Thinking of Church

And I had thought that serving in church would have been a lot easier compared to BB.....

Brothers, pray for us.

- 1 Thess 5:25

It is just so hard at times. The pitfalls in Christian ministry seem so numerous and in every avenue the evil one prowls, seeking whom he may devour. (cf. 1 Pet 5:8)

Was reading a very convicting blog post (found in five parts here) Who then is sufficient for ministry? (cf. 2 Cor. 2:16) Out of own strength we can do nothing. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

It is hard, so so hard. Eyes that see without comprehending. Ears that hear without understanding. What hope is there for this generation? Is it in stories and songs and entertainment? Is it in drama and plays and general merriment? Where is the sober reality of God and His Judgement? Where is the realization that all that we can now see will one day be pushed out and burned in the fire?

To look at their faces every Sunday and know that there will be some who will spend an eternity in a Christ-less Hell just as surely as there will be some who will be with You in a Christ-filled paradise. Who then is sufficient for these things? The heart and the flesh fails before such realities. Lord, is my heart so hardened that it cannot feel? Has it been so deadened by my lusts that it cannot weep anymore?

Where is my anguish over sin O Lord. The despising of my iniquities and lusts. Are they not dishonouring to You? Was it not because of them that Your Son went to that wretched tree? Surely Man is like a brute beast, unable to comprehend even the slightest glory in You apart from the Holy Spirit's power.

Lord will you not come by and into us once again? Save us from our frivolities. Save us from our dead traditions. Do not take your candlestick away from us. Grant us repentance that we may turn back to You and pour scorn upon our earthly ambitions. Lord, keep us faithful to your Gospel always.

Let us not despise the disciplining of the Lord, for He disciplines those whom He loves. Let us cast aside all earthly philosophies and methods and cling to the Rock of the Word of God. For you O Lord are mighty to save, and by Your Hand you will redeem for Yourself a people for Your Holy Name's sake.

Lord have mercy on my weakness. In all the problems and trials, show Yourself strong and able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. (Eph. 3:20)

For Your Glory alone. May the Lamb receive the the reward of His suffering.

Prayer of Doxology by A. W. Pink

""Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to" what? According to His sovereign pleasure? According to His eternal decree? According to His secret will? "According to the power that worketh in us." Say what we may, plead as plausibly as we please of our uncertainty about God’s willingness to show Himself strong on our behalf, at the bottom it is our wicked unbelief, our doubting of His power, our secret questioning of His ability to extricate us from such and such a predicament or furnish a table for us in the wilderness. At that point the faith of Zechariah failed—doubting the power of God to make good the word He had given through the angel (Luke 1:18-20). Peter’s questioning of Christ’s power caused Him to chide Peter with "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31). Because the apostles lacked confidence in Christ’s omnipotence, none of them expected Him to rise again on the third day. It was not His willingness but His power which they doubted. So it is with us."

- A. W. Pink (emphasis mine)

It is the common for us to either trust in God's sovereignty, but doubt His willingness or to believe in His willingness, but doubt His power to accomplish. The Calvinist errs commonly in the former, while the Arminian errs commonly in the latter.

What is the mind set on

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

- Colossians 3:1-3

It has often been said to Christians not to be "too heavenly minded such that they are of no earthly good". But how true is that statement? Can a man who is truely heavenly minded ever be of no good in this world? Is this statement true of our own Lord and Saviour, the Perfect Man?

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

- John 12: 27-28

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

- John 4:34

And this was the same heavenly minded Saviour who "[w]hen he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

Too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? Surely there was no man more heavenly minded than Christ and yet He brought the greatest earthly good to Man, peace with God. Looking around today, surely the converse is more true. Many are too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good.

It is extremely discouraging that many in churches today, and many of the leadership in such churches, should look upon heavenly-mindedness as a trait to be restrained rather than as an attribute that should be inculcated and grown in all her members to the largest possible degree. To have high and beautiful thoughts of the God who ransomed them and who demands/deserves the highest praises of His Creation.

Now of course there is a need to communicate truth in a way that is understandable to each and every generation, but the mind is always "set on things above and not on things below." For what else could satisfy, motivate and sustain a man for the calling he has received?

On Application

Thinking about the role of "application" in churches today, I am increasingly convinced that the question is not so much "how does this Word of God apply to me", but rather "how can I apply and conform myself to the Word of God which has been revealed and preached".

The former esteems the self and sees the Word of God as an addition to self, while the latter esteems God's Word and seeks to adjust himself to that Revelation.

Saturday 10/04/10

I had wanted to write some stuff on church, but work chose to intervene and scupper that plan heh. Oh well some other time then.

Arms aching from carrying a composite pipe from Newton Food Centre to PUB office.

=======================================
After ROD parade today, looking back at it all, was it really worth it? God knows. Only God knows.