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One thing that doesn’t change is that every generation struggles with change! And the church is no pauper in this experience. Contemporary vs. traditional, progressive vs. conservative, new vs. old. What was once new, freedom encouraging and refreshing to a new generation becomes old, conservative, traditional to the next.
Read A.B. Bruce’s take on this phenomena (first published in 1871). Commenting on Jesus’ teaching about putting new wine into old wineskins or sewing new cloth onto an old garment, he observes:
“The old cloth and old bottles in these metaphors represent old ascetic fashions in religion; the new cloth and the new wine represent the new joyful life in Christ, not possessed by those who tenaciously adhered to the old fashions. The parables were applied primarily to Christ’s own age, but they admit of application to all transition epochs; indeed, they find new illustration in almost every generation.
The force of these homely parables as arguments in vindication of departure from current usage in matters of religion may be evaded in either of two ways. First, their relevancy may be denied; i.e., it may be denied that religious beliefs are of such a nature as to demand congenial modes of expression, under penalties if the demand is not complied with. This position is usually assumed virtually or openly by the patrons of use and wont. Conservative minds have for the most part a very inadequate conception of the vital force of belief. Their own belief, their spiritual life altogether, is often a feeble thing, and they imagine tameness or pliancy must be an attribute of other men’s faith also. Nothing but dire experience will convince them that they are mistaken; and when the proof comes in the shape of an irrepressible revolutionary outburst, they are stupefied with amazement.
Such men learn nothing from the history of previous generations; for they persist in thinking that their own case will be an exception. Hence the vis inertiæ of established custom evermore insists on adherence to what is old, till the new wine proves its power by producing an explosion needlessly wasteful, by which both wine and bottles often perish, and energies which might have quietly wrought out a beneficent reformation are perverted into blind powers of indiscriminate destruction.
Or, in the second place, the relevancy of these metaphors being admitted in general terms, it may be denied that a new wine (to borrow the form of expression from the second, more suggestive metaphor) has come into existence. This was virtually the attitude assumed by the Pharisees towards Christ. “What have you brought?” they asked Him in effect, “to your disciples, that they cannot live as others do, but must needs invent new religious habits for themselves? This new life of which you boast is either a vain pretence, or an illegitimate, spurious thing, not worthy of toleration, and the waste of which would be no matter for regret.”
Similar was the attitude assumed towards [Martin] Luther by the opponents of the Reformation. They said to him in effect: “If this new revelation of yours, that sinners are justified by faith alone, were true, we admit that it would involve very considerable modification in religious opinion, and many alterations in religious practice. But we deny the truth of your doctrine, we regard the peace and comfort you find in it as a hallucination; and therefore we insist that you return to the time-honored faith, and then you will have no difficulty in acquiescing in the long-established practice.” The same thing happens to a greater or less extent every generation; for new wine is always in course of being produced by the eternal vine of truth, demanding in some particulars of belief and practice new bottles for its preservation, and receiving for answer an order to be content with the old ones.
Without going the length of denunciation or direct attempt at suppression, those who stand by the old often oppose the new by the milder method of disparagement. They eulogize the venerable past, and contrast it with the present, to the disadvantage of the latter.” The old wine is vastly superior to the new: how mellow, mild, fragrant, wholesome, the one! how harsh and fiery the other!” Those who say so are not the worst of men: they are often the best,—the men of taste and feeling, the gentle, the reverent, and the good, who are themselves excellent samples of the old vintage. Their opposition forms by far the most formidable obstacle to the public recognition and toleration of what is new in religious life; for it naturally creates a strong prejudice against any cause when the saintly disapprove of it.
