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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Christian Community is a gift of God's grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, more than any other, has reminded me over and over again that Christian community is a gift of God's grace. He writes:


"It is easily forgotten that the community of Christians is a gift of grace from the kingdom of God, a gift that can be taken from us any day—that the time still separating us from the most profound loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let those who until now have had the privilege of living a Christian life together with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of their hearts. Let them thank God on their knees and realize: it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are still permitted to live in the community of Christians today." [Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book Life Together]

Monday, August 23, 2010

13 Questions to Identify Heart Idols

Last weekend, my sermon was entitled "Keep Yourselves From Idols: Part 2" from 1 John 5:20-21. The audio is available on the Bethlehem Baptist Church Sermon Archives website.

In the message, I posed 13 questions (or clusters of questions)  to aid our search and identification of false 'gods' within our hearts. My intent was to identify areas within our hearts where we may have elevated created things or gifts from God to be ultimate and god-like.

I worded the questions myself, drawing from a sermon preached by the English Puritan pastor David Clarkson (1621-1686) entitled Soul Idolatry Excludes Men Out of Heaven  (The Works of David Clarkson, Vol II, The Banner of Truth Trust).

Several who heard the sermon have asked for the questions in order to use them personally or for  small
group discussion and interaction.
  1. What do you most highly value?
  2. By default, what do you think about?
  3. What is your highest goal?
  4. To what or whom are you most committed?
  5. Who or what do you love the most?
  6. Who or what do you trust the most?
  7. Who or what do you fear the most?
  8. Who or what do you hope in and hope for most?
  9. Who or what do you desire the most? Or, what desire makes you most angry when you don’t get it
    satisfied? Or what desire makes you despair when you don’t get it satisfied?
  10. Who or what do you most delight in— your greatest joy, treasure?
  11. Who or what captures your greatest zeal?
  12. To whom are you most thankful? Or what are you most thankful for?
  13. For whom or what great purpose to you work?
Ask the Sprit of God to reveal areas where you may have turned God's gifts into 'gods'.  These idols will fail us, forsake us and lead us into misery and away from Christ. Then pray for God to enable you to value, love, trust, fear, hope in, desire, and delight in Him alone through Jesus Christ — not in any created thing— for your joy and his glory.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

J. C. Ryle on Assurance of Salvation

I would lay it down fully and broadly, that a true Christian, a converted man, may reach that comfortable degree of faith in Christ, that in general he shall feel entirely confident as to the pardon and safety of his soul, — shall seldom be troubled with doubts, — seldom be distracted with hesitation, — seldom be distressed by anxious questionings, — and, in short, though vexed by many an inward conflict with sin, shall look forward to death without trembling, and to judgment without dismay. (J. C. Ryle, Faith and Assurance, http://www.the-highway.com/assurance_Ryle.html)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

C. H. Spurgeon on Assurance of Salvation

“…A man may know Christ in his heart, and yet at certain seasons, through weakness of judgment, or stress of temptations, he may be cast into doubts as to whether he has any saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus at all; but he alone is happy, who, building upon the sure foundation of God’s promise, gives all diligence to make his calling and election sure, and enjoys an assured confidence of his interest in Christ.” [Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Vol. 10: Spurgeon's Sermons: Volume 10 (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; Spurgeon's Sermons. Albany, OR: Ages Software.]

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Negro Leagues, Buck O'Neil and Overcoming Evil With Good

For years I have been drawn to the stories of Negro League Baseball  —the 'colorful' characters, the level of excellence, the endless slogans and nicknames. The context of all this, of course, was racially divided America of the early 20th century. If you take the time to read about this era you will read with tears the stories of profound injustice toward the black players (i.e., no food, nor lodging in certain cities) and will celebrate the eventual integration of baseball embodied by Jackie Robinson. It all seems like a parable — imperfect of course— of the highs and lows of race relations in America at the time.

While on sabbatical, I visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO. The Museum, as I understand it, owes it's existence to a former player and coach of the Kansas City Monarchs, Buck O'Neil.  Over the years he came to be seen both as the memory of the negro leagues and its ambassador.  When one of my sons contacted Buck O'Neil for a school assignment, Buck responded with a signed poster, a replica baseball hat from the "Greys", pamphlets, and a letter.

