Pride and Plagiarism

[This devotion is lightly edited from the original, written September 10, 2004.]

It all sounds so familiar.

The senior pastor of a large Charlotte church resigned this week, admitting that over the last two years he has preached sermons from others without attribution.

Eight months ago I was approached by a member of a church in another state, asking me to listen to tapes from his pastor to discern if he was re-preaching my sermons without attribution. Such was the case – that pastor preached all 27 sermons in my series on the Gospel of Mark. Listening to this unknown man speaking my words as if they were his own was eerie – particularly when he told one of my personal stories, saying he was quoting “a missionary,” – but then, after saying “end quote”, he continued to speak my very words! I felt violated – just as if someone had broken into my house and rifled through my possessions.

Why would a pastor do such a thing? The Charlotte pastor says he felt “tired and discouraged,” “devoid of any creative ability.” The other pastor said he was burned out. Both had tried to resign prior to the plagiarism, and both had been convinced to stay by others in the church.

But tiredness and a lack of creative energy are not fundamental to this problem. As I told the other pastor, if, upon reading my sermons online, he had contacted me, had told me of the problem, and had asked for permission to re-preach my sermons with attribution, I would have discouraged him from doing so, but nevertheless would have said yes. He could have preached exactly the same set of sermons, trying to restore his energies in the same way, and yet he could have been completely aboveboard with his congregation, while giving proper credit to the author. The Charlotte pastor could have done the same. But both men chose not to do so. Why?

There is only one answer, and it is an ugly one: Pride. For a pastor to admit to his congregation that he cannot compose a sermon is a statement of weakness, of inadequacy. And most church members do not want inadequate pastors.

How would you respond if your pastor were to confess, “I am burned out. I need your prayers. My time in the Word is dry. So I’m going to preach for you a fine sermon another man wrote. May God bless you through it.” Would you respond, “How unprofessional! If I acted that way in my job, I would be fired!”

Guess what? Every pastor is inadequate for the task. Every pastor is incompetent for the ministry. As Paul says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 3:5). So how much of a pastor’s impact on his congregation comes from him? Nothing – nothing that is of any ultimate importance. We are not adequate to consider anything as coming from ourselves! But Paul continues, “But our adequacy is from God.” Pastors must be called and empowered by God to accomplish God’s work in God’s church. Then – and only then – will they be adequate, competent, sufficient for God’s task.

The 19th century British preacher Charles Spurgeon admitted, “I scarcely ever come into this pulpit without bemoaning myself that ever I should be called to a task for which I seem more unfit than any other man that ever was born. Woe is me that I should have to preach a gospel which so overmasters me, and which I feel that I am so unfit to preach!” If we preachers speak before our congregations with any other attitude, we too will be subject to the bane of pride.

So what can you do? What attitude should you have toward your pastor?

First, expect weakness from him. Expect brokenness from him. Know that he struggles with pride and many other sins, and that he needs friendship, support, and accountability before others.

Second, speak to him about this recent resignation. Tell him that if he ever feels burned out and dry, you will support him in whatever way necessary. Tell him you would much rather he openly preach another man’s sermon than to pretend he is speaking his own words. Remind him that he is personally inadequate for his task – but that God will make him adequate by His power, in part through the prayers of His people. And commit yourself to praying for him.

Finally, examine your own heart. Is your own pride wrapped up in the status of your pastor? Do you brag to others about his skills and leadership? That’s part of the problem. So many of us put our pastors on a pedestal, and then we pastors feel we must live there, pretending we are perfect, pretending that all is going well, plastering a smile on our faces, effectively lying to our congregations, thinking that if we admit our problems we will damage our peoples’ faith in God.

Fellow pastors, God has entrusted us with a magnificent ministry – but He wraps this ministry in the inadequate, weak, easily-broken jars of clay that we are. Our admitting our weakness does not diminish God’s glory – rather, “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Let the glory of God shine through your weakness, so that all might know that whatever our churches may accomplish, all results from God’s power, and not from our professionalism.

How Does Deuteronomy Help Us Rejoice in the Lord?

As our name suggests, Desiring God Church emphasizes the importance of our delighting in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We often quote verses such as Psalm 16:11 and Philippians 4:4:

In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

But consider how often we find similar commands in the book of Deuteronomy – often prescribing rejoicing during the regular feasts or when bringing tithes and offerings:

Deut. 12:7 (NET): Both you and your families must feast [at the place God designates] before the LORD your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he has blessed you.

Deut. 12:12 (NET): You shall rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God

Deut. 12:18 (NET): In that place you will rejoice before the LORD your God in all the output of your labor.

Deut. 14:26 [When the people bring their tithes to the place God designates]: You shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.

From Deut. 16:10-15: Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there…. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast…. 15 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

Deut. 26:5-11 [When the people offer from their first harvest in the Promised Land]: You shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

Deut. 27:7 [After crossing the Jordan and building an altar]: You shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God.

From these and related passages, consider four observations that help us today to rejoice in God:

First: Rejoice corporately! In our individualistic culture, we easily internalize commands such as Philippians 4:4: “I must rejoice in God in myself!” In contrast, all the quoted passages refer to rejoicing in God together with others. So today we should rejoice together in God not only in our worship services but also at our meals, at family events, at gatherings in our homes. By so doing, we help one another also to rejoice internally.

Second: Recognize that all you have is a gift from God! God owes you nothing. You have earned nothing. As the excerpt from Deuteronomy 26 emphasizes, only a handful of people went to Egypt, and God multiplied them, making them a great nation. Then He rescued them from oppression and by His power brought them into a fruitful land. Just so with us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, and by His great mercy through the work of His Son He made us alive in Jesus. Every breath, every heartbeat, every morsel of food is an undeserved gift from God.

