Fourth Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:21-28; Exorcism and Discipleship, part II

Here is my audio of my sermon on Mark 1:21-28.

People of God, the action-centered gospel of St. Mark continues to bring out the unsavory manifestations of demons. The gospel of Mark introduces us to the forces of evil incarnated in Satan himself. As I alluded to last week, Jesus is going to confront a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue. The demonic forces are coming out to meet the Holy One of Israel. The presence of Jesus draws these demons out. They realize that their territory is being threatened by his presence. They realize that they are going to be crushed. The coming of Jesus is a dramatic blow to Satan’s plans. Throughout the gospels there will be many encounters with evil. In the wilderness testing, we saw the first of the many battles Jesus will have with the evil one. These battles symbolize the promise of a cosmic battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, as told in Genesis 3:15. Good vs. Evil; Purity vs. Impurity; Blameless vs. Demonic.[1]

Last week we read and heard that Jesus began his assembling of a new race of proclaimers. From verses 14-20, Jesus is gathering his army. He does not call soldiers or trained Jewish leaders, rather he calls fishermen. He called Simon, Andrew, James and John. These men were effectually called to serve this new leader. But discipleship is not cheap. These first disciples abandoned everything that they had and followed after Christ. It is not that their tasks were unimportant in the kingdom, but rather that they were called to a greater job in the kingdom; that of establishing the foundation of the kingdom of Christ. They would be fishers of men. These were unimportant men in the community, but their role is to signal a transition in redemptive history. These are men of the sea. Their livelihood comes from the sea, but now they are going to preach the message of the kingdom of God in the land. They are going to echo John the Baptist. They are going to cry out: Repent and believe in the gospel!

Voddie Baucham, T.D. Jakes, and the Elephant in the Room

Voddie clarifies the entire ER2 controversy, and adds a few insights to the discussion. His conclusion:

I’m not angry with James MacDonald.  He’s my brother, and I love him.  We disagree.  We both understand that.  Ironically, that’s what The Elephant Room is supposedly all about.  Brothers should be able to disagree with one another and still be brothers.  There’s just one problem:  Embracing Jakes while rejecting others because we question his history of modalism and Word of Faith teaching… that’s the real “Elephant in the Room”?

Additionally, here is James White’s review of the discussion:

Trevin Wax adds an exhortation entitled Grace and Truth Beyond the Elephant Room. He concludes:

So when we engage in conflict, let’s make sure it is out of love for the truth, love for Jesus, love for one another, and love for the people we shepherd. Sometimes we may even stand against a brother on a certain issue, but even when we take an adversarial stance, it ought always to be for the good of that brother and the glory of King Jesus. Let’s take the goal of The Elephant Room seriously and be people who are full of grace and truth.

Saturday Psalter: Genevan Psalm 1

Communion Meditation: Shutting the Mouths of Evil-Doers

We have been removed from a dark realm and transferred into a kingdom of light. Jesus is the One who accomplishes this transfer. He does this by silencing the Evil One, and by stating explicitly that you are his. And every time the devil utters anything contrary, Jesus silences him with his word of authority. The Lord we serve silences evil, so we may speak his praises. Let us praise the Lord who shuts the mouths of evil doers and opens ours to taste bread and wine.

Making Righteous

“Augustine often states that justification includes the idea of ‘making righteous,’ not simply ‘declaring/reckoning’ as righteous.” How closely does Augustine anticipate Martin Luther? McGrath emphasizes an important distinction:

Augustine has an all-embracing transformative understanding of justification, which includes both the event of justification (brought about an operative grace) and the process of justification (brought about by cooperative grace). Augustine himself does not, in fact, see any need to distinguish between these two aspects of justification; the distinction dates from the sixteenth century.

Marcionism and the Justification Debate

Marcion argued that the works of believers will not be weighed by God in the final judgement. Origen objects, and argues that faith and good works are ‘two complementary conditions of salvation that must not be separated.’ And what is Thomas Scheck’s conclusion? Scheck concludes that “on the theme of justification, faith, and works, Augustine does not differ substantially from Origen.”

Justification: Five Views

In wondering why there isn’t a Lutheran view represented in the Five Views book, the editor observes:

Our response is that Horton’s traditional Reformed view is functionally identical in all the significant theological aspects to the traditional Lutheran view.

