When was the last time you heard or sang “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”? Perhaps it’s been years, or maybe you are not at all familiar with this 12th-Century poem, later turned into a hymn. I urge you to listen to it right now, before even continuing with this post (I’ll wait). I recommend the Norton Hall Band version of the song, for what it’s worth.
“That song sounds like it belongs at a funeral.”

Yes, it does, and in an age that tells us all church music needs to sound either like bubble-headed K-Pop or sappy love ballads, there is not always room for a song like O Sacred Head Now Wounded. The title alone might scare away any visitors, and we cannot have that, can we?

Yes, we can and must sing songs like this. “But the title is dark. Some of the words are violent. The whole tone is one of unease.”

These attempted criticisms of the hymn are actually a good and accurate description, and that is exactly how it ought to be. Why do I say this? I say this because the atonement of Jesus on the cross was, in fact dark, violent, and without ease. There are no bouncy Good Friday songs, because Good Friday was the bleakest moment in history. I want to remind us all of the potent and sobering words of the hymn with a brief summary and comment on each verse. Take some time here. Linger on Friday before you wake to the glory of Sunday.

O sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn?

Verse One (above) simply state the facts of the scene. God the Son, Jesus of Nazareth, is suspended from earth on a Roman cross at the hands of Jewish accusers. He is holy and divine, and yet, in this moment, the only crown fit for him is one of thorns, pain and anguish. This verse begs the question, “How did it come to this? What is the only moral being in the universe doing bearing such a punishment?” This is the right question to ask, and the next two verses provide the answer.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain;
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, assist me with Thy grace.

My Burden in Thy passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

These two verses reveal the central point of the death of Jesus. His death was not earned by his own life. In fact, Jesus lived perfectly righteously before the Father. Of his own life, words, thoughts, and works, he deserved no punishment or scorn. The purpose for his suffering was to bear the punishment deserved by others. “Mine was the transgression” - what a sobering thought! The author is correct in stating, “‘Tis I deserve Thy place.” Jesus did not just die in general. He died in the place of people who actually deserved to die. He is a substitute; a stand-in for rebels.

Do you understand this? Have you gazed upon the cross and been moved to the same place the poem’s author leads? He pleads for mercy and begs the Savior to remember him, much like the repentant thief on the cross aside Jesus, asking for his favor as he enters his Kingdom. To borrow from another excellent hymn: "I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.”

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, an should I fainting be,
Lord let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

Did Jesus really go to the cross? Yes, he did. This is the unshaking testimony of history and the Scriptures. Why did he die? He died so that sinners would not have to bear the punishment they deserve. He did not just die, but died taking sin with him. This means, as our hymn author understands, that our penalty has been paid. Justice has been satisfied. There is no more debt for the ones for whom Jesus died!

What is the only good and natural response? It is a posture and life of gratitude and service. “Let me never, ever outlive my love for Thee.”

Dear friends, the only truly sacred head on earth was wounded so that you could live eternally and without scorn or pain. The following resurrection sealed and proved the victory, but that does not mean we can rush past Friday. Go to the cross. Stay a while. Sing a song that sounds like it belongs at a funeral, because it does.

Last week, I had one of the greatest privileges of my life thus far. My elder brother retired from the United States Air Force after twenty years of faithful service. He rose through the ranks at a quicker rate than many and was praised by all who worked with him, over him, and under him. At his retirement ceremony, I had the honor of taking the stage immediately after the playing of the National Anthem to deliver the invocation in the presence of those assembled. In short, I prayed in front of a room of servicemembers.

Now, as a little backstory, I served in the US Navy for about seven years, and I had attended many retirement ceremonies. I came into my brother’s ceremony knowing how they go and what to expect. One common trait in these ceremonies is that, during the prayer, the one offering the prayer (normally a military chaplain or a local pastor) usually offers a prayer that could well fit into the category of "inoffensive". Ever since we started taking our medicine of tolerance, packaged in a bottle with a label that reads “Diversity is our Strength,” many of the clergy have traded their backbones for the fleeting approval of the poly-religious stew at events like military retirement ceremonies. I knew that an innocuous prayer would be expected by most. Fortunately, that would not suit my brother’s or my agenda.