Third, and related: Recognize that even what you “earn” is a gift from God! Deuteronomy 12:7 says we are to “rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he has blessed you.” Thus, even what seems to result from our work is a blessing from God. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 elaborates on this idea: “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” If I produce more output than others through diligent work, that doesn’t mean I am better than others, or that I deserve the additional output. Rather, the diligence and the ability to work well are gifts that others do not have. I should therefore rejoice in God all the more.

Finally: Rejoice in the Giver rather than the gift! When they prosper, the Israelites are to rejoice in the giving of tithes and during their regular feasts as repeated reminders of the One Who is Himself good and holy and loving. The houses, the herds, the flocks, the silver, the gold, health, children, protection – all these are pointers to God. Just so with us. Every good and perfect gift is from Him (James 1:17). We must not be like the thousands in John 6 who ate the miraculous bread and simply desired more, failing to see what it signified. Rather, we can take the occasion of every delight – cardinals at the feeder, sunshine on new leaves, a whiff of Clematis flowers, a brisk early-morning walk, tasty cobbler, a toddler’s smile – and rejoice in our trinitarian God, from Whom, through Whom, and unto Whom are all these joys.

[All quotations are ESV unless otherwise indicated.]

Quiz: Identify What is Left Out

Consider the following version of Ephesians 2:1-10, without looking at your Bible. Is something wrong?

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This version of the text clearly states essential aspects of the Gospel: We were dead in trespasses and sins; we thus cannot save ourselves; God saves us by grace through the work of Jesus, through our faith in Him; He has made us alive, raised us with Christ, and seated us with Him, so the work is complete; He will delight to show us His grace in kindness to us forever and ever; He has prepared good works for us to do in this life.

So is anything important missing?

This version leaves out nine words: “In Christ Jesus,” repeated in verses 6, 7, and 10.

Did you notice that?

Many presentations of the Gospel highlight the essential aspects detailed above, yet do not explicitly state that these benefits are all in Christ Jesus. We tend to highlight that the benefits of the Gospel come to us through Christ Jesus, because of Christ Jesus – His death, His resurrection, His teaching, His example. The Apostle Paul, in contrast, emphasizes strongly that these blessings are ours if and only if we are in Christ Jesus. Indeed, in Ephesians 1:3-14 Paul repeats that idea six times.

Other biblical images elaborate on this truth: We are the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 10:16); He is the vine, we are the branches (John 15:1-10); we are the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-33, Revelation 19:7-8, 21:2); we are to be rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:6-7); we are to feed on Him, the true Bread from heaven (John 6:32-35, 53-56).

When we focus solely on the Gospel benefits we receive through Jesus, we have a tendency to think of salvation in legal terms: we are guilty, but Jesus paid the penalty. We are now free from condemnation.

By emphasizing that these benefits are in Christ, Paul highlights the essential relational nature of the Gospel – and thus the point John emphasizes: our need to keep feeding on Him, to continue to depend on Him, to keep cultivating that love for Him, and to be alert to disruptions in the relationship, being quick to repent and turn to Him.

As a participation in the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16), the Lord’s Supper pictures these truths. So as we approach a season of celebrating this ordinance every Sunday, come to the table with these thoughts in mind: “I am in Christ Jesus; I feed on Him; I have no good apart from Him; He is the blessed man (Psalm 1) and those blessings are mine in Him.”

Praise God for the Gospel benefits that come through Christ Jesus. And praise God that we have Gospel blessings in Christ Jesus for all eternity.

The Sanctity of Life and the Fourteenth Amendment

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is much in the news this month following President Trump’s executive order on ending birthright citizenship. Section 1 of the amendment reads:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The present legal debate concerns the meaning of “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” All agree that the phrase excludes the children of diplomats from other countries who reside in the US. But does it include the children of tourists? Those tourists, after all, must obey US criminal law. Or does it only include those citizens and legal permanent residents who have a commitment to this country?

The language of the amendment and the historical setting raise an even more fundamental question, however: As Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas write, “Were unborn children among the ‘persons’ the Amendment protected? Or, should the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of the laws’ … include freedom for women to abort?” (All quotations are from chapter 18 in The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History 1652-2022, Crossway, 2023).

Scripture describes instances in which unborn children are filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15), leap for joy (Luke 1:41-44), are in sin (Psalm 51:5), and struggle with one another (Genesis 25:22). These are characteristics of persons. We at DGCC have argued time and again that the biblical evidence is thus clear (see these links: first, second, third, fourth).

But does that biblical understanding underlie the fourteenth amendment? Olasky and Savas present evidence that its contemporaries thought it did.

The Congressional debate over the amendment in May of 1866 rightly focused on providing equal protection for African Americans recently freed from slavery. Earlier that same month in Memphis, police and other state officials – even the Tennessee attorney general – did nothing to stop and even encouraged mobs to slaughter dozens of African Americans. With such government-inflicted horrors in the news, no congressman made an explicit statement concerning abortion during the debate.

But the history of the amendment’s ratification displays the widespread understanding that unborn children are persons. In January of 1867 the Ohio legislature ratified the amendment while also passing an anti-abortion law, with a committee stating that doctors all agree “that the foetus in utero is alive from the very moment of conception…. The willful killing of a human being, at any stage of its existence, is murder” (Olasky and Savas). This legislature clearly believed that in ratifying the amendment they were protecting the rights not only of African Americans, but also of the unborn.

