Hillsong Doesn’t Understand Worship

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

nohillsongAn individual on my Facebook acquaintance list shared a Hillsong article entitled “7 Tips for Raising Up a Youth Worship Team” by Laura Toggs (daughter of Bobbie and Brian Houston). It is… not good. Overall it’s devoid of substance, unclear, and vague. However, I wanted to take a few moments to point out some of the odd priorities and theology presented in this piece.

The youth are literally the next generation coming up through the Church, so it’s massively important to pour into, to disciple, and to bring the creativity/leadership out of each one of them to ensure the Church as a whole moves from strength to strength.

Here are just a few tips that I’ve collected while working in our youth ministry over the years, and we pray that they’d be such a blessing to you, your youth ministry, and your church.

Well, that’s an intro. Yes, the youth are the next generation. What does Hillsong mean by “pour into” the youth? I hope somewhere in the tips that follow we’ll get a clear idea. Discipling the youth is a good thing, but in what? Are we talking about discipling them in Christ Jesus? in the Word? Are we talking about doing this with or without their Parents? Finally, what is it to “bring the creativity/leadership out” of each of them, and how is it this point that is connected with the strength of the Church? The strength of the Church is in her foundation… laid by the apostles with Christ as the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-21). Let’s see if the 7 tips provide any clarity.

1. It starts with you

Have a revelation of the importance and value of bringing through young worship leaders, musicians, and creatives. From generation to generation we commend His works, declare His faithfulness, and desire His glory to shine brighter & brighter… This means that we have a responsibility to genuinely champion the next generation, and our hope should be that they see and do greater things than what we have seen or done — all for the name of JESUS. (How exciting!)

Have a revelation of the importance and value of bringing through young worship leaders, musicians, and creatives.

Okay, so I will say that their web promotion is very slick… having formatted twitter bites throughout their blog is savvy. Now let’s look at the tip… what is it, exactly? Oh yes… It starts with you. Interesting that this is the very first point. Seems most sermons coming out of Hillsong suffer from this same narcissism. Remember how I called the promotion slick? Notice at the very end… we get a mention of Jesus. Does that rescue the point? Not at all, this is only included as a cover, should someone (like myself) point out the narcissism and man-centered priority of this list. But this is a separate clause that is tacked onto the end of the central thought of this point… it’s up to you to genuinely champion the next generation so that they see and do greater things than we have seen or done.

Time for our CTT portion for today: From generation to generation we commend His works, declare His faithfulness, and desire His glory to shine brighter & brighter… sounds like a passage of Scripture… but no reference is given. The author then goes on to explain what it means. The closest match I found is Psalm 145:4, but it doesn’t say what this article is saying. Let’s look at the Psalm.

Psalm 145 (ESV) | Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David.

145 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

This is a song of praise to God and a commitment to train up the younger generation to continue that praise by teaching them of His mighty works. Do you think King David would have begun his list of tips with “it starts with you”? Well, let us not dabble in conjecture and philosophy… let’s look at King David’s instructions to Solomon after he had been anointed as King.

1 Kings 2:1-4 (ESV) | David’s Instructions to Solomon

1 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

David pointed Solomon to the word of the Lord God as it is written in the Law of Moses. He could have worded it in a way that references himself as a model… but he didn’t. It doesn’t start with us, it starts and ends with our Lord God.

2. Stop waiting and start developing

You have a team of young people who are just waiting for you to unearth their potential. There is a wealth of God-given gift, talent, and anointing within your youth ministry — identify them, believe in them, disciple them, and then release them. Be generous with your encouragement, time, and wisdom because they are worth your investment (and remember, God has a habit of using the unlikely and non-obvious ones).

So many buzzwords totally lacking in substance. unearth their potential, anointing, release them. Now, if there is one thing I’ll give this idea credit for, it’s in the idea that a church should not simply skip or forgo worship simply because they haven’t hired a slick musician with a relevant look who is willing to perform on a small budget. Worship doesn’t require skill or trappings, but a contrite spirit and a penitent faith in Jesus Christ. The rest of the paragraph is cryptic Word of Faith and Presence theology lingo for super-charging some hidden, untapped, god-given potential for greatness that needs to be called up, energized, or released in them… or something. Look, our youth need to be taught the Word of God. Those with musical skills should be trained in music also, but not at the price of sound doctrine. Without sound doctrine and Biblical discipleship we risk creating more Jennifer Knapps, Gungors, or Katie Perrys instead of faithful Christians with hearts for worship.