At the start of my prayer, I leaned forward and spoke the following words into the microphone:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to pray, but I need to provide some clarity first. I do not pray to an unnamed force in the universe. I do not pray to ancestors or to the earth. I do not pray to any heathen deity. I pray to the one, true God of heaven and earth, who has revealed himself in his Word, the Bible, and by His son, Jesus Christ. Our appeal today is made to Him alone. Let us pray.”

My purpose was not to ruffle feathers, though I know that outcome was largely unavoidable. My purpose was to provide clarity to everyone present. It would do no one any favors to leave a term like “God” up for grabs. We have done that for too long, in my estimation.

To be sure, some terms can be left unclarified without dire consequences. If I tell you that I just purchased a new vehicle, it does not really matter whether I bought a truck, a sedan, an SUV or some crossover. Nobody’s universe will be altered based upon the make and model of my new set of wheels. Some terms, though, must be clarified for the sake of everyone involved. I would argue that “God” is at the top of the list.

Think about it. If I use the word “God” in the presence of a Muslim, and atheist, a witch, a Hindu, or any other adherent to any other belief system, I am bringing to mind multiple understandings of a higher power (if they believe in one at all). The last thing I want to do, for the sake of that witch’s or Muslim’s soul, is let them think for even an instant that our beliefs are the same, our worldviews are the same, or that our God is the same. They are not the same. One is true and real and present. The others are demonic counterfeits, at best.

My God created and sustains all things. The gods of their faith are impotent and wicked.
My God cares for his creation. Their gods subjugate creatures into bondage.
My God has brought a great redemption to rebels like me. Their gods scream at them to futilely work harder to earn heavenly favor.

I want to urge Christians to take whatever time they need to bring clarity whenever the situation calls for it. Go ahead and make the situation a little awkward. The next time your neighbor, who has not darkened a church door in decades, tells you that “God knows my heart,” pause and ask them just who God is. For the sake of love and truth, put them on the spot.

When your relative who is living in unrepentant sin claims that “Only God” can judge them, press in a little bit. “Who is God and what kind of judge is he?”

Clarity almost always helps eliminate confusion, and it certainly matters regarding who we know and understand God to be. He has revealed himself in his creation (Romans 1), in his Son (Hebrews 1) and by his Word (2 Timothy 3). For your sake, the sake of those around you, and indeed for the sake of this world, do not settle for anything less than total clarity.

The Fifth Commandment, I am learning, is a bit like the body of water near which our little town resides. Lake Pend Oreille is about 1,200 feet deep (and potentially deeper, depending upon whom you ask). The Fifth Commandment, too, boasts great depths. In fact, I feel like I have been diving straight down for a long time and the bottom is not yet in sight. Very deep.

We sell ourselves short if we conclude that all the Fifth Commandment has in view is rote obedience to two people: mom and dad. Obey them while you are under their roof, move out when you turn 18, and check the box. Congratulations. The Fifth Commandment has been successfully kept and exists in the rearview mirror. On to the other nine!

Like I said, this commandment is deep. Obedience to God through the Fifth Commandment begins with dad and mom, but then the deep dive begins. The Ten Commandments give us a heart posture that brings obedience in a myriad of ways and situations - not just the specific cases listed. For example, the Ninth Commandment requires that we not “bear false witness” against our neighbor. The language is describing a legal testimony given in a courtroom setting. Does that mean lying is acceptable as long as we are out of the courtroom? Of course not. The example given applies to all situations in which speaking about our neighbor is in view. God loves truth and wants his people to love the truth. That is the principle. Now, back to the Fifth.