State legislatures also passed pro-life laws shortly before or after ratifying the fourteenth amendment in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, and Vermont. By 1868 more than 80 percent of the 37 states had pro-life laws. As Olasky and Savas write, these laws

referred to the fetus as a “child” and/or “person.” Twenty of them punished equally killing an unborn child at six weeks [of gestational age] or six months. Laws in 17 of the states called abortion manslaughter, murder, or assault with intent to murder, and classified abortion as a crime against a person.

In the next several months, many will argue based on evidence from the 1800s about the implications of the fourteenth amendment for birthright citizenship. I encourage you, when you hear such arguments, bring out this even more important issue from the same century.

And pray:

  • Pray that the horror of hundreds of thousands of unborn children killed annually might end
  • Pray that we God’s church might work more and more effectively to love and care for women with unplanned pregnancies
  • Pray, yes, for better laws protecting unborn children in our own state
  • And pray against idolatry, in your own heart and in the hearts of others. For the decision to kill a child in the womb always results from idolatry.

[The Olasky and Savas volume tells numerous stories that illustrate the link between idolatry and abortion over the past several hundred years.]

 

The Confusion of Christmas

The Confusion of Christmas

  • “Happy Holidays!”
  • “Best wishes for the Festive Season!”
  • “Peace on earth!”
  • “Merry Christmas!”
  • “Joy to the World!”

We have heard and read and sung such expressions this season. Praise God, Jesus’ birth is a time for celebration:

  • The angel Gabriel says to Zechariah, “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Luke 1:14).
  • Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).
  • The angel says to the shepherds, “I proclaim to you a good and great joy” (Luke 2:10).

The long wait is over! The Child is born! He is Savior and Lord!

But taken in isolation, those expressions are misleading. For the message of Christmas is not peace to all. The coming of Jesus is not joyous to all mankind. The incarnation of the Lord God is not merry to many.

We see this in our own day. Many do not recognize the baby in the manger as Christ the Lord. Of these, a few – following after Ebenezer Scrooge – therefore refuse to celebrate at all. But most are unlike Scrooge. They take the opportunity to celebrate whatever they treasure, whether debauchery or riches or family and friendship.

Our passage, Luke 2:22-52, makes clear that Christmas is not about a general sense of celebration – not even a celebration of family and friendship. Yes, the long-awaited Messiah is born, and those who believe in Him should rejoice and celebrate. Yet Luke follows his account of the celebration by angels and shepherds of Jesus’ birth with a report of Mary and Joseph’s confusion and consternation.

From the start, Jesus is not what people expect him to be. He becomes a dividing line. Praise God, His coming leads to the rising of many in Israel. But His coming also leads to the fall of many. There is no peace, no goodwill for them. Thus, Jesus is a divider. So we must ask ourselves: Which side am I on?

So the message of Christmas is not: Celebrate! The message of Christmas is: Receive the Gift of Salvation! Then celebrate the Giver!

We’ll examine our passage under two headings:

  • A Savior – for Whom?
  • A Son – to Whom?

A Savior – For Whom?

Luke has already told us about Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly” (Luke1:6). They were devout. They kept a clear conscience before God. When they sinned, they made use of the sacrificial system, the provision in the Law for dealing with sin

Joseph and Mary are similar. At a time when many ignored the Law and others lived up to it outwardly but violated it inwardly, this couple lived by it. Luke 2:22-24 provides evidence of this. According to Leviticus, Mary needed to be purified after giving birth. Also, every firstborn needed to be redeemed according to the Law. In addition, it seems as if Mary and Joseph are dedicating Jesus in a special way to God, like Hannah did with Samuel. So Mary and Joseph intend to accomplish all three of these purposes when traveling the seven miles from Bethlehem to the temple in Jerusalem.

When entering, they meet another righteous, devout person: an old man, Simeon, who is “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” That is, he is waiting for the Messiah. He believes the prophecies. He knows the Messiah is coming.

The Spirit has revealed to Simeon that he would see the long-awaited Messiah before dying (Luke 2:26). When his eyes fall on the infant Jesus, the Spirit lets him know: “This is He!” So Simeon comes up to Mary and – likely to her surprise – takes the baby in his arms.

Luke 2:33 tells us that the couple “marvel” at what he then says. The word translated “marvel” can also connote surprise, or being disturbed. Here, Mary and Joseph are definitely surprised, and quite possibly disturbed. Why? Let’s consider Simeon’s words.

After praising God and declaring, “I’m ready to die,” Simeon goes on to say, “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared before all peoples.” Jesus is that salvation. But in what sense is He “prepared before all peoples”?

The picture here is similar to David’s image in Psalm 23:5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Jesus is the feast, the Christmas dinner if you like. Indeed, Jesus will say, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), and, when speaking of bread, “This is my body which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24).

For whom did God prepare this feast? God prepared this feast “before all peoples,” for all nations. He set the table in front of all peoples. Every people group is not only invited; every people group will attend. Whatever race, whatever customs, whatever majority religion, however many centuries of rejecting the Gospel – those from every people group will find salvation in Jesus Christ, every people group will feast on Him.

This message is in the Hebrew Scriptures (see Psalm 67:3,5 and many others). Yet for the most part, Jews – even devout Jews like Joseph and Mary – had missed that truth. They saw the Messiah as coming to help them. They knew other nations were involved somehow – they knew that other nations would recognize that they were truly God’s people. But they didn’t see the Jewish Messiah as coming to save all peoples. So this idea is confusing – disturbing even – to Joseph and Mary.

But Simeon doesn’t stop with that statement. In verse 32, he calls that salvation – Jesus Himself – a light. Then he explains how Jesus is a light in two different ways. First, He is a “light for revelation to the Gentiles.” The word “Gentiles” here refers not to non-Jewish individuals, but once again to nations, to people groups. All these nations are walking in darkness. They desperately need the light of the revelation of Who God is, and how to be put right with Him. Jesus is their salvation.

