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The Chapel Light - January 2008 |
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Shepherd's Scrips
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Written by Pastor Chris
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Sunday, 13 January 2008 |
The “whispering-down-the-lane” aspect of the grapevine never ceases to amaze me, especially when it comes to what I believe or teach. Recently someone told me that they heard we teach and believe that a Christian can lose his salvation. Since that’s a question that a lot of people have anyway, I thought I’d address it (and the rumor) briefly here in the Scrip.
Traditionally, conservative Christianity has been divided into two camps on this question. One camp says a Christian can never be lost; this idea is often referred to as “once-saved, always-saved.” This is the camp I was raised in. The other camp says that a Christian can be lost, though there are differences of opinion over what it takes to bring about such a loss. We always called this the “ye must be born again and again and again” school of thought.
The two camps have arisen because there are Scriptures which seem to teach both points of view. The “once saved, always saved” people emphasize the verses that seem to say a believer can never be lost; the other side focuses on the ones which seem to say that a believer can lose his salvation. Each side accuses the other of fostering weak Christianity.
“Ye-must-be-born-again-and-again-and-againers” say that if you can never lose your salvation then there’s no reason to live in obedience. Sin away since you’re bound for heaven no matter what! Proponents of “once-saved-always-saved” say that if you can lose your salvation (and regain it so easily) why not do the very same thing; sin, if you want to sin, lose your salvation – and then pick it up again when it’s more convenient to you and you feel like being a Christian. Do this as often as you want!
This argument has been going on for almost five hundred years now and has generated more heat than light. In studying both sides I’ve come to the following conclusions. First, the Bible is clear that I’m not saved by my own works but by grace through faith in Christ who died for me. Second, all those so saved by grace are called to be obedient to Christ in everyday life. Generally what the two schools argue about are those who are not living obediently – those who are willfully, carelessly and regularly disobeying God and living flagrantly in sin. The two schools argue over whether such people have lost their salvation or whether such people were ever really saved in the first place.
Hmmmm….I think that it’s really stupid to be arguing fine theological points when you’ve got a rebellious sinner in front of you! Instead of glorying in the splitting of theological hairs, I think we need to focus on practically APPLYING the Scriptures. So what do you do with a person who is living in disobedience? Put your arm around him and tell him it’s okay because when he was three he prayed by his bedside with his mommy to get saved, and “once saved, always saved, so, hey bro – continue in sin that grace may abound???" Or, do you point him to the Scriptures which hold out very serious warnings about his persistent high-handed rebellion, disobedience and unbelief, calling the rebel to repentance?
We can argue all day about whether another person is truly saved or not, but the only person who finally and surely knows if someone’s profession is genuine is God Himself. The Lord knows those that are His. But we’re told that we can have assurance of our profession by looking at the fruits that such faith produces in one’s life (e.g. 1 John 1:5-2:6). Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). So when the fruit is there, we sense the assurance. And when the works aren’t there? Should we sit back on our blessed assurance? Or should we have questions and fears and concerns which should lead us to repentance?
On the flip side, some people are so emotionally insecure that they worry about tiny insignificant things. Every little peccadillo makes them feel not only guilty, but that they have once again incurred the wrath of God - that they are condemned to hell for lying about their sister’s surprise bridal shower! They are sincerely concerned that they have seriously offended God by such tiny slights. What do we do with such people? Hold up the threats of Scripture and sneer them into repentance? No – I point them to the security that we have in the forgiving love of Christ. There is no condemnation to those who are in Him!
Discerning differing situations and properly applying the Scriptures is, in this case, I believe, far more important than arguing over the technical correctness of one’s theological theory. So for me, asking “Can a person lose their salvation?” isn’t even a good, or important, question. It has no practical value that I can see. So I don’t worry about it.
Or maybe someone can give me a reason why I should?
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The Chapel Light - Oct/Nov 2007 |
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Shepherd's Scrips
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Written by Pastor Chris
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Sunday, 04 November 2007 |
This month I’d like us to think about stewardship – the responsibility that we have to care for and about certain things.
First, I’d like us to think about the church building. At this point we don’t have a full-time custodian, and sometimes the task of cleaning up our building after a Sunday service or ministry meeting is made more difficult for our part-time cleaners than it needs to be.
Put your hymnal back into the rack. That’s YOUR responsibility and it’s not that hard to do.
