Faster Unto Thee

Rerun: 7 Reasons to Go to Church Even While on Vacation

The post below is from last May, but with a few changes.  It seems so fitting for this time of year as people play their summer vacations. 

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My family and I are on vacation this week with extended family. We are having a wonderful time on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The scenery is breathtaking, the weather is perfect, and we are all having a wonderful time relaxing together.

My family and I always plan ahead to attend a worship service every Lord’s Day that we are on vacation, whether we are staying at home for vacation, visiting family, or on a “real” vacation like we are now. This practice is not driven by some legalistic notion that I simply ought to be in church on Sunday, but by a real desire to be in the Lord’s presence amidst his people in worship.

Here are my top seven reasons to attend a worship service on the Lord’s Day even when on vacation.

1. To honor God.   This reason stands head and shoulders above the rest and is sufficient in and of itself to compel one to go to church while on vacation. God is worthy of worship at all times and in all places and he commands that we believers gather for public worship, not neglecting the assembling of ourselves. In our day, too many believers hold God in such low esteem that they carry no healthy, biblical “fear of the Lord” in their hearts. And so when they are on vacation, they take a vacation from God as well, as though suddenly their lives during vacation may now be lived without reference to God. May God give us a more Puritan view of the Lord God Almighty who simply must be worshiped without interruption. I have often said to my congregation, “do not take a vacation from God when you are on vacation. And be glad that he never takes two weeks off from you.” Is God such a burden to us that we need a break from him?

2. To keep life ordered around God. The second reason is an issue of discipline. As the hymn writer says, “prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” The discipline of regular attendance at worship services on the Lord’s Day except for times of sickness or true emergency is a powerful tool in keeping one’s life centered around God. We need a day of the week to plan our busy lives around; we need a fixed day to submit our schedules to lest we begin to center our lives around ourselves. Making the commitment to be in church while on vacation forces the vacationer to plan ahead by looking for a church to attend, organizing the travel schedule around worship, and maybe even shortening time at the beach. In other words, it keeps vacation time from being all about self-indulgence and emotional escape while reminding us that God is always to be the center of our lives.

3. To teach my child. One way children learn the value of something is from a routine established by parents, for we make regular what is important to us. If I say I love God and they should too, but act like God is someone to be vacationed from, I teach them the opposite. My little three year old already is watching what I say and do and keeping a mental journal of how daddy’s actions reveal what is really important to him. She needs to see me leading my family to worship even when it is inconvenient and not do so begrudgingly but with joy and love for a wonderful God. She needs to see me lead her to live against the grain of our self-indulgent culture and against the low standards of many believers. She needs my example to teach her, to haunt her when she is on her own and to prove to her that devotion to God is something that can and must be lived out in practical, routine ways. She needs me to show her that love for God is meaninglessly hollow without practical expression.

Parents, every choice we make tells our children what we think of God.  And every choice we make tells us our children what they should think of God.

4. To witness. It amazes me how people stand up and take notice that we go to church when on vacation. People see you leave the hotel or other accommodations and head out church. They see you go to bed at a decent hour on Saturday night so you can be up on time for worship. They note when you ask where to find a church. And the people you might be staying with are impacted by the fact that even if they don’t go, you do.

5. To experience the joy of meeting other Christians. There is great joy in meeting other Christians in some place other than your home church, in experiencing what God is doing in some area of the world other than your own, in hearing of common struggles, victories and hopes. In world that seems too dark at times, one hour or so spent in someone else’s church reminds me that God’s light is everywhere his people are.

6. To experience a timely word. While I certainly have heard a few dud sermons while on vacation, I have more often heard a timely word from the Lord in a sermon or through some other element of a worship service. It amazes me how readily God speaks to me if I just pay attention! What insights and instruction and direction and affirmation and rebukes I would have missed if I had skipped church while on vacation! What believer does not want to hear from God?

7. To give in to holy desire. Pastor John Piper is famous among believers for writing about  "Christian hedonism."  He makes the point that true, deep happiness is found only in full surrender and service to God. When we are fully enraptured with God happiness is the natural result. As I said at the beginning of this post, I go to church while on vacation because I really want to. My heart wants it. And I figure that giving into a holy desire is rarely a bad thing.

 What do you think? What would you add to this list? Do you wish to take me to task for anything said here? Submit a comment and let’s talk.