Second, Jesus is also a light for glory to God’s people Israel. This is what Joseph and Mary expected and longed for. The Messiah will come and show that those who loved His appearing were right. They will be glorified. God will show that He has not forsaken them, despite the centuries of oppression.

So the Messiah serving as a light to show the glory of true Israel is not a surprise. But Israel – in particular, Jesus Himself as the True Israel – being God’s chosen means of blessing all nations was not expected even by devout Jews, and thus this idea surprises Jesus’ parents. Simeon in effect says, “Mary, this son of yours is not only the Messiah who will redeem Israel. He also will save all peoples, even those who have oppressed Israel.”

Mary’s head must be swimming at this when Simeon speaks directly to her in in Luke 2:34-35, adding another element to her consternation:

“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Consider first what comes before and after the parenthetical phrase.

Some within Israel will rise when they encounter this child. Their hearts will be revealed, showing that they truly follow God, they truly love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He may confuse them; they will not always understand Him. But they will love Jesus’ appearing.

Others won’t rise. They will stumble over Him. They will fall. Their hearts will be revealed, showing that they are in fact opposed to God, no matter what their official title might be.

Of course, this happened in Jesus’ own day. The High Priest, the chief priests, the Sanhedrin as a group opposed Him. They stumbled over Him. Their hearts were shown to be against God, not for Him.

And the same still happens today. Some long for His appearing. Some – even some with the title of pastor or bishop – mock it.

Luke 2:36-38 add to this point by speaking of elderly Anna, who like Simeon is devout and looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. After seeing Jesus, Anna speaks of Him to “all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” The clear implication: While some are waiting for this redemption, others are not. She doesn’t even speak to them.

My friends, Jesus ultimately divides all people into two groups: Those who long for Him –  who love Him before they see Him, who know Him upon seeing Him – and those who don’t. Jesus is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel. Simeon and Anna both bring out this point

But I don’t think this idea surprises Mary, for in her song of praise (Luke 1:46-55) she says, “His mercy is for those who fear Him” (and thus His mercy is not for those who don’t fear Him); “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts” (for the proud set themselves up in opposition to Him), and “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones” (for He is the only ultimate power).

Mary knew from the Old Testament that the proud, the mighty within Israel would not follow the Messiah, and that He would overthrow them. She knew that only the remnant, the true, believing remnant, would follow the coming King. So, this idea is not what surprises and disturbs her.

The surprise is found within the parenthetical phrase in Luke 2:36: A sword will pierce her soul. This is the first hint that being the mother of the Messiah will bring pain to Mary. Of course, she has already experienced some degree of pain and inconvenience.

  • She became pregnant before she was married.
  • Her plans for her life were turned upside down.
  • She had to make a journey of several days while pregnant.
  • She gave birth in far from ideal circumstances.

But Simeon suggests a much deeper pain, a much more piercing sorrow. Why? She’s the mother of the Messiah! His kingdom will last forever! All generations will call her blessed!

The Holy Spirit allows Simeon to get a glimpse of the suffering Mary will go through following the rejection of her son by the religious leaders. This, too, is the first indication that there will be a major delay between His incarnation and the time when all will bow down before Him.

This is the confusion of Christmas. Jesus comes as King over all, but He also comes to divide. There is no cause for celebration at Christmas for those who refuse to submit to Him.

Furthermore, although those who long for His appearing should celebrate His birth, even for them there is reason for sober judgment. For until He comes again, we, like Mary, will suffer if we follow Him. We may lose possessions. We may give up careers. We may lose respect. We may even lose our lives. So we must ask one another: Do you count all else as rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Him? He must be your treasure – He must be more valuable to you than all else. You can’t take a piece of the Messiah. To be your Savior, He must be your Everything.

So this infant is a Savior – for whom? He is a Savior for the Jews who long for Him, who love God with all their hearts. He is a Savior for those from every tribe and tongue and people who also long for Him. The offer to join the feast stands today: Love Him. Long for Him. Treasure Him. And He will be your Savior.

A Son – To Whom?

Mary and Joseph eventually return to Nazareth, where Jesus grows in physical strength and is filled with wisdom by God’s grace. The next scene takes place when Jesus is twelve (Luke 2:41-52). All Jewish men are obligated to attend the Passover in Jerusalem. This year, Mary and Jesus accompany Joseph. Many from Nazareth and, perhaps, from nearby towns travel together for safety and companionship. After Passover concludes, the caravan begins the several-day journey home. Mary and Joseph don’t see Jesus during that first day of travel but think nothing of it; He has many friends and relatives in the caravan. But that evening, He is nowhere to be found; they realize He did not leave Jerusalem with them. The next day, they return to find Him, but arrive late and once again go to sleep not knowing the whereabouts of their son. Worried, they search for Him the next day.

Where do they find Him at long last? In the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening, questioning. Those hearing Him are amazed at his understanding.

Mary and Joseph are dumbfounded (Luke 2:48). He knew when the caravan was leaving. He knew they expected Him to go with them. What does He think He’s doing?

Mary speaks out, using words similar to what some of you parents may have said to your own child: “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

Jesus’ response provides us with His earliest words recorded in the New Testament: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Jesus says, “I’m easy to find. It’s necessary that I be here, in my Father’s house. Didn’t you know that? Mother, consider: Who am I? Who is my Father?”

Now, Jesus is not being disobedient or disrespectful. Luke 2:51 makes this absolutely clear: He returns to Nazareth and is submissive to Mary and Joseph.