3. Teach your young people to honour

Honour leadership, honour people, honour the platform, and most of all — honour God. They may not quite understand the privilege, the weight, the responsibility, and the sacrifices made (and I’ve come to realise that this is NOT their fault, but rather the challenge of a generation being born into blessing), so tell them stories of the many faithful people who have paved the way. Guide them towards being grateful and remind them, remind them, remind them of WHY we do what we do, and WHO we do it for. (Be unapologetically repetitive).

To honor what? Leadership, people, the platform… and God gets an afterthought behind another dash. Hillsong employs and teaches the Vision casting leadership model of Church. To question the Leader is to question God’s appointed leader, which is to question God. That is why this list is in the order presented. Hillsong does not abide anyone who questions Brian or his underlings, they will not suffer a noble Berean. And there lies the real meaning of the Why we do what we do and WHO we do it for. Cleverly written, plausibly deniable, completely intentional. Hillsong is a corporation of men, not the Body of Christ.

4. There are seasons for releasing & empowering and seasons for reining-in & bringing back

Allow your young people to express their own unique sound and enthusiasm freely, but always bring it back to the heart of worship. Let them be confident, but prioritise humility. Allow them the honour of the spotlight, but also the privilege to serve in a capacity of which is unseen. (Perhaps the same person who worship leads one night could be the same person scraping chewing gum off the carpet at the end of the night).

Now this point, buried in the middle of the list has some practical advice for young musicians. It is good to have leadership systems in training… I remember my younger brother (an awesome drummer) talk about competing for first-chair in his section. This is good for students to grow both musically and as leaders in their art. Teaching them responsibility in the menial and unseen tasks is also good. All of that empty talk of “releasing and empowering” is worthless.

5. Just do what you do, and let your young people in on it

Song-write with them, roster them on to co-worship lead with you, let them observe you during rehearsal, save a seat for them on the front row with you, invite them over to the odd family dinner…you know, stuff like that. The most valuable lessons are learned in a way that is natural & organic (and practical is awesome).

And we’re back to me, er “you”. This is basic mentorship and discipling, but again we don’t see here any direct tie to God’s Word. Since we are still talking about youth, the absence of mention of the youth’s parents is again, troubling.

6.Make it the most fun and exciting thing for your young people to be part of ever!!!!!

Make memories that will last forever!

Okay, now I’m thinking the author gave up at 5 points, but didn’t want to have to rewrite the title. How is this a tip? This rah-rah motivational pabulum. What does this have to do with the very real responsibility of leading the people of God in worship? There is no substance here.

7. Most importantly disciple your young people to JESUS, JESUS, JESUS

Point them to Jesus and allow Him to shape their hearts. He can do in a moment what we couldn’t do in a lifetime.

Point them to Jesus and allow Him to shape their hearts. He can do in a moment what we couldn’t do in a lifetime, so only ever and always point them upwards. In everything, JESUS…with everything, JESUS.

Again with the final thought, a vague mention of Jesus. Sure they repeated the Name of Jesus several times, and in general this might be a decent way to start a greater discussion of how to disciple our youth… but that’s not what is going on here.  Point them to Jesus and allow Him to shape their hearts. What does that mean from an organization that places man first in all things and fails to rightly handle God’s Word? None of these tips pointed to Jesus. None of these tips pointed clearly (and correctly) to God’s Word. I mean, one might think that after reading these 7 tips the Bible must be fairly empty on the subject of youth, worship, training, teaching, leadership within the church… but it isn’t. The bible clearly addresses all of these topics… but the Bible points to God and doesn’t leave room for Hillsong to get their glory.

Conclusion

Ultimately, what it all boils down to is that either Hillsong doesn’t understand what Worship is, or it simply doesn’t care. They’ve figured out how to profit off of entertainment with a thin Bible veneer sold as a spiritual experience that all Christians should seek out and desire. Hillsong (and Bethel) are cancers in the visible Church. They do not teach sound doctrine, instead they preach themselves and are waterless clouds.