Similarly, the Fifth Commandment aims at our attitude toward all authority that God has placed over us. The first level of authority someone comes to know is that of their parents. What father and mother say rules the day. They direct your life for those first years and gradually loosen the restraints as you learn to think and operate on your own. Without their guidance and authority, we would not survive! Thank God for parents. After we learn to obey and honor them, we can broaden our scope of understanding to see all the other positions of authority and hierarchies that exist around us. Uncles, grandmothers, sheriffs, governors, clergy, store managers, landowners - all of them hold positional authority that is meant to be acknowledged an honored.

Now, here is where my recent deep dive into the Fifth has taken me. I have tried to view our nation’s culture in light of the Fifth Commandment. I encourage you to do the same. Would you say that there is a problem with reverence in our nation? I would. The problem is not in every place to the same degree, but go ahead and survey the hot topics on the front page of the news. Consider the Minneapolis protests against lawkeeping. I can nearly guarantee that the vast majority of protestors have horrible relationships with their parents, and especially their fathers. Do you see countless young men who lack reverence for the police? I can promise you they lacked reverence for their parents first. How about the women lining up to murder yet another child in their womb? They have no respect for life. Where did that lack of respect start?

Let us not overthink the task at hand. Perhaps we have personally slacked a bit in our regular exercise of reverence and respect in the culture. Think this way - if Bible-believing Christians do not demonstrate basic reverence and respect, how can we expect the unbelieving world around us to show reverence and respect? Here is my point:

One of the best things you can do for future generations is to teach your children basic reverence and respect.

This, of course, assumes that you are reverential and respectful yourself. If you have not been, start now. Relearn what was important to your grandparents. Google it if you have to. Then teach it to others, starting with the children at home.

Teach them how to stand for our National Anthem.
Teach them what to do when a funeral procession passes by.
Teach them where to walk and how to speak in a cemetery.
Teach them how to talk to police during a traffic stop.
Teach them how to shake a hand and look a full-grown man in the eye.
Teach them to say, “Yes, sir,” until given permission to do otherwise.
Teach them to introduce themselves with their first and last name.
Teach them how to address their pastor, their grandparents, and the mailman.
Teach them how to honor women, starting with their mother.
Teach them that if they disrespect mom, you will disrespect their hind end.
Teach them that if dad and mom are talking, that means they are not.
Teach them how to conduct themselves during the worship of God on the Lord’s Day.
Teach them to treat their Bibles like a real treasure and not a comic book.
Teach them to live life in a way that reinforces this humbling truth: the universe does not revolve around them. They are not the top of the totem pole. There are many people and institutions worthy of their reverence and respect.

Our reverence of the highest authority is normally displayed by our reverence of lower authorities. Want the next generation to change the world? Have them tuck their shirts in and learn to say, “Excuse me.”

Imagine a young man taking a long walk through his father’s estate grounds. The youth’s father is quite wealthy and has procured a vast amount of land, including fields, forests, and lakes. By virtue of being his father’s son, this young man has the rights and privileges of going wherever he’d like. He’s free to explore. He might climb a mountain for the sake of enjoying the view from the summit. He might cast his pole into a hidden pond, looking for a bite from a fish.

In his wanderings, he hears voices conversing. Following the sound, he creeps through the brush and peers into a clearing in the woods. There he observes a tent pitched and two men sitting around a fire roasting some small game they’d recently poached.
The young man would like to alert his father immediately and see swift justice brought to these men, but he knows his father is away on a voyage and won’t return for some time. Justice can be brought to them, but not immediately.

The young man emerges into the clearing. After engaging the two ruffians in brief conversation, a few things become clear. First, these men refuse to acknowledge the father’s ownership of the land. Second, they are not interested in hearing about the father’s rules and regulations for how his own land is to be treated. Third, they are weary of being confronted and becoming increasingly belligerent.