Observe, then, how Christ answers the honest admirers of the old wine. He concedes the point: He admits that their preference is natural. Luke represents Him as saying, in the conclusion of His reply to the disciples of the Baptist: “No man also, having drunk old wine, desireth the new; for he saith, The old is good.” This striking sentiment exhibits rare candor in stating the case of opponents, and not less rare modesty and tact in stating the case of friends. It is as if Jesus had said: “I do not wonder that you love the old wine of Jewish piety, fruit of a very ancient vintage; or even that you dote upon the very bottles which contain it, covered over with the dust and cobwebs of ages. But what then? Do men object to the existence of new wine, or refuse to have it in their possession, because the old is superior in flavor? No: they drink the old, but they carefully preserve the new, knowing that the old will get exhausted, and that the new, however harsh, will mend with age, and may ultimately be superior even in flavor to that which is in present use. Even so should you behave towards the new wine of my kingdom. You may not straightway desire it, because it is strange and novel; but surely you might deal more wisely with it than merely to spurn it, or spill and destroy it!”
Too seldom for the church’s good have lovers of old ways understood Christ’s wisdom, and lovers of new ways sympathized with His charity. A celebrated historian has remarked: “It must make a man wretched, if, when on the threshold of old age, he looks on the rising generation with uneasiness, and does not rather rejoice in beholding it; and yet this is very common with old men. Fabius would rather have seen Hannibal unconquered than see his own fame obscured by Scipio.” There are always too many Fabii in the world, who are annoyed because things will not remain stationary, and because new ways and new men are ever rising up to take the place of the old. Not less rare, on the other hand, is Christ’s charity among the advocates of progress. Those who affect freedom despise the stricter sort as fanatics and bigots, and drive on changes without regard to their scruples, and without any appreciation of the excellent qualities of the “old wine.” When will young men and old men, liberals and conservatives, broad Christians and narrow, learn to bear with one another; yea, to recognize each in the other the necessary complement of his own one-sidedness?”
Bruce, A. B. (1995 – reprint from origin publication of 1871). The Training of the Twelve or, Passages out of the Gospels, Exhibiting the Twelve Disciples of Jesus Under Discipline for the Apostleship (76–78). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
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What a difference 10 years has made. Then – there was panic hovering just below the surface, fearing that major computer systems around the nation (world) would bog down due to outmoded computer code that stored year dates as 2 digit numbers (for example 99 and 00) rather than 4 digits (1999 and 2000). Ancient history now, but everyone was on alert, anxiously awaiting the stroke of midnight and the possibility of utilities shutting down, banking systems grinding to a halt and planes falling out of the air (for the more paranoid). Some people did profit quite handsomely from the scare, namely those who knew the older programming languages –they were in high demand for a high price!
For those of us who lived through it, 2000 arrived with nary a whimper. While that “tragedy” never came to past, an unexpected one arrived about nine months later – the infamous 9/11 which has branded itself into our shared history. For older people, they know well where they were when they first heard the news of … Kennedy’s death, the first man to walk on the moon, Richard Nixon’s resignation. But, for all alive, the memory of 9/11 is the new “where were you …” reference point in time.
But, the greatest historical event, the one of personal epic proportions, lies in none of these things. For the Christian, that is. The dividing line of history is found on the day when one solitary life is transformed through faith in the simple, gracious act – Christ’s dying on a wooden, Roman cross—that day is the pivot point, the threshold between before and after, the true A.D. and B.C. of a person’s life. Is there any more profound day in all of your history. Spiritual death gave way to life, guilt was replaced by forgiveness, condemnation eclipsed by justification. The old consumed by the New. Thank God! Praise God!
May this new year, 2010, this new decade, find you drawing closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, your Master and the Lover of your soul!
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“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is ‘good,’ because is it good, if ‘bad’ because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country” C. S. Lewis
“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” C H Spurgeon
Have a great Thanksgiving Day!
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A old man arrives home alone, no one to greet him at the terminal. Tired and weary, years spent in service to a people hardened to the gospel. His ministry was not the usual fodder for front cover of Christian magazines — you know, the usual “success” story. No one back home wanted to hear his story. He had simply spent his life doing what God wanted him to do. He was not invited to teaching in the seminary chair of missiology or speak at missions conference—apparently, his story was not inspiring enough. He couldn’t muster a recollection of any great “outpouring” of the Spirit’s work.
A famous pop singer’s memorial last week was broadcast on 19 TV networks and drew an estimated 31.1 million viewers. He was talented, though, tormented man but was idolized by many.