Not As Those Without Hope

We biblical preachers are constantly proclaiming that doctrine has practical implications for life.  On Wednesday, I found out personally that what I had preached the Sunday before really worked.

Just this Easter Sunday I was explaining to my congregation the meaning of  Jesus being the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20).  I explained that the resurrection of Jesus was an indicator, a promise, that God did indeed do resurrections and that more were to come.  Just as the very first produce a farmer sees is a promise that the full harvest is right around the corner, so Jesus' resurrection is a promise that all will be raised one day, some to the "resurrection of life" and some to the "resurrection of judgment" (John 5:29).  This means that death as we know it is temporary.  It is still a painful, grief-filled experience for believers, but we do not grieve as those without hope, for there is only a relatively short wait before the resurrection comes.

I then illustrated the point by referring to a beloved saint in our church who died this year.  We had prayed for her healing and yet cancer took her from us.  "But I say to you that her healing is coming," I preached to the congregation.  To further illustrate the point, I explained that I have two grandparents and one beloved great aunt left.  "At their funerals," I said, "when I am sitting in the church pew, I know that I will feel grief, for death is a terrible thing.  But I will also feel joy, because all three are believers in Christ, and that means that they are not lost to me.  For one day, when the trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ will arise first ...." 

After our morning Easter services I came home and saw that there was a message on my answering machine.  It was my mother, letting me know that grandpa had died that morning.  "I just referred to him in my sermon," I thought.  Would what I just preached less than a couple hours ago hold up?

The funeral was Wednesday.  And as I sat and listened to the preacher, viewed the body of grandpa and felt the grief, I did experience what I just proclaimed to my congregation 3 days before: joy.  I knew that death had lost its sting, for death had been defeated with the resurrection of Christ, and that the coming resurrection meant the separation between my grandfather and I was only temporary.  I did not grieve as someone without hope.  By God's grace, the sermon I preached a few days earlier was being proved true in my own experience. 

Praise God that his truth does indeed make all the difference in the world.

Book Review - Resurrection Realities

One of the most difficult things for a pastor to do when he has been at the same church for a number of years is remain fresh in his preaching on high days such as Easter and Christmas.  It is difficult to find new ways to say the same thing, or to discover new insights into heavily-studied passages that will give birth to fresh sermons.

Just like I always review Martin Hengel's powerful little book, Crucifixion, for Holy Week, I always pick up and find fresh profit from reviewing Merrill C. Tenney's text, Resurrection Realities, for Easter.

Resurrection Realities, also published as The Vital Heart of Christianity, is a small, 96 page book that explains the theological significance of the resurrection of Christ for our salvation (lots of Pauline stuff here).  He also demonstrates how the resurrection is biblically the proof of his sonship, lordship, judgeship, and of the driving force behind the expansion of Christianity.  Each chapter is an exposition of key scriptural texts, and as such, it is eminently helpful in preparing meaty sermons.

Here is a small excerpt from chapter 1:

The most important doctrine of our Christian faith is not the virgin birth with its tender and sacred mystery, nor the atonement on Calvary where the blood was shed that brought the love and forgiveness of God to a ruined world, but the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Without the resurrection the virgin birth would be incredible, for why should we accept a biological miracle as the origin of a life that was swallowed up hopelessly in death?  Without the resurrection there would be no atonement, for the value of Christ's death as an atonement depends upon the quality of the one who died.  If, like other men, He succumbed to death and never triumphed over it, His death might have been that of a martyr or hero; but it could never have been the means of bringing salvation to others.  The resurrection singles Him out as different from others and gives a different value to all the other facts of His life (page 12).

I don't believe this great book is in print, but used copies of it abound.  This is truly one of those books whose helpfulness has stood the test of time.

Reflections for Holy Week

A few devotional reflections for Holy Week ...

Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus is Mocked

The heading in my Bible for this reading is, “Jesus is Mocked.” Think about that for a moment: Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, the co-creator of the universe, is mocked. The one person who should have received all honor and glory and worship was mocked. He was mocked by the very sinners he came to save.

Jesus is silent as they put that ghastly robe on him, making him look like a clumsy and comical king. Then there is that crown. A crown is supposed to be a symbol of authority and dignity, but this twisted crown of thorns put on his head by twisted men is meant to demean its wearer and add injury to insult. They give him a reed in place of a royal scepter and then take that symbol of authority from him and hit him with it and spit upon him.

You cannot miss irony here. This Jesus, before whom every knee will one day bow (Philippians 2:10), took their insults quietly. The soldiers simply did not know that they were insulting a real king - the ultimate king, and that one day at his second coming they would be running for cover. 

The ridicule of Christ continues today. From a celebrity mocking him at an awards show, to scholars denying his Lordship and deity, to regular people who hear of him and reject him as Lord of their lives, the ridicule continues. But one day, at this return, we all will bow before him, right next to those Roman soldiers, and we all will acknowledge him as Lord of all. The only question is this: will that be a day of rejoicing for you and me, or a day of fear and judgment?

Matthew 27:32-44 Jesus is Crucified

For crimes he did not commit he was crucified. For crimes we did commit and will commit he was crucified.

Jesus had explained all along to his disciples that he would die in Jerusalem. And now it happens. Hung between two real criminals, the sinless son of God bore our sin. No one but God understood what was really happening, that the cross was an altar, and upon it was the perfect sacrifice, so perfect that never again would sacrifices need to be offered.

Hung naked on the cross, Jesus was mocked more, and that lie about him destroying the temple was told again. “You who would destroy the temple and rebuilt it in three days, save yourself!” O, make no mistake, he could have easily hopped off that cross and smote the mockers, but he had a mission to complete. He had to pay for our sin, and that required him to pass through shame, suffering, and death itself. And he did it for you and me.

Matthew 27:45-56 Jesus Dies

God sent darkness over the land to herald Jesus’ death. As the physical life of the Light of the World was about to be snuffed out, God made nature itself acknowledge the moment. Happy sunshine was beyond inappropriate.

And Jesus, feeling not only the physical pain of crucifixion, but also the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders, identified with the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 22, a memory verse from his youth: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some thought he was calling for Elijah, but no, he was just crying out in pain and isolation. The weight of our sin was crushing him. And then, when the time was right, he voluntarily gave up his spirit and died. Salvation had been purchased for everyone who would believe.

And just like God marked the event with darkness, so God also marked the moment of Jesus’ death by tearing the temple curtain in two. That curtain had separated the common man from the most sacred part of the temple. But Jesus’ sacrifice had removed the barrier between the holy God and sinful man. The old rituals were now obsolete. A clear path between God and man had been opened by the cross. And then, another sign - dead saints came out of their graves! And it was then, and only then, that the Roman centurion standing there had his eyes opened. “Truly this was the Son of God!” Amen.

 

Matthew 27:57-66  Jesus is Buried

                        The God Factor
                                 by

                   Jennifer L. Veldman

 

Alone

quiet

empty

utterly still.

 

After the chanting of crowds

the pleading of the sick

the constant throng of worshipers

it has come to this.

 

The magnificent God incarnate

shrouded

silent

cold in the grave.

 

The most blessed Son of the Most High

humiliated

broken

dead in a borrowed tomb.

 

How could He fall so tragically?

End of show

over

done for.

 

God Himself defeated by death

profound failure

hopeless

sin victorious.

 

Humanly speaking, all is lost

doomed to damnation

dead as Christ Himself.

 

But God is not human.

 

This is just the intake of breath

the stunned expectant interlude

before God performs His greatest act.

His most impossible triumph.

 

Impossible and even lamentable

to consider that God Almighty

would stoop to humanity’s lowest low

and evermore remain our happy sorrow.

 

 

Book Review - Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

One of the most helpful books I have read in some time is Roger Olson's book, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities, which was published in 2006.  Olson is a professor at Truett Theological Seminary, which is part of Baylor University in Texas.  This book is timely, especially in light of the resurgence of Reformed theology.

A lifelong Arminian, Olson's goal in this accessible book is to dispel some of the myths regarding classical Arminian theology, particularly that it is semi-pelagian, man-centered, not theologically orthodox, and more.  Arranged in 10 chapters, each of which dispel a particular myth about Arminian theology, Olson accomplishes his goals with careful argumentation, citing of primary sources, and a plodding explanation of where Calvinism does and does not conflict with Arminianism.  Particularly helpful are the citations of Calvinist scholars who misunderstand and misrepresent classical Arminian theology, often confusing classical Arminianism with much of today's distorted (and truly semi-pelagian) Arminianism.  For a helpful review of each chapter, see John Drury's blog.

This book is helpful for those of us in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition, for Olson frequently cites the works of John Wesley, showing him to be firmly in the classical Arminian camp, not the semi-pelagian one.  Also helpful are the references to great 19th century Wesleyan theologians and current ones such as Thomas Oden.  Through these references, Olson demonstrates that classical Arminian theology is alive and well in some academic circles if not in our churches.

One of the most helpful chapters is number four, entitled, "The Heart of Arminianism is Belief in Free Will."  How many times have I heard in a discussion about Calvinism and Arminianism that Arminianism is primarily concerned with protecting the freedom of man? This myth is dispelled as Olson painstakingly demonstrates through primary sources that the biggest concern of Arminian theology is not preserving free will, but of protecting the character of God from the logical conclusion of Calvinistic predestination.  As Olson puts in on page 99, "Rather, the real reason Arminians reject divine control of every human choice and action is that this would make God the author of sin and evil.  For Arminians this makes God at least morally ambiguous and at worst the only sinnner."  And later on the same page, "Arminianism begins with God's goodness and ends by affirming free will."  To put it another way, Arminianism strives to preserve the goodness of God by affirming a degree of free will in humans so that their sins can be primarily attributed to them and not to God, for if God is the author of sin, then he is not good.

If you are an Arminian, read this book to clarify your thoughts.  If you are a Calvinist, read this book to dispel any misconceptions about Arminianism you might have.  If you are undecided, use this book as one source among many for working through the ideas of Calvinism and Arminianism.   

UPDATE: listen to an interview with Roger Olson here: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/cws/home

Classic Books on MP3

Maybe everyone but me already knows of this.  There are classic books and more available free in MP3 format on the web.  A  friend pointed me yesterday to a site where you can download many classics for free: http://www.oculture.com/2006/10/audio_book_podc.html

Just can't seem to get around to reading Einstein's Relativity or Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities in your spare time?  Load it onto your MP3 player and listen to it in the car, at the gym, or while you do some household task. 

The Hermeneutic Scale

Big surprise, I'm a theological conservative.  My wife referred me to the Hermeneutics Quiz  and I took it yesterday.  My score is 47, which is firmly in the conservative camp.  My wife said she came out as a conservative, too, thank God.

The Quiz asks you questions about Bible interpretation and application, often forcing you to make a compromise in your answers, which reminds you how difficult the whole enterprise of hermeneutics is.

Conservatives score 52 or lower.  Moderates score from 53 to 65.  And Progressives score from 66 to 92.  The article accompanying the Quiz notes that there is a lot of differences among Progressives in the 66 to 92 scale.  Some of them may not like being in the same category with each other.

It seems that your view of biblical inspiration, and belief in the perpiscuity (understandability) of the Bible are key in how you score.  Since I have developed a very high view of biblical inspiration my answers are all heavily influenced by that. 

Take the Quiz and let me know what you think about it.

My Renaissance Art Bible Cover

Recently, I began looking for a cover for my United Bible Society Greek New Testament, 4th ed.  I checked out our local Christian book store and looked online, but I could not find a Bible cover that fit properly.  Anyone who has purchased one of the UBS's Greek New Testaments knows how expensive they are, and yet how flimsy and weak the covers are.  If you put yours in a book bag and carry it around a lot, the poor thing simply starts to come apart.  So I needed a cover.

The other day I stumbled upon a blog entry by James R. White at the Alpha and Omega Ministries  website.  There Dr. White recommended a company called Renaissance Art  which makes fine handcrafted leather books, book covers, and more.  He raved about the covers he ordered from them for his Bibles and other books. 

So last Thursday morning, I got on Renaissance's web site, went through the custom ordering process and BAM - my custom-made Bible cover arrived this morning (Tuesday!) via FedEx.  The cover is precisely what I ordered, it "fits like a glove" as Dr. White says, and is rather cool.  I have never recommended products other than books on my blog, but I must recommend Renaissance Art for their fine craftsmanship and super fast delivery.  The same day they took my order a craftsman made my cover and then handed it off to FedEx before the day was over.  Now that is fast!  So next time you need a unique gift for a book lover or need a Bible cover or something else, consider Renaissance Art.