At this point, the young man has two options. He could cower, apologize for trying to tell these men “how to live,” and back away from their presence, allowing them to continue in their wicked disregard for the landowner and his rule. In short, he could tolerate their rebellion, thus despising his father and doing them no favors by allowing them to continue in their lawbreaking. The other option is that this young man could stand his ground and insist that the trespassers fall in line with the respect owed to his father; that they stop their lawbreaking and confess to the father what they’ve done and seek his pardon. The son is certain the father will be forgiving and even bless them. He knows saying these things will likely invite some form of violence from them. What should the young man do?

I am, of course, using this story to draw attention to something else. The young man in the story is today’s Christian. The lawbreaking men are people living in rebellion against God today. They take many forms. I’ll mention a few representations.

They are the legislators and influencers telling us that Christianity had a good run in America but that we ought to give Islam a try.

They are the anti-authoritarian, unemployed mobs who destroy neighborhoods when they get their corrupt feelings hurt.

They are the intentionally-androgynous being at work whose hair color changes week to week and who holds the whole office hostage with emotions. They want to talk to HR for the third time this quarter because the mere presence of men makes them “feel unsafe.”

They are those who are murdering their children, many of whom make videos on social media boasting about it and counting the “likes.”

I am well aware that sin exists in myriad forms not mentioned here, and if it seems like I am picking on a certain dynamic of the culture, I am. It’s intentional. I am highlighting the pervasive and edge-pushing, public sins that occur in our nation’s land every day while many Christians remain silent. Or, just as bad, Christians resign themselves to the ill-found comfort of statements like these:

“We aren’t called to change the world, so what the world does is not our concern.”

“Jesus is likely coming back next Tuesday, so the best thing we can do now is hunker down.”

“Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world, so we are only concerned with what happens within our homes and churches.”

“I don’t agree with that person’s sin, but you know… that’s between God and them.”

“Jesus wants us to love everyone, and I don’t feel that calling that person to change would be very loving.”

These are all awful and unbiblical thoughts when used as excuses to retreat from the the depravity and debauchery around us. Christians can and must stand up and speak out regarding sin in the land.

“Shouldn’t Christians worry about their own sin and the lives of those in their immediate sphere of influence?” Yes, absolutely. That’s where we start. That must continually be in place. No argument here. I would argue that we also have a larger obligation to speak firmly and biblically about the culturally-widespread sins that are shaping the ethos of our people on a larger scale. Why do I believe we have this duty? And here I come to the punchline…

Genesis 1:1
[1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (ESV)

Come full circle with me. Our Father owns it all. He owns it all because he made it all. Like the landowner in my story, God Almighty claims ownership of every distant horizon. It’s his. You know what that means for anything that exists in his universe? It’s all accountable to him. This is, in fact, where the gospel message begins.

The gospel does not begin with Jesus died for your sins. The gospel begins with the fact that there is a God to whom we are all accountable. We come to the cross eventually, but only after understanding that God made us, we are his, and that by our sin we are alienated from him and in need of rescue.

Everyone who exists, even the vilest of sinners, exists in God’s arena. We have found the property lines of the Father’s land. We are in his world, and thus subject to his rules. His grand plan and desire is that all people in his domain either submit to him fully or be cast out. There is no third option.

Christians are the heralds of these set terms, and we must pray for courage and consistency as we confront lawbreakers, even the loud and scary ones.

“Excuse me, but you’re on my father’s land.”

Genesis 26:18
[18] And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. (ESV)

I’ve been thinking about well-digging lately. This hasn’t been on my mind in terms of a career shift, but rather as a theological principle. Consider the passage above.
Isaac came upon wells that Abraham, his father (and ours) had dug. After Abraham’s death, the enemies of Abraham (and of God) had filled them with dirt.