Exhortation: God as Chief Listener

Dale Topp in his book Music in the Christian Community argues that God is the chief listener in worship music. Our music is to God. God delights and responds to our music. In I Samuel 16, when Saul was terrorized by a harmful spirit the only way to end his agony was by playing music. God acts when God’s people make music. In II Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat appointed people to sing to the Lord from Psalm 136: “Give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever.” What was the result? The Bible says: “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” This is a principle we need to keep in mind this morning: that God listens to what we sing. What we sing matters. Why? Because God is waiting to act on our behalf.

Prayer: Act, O God. For we are a weak people apart from your powerful right hand. Teach our hearts and mouths to sing with joy and to declare your praises. Amen.

Pipe Smoking and Sherlock Holmes

However, no matter which Sherlock Holmes we are discussing, whether he be portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr., Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch, or even if he is simply a character on a page, we can be sure that he will have a particular item: a pipe. The pipe, even more than the hat, coat, and magnifying glass, is a signature of Sherlock Holmes. It defined him. The question that is rarely asked, however, is how did Holmes define the pipe?

{read the rest}

Postmillennialism is like…

…the ransacking of the Witch’s fortress in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

The whole castle stood empty with every door and window open and the light and the sweet spring air flooding in to all the dark and evil places which needed them so badly.

Peter Enns Meets Peter Leithart

Here is Leithart’s first response to Enn’s egregious conclusions:

I suspect it’s not the similarities of the texts that lead Pete to his conclusions, but the scientific evidence.

{here is his second response}

The Extinction of Protestant Music

Ian Hodge provides an insightful survey of the Protestant musical landscape, and he finds a culprit: 

The Pietists significantly influenced theology which, in turn, led to a change in music, both inside and outside the church. Jaroslav Pelikan, in his book Bach Among the Theologians observed that “Pietist spirituality had, by the time of Bach, acquired an increasingly distinctive tone in its description of the relation between the individual soul and Jesus.”

The article is extremely helpful in deciphering our current environment.

Augustine on the binding of the devil

He (the devil) is tied up like a dog on a chain, and can only bite someone who, deathly sure of himself, goes near him. Wouldn’t you think a man a fool who let hiimself be bitten by a chained up dog?

He can only bite those who willingly let him. It is not by force, but by persuasion, that he harms: he asks for our consent, he does not drag it from us.

{Daily Readings with St. Augustine}

Wilderness comes to Synagogue

The modern situation of the church can be summarized by the theme: “The Wilderness comes to the Synagogue.” This what we see in the inception of the kingdom ministry of Jesus (Mk.1). Jesus overcomes the devil in the desert. The desert is symbolic for its lifelessness, but now death comes into the holiness of the worship place, as Jesus battles the unclean spirit in the synagogue. Similarly, the disgrace of modern worship is the assumption that the arid and lifeless environment of the wilderness can be brought into the church without compromising the holiness of the church.

Chuck Colson Interviews President Jimmy Carter on Faith in the Public Square

Chuck Colson interacts with former President Jimmy Carter on a number of issues. The interesting point in the discussion is to hear Carter taking credit for the growth of Christianity in China.

Carter observes that “Christianity is growing quite rapidly because of the demonstration of Christ’s teachings by those who have gone there as missionaries and so forth.” The former president echoes many of the liberal talking points, and at times implies that though Jesus is the best way, he is not the only way (a claim Colson quickly clarifies).

Jimmy Carter also dealt with his conviction on Roe v. Wade during his presidency:

“I didn’t have any problem with that when I was president, but I did have a problem with the abortion issue,” he says, “because I am very conservative on the abortion issue, but I had to comply with the Roe vs. Wade ruling of the Supreme Court. So I did everything I could to minimize the need for abortion, even though I regretted the liberality of the Supreme Court ruling. But that was the only conflict that I found with my religious faith and my political obligations while I was in the White House. I thought Roe vs. Wade violated the basic principles that I thought Jesus Christ would espouse.”

Carter is an enigmatic figure. One can disagree wholeheartedly with his political ideologies–as I do– but at the same time find his commitment to human rights and Jesus Christ honorable.

The Confession of Demons

As I work through Mark 1, I have noticed that the naming of Jesus by demons has a specific purpose. William Lane alludes to this in his commentary. There is a contrast in how the sick address Jesus and how the demoniac addresses Jesus. The sick refer to Jesus as “Lord,” “Master,” and “Teacher.” While the demoniac address Jesus with precision. Jesus is the “Holy One of Israel.” By addressing him in this manner they are seeking to control him. In the ancient world one way to gain control over your enemy was to know the precise nature and status of your enemy. This is not a mere admission of his divinity–though it is–but it another wilderness testing.

