Biblicism One and Biblicism Two by Carson and Keller

The following snippet is from a post by DA Carson and Tim Keller found here: http://bit.ly/Ajl3bq

"There is a kind of appeal to Scripture, a kind of biblicism---let's call it Biblicism One---that seems to bow to what Scripture says but does not listen to the text very closely and is almost entirely uninformed by how thoughtful Christians have wrestled with these same texts for centuries. There is another kind of biblicism---let's call it Biblicism Two---that understands the final authority in divine revelation to lie in Scripture traceable to the God who has given it, but understands also that accurate understanding of that Scripture is never supported by bad exegesis and always enriched by the work of Christian thinkers who have gone before."

A Brief Explanation of my Resignation from Winifrede Presbyterian Church

This morning I told my congregation in Winifrede that I have accepted a call to pastor another church.  That church is a small PCA church in New Martinsville WV--Trinity Presbyterian Church.

As I explained from the pulpit, my reasons for leaving are very complex.  The simplest way to explain it, and hopefully the most gracious, is to say that insurmountable differences make it necessary.  Early in my ministry here, the Lord impressed upon me that my call would serve a much more narrow purpose than I had anticipated when I first came.  That was to bring this church to a certain crossroads, at which it could make a choice of direction.  I did not at the time know when that crossroads would come or exactly what it would look like, but my sense of calling was clear.

Earlier in 2011, that crossroads became obvious, and the choice of which direction to take was made.  That made clear to me that my calling here was complete.  When that choice was made, I began asking the Lord for another call.  He answered that request, reassuring me once again that that my calling here was complete.

Whether or not one direction is better than another for this particular congregation is no longer for me to say.  I only know that my denominational vows and the conviction of conscience that led me to take those vows prevent me from traveling the chosen path with them.  I pray that the Lord blesses this congregation on its path.   That it continues to enjoy and grow in the grace of the Gospel, that it grows in its desire to have the Word of God clearly preached from its pulpit.  It has been a light in this community, preaching the Gospel clearly, for over 100 years, and I hope that it remains so for the next century.

I have no regrets about coming to Winifrede. My greatest joy has been to preach the Word to them every week.  The congregation is filled with wonderful people who have poured out their love for us in ways that we could never repay.  So many have been patient with me as their pastor, and they have really stepped in to show love, care and concern for my wife and family as she struggles with her illness.   I have learned so much that hopefully will make me a better pastor to the next congregation.  I only regret that I do not have the personal gifts that would best fit this congregation.  I pray the Lord will bring them a pastor that is better fitted to meet their needs.   I fully trust that my time here has served the purposes, both for me and for the church, that he desired it to serve.  This is his church, and he loves it dearly, and he will continue to work in its midst to accomplish his will.

The Presbytery will take up the matter of my relationships to this church and the next church at the Presbytery meeting this Saturday.  Since we will not be able to move until we have a home in New Martinsville, I have asked the Winifrede Church to continue to allow me to preach until we close on new home in New Martinsville.  That will take between 45-60 days from the time that we have a contract on a home.  We are very close to making an offer on a house.  Until the day comes for us to move, if the church is willing, I will continue to faithfully preach the Word and minister to the needs of this congregation.

May God bless the leaders and members of Winifrede Presbyterian Church.

Jesus Invites us to Pray

The following sermon was preached on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at Winifrede Presbyterian Church.  The Title is "Jesus Invites Us to Pray."

http://www.box.com/s/lk3gbo65s4px5di2sthy

Inscrutable Beauty--A Slightly Different Take on Ecclesiastes

Some believe that the book of Ecclesiastes is only an inspired record of human wisdom, and, as such, it is a record of human error and should be preached from very selectively. I have never accepted that interpretation.  For the longest time, I believed that the book presents human hopelessness apart from God, but that it it also presents the antidote to human hopelessness—God can give life meaning and remove the sense of hopelessness. I believed that the opening mantra of the book—Vanity of vanities, all is vanity—was  an expression that described the unfortunate conclusion of those who have failed to find the meaning and value of life in God alone.

After preaching through the book in recent years, I have begun to think of the book in a slightly different way. While I do believe that the book presents an antidote of sorts to human hopelessness, I have come back to that initial mantra to reinterpret it, not just for the hopeless, but for all—for those who have hope and for those who do not. I believe it should be understood in this way:  Inscrutable, incomprehensible--the  rhyme and reason of life on this earth is beyond our ability to figure out.

According to this interpretation, God intends for life to be inscrutable for all. Even for those who have the advantage of a relationship with God, the ability to figure out life is beyond them. The author demonstrates again and again that life is full of injustice (3:16; 8:14), futility (1:1-11), and death (3:19; 9:3), and it all just comes back around again for everyone (1:4-10; 3:15). The book is very bleak in its frankness. “Face the facts, folks. Life is unfair, as most people understand fairness. Everywhere you look—in your own life and in the lives of others, in the past and in the present—you will find evidence of the inevitable inequities and futilities of our existence on this earth.” Where this interpretation differs from my prior understanding is that this apparent inequity is not remedied, or re-framed in a more palatable way, simply by having a right relationship with God. In other words, it is proper for all people, Christians and non-Christians alike, to face the reality of life’s inscrutability.

The author of Ecclesiastes proposes to lessen this inscrutability by searching for rhyme and reason in different activities and pursuits—in pleasure (2:1-11), in wisdom (2:12-16), and work ( 2:17-22). All three are common retreats even today for those who want to overcome the incomprehensibility and mundaneness of existence. But the author concludes that these things are unable to lift the fog and provide the rhyme and reason that most people search for.

But Solomon does not leave us with mere nihilism. In the centerpiece of the book, the author tells us that “There is a time for everything under heaven (3:1ff).” He says that God has made everything beautiful in its time (3:11). The arranging of all things, even the apparent inequities of our existence, serve the hidden purposes of the Almighty God. Unfortunately for us mere creatures, we are never guaranteed to be privy to those secret purposes. There is in fact a reason that these purposes are hidden from our intelligence—God built the constant need to find meaning and purpose in life right into the fabric of our being, and he has removed those meanings and purposes far beyond our ability to grasp (3:14; 7:13-14; 8:16-17; 11:15). Our lack of ability to locate that meaning and purpose—that rhyme and reason—in our activities on this earth points to one solution and one alone—Simply trust God. Solomon calls this “fearing God.” The book never implies that trusting him will provide the rhyme and reason that we are looking for. The answers and solutions do not come simply because we trust God. The book simply asks us to trust him in the bad times and in the good regardless of the outcome in our earthly existence. We are to trust that everything that happens, everything that we are going through, is beautiful in the timing of God. The only way that we can see beauty in the futilities of life is through trust. This removes from our handbook of solutions the notion that to have a right relationship will make everything turn out all right in the end. Sometimes—in fact quite often, according to the book—God intends for life to be incomprehensibly difficult. And yet, we are expected to trust him regardless. We are never promised that God will make everything turn out all right in the end of our earthly existence. We are to trust him even if life ends in death, injustice, and futile repetition. We are to trust that in the hidden purposes of God, everything is beautiful. Everything is planned perfectly. Everything is moving toward goals that serve the greatest ends. These purposes do not always require a happy existence for his creatures, but they are beautiful purposes nonetheless.

With this in mind, the author encourages his readers to enjoy life as much as possible. Do not be afraid to take advantage of every opportunity to milk this life for all the joy and happiness that you can get out of it. As long as we are trusting God—and keeping his commandments, as he concludes the book (11:9; 12:1, 13-14)——there are no limits to the joy that we should try to find in our earthly existence. This joy may be beyond some people most of the time and most people some of the time. But when opportunity presents itself, enjoy life as much as possible. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Solomon asserts that life is God’s gift, so enjoy what you can while you can—work, food and drink, possessions, relationships, etc. (2:24-25; 3:13; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-10). Rhyme and reason are not necessary for us to enjoy life as long as we are obeying God’s commands and trusting him.

[First and second paragraphs have been reworked to reflect some input in the comments below.]

[My interpretation is not as different as I thought it was.  It is likely that much of my thinking was informed by what I learned from Dr. Michael Barrett in seminary.  However, there may be some slight differences in emphasis regarding the word translated variously as vanity, breath, wind, meaninglessness, or (my choice) inscrutableness. Here is his excellent series of lectures on Ecclesiastes:   http://bit.ly/sMZjQ7.]

Today's Sermon: The Elders' Right and Responsibility to Exercise their God-given Authority

Today's sermon was the next in line in our study of Hebrews.  It is providentially timely because it naturally  addresses some controversial issues that are facing our congregation right now.  Several people have expressed concern that I have over the last three years only invited those who are members of Gospel-preaching churches to participate in communion. They feel that this leaves out those Christians who are not members of churches.  In this sermon, Hebrews 13:17 addresses the elders' right and responsibility to exercise their God-given authority, and I make application to the communion controversy that we are now experiencing. I upload it here to give those who missed the sermon the opportunity to hear how I understand the Bible on the matter. Click the link to listen or download.

http://cl.ly/9h37

The Place of Israel in Prophecy

People still say, "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem." As I understood Dispensationalism when I was once counted among them, this means that we are to pray that the nation of Israel will experience peace from the frequent conflicts it has suffered over the centuries within the borders of its national territory and by those who have been dispersed abroad. Pray that they will be left alone and be allowed to return home to live peacefully in the territory it was promised in the OT. This perspective has unfortunately influenced national politics, particularly those of conservative Christians, for generations now. They champion Israel's statehood last century as a key sign that the end is near and the promises are finally coming to fruition. They champion political policies toward Israel based upon some mistaken belief that God still owes them a land. I suspect an ulterior motive though, because on the other side of this fulfillment, the dispensational charts tell us that we gentiles will finally get our mansions and streets of gold. We have wasted much of our Christian political energy to bring something to pass for Israel that God never promises in the Bible.

However, I cannot accept this perspective, because I believe that all the covenantal promises made to Abraham have been fulfilled in Christ and the Church. Christ is the King that was promised. The Church is the people of the Kingdom, vast as the sands by the sea. The promised land is the world that now is and the new world that will someday be. The Kingdom of God is the promised land. Its king is the promised king. Those who believe in Christ are the people of the kingdom. In my mind, the exegetical evidence for this is utterly overwhelming, given a correct hermeneutic.

What this means is that for Israel to have any hope of any participation whatsoever in the promises, they must repent and believe in Jesus, and become a part of the Church. Then and only then will they receive what has been promised. There is no promise of land in the middle east that remains to be fulfilled. There will be no restored temple on the temple mount. No more sacrifices. No ashes of the red heifer. Those who look ahead to these things in a literal sense misinterpret vast amounts of biblical prophecy and typology, and lose out on the blessedness of seeing Jesus everywhere in Scripture. Instead of seeing Jesus, they get caught up in timelines and charts. A complete waste of time.

And yet there is one promise that remains to be fulfilled for Israel--one that nearly brings me to my knees to consider the awesome power of God to save. I do not understand it completely. Romans 11 says that "All Israel will be saved." Obviously, "all Israel" does not mean every Jew, because generations of them have already passed into faithless damnation. But it must mean that at some point to come, some significant portion of the Jewish people will be saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Enough at least to merit the word "all" as a description of their number. This would have to mean that there is a generation (and with perhaps subsequent generations) of Isrealites that will some day walk the earth that will, for the most part, repent and embrace Christ as the true Messiah. We do not know exactly what this means because the word Jew has lost definition--is it those who embrace the Jewish religion? If so, which versions of Judaism? Or is it those who have some Jewish blood in their veins? Those who live in the territory of Israel? Who knows? But what is clear is that there will be a wholesale conversion of Jews (whatever that means) to Jesus Christ.

Romans 11 says that this will happen after all the non-Jews that God has ordained to salvation have been saved. What this means is that there is now or will be in the future a final generation that contains the last of the gentile elect. When the last of them has been saved--perhaps piecemeal conversions here and there much like what we are used to--there will be one last magnificent display of fireworks--the climax of the show. It is a miracle that any one gentile comes to Christ. How much greater will be the miracle of the wholesale conversion of an entire generation of Jews. Imagine that climax--the wholesale conversion of a people whose fathers have rejected Jesus Christ for centuries.

It sounds impossible to my human ears. Consider the Jews today, how far they are from Christ. But I know that salvation does not come by human will or exertion. I know that salvation comes through the work of God alone. He is the miracle worker and can do the impossible. No one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. All that the Father gives to Christ will come to him. Someday, a generation of Christians will have the privilege of seeing a display of God's power unlike anything that has ever been seen by human eyes. That so many who have adamantly rejected Christ would come to Christ is almost unimaginable. Those Jews (whatever that means only God knows) will repent, join the Church, and enter the Kingdom. Once again, the Israelites will be brought back into the promise that was made to Abraham. We will all be in the Body of Christ together. The Covenant promise will come full circle as the Jews are joined to Christ and the Church Universal.

So there is no promised land for Israel outside of Christ. No King. No special status as a nation. The promise that remains for them is the same promise that those who believe have already received. God brought promises to us through Israel, and God will bring Israel back to the promises.

In his mind's eye, Paul saw the magnificent final volley of fireworks that ends the show, and he said,

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

(Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

Move Chicken Coop. Check. Chase Chickens. Check.

This may not seem like blogworthy news, but we moved the chicken coop this evening.   It was too near the garden and too close to the neighbor's yard.  So I moved it out behind the barn with the help of a couple folks from the church. Then spent the next 45 minutes chasing chickens, because we doubted they would be able to find the new location on their own.  My boys and the neighborhood kids helped with this, by circling them around so that I could grab them with my fishing net.   The trauma will probably put them off laying for a few days unfortunately.

In other news, we are finally getting more eggs as some of our pullets are finally getting to laying age.