So why does Jesus do this? To make a point. His actions tell Mary and Joseph, “I love you and respect you. I will always be your son. I will serve you as a son. But I have another calling – a higher calling. I was sent for a purpose. I must be about my Father’s business. And also, Mother, do you feel this pain now? It’s not my intention to give you pain. But as I follow my Father’s plan, I will give you greater pain than this. This is the first of many times when my actions will confuse you. So remember what you have learned. A sword will pierce your own soul. But I am the Son of the Most High. I am the King of Kings. My reign will never end. Trust me. I know what I must do – for your good and God’s glory.”

Mary’s problem is our problem. She had expectations for her Son, the Messiah. Jesus didn’t live up to those expectations. He had his own agenda. He had his own plan. So she was dumbfounded.

What do you expect Jesus to do? How do you expect Him to relate to you? Whatever you expect – He will act differently. Whatever plans you have, almost certainly Jesus will change those plans.

The Christ of Christmas confuses and astounds us, confounding our expectations. The Christ of Christmas will challenge you, stretch you, mold you, break you.

But He is the feast set before you! He is the ultimate joy! His incarnation should lead to a joyous celebration among His people. Christ is born! The Savior is here! And He is Lord!

What is He to you?

Don’t be fooled by the pictures of baby Jesus. A tiny baby in his mother’s arms seems no threat to anyone. Everyone loves a baby.

  • But the Christ of Christmas is appointed for the falling and rising of many.
  • The Christ of Christmas reveals the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
  • The Christ of Christmas divides us all into those who treasure Him and those who oppose Him – there is no middle ground.

He comes to save His people. But He is your Savior only on His terms. And His terms are: Everything. Your possessions. Your future plans. Your family. Everything.

We must love Him with all our heart. We must trust Him with all our lives.

Do you trust Him? Do you love Him? Will you follow Him – no matter what confusing, circuitous route you might take?

The Christ of Christmas is God’s salvation for you.

The Christ of Christmas is a light for revelation to all peoples – including your people.

The Christ of Christmas is worth more than everything you own; He is worth more than all your hopes and dreams.

So take Him! Confess your sinfulness, your lack of love for Him. Confess your mixed desires.  Repent – and find your salvation in the Christ of Christmas.

(This devotion is based on a sermon on Luke 2:22-52 preached Christmas Day 2005.)

 

 

Giving Thanks for DGCC

Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday prompts us to do what should be doing “always and for everything” (Ephesians 5:20). Indeed, the Apostle Paul instructs us elsewhere:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

When preaching on this verse (audio; blog post), I encouraged you to put this into practice by thanking God for:

  • One aspect of salvation,
  • One obvious gift,
  • One clear answer to prayer,
  • One good you are tempted to think you earned or produced,
  • One good you are tempted to think you deserve,
  • One gift you easily overlook, and
  • One difficulty that considered by itself is not good.

In the run-up to the holiday, here are my answers to those prompts, primarily considering the last 22 years of Desiring God Community Church:

One Aspect of Salvation:

Thank You, Father God, that You make rebels deserving of condemnation into Your intimate family, and then delight to do them good, bringing us into the “white-hot enjoyment of Your glory.” Thank You for deepening my joy in You through DGCC.

One Obvious Gift:

Thank You, Father God, for the gift of Jacob as my fellow elder and as my successor Senior Pastor. You answered our prayers so faithfully, beyond what we could ask or imagine, in superintending the search process and in uniting us as elders and as a church under his ministry. Thank You also for the gift of his family, for Amy and Evie and Gigi. Thank You for the way You have complemented Jacob and me through the leadership of Daniel, Wil, and I’John;

One Clear Answer to Prayer:

Beth and I moved to Charlotte in 2002 with little understanding of the challenges ahead and no definite financial support for a church plant. We prayed with friends and family that You would be pleased to plant this church, that You would provide for that church spiritually and financially, that You would send out Your Word through this church. And here we are 22 years later. Thank You for Your grace shown through DGCC.

One Good I am Tempted to Think I Earned or Produced:

Thank You, Father, that this church is faithful to Your Word, is united as one family, and shines with Your Glory because of Your grace and mercy.

One Good I am Tempted to Think I Deserve:

Thank You, Gracious Father, that the members of DGCC respect me, listen to me, seek my counsel, bear with me, encourage me, love me, and pray for me.

One Difficulty that Considered by Itself is Not Good (flipping the order of the last two):

Thank You, Father, for the difficult challenges we faced in DGCC in 2005 and 2007. Painful as they were, You humbled and refined me, and then supported this church so that we together grew in Christlikeness. Thank You for the refreshment and strength You gave to Beth and me through the Desiring God National Conference in 2007, when I was wondering if we could continue.

One Gift I Easily Overlook:

I thank You, Father, for the many who have been part of this church – those who faithfully served, who generously gave, who led in various ways or served behind the scenes, who counseled and wept, who celebrated and rejoiced, who preached and learned, who cleaned and kept the books, who set up and tore down. Following the Apostle Paul in Romans 16 (and, like him, undoubtedly leaving out many I should mention), I thank You:

  • For those early members who worked so hard to begin DGCC: Amanda, Dee, Stacy, Matt, Michelle, Steve, Paula, Court, Linda, Rick, Nathan, Martha, Donna, Jody, Josh, Dana, Earl, Catherine, Jason, Shawnda, Jonathan, Nicole, Tyrone, Sharon, Derek, Damion and Rebecca, the Unsells, Michael and Jessica;
  • Thank You also for the Shanks, Kellers, Johnsons, Mosses, and Teiglands.
  • Thank You for the gift of five sons who worked with effort and joy in those early years to do whatever needed to be done: Jonathan, Thomas, Andrew, Matthew, Joel;
  • For the many children born into DGCC, beginning with Isabelle in August 2003, and the blessing of the many others brought into our church;
  • For David Livingston, for the wise counsel he has given us, the friendship with which he has blessed my family, and his opening up Your Word so many times;
  • For Kenny Stokes, for his devotion to us, his several visits, his vision for the Treasuring Christ Together Network, and his efforts to bring the network into existence and then to flourish;
  • For You, Father, enabling our tag line to become a reality: “A church of the nations with ministries to the nations, both in Charlotte and around the world.” Thank You for the Chinese You brought into the church in the early years, especially Mike and Lily and then Kevin and May. Thank You for the Indians You have blessed us with over the years, especially Sunil and Jerlin, Jonathan, William, George and Trapti. Thank You for the Filipinos, Aileen, Karol, and Fred for his faithful and God-honoring ministry among us. Thank You for the Kiswahili-speaking congregation, beginning with Bruno and then Thierry and Julienne, the Bingolos, Shaba and Mwali, John Felix, and so many more.
  • Thank You for Ty and Carla, for their friendship and hospitality; thank You for the grace You gave through the challenges of Ty’s illness and death; thank You that You have conquered death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
  • Thank You for the “Taylor girls,” Amanda, Erin, and Erica;
  • Thank You for the dozens of married couples you have brought together, including Josh and Shelley, Andy and Laura, John and Helen, Rachel and Rick, Edward and Carrie, Albert and Natalia, Taylor and Ema, Scotty and Lisa, Blake and Elizabeth, I’John and Bria, Ivan and Stacy, Thomas and Kay, Matthew and Kailie, and now Noah and Sarah;
  • Thank You for Ed and Annette, for their friendship, for their hospitality, for their unwavering support, for their perseverance in witness and in prayer;
  • Thank You for the gift of having so many stay in our home, some for a day or two, some for weeks, including Len, Rachel, Michele, James;
  • Thank You for Amy Meshnick and the gifts of both her music leadership and her loving care for our missionaries;
  • Similarly, thank You for Kristin and her loving, faithful service with internationals and in music;
  • Thank You for sending Albert to us, and his leadership in music beginning the first month he was with us;
  • Thank You for the Suttons, the Taylors, the Timms, the Longs;
  • Thank You for Ray and Tom and Sobe and Selina and Paul and Donna and Rob and Amber and Wes and Jenn and Jarod and Eric and Kari and Matt and Vasti and Dan and Karen and Jeff and Samson and Annet and Maddie and Michael and Liz;
  • Thank You for Karl and Cindy, for so many years of faithful and wise leadership;
  • Thank You for Daniel and Julia, for their partnership in the Gospel and their devotion to leading their family in loving service;
  • Thank You for Michael and Julie, for hours and hours of service behind the scenes, and for their marriage and parenting;
  • Thank You for John Finney, for his week after week service to us and to me;
  • Thank You for Mike and his quiet faithfulness and love for internationals;
  • Thank You for Wil and Katie being members during two stints! For their evident love for you, for their hospitality, for the way their home foreshadows Your future Kingdom.

Thank You, Father, for appointing me to this ministry with these Your people – for the privilege of opening up Your Word week after week and seeing You breaking down barriers, encouraging the fainthearted, and advancing Your cause. Continue, O Father, to build up DGCC for the glory of Your Name and the joy of all peoples.

(To prompt your personal thanksgiving, here is a selection of Bible verses on the topic.)

 

 

What Would You Do in an Overwhelming Flood?

Four weeks ago, Hurricane Helene dumped massive amounts of rain in western North Carolina, destroying communities like Chimney Rock and Swannanoa, carrying away houses and vehicles, making impassable hundreds of roads, disrupting water and electric service, and trapping many thousands on rooftops or high ground. Weather forecasters accurately predicted the hurricane’s track and were not far off in rainfall estimates – but residents had lived through numerous times of heavy rainfall. Few anticipated accurately the danger, the destruction.

What would you do if caught in an overwhelming flood?

The prophet Nahum employs this imagery. Writing during the early decades of Jeremiah’s ministry or slightly before, God shows the prophet His coming judgment on the Assyrian empire, which had dominated the region for well over a hundred years. Here is the ESV of Nahum 1:7-8:

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 8 But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Consider the opening phrase of verse 8 – with (or “in”) an overwhelming/overflowing flood. The Hebrew is ambiguous: Does the phrase modify how God will make a complete end of His adversaries (as reflected in the ESV), or does it continue the thought of verse 7 (“He knows those who take refuge in Him in an overwhelming flood”)?

It is not uncommon in Hebrew for a phrase to look forward and backward (this is called a Janus phrase, after the Roman god whose name gives us “January;” Janus has two faces, one looking forward, the other back.) Thus some scholars suggest that the author intends the phrase to modify both verses: “He knows those who take refuge in him in an overwhelming flood, but with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of His adversaries.”

With that rendering, what lesson do these verses hold for us?

We all will face an overwhelming flood. For some – such as our neighbors in western North Carolina – the flood will be literal. For the rest, the flood may concern our health, or our relationships, or our finances, or our country falling apart. Then all of us will face an overwhelming flood at the time of death.

What will you do when, inevitably, you are caught in such an overwhelming flood?

Nahum assures us: Our God is good. He always displays compassion and mercy to His people, especially in times of trouble. He is our stronghold, our fortress, our Deliverer and Savior. So when the flood comes, we must run to that fortress; we must seek refuge in Him through Jesus. Nahum tells us God “knows” those who do this – He knows our trials and troubles, He knows our weaknesses and sorrows, He cares for us and watches over us.