Imagine yourself as Isaac for a moment. Your father was a great man. Everyone knew his name. He had been called out of a foreign land as a pagan man and commissioned for God’s covenant purposes to bring blessing to the world through his family lineage. During your famine-prompted wanderings, you come across an old site. In the ground you find the remnants of wells that your father had dug. In the past, they had served a great purpose in providing much-needed hydration for Abraham and his livestock. You can make out the circle of a well’s mouth, but instead of water, the hole has been crudely filled in with dirt and rocks. The Philistines did this. After your father died, they skulked in and stopped them up, halting the wells’ functionality and productivity. More than just stopping the flow of water, the destruction of the wells sent a message.

Abraham is gone. His legacy is nothing. His prosperity and ways are forgotten.

What’s a son to do? The easiest option is to conclude that maybe the Philistines are right. Maybe Abraham was too big for his britches and the way forward means we need to forget what’s past and look ahead. Maybe I should just move along. Maybe.

Maybe not. Isaac started moving the dirt and shifting the stones. With whatever manpower he had at his disposal, he reversed the damage done by the Philistines and opened the wells again. Abraham’s wells. And he didn’t give them new names, claiming some novel ownership over them. He named them what his father had named them. It turns out that Isaac knew the promises God had made to his dad. Isaac knew that the promise would come through his own line. Isaac knew that it was better to fear God than another clan of scoundrels. Isaac knew that, in God’s story, he was the good guy and the Philistines were the bad guys. Just as the Philistines sent a message by stopping up the wells, Isaac sent an equally powerful message by reopening them.

We aren't going anywhere.
Our God isn’t going anywhere.
My dad was right about most things.

My house is hooked up to Bayview Water and Sewer, so I won’t be applying this text in any kind of immediate, well-digging way. My shovel is safe today. But this passage has got me thinking: where are the stopped-up wells? Where have we let the Philistines take too much away from us and our godly heritage? Where can I re-dig and call out the ancient names?
About what was my dad right (and I’m just now coming to realize it)? What if the way forward is the way back? I survey the landscape, and I see a few immediate wells brimming over with soil, and I know where to dig.

Reading the Bible, going to church, and praying really is the remedy for most of life’s ailments. Dad was right.

The Philistines want to stop up the well of marriage and family. But we call marriage what God calls it - good. So we start digging.

And we insist on the oldest of ideas, that guys should marry gals and make more little guys and gals. Let’s get to work.

They’ve condoned murder and renamed lawbreaking in its vilest of forms as a “choice.” We call it by its old name - sin - and urge repentance while crying for justice.

They call themselves by a new name - “god” - while we unearth the well of ancient and unchanging worship of the only one deserving of that title. It doesn’t belong to them. It belongs to him.

Those are all big wells. But there are smaller ones on the outskirts that matter, too.

Consider these:
It really is best to eat supper together around the table.
Young men should learn to work hard.
Families should pray together.
Domestic duties are glorious.
Keeping your word matters.

The enemies of God are seeking to stamp out the remnants of Christendom. Cathedrals-turned-coffeehouses litter the landscape but are still undeniably testaments to what our God has done and will do again. He isn’t going anywhere.

Search the wilderness, friends. Find the old wells. Call them by the ancient names. Bring a shovel.

I do hope that the principles I’ve laid out in the previous post are refreshing reminders to you that the Bible really does have much to say about biblical justice. You don’t have to get creative or start guessing when the flack or manipulation comes your way. Depending on the specifics of the situation, you’ve got a biblical utility belt full of handy instruments you can pull out and utilize in the name of biblical standards. Done well, you can avoid much drama, heartache, and wasted time. Of course, the saboteurs of justice do not like this. They like to create their own rules, not follow God’s. That’s ok. Letting them stew in the face of truth is likely one of the best things for them, so don’t lose any sleep when, after you respond biblically, they thrash a little harder, tweet a little more fiercely, or blog with greater angst. This is to be expected. What the nation needs right now is Christians who will respond to various, slanderous barrages biblically, calmly, and who then move on with their days and lives. We should be about the business of letting our biblical responses dull the teeth of the beast.