The year before he died, when O'Neil was 93 years old, he toured the nation's Major League Baseball stadiums (including the Metrodome in Minneapolis) representing the Negro League Museum and it's mostly forgotten players. My wife gave me a book about that tour, "The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America" by Joe Posnanski. One of the stories that sticks with me from the book was an account when Buck reflects back on visiting North Dakota as a ball player:
     "Buck often remembered a white boy staring at him across a quiet street in North Dakota. Suddenly, without betraying any emotion, the boy shouted out the word Buck hated more than any other. The boy did not shout it out with malice or anger in his voice, but with a peculiar playfulness.... The boy looked at Buck with a curious expression. He wanted to know what would happen next.
     "Come here, boy." Buck said.
     The boy walked over. Buck looked him hard in the eye.
     "Why did you say that word?"
     "I don't know." the boy said.
     "That's a hurtful word."
     "I'm sorry."
     "Don't be sorry. Don't say it no more."
     "Okay."
     Then Buck remembered smiling and giving the boy tickets for the baseball game that afternoon. He remembered the boy's eyes lit up, and he looked up at Buck, and across the years Buck never forgot that gaze of spirit and awe. "He came to the game that night and waved to me," Buck would say. "That boy had probably never seen a black man in all his life." (p. 129-130).
This kind of straight talk and love — empowered by the grace of Christ —  is a snapshot of the kind of gutsy love that will advance racial harmony in the church and racial justice in the world for the glory of Christ. As Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but over come evil with good."

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Ancestry and the Gospel: Who Am I?

During my Sabbatical,  I have spent considerable time on my genealogy. I suppose I reflect a growing interest in many across America.  For decades I have had a nagging curiosity to find out who my ancestors were. That interest continued to build after I saw the PBS series "African American Lives" several years ago and was also fueled by the current PBS series "Faces of America" and an NBC series "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Contrary to the NBC series title, I really don't trace my lineage to find out 'who I am'. To root my self identity in my family tree would yield a weak and man-centered, idolatrous sense of identity with very little hope. It would be a broken cistern, a leaky cup which would fail to satisfy my need to know who I am. Rather, I do this research with a settled sense of my identity in Christ and the gospel. God is my Heavenly Father (Galatians 3:26). I belong to his chosen people in Christ (1 Peter 2:9). My hope for my family and my descendants is in God's steadfast love to a thousand generations of his people (Deuteronomy 7:9).

So, as I hope in the redeeming steadfast love of the Lord for my life and my generations to come, I am on a quest to document my ancestry. A great tool has been the website Ancestry.com. And in looking back, I am hoping— even expecting—  to discover breakthroughs of the steadfast love of Christ at work among others in my family tree.

I know who I am. I just want to find out who my ancestors were.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Three of God's Purposes For Sabbatical

It's a little odd to read about the Sabbath in the Old Testament while I myself am on a 3-month sabbatical. Normally, I think, I might be inclined to push off the teaching as "Old Covenant" with no implications for me. However, I believe that would be a misapplication of the New Testament teaching. 


Among other things, the NT teaches that Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), all days are holy to the Lord (Romans 14:5), and the sabbath is given to serve people, not the other way around (Mark 2:27). We are always be ready to engage to do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12), to love other Christians with differing sabbath views (Romans 15:1) and not to judge one another about sabbath keeping (Col. 2:16-17). 

Even still, from Exodus 31, I believe I see three of God's purposes for my present sabbatical in particular, and more generally for a rhythm of life that reflects that is for my benefit and honors him. 


1. In Sabbath, God aims that my life reflect, not the pattern of his unceasing sovereign work, but the pattern of his creative work. It seems too easily I can slip into being 'always' at work. When I relax, I feel guilty— there are so many good things are yet to be done. The Lord gave us the Sabbath to confront this. While God is always at work (John 5:17), that is not the pattern of life his people are to reflect.  Rather, he calls us to pattern our work habits after his work at creation. Exodus 31:17,
"It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed."