Verse 8 then shows us what happens to the others, to those who do not take refuge in Him. That overwhelming flood makes a complete end of them. The flood plunges them into darkness: without light, without hope, without relief.

Imagine a man in western NC whose house overlooks a lovely, bubbling brook. As Helene intensifies, the waters rise – but still do not look overly threatening. But little does he know that fallen trees are collecting against a bridge a quarter mile upstream. In a moment, the bridge collapses and the waters rise to the second floor of his house. He climbs to the roof as the current beats against the house. He knows that soon the force will rip the house off its foundation and sweep it downstream.

Just then, he hears a rumbling above him. He looks – a helicopter! And the pilot is lowering a harness to save him from the flood!

Will he put on the harness? Will he trust the rescuer?

Or will he turn away – and have the flood carry him away into darkness?

That is our situation. We will face a flood. We cannot predict exactly when it will come or what it will look like, but it is inevitable. We cannot protect ourselves. Will we depend on our one and only possible rescuer – Jesus – or will the flood carry us away into darkness?

Furthermore, our Rescuer is not only our fortress, our protector. He is also good. He is also gracious. He is also merciful. He is worth more than all the world has to offer.

So take refuge in Him! Today!

Then you will know what to do when the overwhelming flood comes upon you.

(A footnote to Nahum 1:8 in the NET was especially helpful in prompting these thoughts.)

The Necessary Prerequisite for Killing Sin

Over the next nine weeks, our adult Core Seminar will consider the command for us to kill sin, as stated by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:13:

If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

You are responsible for killing sin. Yes, you must do it by the Spirit – we’ll discuss what that means on Sunday mornings. Yet you personally must decide that sin should be killed.

But many of us do not want to kill sin. Why not?

One important part of the problem: We have an unbiblical view of sin. We will not hate sin unless we hold the biblical view.

Many think of sin simply as the breaking of a rule. Some rules – such as speed limits – are to an extent arbitrary. We may approve of speed limits that prevent other drivers from traveling 120mph on I-85 – but if I’m on a long, straight section of interstate in good weather with no cars behind me or in front of me, I may be able to drive well over the speed limit without negative consequences.

When we think of sin in this way, we easily rationalize our disobedience:

  • “A little violation of this rule doesn’t really matter.”
  • “I can disobey without getting caught”
  • “I can be careful to avoid the potential negative consequences”
  • “There are aspects of my situation that make this rule inapplicable.”
  • Or, “Sure it would be bad if I were to do this long-term. But once? No problem.”

But biblically, sin is not at all like the speed limit.

Consider these two aspects of sin:

First: Sin is personal rebellion, an affront to the glory of God.

God created man in His image, for His glory (Genesis 1:26-27, Isaiah 43:6-7). We thus are obligated to fulfill the purpose of our creation by living in such a way that we show what He is like.

In the Garden, Adam and Eve do not break an arbitrary rule. Rather, by believing the serpent’s lies and disobeying God, they imply that God is not good, that He is not loving, that He is not wise, that He does not have their best interests at heart. God had given them all they could possibly want or need – and they chose to think He was miserly, conniving, constraining them (see D.A. Carson’s insightful summary of what Eve should have said to the serpent). This is rebellion against the One to whom they owe everything, even life itself.

If we are to hate sin, we too must see it as rebellion against the One who has given us everything.

Second: Sin is the destruction of joy, rather than the path to joy.

We see this too in the Genesis account. Adam and Eve think they will profit by eating the forbidden fruit. But instead, they lose everything: Their sweet relationship with God, their open and trusting relationship with each other (and eventually with their children), their fulfilling work, and even their bodily immortality.

King David and our Lord Jesus summarize this point well:

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11, emphasis added).

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Matthew 13:44, emphasis added).

We do not become like God by rebelling against God; we do not find joy and fulfill our reason for existence by despising Him and His Word. We find love, joy, and peace in walking with Him – what Adam and Eve had forsook – even when that means turning our backs on the pseudo-pleasures that the world and the devil offer us.

Consider the following passages that drive home the biblical view of sin (ESV, emphasis added). Meditate on them to increase your hatred of sin. Then join us in Core Seminar on Sunday mornings as we consider how we individually and collectively can put sin to death.

Psalm1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 81:13-16: Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.

Proverbs 7:7-27: I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 8:32-36: [Wisdom is speaking] “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 9:13-18: The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 15:32: Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

Isaiah 55:1-3: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Jeremiah 2:12-13: Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Matthew 6:30-33: [Jesus says] “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” [See 1 Kings 17:1-16 for an example of this truth lived out.]

Romans 6:19-23: I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control [that is, Christlike character, displayed to the glory of God]; against such things there is no law.

Philippians 3:8: I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Revelation 3:14-22: “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”

Once you have deepened your hatred for sin, hold on securely to this fundamental Gospel truth:

1 John 2:1-2: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Don’t Forget Your Name!

Two scenarios:

First: Someone approaches you. You recognize the face as belonging to an acquaintance – but your brain struggles to remember the person’s name, or even the context of your relationship. You speak for several minutes, smiling and acting like you know the person, hoping that at long last the right name will come to mind.

Has that happened to you? If you’re like me, it will become more frequent as you age!

Second scenario: Now imagine that you wake up from a deep sleep. You find yourself in a bed you don’t recognize. You look around the room and see nothing familiar. You arise, look into a nearby mirror, and have no idea who you are. You have forgotten your name.

How frightening that would be!