Jude 5-13 (ESV)

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

Hillsong is a money-making machine, devilishly clever, and completely compromised. Come away from them, and learn to Worship the One True God in Spirit and in Truth.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present youblameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Gospel Wednesday | Matthew 15

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

bibleAs we continue our walk through the Gospel According to Matthew, last week we closed out Matthew 14.

Today, we will be looking at some impactful teaching from our Lord Jesus Christ, followed by some more miracles testifying of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and of His compassion and love.

Matthew 15:1-9 (ESV) | Traditions and Commandments

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Did the Pharisees rebuke Jesus via His disciples regarding the Law? No… it was regarding the tradition of the elders. In some places you’ll hear it referred to as the oral tradition. You see, the Pharisees held a dual standard of holiness… there was the Law and the Prophets, what we have preserved in our Bible and then there was the oral tradition (recorded in the Talmud in the 2nd century A.D.) which was said to have been given by God to Moses to explain the written Law. You see, the Pharisees had positioned themselves as the arbiters of the Law, they explained how to fulfill the Law, by their traditions. A useful comparison would be the Catholic Church in Luther’s day… where the people relied on the Church to tell them how to serve God. Like the Catholic Church, the Pharisees had abused the authority God gave them, and failed in their responsibility to shepherd the people of God. They even broke the Law of God for the sake of their own traditions. We discussed this some time ago in a CTT post when we looked at the sin of the Pharisees. Actually, we’ve talked about throwing the Pharisee card out, too… but know that Jesus pointed out the error of the Pharisees explicitly… it wasn’t that they were holding to the Law; rather, that they taught as doctrines the commandments of men. Immediately after the rebuke, Jesus moves onto instruction.

Matthew 15:10-20 (ESV) | What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

In Mark’s Account of this encounter, he explains the impact of what Jesus regarding what defiles a person.

Mark 7:18-20 (ESV) 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.

Given Matthew’s audience, I don’t think it was necessary to add the extra explanation. Ceremonial law was but a shadow of the Christ (Hebrews 8) who was now before them. Now that Christ had come, and the matters of the heart could truly be addressed. Our hearts are not defiled by what our physical body consumes; rather, our body is defiled by what comes out of our hearts.

Matthew 15:21-28 (ESV) | The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

This passage can be very difficult for folks to work through. The biggest impediment for most is the idea of their “precious moments Jesus” first ignoring and then actually saying these words to the Canaanite Woman. Was Jesus being mean to her? Was He being sexist or racist? No, no, and no. This woman knew who He was, and more importantly, she believed. She had faith in Jesus as Lord, the Son of David, despite being a Canaanite. Let’s take a quick look back in Genesis for the significance of being a Canaanite.

Genesis 9:18-28 (ESV) | Noah’s Descendants
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
    a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant.”
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.

The sons of Canaan would go on to become a wicked and godless people. God promises Abraham all the lands of Canaan. Jesus makes it clear that He had been sent for the lost sheep of Israel. He further tells the woman, it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs… Jesus didn’t come to personally evangelize the world, He came for a specific purpose, to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and to lay down His life as the pure and perfect atoning sacrifice. This woman was undeterred, she acknowledged her place and proclaimed her faith in Him, that she only needed a crumb of His Glory to heal her daughter. Such Faith! and from a Canaanite woman… an outsider… a dog in comparison to the children of Israel. And Jesus healed her daughter, according to her faith. Not her lineage, not her works, but her faith in Him. I am that dog, who by God’s grace has been granted faith to believe that all I need is for the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table. I’m reminded of how Paul references the Gospel in his opening to his letter to the Romans:

Romans 1:16-17 (ESV) | The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Amen. Let us continue.

Matthew 15:29-39 (ESV) | Jesus Heals Many

29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

The first thing I’d like to point out is the punch line to Jesus’ healing ministry… it brought glory to God. This went on for 3 days, and the Lord had compassion on them. The second thing is that we see Jesus again charging the disciples to feed His sheep. Jesus is unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. He is still unwilling, which is why He left us the Apostles and why He sent God the Holy Spirit as a seal of the Promise for all who are in Christ Jesus. This is a theme that John picked up on and expressed in greater detail in his account of the Gospel, even to the reinstatement of Peter.