2. In Sabbath, God aims that I remember that, by his grace in Christ, he has sanctified me as his own.  God gave the sabbath "... that you may know that I , the Lord, sanctify you" (Exodus 31:13, ESV). In my rest from my work, I am to rest in God's work. My rest from work — even pastoral work —  should work to exterminate sinful thoughts of my working to earn God's grace and favor. Sabbath rest is given to ground me in the gospel reality that God sanctifies and saves me in Christ, not the other way around. I can, and should rest, because I trust that in Christ the saving work is done. Christ loves me, and died to save and sanctify me (e.g., Hebrews 13:12; Ephesians 5:26).


3. In Sabbath, God aims that I be refreshed. God, after 6 days of work creating everything in the universe, ceased his creative work and on the seventh day, "... he rested and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:17, ESV). I understand when the text says God "rested" because it means that he ceased working. But I'm not sure I really understand when the text  says that God was "refreshed." The word means, 'to catch your breath'. Perhaps, for God it parallels his enjoyment of creation and his own praise of the glory of his goodness when, after each day of creation, he stepped back and said, "It is good".


While it is unclear what this anthropomorphism means in reference to GOD, it is clear what it means to me (cf. Exodus 23:12). It means, God gave me the Sabbath teachings in order that I would rest and catch my breath. It also points to a final future eternal rest which is yet to come for us in Christ  (Hebrews 4).


May God give me grace to benefit from the sabbath teaching in Exodus 31 by living a life that more reflects God's creative pattern of work and rest, by resting by faith in God's saving work for me through Christ, and by finding a rhythm of not only rest in the sense of refraining from work, but also refreshment.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Look to Jesus

May God grant us grace to live this day, looking to Jesus. The author of Hebrews describes looking to Jesus as the way to persevere in faith,
"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus..." (12:1-2). 
Why look to Jesus? Jesus is the starter and finisher of our faith. He is the ground of our every good. Through him we have come to know God in his glory. He is our peace with God, our assurance that God is our God and we are his people. His death is the ground that God is for us and not against us. He has given us his Spirit within us for present grace and as a guarantee of future glory. Look to Jesus and rest in the mercy of God for us who look to him in faith.

On the other hand, at the heart of every temptation to sin is an impulse to look away from Jesus. Thus, Puritan Richard Sibbs describes looking to Jesus as the safe way out of every temptation,

"In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but Christ the true brazen serpent, the true 'Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29)."[The Bruised Reed, p. 2)

Whether today is easy or hard, filled with faith or unbelief, temptations or triumphs — or all of the above, may God grant us grace to look to Jesus, resting in him for the fullness God's grace to us and relying upon him for his all sufficient grace in our every weakness today (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

23 Years Ago My Sister Was 'Swallowed Up By Life'

Twenty-three years ago yesterday, on March 9, 1987, my older sister Michele Olson died. Her four and a half year struggle with cancer had come to an end. As I remember it, one of our final conversations, in addition to speaking 'I love you' to one another, drew hope from 2 Corinthians 5.

She was dying. Together, our prayers were shifting from, "Lord heal!" to "Lord take!" She said to me and to my wife Kathy, "I don't want to die."

I tearfully spoke hope from 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from GOD, an eternal house in heaven, not build by human hands... For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Later, after what seemed like endless hours of unconsciousness labored breathing, she died. Or rather, my mortal sister, Michele, was 'swallowed up by life.'  Verse 5 adds the eternal purposes of GOD,
Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
In the valley of the shadow of death we – both the dying and the not yet dying – have great hope in Christ. According to this text, it is God's eternal purpose to take us to live with him forever, not in our old diseased, worn out mortal bodies. But in renewed bodies, 'buildings made not with hands'.

Since that day, I have had a keen awareness of the hope that is ours in Christ. That is, according to God's eternal purposes in Christ, 23 years ago today my mortal sister, Michele, was swallowed up by eternal life to be with the Lord— FOREVER!

May God grant that we live ever mindful of the gift and brevity of life, without fear of death, resting in hope that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, and that in Him we too, will be with the Lord forever.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Christian Community and the Ministry of Listening

When it comes to building a relational culture, one of the manifestations I pray for our church is that we be a people skilled and practiced in the ‘ministry of listening’.


The phrase 'ministry of listening'  comes from Dietrich Bonheoffer’s book Life Together (Harper & Row, 1954). Bonheoffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian. His insights into Christian community are inextricably linked to the years he spent leading an underground seminary while living in community with his students. For his participation in a resistance plot to assassinate Hitler he was arrested, incarcerated, and hanged at Flossenbürg concentration camp on April 9, 1945 shortly before the end of WW II.