Now return to the first scenario – but instead of forgetting the name of an acquaintance, you have forgotten the Name of God.

Can that happen?

Recall that God reveals His Name “Yahweh” to Moses at the burning bush, and says, “This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Exodus 3:15). To remember God’s Name consists of much more than remembering a label (like “Coty” or “Jacob”). God’s people are to remember Who He is, His revealed character, His attributes, His promises.

Over the centuries, the people of Israel often forget God’s Name in this sense. Indeed, God says that false prophets “think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another” (Jeremiah 23:27). Those so-called prophets use the label, “Yahweh;” when speaking their own thoughts, they say, “declares Yahweh” (Jeremiah 23:31). But they are twisting and distorting God’s revelation of Himself, and in this way make the people forget the real character of God – His Name.

We must remember God’s Name – who He is, who He has revealed Himself to be. We must remind each other of God’s character, and help one another to hold onto those truths when all around us prompts us to forget. So we preach the Word, we counsel the Word, we speak God’s Word when we sit at home, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rise (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Thus: To forget God’s Name is to forget Who He is.

Can we forget our own name in that sense?

Followers of Jesus face that temptation frequently. Oh, unlike the person with amnesia we remember what is written on our name-tag. But we forget our identity in Christ. We forget that we are citizens of His Kingdom. We forget that we are chosen and holy and loved (Colossians 3:12). We forget that the very purpose of our existence is to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Now, if someone asks us, “Does God love you?” we will give the right answer. We don’t forget in that sense. But as the Israelites forgot God’s character and their own position before Him, we face the temptation to forget God’s Name and the implications of being part of His family. We then make choices that are inconsistent with those truths – and thereby fail through our lives and our words to proclaim His excellencies.

So don’t forget your name! Go to the Word to remind yourself. Remind others of their name. Like Peter, see your task as stirring up one another by way of reminder (2 Peter 1:13).

Then, may we live out that Name together, so that all around us may know God’s Name – to the glory of the Name of Jesus.

[Michael O’Brien’s novel Island of the World and Andrew Peterson’s song “Dancing in the Minefields” prompted this devotion. In both, spouses say something like, “When I forget my name, remind me.”]

Lyrics that Lead Us to Worship: “What a Beautiful Name,” alt.

“Worship is acting, thinking, and feeling in a way that reflects the glory of God.” So states one of our core documents, composed before Desiring God Community Church even had that name. A later blog post based on that document draws out the meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:31 (“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”): “Make all of your life worship! Value Christ above all, and display His value in all your outward actions – even seemingly trivial actions like eating and drinking.”

Therefore our Sunday service is not the one time in the week we worship God – rather, that service should glorify God through our acts, thoughts, and feelings both during the service and throughout the following week as the truths sung and read and prayed and proclaimed dwell richly in us.

Consequently, the DGCC elders prepare not only the sermon but the entire service to display accurately the character of God and the excellencies of Jesus, aiming to prompt our right response to His love, mercy, grace, and majesty.

On Sunday, the service included “What a Beautiful Name” (Hillsong, 2017), which states in the second verse:
“You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus, You brought heaven down.”

Several of you raised questions about whether or not those lyrics accurately proclaim biblical truth.

These lines communicate to many that there is something lacking in the joy and fellowship of the Trinity apart from creation – that God needs us to be fully happy, in a similar way to Adam needing “a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:20).  But God reveals Himself in Scripture as full, as overflowing in love and joy and goodness. Out of that overflow He creates and redeems – not because of any need or lack within Him.

John Piper helpfully addressed these lyrics shortly after the song was written; that piece prompted some rejoinders (here is one).

We have rarely sung this song because of those lyrics – but we did sing it this Sunday. Why?

Because behind the problematic lyrics there is a precious biblical truth that both Jacob and I have been emphasizing recently: Our God is not an angry authority who only grudgingly lets us off from the punishment we deserve. Neither is our God a heavenly killjoy just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us. In Jesus, we are His treasured possession. We are chosen, holy, and loved (Colossians 3:12).  He takes pleasure in us (Psalm 147:11, 149:4). He rejoices over us with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17). The Father loves us even as He loves Jesus (John 17:23). He creates us in His image, He redeems us so that we might show forth that image, and He delights to see us fulfill His purpose in creation.

So what can we do with a song that includes a precious biblical truth, but obscures it with problematic lyrics?

We could avoid singing it.

Or we could alter the lyrics.

There is much precedent in church history for altering lyrics. For example, the first line of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was originally “Hark, how all the welkin rings.” Today, when making alterations, we note that the text has been changed by including “alt” after the title.

In this case, we can change the clause from a negative into a positive: “You wanted to share heaven with us.” That states the precious biblical truth clearly while maintaining the meter.

The subsequent line – “So Jesus you brought heaven down” – also is problematic. Scripture doesn’t use that metaphor. Rather, Jesus says repeatedly He came down from heaven (see for example John 6:33-58).

So we can replace both lines with:
“You wanted to share heaven with us
So Jesus You died on the cross.”

Those lines then flow well into the rest of the verse:
“My sin was great, Your love was greater –
What could separate us now?”

We plan to use these altered lines when we sing this song in the future.

Jesus became incarnate, died, and rose as God’s superabundant grace and love overflowed in the redemption of rebels – including you, if you trust and treasure Jesus. Fear not – it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you His Kingdom (Luke 12:32). His goodness and love will pursue you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in His house forever (Psalm 23:6).

May this biblical truth dwell in you richly indeed – and may we continue to sing and read and pray and proclaim God’s revelation clearly, so that we might act, think, and feel in a way that gives glory to God every day of our lives.