N.T. Wright: Baptism and Exodus in Romans

Third Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:14-20

People of God, we come back to the gospel of Mark this morning. Mark is notorious for his rapid-paced descriptions. He summarizes large portions of the life of Jesus with a series of quick punches. He knocks out Jesus’ enemies with short phrases filled with action. In fact, Mark is the writer of action. Other gospel writers approach their message from different angles, but the Spirit guided Mark to write through the perspective of Jesus’ actions. Mark sees Jesus as a warrior; a new David. And this is why Mark places emphasis on discipleship as not so much listening to Jesus, but following Jesus’ footsteps.[1] To be a disciple demands doing what Jesus does.

One way Jesus calls us to follow after him is by doing away with ceremonial uncleanness. Uncleanness is a form of death, and this is why Jesus comes in Mark to clean the temple from the spiritual filth that has accumulated under the religious leaders of the day. Jesus is the cleanser of Israel. It took the entire history of the Old Testament for Jesus to come into the scene. There were prophets, priests, and kings, but none of them could permanently clean up the mess created by the sins of Israel, and the nations. 

Exhortation: Sanctity of Life Sunday

This morning we have baby bottles available for you to take home. For many American Churches this is Sanctity of Life Sunday. One tangible way of fighting for the un- born is to help financially those who are gifted in counseling young mothers considering abortion, and who are capable in providing care for those young mothers who at times are clueless as to what to do.

The session of Providence hopes that you will be able to add your change to that bottle, and by doing so also teaching others the value of all life. God is the God of life. He values life. He cares about life. He is the Preserver of life. This God sees the complexity of life, and He declares it to be valuable, precious, and worthy. A life in the womb is a living soul; a person.

I was pleased to hear that Pensacola no longer has a functioning abortion clinic. This is a great victory for this city. We hope with many others that Florida and every other state in this country will recognize the biblical truth that the Creator has established an unalterable law. And this law dictates that the unborn is fearfully and wonderfully made.

The Bible says that judgment begins in the house of God, so let us not be guilty of failing to defend life at all times, and in all places. It is interesting that churches that have abandoned the orthodox gospel began not by an outright denial of the creeds, but an outright denial of when life begins. May God be gracious to His Church and may she never falter in her prophetic message.

Let us pray:

O heavenly Father, strengthen us against the mounting forces of anti-life; enlighten those who walk in this deadly way that they may see the enormity of their sin and return to the generous observance of the divine law. We pray, too, for mothers, that they may prize the great privilege of motherhood; and that they may bring up their children in the holy love and fear of God, thus saving their own immortal souls and furthering the honor and glory of their Maker. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Communion Meditation: Following After Christ

Our Lord Jesus is the model of discipleship. As a people we can only serve as models to others as we are following the example of Jesus Christ. Even in our sins we can model our perfect Savior, by trusting in Him and relying in His grace to renew our hearts.

Those disciples called to follow after Jesus were drawn by an irresistible call; the call of grace; the call to abandon all for the sake of the One who abandoned all for us.

In Bread and Wine, we no longer taste the bitter abandonment Jesus suffered at Calvary, but we taste the sweet reality of His risen body. Let us eat and drink of the goodness of God in Jesus Christ.

To Die

Our God is not a slave master seeking to work us to death, but rather to die in our working as we humble ourselves and learn to forsake our sins, and follow after Jesus.

Paedocommunion vs. Rome

As a minister in the CREC, I advocate the practice of paedocommunion. Paedocommunion means that baptized children of at least one Christian parent is able to participate in the holy feast of the Church, the Lord’s Supper. Many Protestants have come to understand this position, as many have seen the consistency and the historical basis of it. Yet, the Roman Catholic Church has largely–and I should add the majority of the Protestant Church–rejected paedocommunion. The central argument rests on a de-contextualized passage in I Corinthians. Aside from the arguments for infant communion–which have been made persuasively–the point here is that the Roman Church is bold to make their case. But the truth is Protestantism argue on the basis of a similar hermeneutic.

How does the Church act towards the mentally handicapped? the least of these? These questions are not mere exceptions. They are real. Paedocommunion is the biblical  response to this.

On Gnosticism, An Introduction

If you have studied the early church, and if you are a student of history this term is used quite often. At the same time, while it is used, and while it rings a heretical tone, yet, I am not so sure the Church realizes how much Gnosticism is infecting her.