When we think about Christian communication, we usually site biblical texts regarding our speech. Of course we always need God to grant us grace in how we talk to others: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…” Colossians 4:6. Even this relates to listening, because our desire in speaking is that we would be heard and understood. 

In every setting, there are dozens of things to hear. So at any given moment, we 'tune out' most of what we hear. And for the most part, that is good —lest every auditory vibration distract us.  Yet, that's the problem. Bonhoeffer comments, 

“Brotherly pastoral care is essentially distinguished from preaching by the fact that, added to the task of speaking the Word, there is the obligation of listening. There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person. (98)

Too often, we 'tune out' the very people we need to love with our listening ears. Too often we forget that there is is an inseparable connection between listening and love. Think about it. When others listen to you, you interpret it as a form of love. However, when you are not listened to, you interpret it as not being loved.  We know that when friends, or spouses do not listen to one another, love is strained and conflict is inevitable. This is true in every relationship.

Two of the many texts calling for us to be better listeners are Luke 6:31 and James 1:19.

Listen to others as you wish that they would listen to you. “The Golden Rule” applies to listening: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). We all want others to love us enough to listen to us, and we are called to listen to others accordingly.

Be quick to hear. James 1:19 plainly points out one of the manifestations of the new birth is the quickness of our ears and the slowness of our tongues and our anger: “…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger….” 

May God grant us grace to listen to one another, in love, for the glory of God.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Bathsheba's beauty was NOT the problem

In the fight of faith against lust I can be tempted to think and act as though my lust is due to the fact that women are too attractive. They are pretty. However, this train of thought leads me away from honest assessment of my own heart and confession of my own sin. It reminds me of Adam’s ‘dodge’ of responsibility, when after his sin in the garden he said to GOD, “… the woman YOU gave… me, she gave me fruit of the tree…”.

In the account of David and Bathsheba, the narrative says “Bathsheba was "very beautiful" (2 Samuel 11:2). There is no sin in women being beautiful or even in men noticing their beauty (cf. Genesis 29:17). The sin of lust is not merely an issue of perceiving beauty. Biblically speaking, beauty is a good thing.
Now I don’t deny that women, out of their own sinful desires, can act-out their own lustful desires in word and deed. But as a man and a father and a pastor I am charged to pursue righteousness and lead my sons and church to do the same. Dumping my responsibility as a man for my own lust on women will deeply undercut my calling and my growth in grace.

My lust is an issue of MY heart. Jesus says, “…out of the heart come evil thoughts… [and] adultery…” (Matthew 15:19). My sinful heart is the source and cause of my lust.
Once I come to the place of responsibility for my sins, Lord willing, I am ready to confess and seek the Lord’s forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

When the Prophet Nathan confronted David for his murderous adulterous scheme David took responsibility for his sin and said “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). Likewise, may I not dodge responsibility, but confess my heart’s sin to the LORD, and seek his forgiveness.

And may I seek the Lord’s heart changing grace. In the gospel, God promises to give us a new heart, with new impulses, desires and power:

“… I will give you a new heart…. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes…” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Who will set me free from this my sinful heart? Thanks be to GOD through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant… 
3 …a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
The word “behold” directs us to us to see the glory of Christ in Isaiah’s prophetic description of how Jesus treats reeds and wicks. A ‘bruised reed’ is a blade of tall grass whose shaft, for one reason or another, has been crushed. A ‘smoldering wick’ is the weakly burning linen cord of an oil lamp about to be extinguished. It’s a word picture.

Christ’s saving work concerns much more than grass and oil lamps. We know this prophecy of Isaiah is about Christ's care for broken people because immediately after recording Christ's healing of a man with a withered hand, Matthew remembers this prophecy:
“…a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory…”(Matthew 12:20).
Christ has come into the world of people bruised to the breaking point and smoldering to the brink of extinction. His mission is to set at liberty those who are ‘captive’ or ‘bruised’ (Luke 4:18; cf. Isaiah). He has come to set free those who have been ‘crushed’ by the activity of demons (Luke 9:39). He has come to seek and save sinners like you and me.