If you must bring a beverage into the service, don’t let your cup under your seat. Throw it away. If it’s one of those plastic or stainless types, don’t let it sit half full of coffee where it can be accidentally kicked and spilled. Take it home, dispose of the leftover coffee, and wash the mug. That’s YOUR responsibility. If you don’t, the MVC Coffee Mug Elf has been known to dispose of such lovely mugs permanently. That’s HIS responsibility. :-)
Don’t let your bulletin lay on the seat (or even worse, the floor). Take it with you or throw it away. It’s YOUR responsibility. Show love to the cleaners by making their job a little easier.
Don’t let your stuff lay on tables in the foyer or on the hatracks. If you went through the gym on our recent “Find Your Lost Stuff Day” you saw four or five tables FULL of (among other things) shoes, shirts, jackets, Bibles, and even children’s eyeglasses (I saw 3 pairs!). How can a child go month after month without eyeglasses??? Why wasn’t some parent ringing the church phone off the hook in search of those glasses??? Those glasses laid on the table in the foyer for MONTHS. Are we that “easy come, easy go” that we can just keep buying glasses when little Susie loses them??? (Incidentally, ever since the teens’ all-nighter this summer, one of the guys left his toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss container on top of the towel dispenser in the men’s bathroom of the Classic Building. I trust that this was just a spare; I’ve disposed of it. If it wasn’t a spare…well, that’s just despicably gross.)
If you move tables and chairs around, put them back before you go. That’s YOUR responsibility. Isn’t that what you’d want done to you? Don’t leave it for someone else.
If you see paper or plastic on the floor of the church, or blowing across the parking lot – pick it up and throw it in a trash can! You’re a part of the church family if you come here. You have authority over that trash! Take the responsibility and show a little love and appreciation to those who sacrifice time to clean the church. Make their job a little easier by sharing that stewardship, take care of OUR building.
Second, I’d like to talk about stewardship of babies. The service is not designed for babies two years old and under; the nursery is. A baby in the service is a distraction to AT LEAST a dozen people around you, even if the baby is quiet. People are naturally drawn to watch babies, and that is exactly what all of the people around you do during the sermon if your baby is with you. The same thing is true of babies being walked in the foyer. People near the doors can see you out of the corner of their eyes; and if the baby makes sounds, even happy sounds, people instinctively turn around.
I know – because I watch it happen just about every week.
Part of the responsibility that each of us has is to not distract others who are trying to listen to the message. Keeping your baby with you is disrespectful to those around you, and love is not rude.
More than that, we have a responsibility to our babies to acclimate them to people other than ourselves. An important part of a child’s training involves short times of separation from parents so the child can discover that connection to others is not a bad thing! The only way to learn that is for the child to experience being left with someone else so he can discover that it did not hurt and he did not die. Of course he will cry; you’re stretching his comfort zone! Stretching the comfort zone is how you teach life! A parent’s job – a mother’s job – is not to prolong the womb experience for the child every waking hour. On the contrary, she must gradually wean the child from the womb experience so the child adapts to life in the world. It won’t hurt to do that very early in the child’s life for short periods of time (like the forty-five minutes of a sermon).
“Separation anxiety” is not fatal. It’s not even dangerous; it’s a natural part of growing up that babies must be taught by their parents. Most babies get accustomed to the nursery quickly if you consistently leave them there and if you aren’t swayed by their crying, which is also neither fatal nor harmful (cf. Proverbs 19:18). The child will not die or be seriously damaged in the nursery. We won’t allow it. If you’re really needed, you’ll be called. The nursery workers here haven’t lost a child yet!
So as good stewards of all that is entrusted to us, let us please put ALL babies in the nursery.
-- Pastor Chris
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Notes from the Sermon on Homosexuality |
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Sermon Notes
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Written by Pastor Chris
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Sunday, 07 October 2007 |
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Bardesanes of Syria (AD 155-220)
Laws in Hatra. - There is a law in force in Hatra, that whosoever steals any little thing, even though it were worthless as water, shall be stoned. Among the Cashani, on the contrary, if any one commits such a theft as this, they merely spit in his face. Among the Romans, too, he that commits a small theft is scourged and sent about his business. On the other side of the Euphrates, and as you go eastward, he that is stigmatized as either a thief or a murderer does not much resent it; but, if a man be stigmatized as an homosexual [arsenokoites], he will avenge himself even to the extent of killing his accuser. ... Again, in all the region of the East, if any persons are thus stigmatized, and are known to be guilty, their own fathers and brothers put them to death; and very often they do not even make known the graves where they are buried. Such are the laws of the people of the East. But in the North, and in the country of the Gauls and their neighbors, such youths among them as are handsome the men take as wives, and they even have feasts on the occasion; and it is not considered by them as a disgrace, nor as a reproach, because of the law which prevails among them.