The reality is we all battle and struggle with Gnosticism in our lives, whether we know it or not. Gnosticism is very pervasive in our thinking.

But let me begin by defining Gnosticism. The word comes from the Greek gnosis, which means “learned or knowledge.” We all like knowledge and we all desire to be learned. But the real question is “what kind of knowledge were the Gnostics after?” The Gnostics were after a knowledge that was esoteric; that is, knowledge understood only by a few. It was a special type of knowledge. And this knowledge would bring them salvation. What kind of salvation? Salvation of the soul from a material world.[1] For the Gnostics, the world was created a demiurge.[2] The Demiurge was a producer; a creator-type figure. The Gnostics did not believe that the Triune God created the world. Rather they believed that the world was created by this monstrous demiurge. And because they believed this demiurge was evil, therefore creation was evil. Now we can spend quite some time talking about the myths[3] regarding the origin of demiurge, but I want to focus on the philosophy of it. There are actually many gnostic groups, and they all have different views of who Jesus was. Some claim he was merely a human who attained this gnosis; this secret knowledge. We are to follow Jesus because he learned the way to abandon the body. He was the one who freed his soul from the material world.

Third Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:14-20

William Lane argues that it is a significant fact that “Jesus does not enter upon his own distinctive ministry until after John has been arrested.” Jesus waits until John is out of the scene. When the great prophet is unfairly bound, the new prophet is released to the world. The gospel of God cannot be stopped.

Saturday Psalter: Psalm 138

The Tim Tebow Time

Americans love a show.  It is no surprise then Tim Tebow has stolen that show. The 24 year old Denver Broncos quarterback has been the source of intense scrutiny. Tebow’s startling success in this season, most notably Broncos’ playoff victory over the Steelers, has catapulted Tebow to overwhelming fame.

Tim Tebow is known for his vivacious expressions of the Christian faith. This has led to bizarre fury from sports figure like Charles Barkley to atheist commentator, Bill Maher. Maher’s anti-Christian obsession has made Tebow his prime target. Does any of this cause Tebow to diminish his Christian testimony in the field? The opposite is true. He seems more determined, and has proven that he can play with the big boys in the NFL.

How are Christians to think about this?

Tim Tebow is the product of evangelicalism. He grew up in a counter-cultural home. He was home-schooled, son of missionaries, and his mother gave birth to him, even when counseled to abort him. He is everything the mainstream media hates about Christians. But he continues to pound his message in and out of the field.

While many criticize him for his bumper-sticker gospel and his 3:16 themes, there is plenty of room for a Tim Tebow in the public arena. In fact, the gospel is public. Tebow’s message is simple. Christians should encourage and pray for his testimony. The media is just waiting for that one moment to discredit his message. By God’s grace, Tebow’s time will cause many to consider the gospel, and John 3:16 may just be that good starting point.

Epiphany Sermon: Isaiah 60: The Re-Gathering of God’s People

People of God, another one of the traditional seasons of the year “that amplifies our awareness of the person of Jesus is the…celebration of the ancient feast of the Epiphany. We remember these foreign kings, themselves alerted by strange manifestations in the heavens, like the shepherds, find their way to the Child, and as Scriptures say, “to pay him homage.” (Mat 2:2).[1] On the sixth of January, the Church celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord. The Word Epiphany means “manifestation” or “revelation.” Advent celebrates the coming of the Lord, while Epiphany celebrates his revelation to the world.[2] “We need both. If God comes to us, but remains veiled and incognito, we will never know Him. If we are to be saved, He must show Himself. Graciously, He does show Himself, in all His multifaceted glory. Throughout His earthly life, Jesus manifests His character at various times and in various ways. Jesus manifests Himself as the light of Gentiles to the magi. He shows Himself as the Bridegroom at the wedding in Cana. He reveals His glory as the Son of Man coming in His kingdom at His transfiguration.”[3] It is this manifestation that we will consider from various angles and perspectives in these next six weeks of the Epiphany Season.

The pastors are wearing green in this season.[4] Green represents the new life that Christ gives us…it represents also the renewal we have in our baptisms, as well as the spiritual growth we experience during the season as we study the Lord’s ministry of teaching, healing, and miracles.[5]

Final Day of the Conference

Though most folks had already left, I recorded a verse of Rise Again, Ye Lionhearted. The singing is still spectacular.

The Conference Begins

Auburn Avenue Pastor’s Conference

We are headed to Monroe, LA for the twelfth Auburn Avenue Pastor’s Conference. I am looking forward seeing some old friends.