With that said, I want to provide some examples of what I believe are appropriate reactions to accusations, slander, or other manipulative tactics that enemies may employ against you or others like you. These don’t cover every possible scenario, but are hopefully helpful to you as you consider wisely employing what God has said we ought to employ when charges come.

Require Specificity
Way too many accusations and charges are taken seriously without any specificity given. This isn’t right. Let me give an example of a general accusation vs. a specific one.

General: “You’re not trustworthy.”
Specific: “You stole twenty dollars from the till.”

See the difference? Specificity matters. This goes for situations when charges are leveled against you and when you are the one leveling charges. Don’t say that someone is “not trustworthy” unless you’re prepared to focus in on something specific. What about when the accusation comes your way? Though you’ll likely be labeled as “defensive,” the right thing to do when a general accusation is leveled is to require specificity. This is because sin is never general, but always specific. If there really is an offense in your life, it has to be uniquely identifiable. If there’s nothing to the accusation, requiring specificity will reveal how shallow the accusation is, and it can begin to fade away.

“You’re behavior has been horrible.” “What do you mean?”
“You’ve said some really hurtful things.” “Like what?”
“You’ve caused a lot of damage over the years.” “Can I have an example?”

Again, if there is validity to a charge brought against you, it will come out in specific form. As long as ideas remain nebulous vapors drifting through the atmosphere, there’s not much to be done with them.

Principle: For a charge to be taken seriously, it must take shape.

Don’t Lie
Sometimes, apologizing is lying. When someone accuses you of something, you might have the temptation to apologize to your accuser, even if you are not convinced that you are guilty. Don’t do it. To apologize for a sin you didn’t commit is to bear false witness.

Here’s a common form of what I’m talking about - one we might not think of as lying. Let’s say a newlywed man has an argument with his new wife. Frustrated, he turns to his own father or grandfather for advice. Here’s the response he gets: “Son, I’ve learned in situations like this that the facts don’t really matter as much as you might think. The best thing to do is just say sorry for whatever she’s mad about and move on.”

The common “advice” given above is not advice at all. It is sin. Why is it sin? It is sin because the ninth commandment exists, which requires us to always stand for what is true. Too often do we take what we think is the easy way out. Just apologize and they’ll leave you alone, we think. When we own sin that isn’t ours, we are lying, and when we lie, we are not loving anyone, including the one accusing us, since love rejoices in the truth, according to 1 Corinthians 13:8. Not only that, but claiming sin that isn’t yours does the opposite of what you hope it will do. It doesn’t make the problem go away. Rather, it demonstrates to your accuser that you can be controlled and manipulated. Trust me, they’ll take note of this, and they’ll be back for more.

Principle: Never take ownership for sin that isn’t yours to own.

Ignore the Imaginary Mob
“Just so you know, I’m not the only one who feels this way.”
“Really? There are others?”
“Yes, plenty of others.”
“Where are they?”
“They are just as upset as I am, but they don’t feel that you are approachable, so I’m the one here bringing the concern.”
“I’d like to interact with these people. Who are they?”
“I can’t say.”
“Why not?”
“They’d like to remain anonymous. But trust me - they’re real and they are UPSET.”

Ever had an interaction like this? A common tactic for accusers is to assert that they bravely represent a crowd of shy, oppressed witnesses, even though the lone accuser is the only one sitting before you. When you try and track down who these people might be, the accuser clams up in the name of being virtuous. What he or she calls virtue, though, is normally wicked manipulation. If he/she actually cared about biblical justice, the right for you to face your accuser would be embraced (see my second post). But that’s not their point. Their point is to convince you that there’s an army outside ready to act if you don’t give into the pressure of whatever they’re laying upon you.

Don’t take the bait. Treat this imaginary mob as they truly are - imaginary. Witnesses can’t be taken seriously until you can be certain that they actually exist. Can you imagine how chaotic the justice system would be if judges took anonymous letters seriously?