There is great mercy here. You, who are crushed with affliction, hope in Jesus. You, who are smoldering in faith, look to Jesus. As J.C. Rile observes,
“…we may be sure that “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks” are very precious in our Lord’s eyes.”[1]
You, whose repentance is wavering, you whose faith ebbs with doubts, you whose hope teeters on despair, you whose fears seem overwhelming —lift your eyes to behold Jesus. He will not break you. He will not snuff you out.

By his death for us, he has ‘faithfully brought forth justice’ (Isaiah 42:3) by suffering the justice of God in our place once and for all. Look now to Jesus and find mercy for your bruised and weakened soul. Receive his tender comfort, cleansing, healing and all-sufficient grace. God’s great mercy in Christ is for us 'bruised reeds' and 'smoldering wicks'.

[1]Ryle, J. C. (1993). Matthew. The Crossway classic commentaries (Mt 12:22). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

Monday, January 18, 2010

A Blog: The Fruit of My Sabbatical

This blog is one of the intended fruits of a Sabbatical given to me by Bethlehem Baptist from January 18, 2010 to April 30, 2010. Below is my letter to the church body informing them of my sabbatical.
__________

A Sabbatical for Pastor Kenny Stokes
[Jesus said] “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

One of the observations that encourages me to acknowledge my own limits and finitude is the fact that Jesus in his earthly ministry, along with his disciples, stepped out of the flow of ministry from time to time. For instance:

· Jesus personally “…withdrew … in a boat to a desolate place by himself….” (Matthew 14:13).
· After the disciples returned from their missionary journey finding more ministry with the crowds, Jesus told them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

You may know that Bethlehem Baptist Church has a policy to permit pastoral staff a 3-month sabbatical after 5 years of ministry. The policy states: “Bethlehem wants its pastors to be spiritually and mentally healthy, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and on the cutting edge of the best biblical and strategic thinking in their particular ministry areas. We desire for our staff to thrive in ministry, find periodic refreshment and avoid burnout.”

Yet in 21+ years of pastoral ministry, the last 11 of which have been at Bethlehem, I have never taken a sabbatical. That is probably more an evidence of a problem, than anything else. Observing this among several of the pastoral staff, our “Pastoral Care & Compensation Committee” contacted me and three other Bethlehem pastors encouraging us to take advantage of a sabbatical leave.

What is a sabbatical? “The background to the word for “sabbatical” comes from “Sabbath,” the day of rest on the seventh day of the week. In the Old Testament, every 7 years there was a Sabbath year (a year of rest for the soil), and every 50th year was to be a Jubilee (also a year of Sabbath rest for the land). The idea of a pastoral sabbatical goes back to the Middle Ages when the university professors and the doctors of the church were one and the same. The sabbatical, granted every 7 years, was an opportunity for these teachers and leaders to become regular “students” and “worshippers” for a season….”

What does a Kenny Stokes Sabbatical look like? Last year, the elders approved the following sabbatical for me:

Time Frame: January 18 – April 9; April 21-30. Note: The purpose of the April 10-20 interruption is to host Dr. Steve Childers preaching at BBC, participate in the TCT network Meetings and in the Pastors and Wives Retreat.

Aims:
· Rest
· Reflection, Prayer & Extended Devotions. Seek the Lord for a renewed sense of his direction for the next season of life and ministry.
· Marriage and Family time.
· Physical Exercise: I aim to increase my weekly swimming distance and time (Yes, in an indoor pool!)
· Read, reflect and write on Christian Community (i.e., the “Relational Culture” we are praying to grow more and more at BBC)
· Blog, Wilderness Mercies: Write thoughts from devotions, reflections on racial harmony, ministry, marriage, sufficient-grace, observations, personal, corporate, pastoral ministry,
· Write 6 Songs (1 every 2 weeks if the Lord wills)
· At the end of the sabbatical, I am expected to submit a written report to the elders detailing how my time was spent and what was accomplished.

Thank you Bethlehem for the gift of this sabbatical. Please pray:

· That we would be spiritually refreshed in our fellowship with God and benefit from physical rest;
· That Kathy and I would be renewed in our marriage and family relationships by the time afforded by the change of pace;
· That I might be able to write, blog and song write for the glory of Christ in my own heart and for the joy of others.

Spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ,


Pastor Kenny Stokes