Until Next Week

Next week we’ll see another encounter with the Pharisees and we’ll also see the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of His Disciples… the confession of Peter. I look forward to continuing our trek through the Gospel According to Matthew.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Amen, indeed.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Through All of It” by Colton Dixon

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

Presentation1Today we’re doing another “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)).

August 04, 2015. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Through All of It” by Colton Dixon which currently sits at #13 on 20theCountdownMagazine’s top 20 and at #8 on the KLove top 10.

I’ve heard this song on the radio a few times, and really liked the chorus and bridge, but hadn’t really taken the time to look up the lyrics because I was sure it would climb the charts. Colton Dixon has an awesome voice and there is always top-notch production behind his music. As it turns out, this song seems stuck in neutral. It’s a pleasant song, with a simple message of “God is still my God despite my circumstances”. Let’s check it out.

VEVO Music Video

*22 December 2015: I updated the music video for this song because I wanted to use videos put out by the artist. However, there is a lot of extra dialog infused in this video…. it seems to provide some context that would otherwise be missing; however, in all of that extra dialog, the clear message of the Gospel is still missing.

Lyrcs (via KLove)

Through All Of It

There are days of taking more than I can give
And there are choices that I made that I wouldn’t make again
I’ve had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This has been the story of my life

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

You were there when it all came down on me
When I was blinded by my fear and I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story’s always gone

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, through all of it

And this is who You are, more constant than the stars
Up in the sky, all these years, all my life
I, I look back and I see You
Right now I still do
And I’m always going to

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

Publishing: © 2014 9T One Songs / Ariose Music (ASCAP) (Administered at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Goes Something Like THIS Music (BMI)
Writer(s): Ben Glover and Molly Reed

Discussion

As we mentioned earlier, this song is stuck in neutral. The problem with this song is in what it lacks. The song is vague as to which God it is addressing… a generic sense of “God”. It works for a Christian singing to the One True God, yes, but it also works the Mormon singing to the exalted being from Kolob (a false god). This song also lacks any clear mention of Gospel, sin, repentance, forgiveness. It fits into a very narrow path of telling God, “no matter what I’ve been through, You have been my God” with an implied “and “You will always be”.

The song doesn’t teach anything wrongly. It is a song of acknowledgement to the Sovereignty of God and of His presence in our lives despite our failures and successes… that our story is written by Him. So, today we’ll just look at what we can pour into this message to make it more grounded in Scripture:

Romans 8:22-39 (ESV)

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This holds true for each of us who are in Christ Jesus. As for those who are outside of the household of faith, they remain condemned by their unbelief.

John 3:16-18 (ESV) | For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

This song doesn’t grant any hope for those who are lost. For those who are of the household of Faith, it can serve as a timely confession of acknowledgement to God that He is indeed in everything we experience, both in the highs and in the lows.

Conclusion

The song doesn’t stand on its own, but for those who are in Christ Jesus, it can be a reminder that God is indeed in control at all times, despite what our circumstances and senses tell us. In closing, I’d like to repeat last week’s DiM closing with Romans 15.

Romans 15:1-13 (ESV) | The Example of Christ

15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Sowing Discord

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

The visible church is suffering from a lack of discernment; either a lack of noble Bereans who receive the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:10-12) or worse, a total unwillingness to listen to them and concerted efforts to silence them. These two possibilities are both true and they contribute to each other. Today, we are going to look at one of the ways discernment ministries and noble Bereans are silenced… they are accused of sowing discord.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV)

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.

This is a hard-hitting proverb, and effective for intimidating noble Bereans into silence and capitulation for the sake of “unity” and to avoid being an abomination to the Lord. The error here is in the definition of on who sows discord among brothers. Is Solomon issuing a blanket statement that anyone who disagrees with the majority or the leadership, for any reason, is sowing discord and as such is an abomination to the Lord? No. First, let’s look at the verses preceding this section.