“Dear judge, in the case if mister Billy Johnson, I urge you to condemn him. He’s a really, really bad guy who has done really horrible things to me. I can’t give you any details. You just have to trust me. Please don’t attempt to contact me or ascertain my identity, as I’d like to remain unknown. Just know that if you don’t act upon my letter, you are also a really, really, bad guy who doesn’t care about justice. Signed, anonymous.”

Principle: Never make any decision on the basis of anonymous opinion or testimony.

Just Say “No”
This is a simple favorite of mine. Did you know that you are allowed to say “no” to accusers and manipulators? I realize we live in an age and culture of instant gratification. We feel the intense pressure of giving into every request made of us. But one of the most potent tools in your arsenal is a two-letter word. “No.” Let me give you a few, rapid-fire examples of using “no” in the face of justice-abusers.

“Hello, Jeff. You don’t know me, but I saw something you said on Facebook through a mutual friend and I’m really bothered by it. Will you explain and defend what you meant?”
“No.”

“I’m going downtown to march in that anti-police brutality demonstration. I think it’s really important for all the Christians in our area to be there to help make a statement against systemic injustice. You’re planning on going, right?”
“No.”

“Pastor Bob, I’d like to meet with you. I’m not part of your church, but I’ve heard through the grapevine some things you’ve said from the pulpit recently, and I think they’re downright egregious. Who is holding you accountable?! Let me know when we can meet.”
“No.”

“Dear citizen, I am writing to make you aware of the atrocities of [a certain public figure in town]. His past has been uncovered and we have determined he is not fit for his role anymore. We are gathering signatures to see him removed from his post. We care about justice, and we hope you do, too. Can we count on your signature?”
“No.”

You get the idea. Now, to be clear, there are times to say “yes.” I’m thinking especially of situations in which the one making a request is someone who really does deserve your time and attention. This is mostly applied to people in an immediate family, members of your local church, etc. My point here is that we ought to say “no” way more than we do, and we certainly aren’t obligated to say “yes” to malicious accusers or emotional manipulators to whom we are not accountable and with whom we have no relationship.

Principle: Know when to say “no,” and when they ask you to explain why you said “no,” just say “no.”

Waterproof Your Mind
“Waterproof” really isn’t the best word. “Tearproof” (as in crying) is what I mean. This is a plain way of saying that you must not be given to being swayed by emotional manipulation, even when the tears are flowing generously and starting to flood the room. There is a wrong way of thinking that goes like this: “This person is so sincere in there charge against me that it has brought them to tears. If they are crying, there must be validity to what they are saying. Perhaps I really am guilty…”

As Carl Truman has pointed out, we live in an age ruled by the “self.” We dare not question the self, challenge the self, or speak ill against the self. When the self has been wounded, what is one of the first signs? Emotional demonstration - often through tears. You’ve committed that greatest of crimes. You’ve attacked the self. Crying is an ages-old tactic to manipulate sensitive people into giving in. Remember Delilah?

Let’s say you are under accusation by an angry woman. Shortly into the conversation, the tears start. Will you be swayed by the presence of them? I hope not. Tears aren’t thinking things. They aren’t an argument, a piece of evidence, or a rational thought in and of themselves. They are droplets of salty water. You must engage with the words spoken and the facts presented, and nothing else.

I’m not saying you ought to be uncaring or insensitive. In my office, for example, I have tissues on hand for any teary person who may enter. And not all tears are used manipulatively, to be fair. Some people cry more readily than others, and they mean nothing by it. Those are not the people I’m talking about. I’m talking about the people who have spent decades getting their way through emotional manipulation. Their thought goes like this: “If I’m upset, you need to be, too. If I’m crying, you must take my case more seriously.”

Principle: Emotional demonstrations do not make a claim more truthful.

