me, as the breath by which the inward burnings of my heart had vent" (quoted in Piper 176).

1 John 1:3-4 reads: We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. Prayer makes our joy complete. Why? Because we get to enjoy His presence. We get to communicate with the Father who knew us even in my mother's womb. Prayer is about Him, all of Him (His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, judgment, justice, sovereignty, truth, wisdom, counsel, protection). No Christian can have fullness of joy without a vital fellowship with Christ; otherwise, Christianity becomes a joyless burden. I pray that my walk with Christ never becomes a joyless burden.

Let's go back and explore John 15 again. This time, focus on verses 7-8 and 16: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. . . .You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Look at what Christ says that we need in answer to our prayers to fill our joy. We need to bear fruit. We have made reference to that a couple of times, so what fruit are we to bear? We know one is joy. Dr Piper says that "prayer is the fountain of joy [John 15:11) because it is the source of power of love" (176). Read closely John 15:12-17. So, in addition to joy, what other fruit are we commanded to bear? It is all about love. Prayer empowers us to be on a mission of love. But we have to be on the right frequency, with the right transmitter. Listen to how Dr. Piper explains this metaphor: "It is as though the field commander (Jesus) called in the troops, gave them a crucial mission (go bear fruit), handed each one of them a personal transmitter coded to the frequency of the general’s headquarters, and said, “Comrades, the general has a mission for you. He aims to see it accomplished. And to that end he has authorized me to give each of you personal access to him through these transmitters. If you stay true to his mission and seek his victory first, he will always be as close as your transmitter, to give tactical advice and to send in air cover when you need it(177). He ends with this question: "Could it be that many or our problems with prayer and much of our weakness in prayer come from the fact that we are not on active duty, and yet we still try to use the transmitter? (177). He then offers this truth: "If the pump of love runs dry, it is because the pipe of prayer isn’t deep enough." I pray that I am on active duty and have not gone awol, and that my pump never runs dry and that I keep on digging.

Martin Luther once said, "If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith." Here is another poignant statement by the reformer, Luther: When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope." Where are out thoughts? What is the object or our attention? What pleasures do we delight in? God is our only thought, wish, and hope. We should pray not because we have to, but because we want to. Do you know what causes that attitude? Being tyrannized by the press of busy days--let’s commit to rethink our priorities.

Let's Examine Our Faith, Together

"Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, although he may die, yet he shall live" (John 11:25--emphasis added)).

"For God so greatly loved the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16--emphasis added).

I often hear people ask: Do you believe in Jesus? Do you think that question has lost its meaning? What are people asking when they pose that question? Is "belief" synonymous with "faith"? Or does it carry the meaning offered in this statement, "I know in my head that Jesus was the son of God", much like a person believes in a fact or a concept that has proven to be true with empirical evidence or observation? I believe that Jesus lived on this Earth 2,000 years ago; I believe that He was 33 years old when He died. Is this what the biblical definition of "belief" is? I pray that I never take my "belief" for granted, that I relegate it to some cliched question or response.

The Greek word, which is translated as faith, is pistis (noun) and believe, is translated from pistevo (verb). The word believe (Greek verb "pistevo"), according to Strong's Greek Dictionary, means: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust, (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ.) believe, commit, (to trust), put in trust with.

So, in the above translations of the two verses in John, believe means "adheres to, trusts in, clings to, relies on." So, the more accurate question should be: Do I commit to, adhere to, trust in, rely on, cling to" Jesus Christ? I pray that in His grace and strength that I can answer a resounding, "YES!" Does my life reflect my "belief"?

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul encourages us to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"

What is it then that I believe, that I commit to, that I trust in? Let me examine.

I believe . . .

in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior
in the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
they are One
that Christ's death cleansed me of my sins
THE only way to enter the Kingdom of God is through Christ
that the way to Heaven is narrow and few find it
in the infallibility of the Word of God
that His grace is sufficient
that God is in control and sovereign
that God's Will for my life is to be fashioned in the image of His Son
that Christ's blood justified me before a Holy God
that He sanctifies us--sets us apart--to be holy, as He is holy
that sanctification is a life time process
in one baptism but many fillings of the Spirit
that the world is lost and dying
that Christ has called me to be salt and light to that lost world
in the promises of God
that Christ's Name is above every name
in building others up with kindness, compassion, and love
in the unity of God's church
that my number one priority is to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind
that I must love as He loved
in the sanctity of marriage, one man and one wife, bound by His Love and Grace
in Christ's total forgiveness
that the law and works cannot save
that the law given to Moses pointed to our need for a savior
that my worship must be in spirit and truth
that His truth sets me free from the bondage of sin and free toward righteousness
that He will never leave me nor forsake me
that my identity is in Christ
that His return is near and that I need to be ready
that I must as Paul admonished run the race set before me
that I must honor God in all that I say, think and do
that faith with works is dead
that I must be a doer of the Word
that the Almighty created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th
that He created us in His own image: to reason, to love, to create
that sin entered the world because of man's rebellion
that the Father predetermined in Eternity past that His Son would drink the cup of suffering for us
that God's Will for my life is to live with purity
that His Will for me is to suffer as Christ suffered
that He has called me to think, act, and speak joyfully through trials of every kind
that trials build character, that suffering is God's method of pruning
that I must love vertically (God) before I can love horizontally (others)
in His wisdom
that when I confessed with my mouth that Jesus was Lord and believed in my heart that He rose again on the third day, he saved me
that my salvation is eternally secure
that Jesus's death reconciled us with God
that if God is for me, who can be against me.

Please join with me in this examination. Use the comment link below this post to share what you "believe", what you commit to, what you trust in, what you cling to.

Walking in the Truth: Notes from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and second, for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below.

Today, in Sunday School, we explored the power and life-giving qualities of God's Word, the kindling of the Christian Hedonist. Before I present the outline and flow of notes from today's lesson, I want to provide a review of what Christian Hedonism means, lest we get confused or misinterpret the focus and intent of these lessons. Christian Hedonism as defined by John Piper in his book Desiring God is clearly revealed in the following two verses:

Psalm 43:4:

Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

Psalm 16:11:

You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

CS Lewis said that God is the “all-satisfying Object:” He is the source of complete and unending pleasure.

So far, we have explored "Conversion as the Creation of a Christian Hedonist," "Worship as the Feast of Christian Hedonism," "Love as the Labor of Christian Hedonism." Today, we studied "Scripture, the kindling of Christian Hedonism.

Why is life at times joyless? Circumstances get in the way; by doing life, we encounter disappointment, sadness, discouragement. All of these are true; however, the Bible clearly points to the catalyst of joylessness. 1 Peter 5:8 reads, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Satan is on the prowl, seeking to devour us. Jesus says in John 10:10 that the "thief has come to steal, kill and destroy." What has Satan come to destroy, to devour? The joy of our faith. Piper likens Satan to the big, bad wolf who tries to blow out the flames of our faith. Because we are not on guard, we often allow a foothold for Satan and then that foothold turns into a strong hold; then easily, Satan has accomplished his purpose in distracting us, to where we focus more on our circumstances, on our guilt, our shame, our troubles, our broken relationships, than we do on what God has called us to be. But, we have an endless supply of kindling that can keep our joy in God burning bright. So, let's start there: in God's Word.

Read Psalm 19:7-11 below:

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Notice how the psalmist describes God's holy scripture: perfect and trustworthy, right and radiant, pure and sure, precious and sweet. What did the psalmist say were the effects of His truth? God's Word revives, makes wise, gives joy, gives light, and is long lasting. What might we do to get the kindling burning? Paul charges young Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6 to "fan into flames the gift of God." The act of fanning implies work; being on guard from the prowling of the enemy suggests a fight. We must work and fight to keep our joy in God burning. We must work and fight with the only offensive weapon in God's armor: the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Someone once asked Martin Luther, "'Do you feel that you have been forgiven?' He answered, 'No! but I’m as sure as there’s a God in Heaven. For feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving; my warrant is the Word of God, nought else is worth believing.'" Can I get an Amen? Nothing else is worth believing. Not a philosophy, not the platform of a political party, not the ideologies of a politician, not the lyrics of our favorite song, or our favorite celebrity's charity or cause, not what we learned in school. Nothing but the Word of God. Psalm 63:3 reads, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Did you catch that? "Because your love is better than life."

Through our study we talked about the benefits and power of God's Word

The Bible is Your Life (Benefit and Power #1)

Let's examine Deuteronomy 32:46-47: "he said to them, 'Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.'" Other translations render "idle" as "no small matter" (The Message), "vain" (KJV), "futile" (NKJV), "empty and worthless trifle" (Amplified), and "meaningless words" (Holman Christian Standard). How do we treat the Word of God as a trifle? When tt becomes an obligation, one more thing to add to our grocery list of things to do, we don't do what it says, we twist it to mean what we want it to mean, we attach feelings and emotionalism to it, we speak it out of context, we don't truly believe what it says. After Moses says that the Word is not idle words, he says instead, "they are life." 1 Peter 1:23-25 reads,

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

What are the life-giving properties of the Word of God? It restores, saves, heals, builds, encourages, creates. John 1:1 reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So, how does the Word give life? It gives life because Christ is THE Word. Remember what Christ said in John 10:10 about the enemy? Immediately, in juxtaposed the intent of the thief with the intent of savior: "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (emphasis added). In Matthew 4:4, Christ quotes scripture (Deut. 8:3) and with authority defends Satan's temptation. He says, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Pause for a moment to reflect on how God's Word gives you life, how God's Word sustains you.

Dr. Piper offers a great illustration of the life-giving and sustaining power of His Word. Thomas "Little" Bilney was an English Reform born in 1495. Dr. Piper records that Bilney "studied law and was outwardly rigorous in his efforts at religion. He rigorously sought man's creation, religion; it was outward, and he strived in vain, until he received a Greek Translation of the New Testament. God's Word never returns void, does it? Bilney writes,

I chanced upon this sentence of St. Paul (O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul!) in 1 Timothy 1: 'It is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be embraced that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the chief and principal.' This one sentence, through God's instruction and inward working, which I did not then perceive, did so exhilarate my heart, being before wounded with guilt of my sins, and being almost in despair, that . . . immediately I
. . . felt a marvelous comfort and quietness, in so much that 'my bruised bones leaped for joy.' After this, the scriptures began to be more pleasant to me than honey or the honeycomb. (146)

Indeed, God's Word is not meaningless, idle, or empty. They are the breath of God, giving restoration to a weary soul.

Faith Comes by Hearing (Benefit and power #2)

Why did John write the gospel that bears his name? He writes in John 20:31, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (emphasis added). How did our faith in God about? By believing. By believing what, or should I say in whom? Christ Jesus, that He is the son of God. Listen to the words of Paul in Romans 10:17: "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (emphasis added). Remember, only God's Word as the power to save, in the name of Christ Jesus. Dr. Piper tells the powerful story of a murderer who was converted because He heard the Word of God. Tokichi Ichii was executed in Tokyo in 1918. He was known for his cruelty. Just before his execution he received a copy of the New Testament from two missionaries and began to read the story of Jesus's trial and execution. His attention was drawn to the words of Christ on the cross: "'Father forgive them, for they know what they do'" Dr. Piper writes, "This sentence transformed his life." Listen to Tokichi's words,

"I stopped. I was stabbed to the heart, as if by a five-inch nail. What did the verse reveal to me? Shall I call it the love of the heart of Christ? Shall I call it His compassion? I do know what to call it. I only know that with an unspeakably grateful heart I believed." (147)

Dr. Piper continues by saying, "The faith that starts our life in Christ and by which we go on living comes from hearing the Word of God" (146).

God Supplies the Spirit Through the Hearing of Faith (Benefit and Power #3)

What is the relationship between the Word of God, being filled with the Spirit, and experiencing joy? How do we receive the Holy Spirit? Is it by works? Absolutely not. The Spirit comes by hearing with faith. Hearing what? Hearing the Word of God. I love what Dr. Piper says about this relationship: "The Spirit inspired the Word and therefore goes where the Word goes. The more of God's Word you know and love the more of God's Spirit you will experience. Instead of drinking wine, we should drink the Spirit" (148). Doesn't Ephesians 5:18 command us to "be filled with the Spirit"? In the original, "be filled" is actually "be being filled" a continual filling and refilling. But how do we "be being filled?" By the Word of God. Listen to Romans 8:5: "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." What does the Spirit desire? What are the things of the Spirit? The teachings of the Spirit, namely the Word of God. We drink the Spirit by drinking the Word of God, and the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22)

The Truth Shall Make You Free (Benefit and Power #4)

I want to offer two scriptural references here: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32) and "sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). So, what is the truth that can set us free? The Word of God. The Word of God can set us free from the bondage to sin; but it can also set us free toward something. Dr. Piper says it is "freedom for holiness." I just have to say that that rocks. Wow, a freedom to be holy, deliverance from self toward humility, from smallness of mind to wisdom, from threatening confinements to spacious victory. A.W. Tozar, contemplating the fact that more than 10,000 thoughts a day pass between our ears, said, "Our thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become. We will soon be the sum total of our thoughts. The Holy Spirit uses the nourishment of the Word of God to rewrite our computer and renew our minds". And D. L. Moody declared, “The scriptures were not given for our information but our transformation.” Listen to the words of the apostle Peter: "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:4). According to this passage, God's Word sets us free from worldliness, lust, and the flesh; God's Word sets us free toward God's promises, understanding, knowing and experiencing His divine nature.

Written that You Might Have Assurance (Benefit and Power #5)

Notice in 1 John 5:13, the reasons he wrote the words God gave him: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." So why did he write? So that we may KNOW that we have eternal life. The Word of God gives us assurance. When we struggle with attitude of doubt, the Word of God can replace that attitude with one of faith. God's Word instills in believers confidence, hope, security. Psalm 119:50, 52 read, "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. . . .I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them."

The Evil One is Overcome by the Word of God (Benefit and Power #6)

1 John 2:14 reads, "I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." What made the young men strong? What did they have the strength to do? They were made strong because the Word of God lived within them. The Word of God here is described more like a weapon, than kindling. Ephesians 6:17 commands us to use the Sword of the Spirit. Dr. Piper states, "What many Christians fail to realize is that we can't draw the sword from someone else's scabbard. If we don't wear it, we cant' wield it" (151). The Word of God must abide in us, so that when the enemy attacks, we can wield the power and might of His word. When Christ was tempted by Satan, all He needed to say is, "It is written." So, how do we keep the Sword sharp and ready for use? We must saturate our minds with His Word, we must pour over it, we must meditate on it, we must pray through it, we must hunger for it, we must get in it, we must stay in it. Dr Piper recounts Hudson Taylor's disciplined meditation on God's Word:

It was not easy for Mr. Taylor in his changeful life, to make time for prayer and Bible study, but he knew that it was vital. Well do [we] remember traveling with him month after month in northern China, by cart and wheelbarrow, with the poorest of inns at night. Often with only one large room for coolies and travelers alike, they would screen off a corner for their father and another for themselves, with curtains of some sort; and then after sleep at last had brought a measure of quiet they would hear a match struck and seek the flicker of candlelight which told that Mr. Taylor, however weary, was pouring over the little Bible in two volumes always at hand. From two to four a.m. was the time he usually gave to prayer; the time when he could be most sure of being undisturbed to wait upon God. (151-152)

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete," Jesus says in John 15:11. And Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." Dr. Piper closes his remarks with "Not to pursue our joy every day in the Word of God is to abandon the revealed will of God" (152).

John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim's Progress, testified, "Read the Bible, and read it again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble yourself, though you may not have commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from man."

Let's commit to saturate our minds with the Word of God, daily!

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