Proverbs 6:12-15 (ESV)

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
    points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil,
    continually sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

There it is. You see, even in the case of the one congregant who always seems to be sounding the discernment alarm, there are a number of possibilities… most notably, either that individual is indeed attempting to sow discord, or the individual is being faithful to the Word, not being heeded, and there are continuous doctrinal problems that need to be addressed. Either way, it is insufficient to silence the individual with this intimidating accusation of “sowing discord”.

So what shall we do? Thankfully, we can look for specific instruction in Paul’s letter to Titus.

Titus 3:1-11 (ESV) | Be Ready for Every Good Work

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

If the person in question is in sin, or espousing falsehood, or stirring up division (rather than seeking to point out error), the person is warped and sinful and is self-condemned. He has stood and railed against sound doctrine (The Word of God, not the doctrines of men). We see the charge in verse 2 to speak evil of no one, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy. Strawman fallacies, Ad Hominem attacks, or marginalizing the brother or sister who is exercising discernment runs contrary to scripture. Even the best of our good works is tainted by our sinful flesh; however, that does not excuse any pre-emptive or reactionary gag-order. If the noble Berean is in error, the elders should teach, explain, exhort, and even rebuke when necessary according to the Scriptures. Truth doesn’t need defending, opinions do.

Are there errors in the congregation? Absolutely, that is why the need shepherds. But there are also errors in leadership, and if the leadership doesn’t catch the error, we who are of the same faith, same baptism, same Holy Spirit are charged to do the work of the noble Bereans to see if these things are so. The leaders will be held accountable, for they will have to give account as it is their calling to watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17). Pastors, your congregation won’t always “do it right”, and there will be cause for instruction and correction regarding their approach, their attitudes, and even their mistrust… but none of these negate the point being brought up. There is a logical fallacy fallacy, where a failure to logically articulate an argument is used to invalidate the argument. The argument’s validity is unaffected by its articulation, it just makes convincing someone else of the point extremely difficult. Thankfully, we are talking about Scriptural matters; therefore, the ultimate arbiter and objective standards is God’s Word. My fellow Berean… be ready to confess and repent of your sin, even while pursuing the most noble good work by the Grace of God.

1 Timothy 6 (ESV)

6 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.

 Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Friday Sermon | “We Will Not Bow” by John MacArthur

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

spriteToday’s sermon is quite possibly one of the most important sermons for the Church to hear this summer. If you are a part of the Body of Christ (regardless of denomination), I urge you to listen to this sermon in full. John MacArthur addresses the current tide of apostasy (rebellion) against God in the visible church here in America.

Sermon Video

Sermon Audio

http://webmedia.gty.org/sermons/High/80-425.mp3?x-source=website&x-type=download

Sermon Transcript

A lot is happening at a very rapid rate. And with all the discussion that’s been going on, I’ve been kind of eager to get to you, and maybe help to give you a perspective. And I know that there have been comments made from this pulpit—exceptionally helpful, clear, well-chosen comments on the issues that face our country today. But I need to just kind of add some of my own insights and perceptions, and then direct you to a particular portion of Scripture.

This country talks a lot about terrorist attacks—and rightly so. Almost anybody in America can give you some kind of a listing of the most destructive acts of terror that have happened in our country. But let me suggest to you this: The two greatest attacks of terror on America were perpetrated by the Supreme Court. Not by any Muslim, but by the Supreme Court of the United States. The first one was the legalizing of abortion. Subsequent to that, there have been millions of babies slaughtered in the wombs of their mothers. It’s incalculable to even comprehend that. The blood of those lives cries out from the ground for divine vengeance on this nation.

The second great act of terror perpetrated by the Supreme Court was the legalization of same-sex marriage. The destruction of human life in the womb—in a sense, the destruction of motherhood—and now the destruction of the family itself. No bomb, no explosion, no attack, and no assault on people physically can come anywhere near that kind of terrorism. Our country is being terrorized by the people most responsible to protect it—those who are to uphold the law.

Just a few comments beyond that. No human court has the authority to redefine morality. But this human court has said murder is not murder; and marriage is not marriage; and family is not family. They have usurped the authority that belongs only to God, who is the creator of life, marriage, and family. Any and all attempts to define morality differently than God has is a form of rebellion and blasphemy—blasphemy against God, against His holy nature, and His holy law, and His holy people… [Download PDF of Transcript]

Grace To You Website

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge