Could it be that Satan wants to make things more complicated?  As I teach my three young children gospel truths, I’m reminded how those simple answers are what my soul desperately needs, as well.  "Sunday School answers" are sometimes the best answers. 

Sunday School Answers

A believer experiences an unexpected break-up, and a friend responds, “God works all things for good.”  Another Christian expresses struggles with his future job prospects, and his brother answers, “Trust in the Lord.”  The discouraged disciple becomes frustrated.  He looks at his Christian friend and says, “Well, I know that.  Give me something that helps.”  Or, more likely, the truths are never stated.  The basics are just assumed.  After all, people know the Sunday School answers, right?

Certainly we must fight against insensitivity. It’s often appropriate to hold a hand, give a hug, or simply sit in silence.  Most of us don’t want to be preached at in the midst of suffering.  But the basics are truly what we need.  Truth is what comforts us.  There is a tragic sophistication and cynicism toward basic Christian truths today by many young people.  We’ve heard those answers.  They’re too simple, we reason.  We ask for more.    

The Simplicity of the Gospel

Jesus taught us that the kingdom belongs to children.  We are to receive him with the faith of a child (Luke 18:16-17).  What’s the answer to monsters under the bed?  God is in control.  How are we comforted when someone teases us on the playground?  He loves us, and that’s what counts.  What do we do if we find ourselves sad?  We reflect upon our joy in Christ.  Our need is not for better answers.  It’s for our hearts to embrace the right ones.  Gospel truths are not simplistic.  They are rich and deep.  But they’re simple.

I remember a skit, back in my college ministry days, where three Christians were competing in a game show.  One girl, trying to play the airhead, kept answering “Jesus,” with much enthusiasm, to every question.  Everyone laughed.  But maybe it was our Enemy who was truly laughing.  If he can get us to assume gospel truths, he’s won most of the battle.  If he can get us to mock God’s word, that’s success for him.  In our counseling, in our preaching, and in our evangelism, is “Jesus” our answer?  Are the promises of Scripture our comfort?  If not, we might just need to go back to Sunday School.

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The Theology of the Body: Click | View Series

Your Gender Matters

As embodied creatures, human beings are either male or female (Gen. 1:26-27); indeed, gender is a fundamental reality of human existence. God does not create a generic human being and then add on gender; rather, he creates a human being either as a male person or as a female person. Human genderedness means that a man is conscious of and knows himself as a man, he relates to other human beings as a man, and as a man he relates to God.

Similarly, it means that a woman is conscious of and knows herself as a woman, she relates to other human beings as a woman, and as a woman she relates to God. Try as I might, even urged on by my wife, I cannot see life from her—a woman’s—perspective! Human beings are perspectivally gendered—as designed by God.

Accordingly, men and women should be thankful for the gender with which God created them, and any sense of superiority or inferiority because they are male or female is wrong and dangerous. Gender differences should be celebrated, and men and women should learn to enjoy personal, pure relationships with the other gender (1 Tim. 5:1-2).

Sexuality and Marriage

An important aspect of gender, and hence of human embodiment, is sexuality. Indeed, God created human beings as both male and female so that they could fulfill the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). This universal command means that the majority of people will be married, and the biblical portrait is that marriage is between a man and a woman who commit themselves to living in a monogamous relationship. Sexual intercourse is to be enjoyed within the bounds of this covenantal framework and is designed for several purposes, including pleasure, procreation, a guard against immorality, and unity.

Tragically, the fall into sin wreaks havoc with human sexuality, and Scripture presents instructions intended to help people overcome temptation and failure in this area. For example, Paul denounces sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:12-12), urging Christians to flee from it. Elsewhere (1 Thess. 4:3-8) he commands married people to engage in sexual activity in a God-honoring and spouse-respecting manner while avoiding immorality. The close relationships that Christians enjoy with one another should never be allowed to cross the lines of proper morality so that members defraud one another by taking that which does not belong to them.

Sexuality and Singleness

Paul also addresses the reality of singleness (1 Cor. 7:7-9). This state, like that of marriage, is a gift of God (v. 7). Paul’s preference is that people remain single (v. 8), for celibacy offers many advantages (1 Cor. 7:25-40), including avoidance of troubles and anxieties, and promotion of “undivided devotion to the Lord” (v. 35). The advantages of singleness are many, yet only those to whom this gift is given should remain single (v. 9). Those with the gift of celibacy are not asexual beings who lack sexual desire, but they are able to control those urges by channeling them in God-honoring ways. Lacking such self-control, people should pursue getting married so they are not overwhelmed by sexual desire and thus fall into immorality.

We are certainly aware of the many troubles Christians and the church encounter in this area: rampant sexual immorality, adultery, homosexuality, sexual abuse, pornography, prostitution, and other problems. Cognizant of these many challenges, we should never lose sight of the fact that human sexuality and sexual intercourse between married couples are wonderful gifts from God for his embodied creatures, gifts that should be celebrated and enjoyed.

To be continued.

2010 Seattle Bootcamp

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Justification by X: Click | View Series

Church Math

As kids, I bet most of us reading this post probably hated math—all the subtracting, borrowing, and dividing. These are all words that make pastors nervous. No wonder teachers called them "problems."

But as we aged and began ministry, something miraculous happened and we suddenly fell in love with numbers. In fact, we learned the whole new subject called "church math," like baptisms, budgets, and Sunday service attendance. The number of things to count became almost endless and almost fun—that is, as long as the numbers were up. But if the numbers went down, especially the Sunday attendance number, our spirits would often go down with them. And that is a problem indeed.

Our Relationship With Attendance

I am not against counting things when it comes to church. The old adage which says, "We count people because people count" may be trite, but it is true. We should count the things that we keep track of. But all of us will readily admit that there is something suspicious going on with our relationship with the attendance figure. I believe it is because, at times, we look to it to justify ourselves and our ministries.

The equations on the chalkboard of our heart usually go something like this:

Lots of people = Visible success in ministry = I am happy

Fewer people = Failure in ministry = I am depressed

Anybody else think that math is a little fuzzy?

Here are a few tips to help us clear things up.

1. Define yourself by what Jesus did on the cross, not what you do on Sunday.

Though we all know this is true, we often struggle to believe it when it counts. To see change happen, we must do what it takes to write this gospel truth on our hearts, so that it is ready when we need it most. As we grow in our ability to use the gospel in daily life, we will be better equipped to fight the enemy's lies.

2. Be careful with counting.

As I said before, I'm not telling you not to keep track of things. I’m simply saying that we recognize attendance records can be like handguns—helpful in some situations and dangerous in others. Ask yourself questions like, “Why am I watching the attendance so closely? For Jesus or for me?” Remember, our worth as followers of Jesus and as pastors is not wrapped up in how many people attend our services, but in the gospel.

3. Be careful with how you define success.

Though our “bigger is better” mentality may tempt us to think otherwise, a big crowd doesn’t necessarily signify a faithful ministry. In fact, as we study the Scriptures we see a number of “successful” preachers who weren’t always surrounded by huge crowds—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and at times, even Jesus. While we can take heart in this fact, we must also guard ourselves from going too far in the other direction as well. Pastoring a small church doesn’t necessarily make us more faithful, just as pastoring a large church doesn’t make us unfaithful.

4. Be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Nearly every pastor I know struggles with this issue. Will you join me in serving your fellow strugglers and not let “So what are you guys running these days?” be the first question you ask your pastor friends the next time you talk to them? Ask about their soul, their family, or how they are engaging their community. As we do, I think we will do the kingdom a great service.

Our justification is in the gospel, not how many people attend our services. What are you looking to for your justification today?

Missional Ecclesiology

Re:Train professor Gregg Allison explains the missional church in his blog series on Missional Ecclesiology.

Click through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video.

In this short interview clip, Pastor Mark asks bestselling author Randy Alcorn what people should read if they've never read any of his books and want an introduction to his writings.

Here are the books he mentioned:

Nonfiction:

• The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance (Randy's favorite)
• Heaven (Pastor Mark calls it "the standard on the subject")
• If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil
• Money, Possessions, and Eternity

Fiction:

• Safely Home
• Deception

For Children:

• Heaven for Kids

See all the parts of this interview posted so far.

ESV Study Bible

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Pharisees

Jesus' greatest enemy was a purity movement.

The Pharisees were a sect of Jewish leaders and teachers whose main goal was to purify Israel of its sin so that God would deliver Israel from Rome. In the law they saw the fundamental promise: "If you obey you will be blessed and dwell in the land." And so they took it upon themselves to be obedient and to enforce obedience across their small country.

The problem was that they thought they were the obedient ones.

Swallowing a Camel

The Pharisees were meticulous in following the law, while actually missing the grand intent of the law. It was not only to be pure and blameless, but also to be loving and good. That is why Jesus said that they would "strain a gnat, but swallow a camel." They neglected mercy and justice to their fellow countrymen.

But we ought not to just think that these men were more evil than any of us. They just had it in their mind that they were worthy of being blessed, and they tried to root out any people that would withhold the blessing from the nation—prostitutes, tax collectors, and "sinners."

The Fundamental Question

And that is the problem with all purity movements, whether they are doctrinal, methodological, or moral. The leaders see themselves as part of the solution, and act as referees in their culture—sitting in judgment of those who, in their minds, are withholding blessing from their nation. And so they have to be merciless and judgmental, because their fundamental question is "What must we do to be blessed?" instead of "God has already blessed us—what must we do to love?"

Vintage Jesus

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.