A talented golfer, makes an amazing comeback from knee surgery and is destined to be the greatest athlete in his sport. A tennis star just became the winningest player in history and considered now (by other great players) to be the all time greatest.
A man arises from a bi-racial background, with charisma and intelligence (and with an Ivy league education and political connections) to become the leader of the most powerful nation on the earth and is lauded wherever he travels in the world.
A young man wins an annual hot dog eating contest (37 in all!) and is pictured in all major media outlets.
A boy wins the video game challenge to the admiration of his friends.
The old man returns home alone, no one there to greet him. Picture him sitting on his suitcase, with most of his earthly possessions. Discouraged, dejected, alone. Then a voice quietly speaks in his heart, “You are not home, yet.”
Earthly praise fades quickly as heaven praise approaches. All that matters is the acclaim of God, “Well, done, good and faithful servant.” That drowns out all inferior praise. That lasts for eternity. That is worth living for.
(Creatively adapted from an old missionary story)
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Have you ever wondered, “What in the world is happening? How could this have happened?” Things that defy understanding or comprehension, God causing or allowing (depending on your theological perspective on the sovereignty of God) some tragic thing in your life situation or those around you. For all of us, there are times when we ask the supremely tough question, “Why?” followed by a loud silence. “Why did my life turn out this way?” “Why won’t God change me?” “Why did my child have to die?” “Why do I have to suffer this immense pain deep in my soul?” These are the most gut wrenching questions because they come from the most gut wrenching experiences of the soul. “Why …?”
Sometimes even God has no relevant, timely word to satisfy the question. In fact, He says there are some things we will just not every find out. Read what He says to the ancient people of Israel when they are ready to take their big leap of faith into the land promised them. I guess the Lord anticipates their asking the “Why …? question and considers it worth preparing them for disappointment with Him (God), discouragement with their life and dejection within themselves. He says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” (Deut 29:29). In other words, God says there will be times when you simply will not get an answer. He knows the answer (obviously, He’s God) but He declines to tell us why he won’t tell us. He simply will not reveal the answer.
Maybe we are incapable of understanding the answer if He gave it or from our earthly, time-bond perspective we simply don’t have the frame-work for it to make sense. Where does that leave us? God’s word to us is, rather, to focus on the things He has revealed. That is His purpose for us. To live and labor with the guidance of what He has had made known, than to be paralyzed by what we don’t know. So we simply bring the pain, discouragement, disappointment and dejection and lay it at the altar in humble submission, and leave it there. We must come to the point of accepting it as somehow fitting into God’s will and grace and mercy. It may not go away, but we leave it there with God. And we continually remind ourselves, when thoughts of the “Why …? question invade our hearts and minds, that they still at the altar. We sacrifice our desperate need for an answer before the God has deemed we have enough revealed to us to give us meaning and purpose again in life. So we turn instead to the things He has revealed. We just may discover there is hope yet.
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He cut me off, almost drove me into the guard rail. What’s that crazy driver doing? I know what I’ll do, I’ll pull up beside him at the next light and give him the evil eye! He’ll know what I’m thinking. That’ll show ‘im.
He just ruined my day with anger and frustration. Things were (and I emphasize “were”) going very well. My daily quiet time that morning found me meditating on the grace of God. Sure glad He’s given me forgiveness of my sins and the gift of eternal life both for the future and for now. What an experience to know that He unconditionally loves me and has graciously given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Now, some lunatic in a souped up Ford cut me off from the euphoric, spiritual feelings that were characterizing my day!
But, with crushing conviction, the Spirit of God whispered in my dull ear, “Is the Grace of God so small that it can be erased so nullified?” I was immediate confronted with a choice between three things. 1) Take the low road of blowing off God’s grace – retaliate, at least in my mind! 2) Take the middle road of seeing that maybe God was graciously using that incident to protect me from something worse (for example, slowed me down when I might otherwise have run into the car in front of me). 3) Take the high road of letting God’s grace permeate me in a miraculous way so that I simply extend that grace to the other driver. How do I know but that maybe he was a) just served papers for a divorce, b) about to be fired from his job, c) rushing to the hospital to see his son who was just injured crossing the street, d) simply absent minded from lack of sleep, e) acting just like me the last time I inadvertently cut someone off.
Maybe there is no imaginable or excusable reasons for that driver’s behavior. The Grace of God working through me, gives that driver a “bye,” a “pass.” Isn’t there a saying that puts it this way, “But for the grace of God, there go I”? If God is a God of grace, then I, if I am going to be like Him, ought be a person of grace, especially to those people who wrong me.
Tags: Grace
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Ephesians 4:12-13 “…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”
I was struck by the phrase, “… attain to the unity of the faith.” The most common critique I hear from believers about the church is the lack of unity. But this verse suggests that unity is a marker of maturity rather than a means to it. Unity is something that is attained as believers grow. Perhaps God doesn’t not expect immature believers to exhibit a true degree of unity.
In context of Chapter 2, unity between dissimilar groups IS the mysterious plan of His will. It is the THING. That is true. But, this verse made me think that a fully expressed unity isn’t something a believer perfects in “Following Jesus 101.” Unity comes out of a fuller understanding of the Love of Christ (to us and through us). That fuller understanding of His love is one of Paul’s prayers…. hence it is something that we must be grown into, and matured into.
I find myself a little grated when believers blankly critique the church for divisiveness. As if that would be an easily solvable problem. As if the whole of church history has gotten it wrong, and been a complete failure, and we now know how to fix it. To be unified – if only all the denominations would just drop their “petty” issues. I have a problem with that on a number of levels. I don’t think “denominations,” per say, are wrong or inherently problematic. I think they are to some degree inevitable, given humanity (although I’m not sure if God thinks that). But I do think the Lord left sufficient amounts of nebulousity — for the exercise of grace. That grace could be exercised in 2 ways. 1) Total cohesive, apparent unity; no different churches or denominations. No distinctive gatherings based on beliefs or ethnicity etc. We would just group geographically, I suppose, for worship services, or 2) Choosing to adhere to what we believe are important beliefs, even if it causes us to set up a separate camp (for effective ministry that is not fraught with disagreement over semi-central issues) and THEN exercising grace in working with, worshiping with, and rejoicing with those other camps. I suppose this is the realists perspective.
The church is God’s main project, His main tool in this world. I can’t imagine that when He weighs the successes and failures of His church, historically He deems it has been a failure. I think He sees differently than us. I think He appreciates (more than we do) the sinful bunch He has to work with. I think His analysis is more complex than ours. Sure the church is sinful – it was when He created it. A bunch of saved sinners. Sure the church makes mistakes – we are a growing bunch.
Unity is something that more mature believers exhibit. If that is true, it is not a surprise that the church in America is not generally exhibiting unity. Then I would say, unity is not the root problem. Maturity is. And the mature don’t go around criticizing the church—they live out the “unity of the faith” in grace.
By Shannon Gianotti
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Johnny Hart captures an apologetic nugget of wisdom. People are ever pursuing purpose and meaning in life…and they settle one finding purpose in the search for purpose, not in something that will actually give them purpose. That is like a person searching for water, and then becoming satisfied with the search and not needing the water any more. It’s like finding love in pursuit of love, that is the feeling or experience of anticipating love. It reminds me of a love song that extols the virtue of love, but never mentions the object the love. Maybe someday scientists will discover a “love” pill, which you can take and experience the emotional or romantic aspect of love without having anyone else in your life to actually love!
For some people, the search for God is noble, but the finding of God is naive, lacking the subtleties of contemporary epistomology. Howver, we were created with a purpose, a God-given purpose. It comes from outside of ourselves, from God. Our purpose IS God, to live for Him and for His purposes. He wants to fulfill our need for purpose, not simply in the pursuit of Him, but in the finding of Him and living for Him. Don’t let the pseudo-intellectural, pseudo-spiritual naysayers mislead you into settling for a pagan god that is nebulous, mysterious and ultimatley unknowable. (Sad to say, some Christian intellectuals are actually promoting this notion today).
God is a knowable God, who wants to be found out. If not, what is the point of the search? Please spare me the rubish of “It’s the search that matters.” No, it is God that matters and that is why we are ever searching to know more about him. From knowing to knowing, it is Him that satisfies.
The Lord says, “You will seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). The purpose of life is not in the searching, but in the finding God. Have you found Him. Do you know Him? Are you getting to know Him better?
Tags: Apologetics, epistomology, purpose
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Following are the lyrics of a song I discovered in an old Bible of mine from years ago. It brought back memories of the most difficult time in my Christian life I have ever gone through. The words of this song were a great encouragement to me.
If I Could Love You Better
By “Wendy and Mary”
If I could love You better alone than together
then give me solitude.
If I could love You better by becoming a beggar,
Then remove my coat and shoes.
If I could see You clearly through the most humble,
Then bring me Lord to my knees.
If I could love You better in stormy weather,
Then let it rain on me.
Chorus: Let me find shelter in Your covering,
And trust in You when hope seems gone.
Let Your strength be my strong hold,
Then Your voice will be my song.
If I could love You better without a song I’d rather
You take me Lord and change my heart.
But if You see me on stage singing,
Then give me word and may it impart.
If I could love You better with out-stretched hands,
Help me lift them high.
If I could love You better in stormy weather,
Then break through my pride.
Chorus: Let me find shelter in Your covering,
And trust in You when hope seems gone.
Let Your strength be my strong hold,
Then Your voice will be my song.
In my weakness You bring me strength,
Through my trusting You build my faith.
Through my dying to my selfish ways,
I live in you.
Chorus: Let me find shelter in Your covering,
And trust in You when hope seems gone.
Let Your strength be my strong hold,
Then Your voice will be my song.
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I just read today (somewhere in the Gospel of Luke) that the kingdom of heaven is a like a small seed that grows into a large tree and becomes home to the birds. This made me appreciate the local church of God in these difficult times. In our small church we have a number of people unemployed due to the economy, several with difficult marriages and others with debilitating physical difficulties. On Sunday mornings we all come together, and as one body we worship the Lord Jesus as he asked us to do by breaking of bread. This odd tradition He left for us is meant, among other things, to give us a sense of family, the kind that gets together regularly for a “sit-down” meal (fewer and fewer families, I am told, have a daily sit down together kind of meal, much less once a week). The family of God, comes to dinner weekly, so to speak, with a single focus in mind – the glory of the Lord. What a way to begin the week that we all face with such differing struggles of life—getting refocused on what is important and essential.
Then various members of the body kick into gear serving others, whether it is teaching Sunday School, providing praise music, working on setup and takedown (we meet in rented facilities), serving refreshments, preaching the word, greeting visitors, serving in nursery, stacking song books, cleaning up someone else’s mess, etc. Most of us get time to take part in the praise time and the teaching time. The body is working together for the glory of the Father and the building up of each other.
Then, our church is a bit weird, people like to stay afterward and just “be” together, sometimes up to a hour after the service is ended. Sipping on a hot or cold drink, munching on donuts or bagels and talking or watching, sometimes talking about the recent sports games, sometimes the economy, sometimes about spiritual thinks, sometimes praying for or encouraging one another concerning some heavy matter in our lives. You know, the kind of stuff that true fellowship is made up of.
Sometimes an older person and a younger person are engaged. Often married people and singles mix, people of different social or economic classes find no barrier to being together—in this environment it simply just doesn’t matter when it comes to fellowship. Jeans, t-shirts, ties, slacks, dresses, you name it. Kids play “kill the man with the ball” in the gym while younger children get scooped up to safety by concerned parents. Laughing, crying, deep discussions, chit-chat—you name it.
These are the kind of things Jesus had in mind when he spoke of the church being a family, all are accepted and each building up the other. When so many struggle with dysfunctional or broken families, the church is a family that provides a wonderful respite from the cares of the world. It may not seem like much to outsiders (like a small seed) and we may blue jays seem to argue at times, but we birds of a feather like to flock together in the tree of God’s kingdom, and we stick up for each other.
For some people this replaces their dysfunctional family of birth and provides an example of what a real family should be like like. More than just providing an example, though, the local church is a real family, a functional one. Praise God for the church!