Hippolytus, Bishop of Rome (c. AD 200)
"Of every tree that is in paradise thou mayest freely eat, but thou mayest not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," which is Naas. Naas...has committed sin, for he went in unto Eve, deceiving her, and debauched her; and this is a violation of law. He, however, likewise went in unto Adam, and had unnatural intercourse with him...whence have arisen adultery and sodomy [arsenokoitia].
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The Chapel Light - Aug/Sept 2007 |
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Shepherd's Scrips
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Written by Pastor Chris
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007 |
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An MVC teen once said to me, “You seem to have done so many things! Is there anything that you haven’t done???” I always thought of my life as somewhat simple, dull, and boring – but that comment made me think back through some of my job experiences and the things I learned through them.
Janitor… At National Penn Bank. A great starter job at age 15. Made $1.90 an hour. I learned how to run a big shredding machine that shredded old bank documents. I cleaned toilets and got stains out of carpets. I changed lightbulbs in the time and temperature clock at the corner of Philadelphia and Reading Avenues in Boyertown. And I learned to squeegee windows. I learned how to be at the bottom of the totem pole – a servant.
Bass guitarist in a rock band… I was in bands for about three years and only played a few gigs – enough to show me that “glory” wasn’t what it was cracked up to be!
Bank teller… I learned all about handling money and traveler’s checks and dealing with customers, even difficult ones, in a friendly way.
Bank vault worker… Wrapping coin and fixing the wrapper when it broke down. Working alone in the quiet for long periods of time -- an interesting discipline.
Metal worker and packager in a furniture factory…where I learned work with burly tattooed dudes and rough women and get accustomed to swearing on the part of both. I also learned how to spot weld and grind welds and shrink wrap stuff…and to deal with monotony and understand the “American Joe” who had to do the same.
Police officer… Yup – I worked on the campus police force at our college. It was a glorified security job, but we did receive police training in certain aspects of law, self-defense (got some basic traning in jiu-jitsu), and weaponry (we had to qualify in the use of a nightstick and a .38 pistol) and first aid. Learned about handling authority and crisis situations and keeping my cool. I also learned how to direct traffic and organize simple security and safety concerns for large campus events.
Singer… Traveled for a year or so with a gospel quartet. We organized and ran youth rallies and ministered at churches and camps. I also learned a lot about “politics” as I got to see what was going on behind the scenes in a number of churches and in my own college.
Chocolate-maker… The infamous chocolate factory (Blommer’s in East Greenville, PA), where I learned everything from unloading the raw beans and roasting them to the making and packaging of chocolate chips and chocolate bars. I also learned to drive a fork lift, how to move railroad cars by hand, and to perform some lab procedures necessary in the making of chocolate. I also learned how much “garbage” goes into food products – and I don’t mean sugar and fats. I mean real garbage… Let’s not go down that road…
Pastor… All of a pastor’s life experiences come into play as he seeks to relate to other people – and the life experiences of the pastor’s people add to his. I’ve learned about various life problems and various hobbies. I’ve learned about pets and poker. I’ve learned about fishing and flying. I’ve learned about cancer and eating disorders and medications and how to be comfortable in very uncomfortable situations. Most sobering, I think, is that I’ve seen death a number of times. I’ve learned how to listen, to counsel, to organize, to grieve, to celebrate, to lead, to speak in public, to persuade, to identify and assess “characters”, to show mercy, to be gracious, to raise money, to encourage people toward change and repentance, and I think more than anything -- to pray and be patient.
Fabric cutter… For a brief time I worked cutting fabric in an upholstery business to supplement my income from ministry. Believe it or not, that was the first time I really learned how to use scissors correctly (I was 36)! My boss had to teach me! It was also interesting to learn how different fabrics works and how furniture is made.
Teacher and educator… I also supplemented my income for a number of years teaching home school students how to write essays and papers using courses that I developed. I also taught some Shakespearean literature and history and speech courses. Likewise, I developed and taught two courses at Pacific Islands Bible College back in 2000 – and learned a little bit there about cross-cultural communication…
Umpire… I learned the rules of baseball – an interesting exercise. But I am also learning how to be decisive, how to be bold, how to be gracious but firm, how to handle angry people and conflict, how to handle authority, how to be outgoing and friendly and set the tone for an event…
Maybe my life hasn’t been all that boring! But neither is yours! Think back through your own life and the “gift experiences” (I’ve just listed “jobs” here; experience goes way beyond that!) that God has given you in molding you to be who you are. Each experience can become a tool to relate to others for the kingdom!
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The Chapel Light - July 2007 |
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Shepherd's Scrips
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Written by Pastor Chris
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Sunday, 01 July 2007 |
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Whenever new technology comes out – like the new i-Phone which can do just about everything but cook dinner -- there are those who rave about it and those who bemoan the loss of “old values” because of the new technology. Years ago I had an elderly Christian gentleman tell me that the downfall of our civilization was the invention of the automobile. Prior to that, he opined, people spent more time together talking on long, slow rides in horse-drawn buggies! He had a small point, I guess. But I couldn’t help but compare a complaint that I’m sure elderly gentlemen made in the days when alphabets and writing and scrolls were first created: “Well, there goes the need to memorize things! Now everyone’s brain will turn to jelly and the younger generation won’t remember anything!”
Conservative people believe in “conserving” old values and practices, things that we know are good because they’re tried and true. As a result we often have knee-jerk reactions against new things. We see all the dangers and refuse to see any blessings that may come with new things – perhaps because accepting such blessings would force us to change something in our thinking or behavior, and change is uncomfortable.
Others – I almost said ‘most’ -- plunge in almost mindlessly and accept new technology because of the “good” they see without ever considering possible adverse side effects.
How should Christians deal with new technologies? I have found it helpful to ask four questions -- three of which I heard raised by social critic, Neal Postman, and one which I think every Christian should ask about everything – if we are going to be wise about our approach to new technologies.
What is the problem to which this technology is the solution? Take cruise control, for a harmless example (since it is now standard on most vehicles and therefore a non-issue). Cruise control solves the problem of having to keep your foot on the gas pedal. Wow. Big problem. Perhaps for those who drive interstates for long distances on a regular basis, but for most of us, is that really a problem? And if not, is it really necessary technology – or is it just another of the meaningless bells and whistles of life that wastes our money? And if it’s the latter, do I really need to buy it?
Whose problem is it? With money they had saved, my children purchased i-pods. Music is very important in their lives, and on bus trips with school groups listening to music of your own choice is often preferable to participating in some of the other things that go on in the bus. So, the i-pods solved a ‘problem’ for my kids. Hurrah. But when my children turn to me and say “Dad, you should get an i-pod!!!” I can only respond that music is just not a big part of my life, so an i-pod would be a big waste of money. My problem is having enough silence in my life – not enough personally selected musical favorites! Purchasing technology just for the sake of saying that you have it is pride – or avarice.
What other problems will be created by my using the new technology? The technology of the internet is a superb source of information, but it opens the door to a number of problems. Some are obvious, like the undesirable information within the click of a mouse (like pornography and how to make bombs), or the possible theft of my identity or abuse of my credit cards via the hacking of online sales sites. Some are more subtle, like the undermining of the ability to conduct face-to-face and verbal personal interaction because of the ease of the more “anonymous” instant message.
For me and my family, to date, the adverse side effects of having cable has outweighed the benefits of having cable TV. Instead I purchased a good VCR and DVD player that allows me much more selection and control in what we watch.
I’m not saying that having cable is sinful; just that each form of technology brings problems with it, and each presents new challenges that our souls need to be aware of and weigh and measure. Some challenges make certain technologies less useful to some, and more useful to others. Each of us must be wise as serpents in such decisions and not give a foothold to the enemy -- just for the sake of being up-to-date.
How can I be fruitful for the kingdom of God using this new technology? Christians ought to be asking this question about everything in their lives. I-pods and the internet and cell phones certainly have their downsides. But like radio and TV before them, they can also be an extremely fruitful tool in God’s service if used rightly.
Let each seek the kingdom of God in these things. Let each walk in faith, being convinced in his own mind. Let each stand or fall before his Master.
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