Credible or Not?
Did you know that some people make their living filing lawsuits against the government and large corporations? These people are leveraging the justice system to their own advantage. It’s become a business to them. Their aim is not justice. Their aim is dollars. People of this sort are not to be taken seriously as credible witnesses.

Perform this mental exercise: think of someone in your life who is credible. They are easily believed because they have a reputation of loving the truth and are not in the habit of bringing accusations flippantly. Now think of someone in your life who you would say is not credible. This person is quick to accuse. He does not believe the best. He reads into the words and behaviors of others and creates drama where there is none to be found. He is evidently a seeker of his own fame and self-interest. Now, place these two alongside one another in your mind. Which witness will you take more seriously?

This is touching on the unavoidable reality that our reputations matter and are connected to our testimonies. If someone is found to be guilty of a crime fifteen times, when he approaches the bench the sixteenth time, I’m going to assume he’ll be found guilty again. I may be surprised, but I doubt it.

Let’s say there is a man down the road that, as far as you know, is living above reproach and has his life in order. Suddenly, accusations about his personal life, his past, and his intentions start spreading all over social media. The charges are serious and sound absolutely condemning for this man if they are true. You do a little research to discover who is at the source of perpetuating these accusations. You quickly observe that the instigator is a perpetual accuser. Anyone and everyone is fair game to him, and he dishes out charges like candy at a parade. He loves to accuse, and has, in fact, gone after two other reputable men in the area within the past several weeks. Are all the men in town really that bad, and this guy alone has special insight to their wretchedness, or could the problem actually be with the accuser?

Anyone with a modicum of discernment will quickly understand that, in situations like this, the accuser is not credible. Perhaps at one time he was to be taken seriously, but through his unending criticism and perpetual habit of rapid-fire accusations, he has proven himself to be someone bankrupt of credibility. When one accusatory lead takes him to a dead-end, he moves onto another without remorse and without repentance. This proves that he does not love justice. He loves accusing. What he fails to grasp is that for every attempted charge that proves false, his own believability goes down. He strips himself of public integrity and shifts himself further into the category of “not to be believed.”

Especially in cases like this, your duty as a Christian is to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused and to view the accuser with great scrutiny.

Principle: Not all witnesses are equal in their credibility.

Conclusion
When biblical justice is upheld, God is honored, innocence is protected, and the truth wins. Remember, applying these principles is undergirded with your commitment to take ownership of your own sins when biblical justice is applied and you are found to be at fault. Be quick to repent and eager to seek and extend the grace of forgiveness. Stand for what’s right, and don’t settle for hijacked versions of justice that are no justice at all.

Introduction

If all that follows in this post and the next is already known to you, praise God! How great it would be for our personal, family, and societal lives if God’s standards for justice were known, celebrated, practiced, and enshrined far and wide. Funny enough, the concept I’ve just described is not one that is foreign to history (even American history). If I may make a sweeping statement, Western Civilization in general and Christendom specifically relied upon biblical standards of right and wrong to moderate justice in the civil sphere while the clergy promoted the same standards Sunday to Sunday. Was this executed perfectly? No, certainly not. You can find downright silly examples of “justice” being served in Western history that will raise the eyebrows right off of your head. I would, however, contend that striving to implement and uphold God’s standards of right and wrong is objectively better than trying to invent our own. This applies to the Supreme Court and the unofficial Facebook courts. Never forget that the longest chapter in the Bible is an ode to the goodness of God’s unchanging standard of morality (Psalm 119). Many of the principles stated below still exist in our own legal system (on paper, at least). As you read them, perhaps moments from your favorite crime drama or mystery novel will pop back to mind. “I didn’t know that came from the Bible!” Yep, it did. Living according to these standards will help with your own sanity, confound your opponents, and promote truth and justice in your own small spheres of influence.

Without further ado, here is a flyover of some key principles of biblical justice. We’ll get to implementation soon. For now, just absorb them.

Some Unchanging Fundamentals

Presumption of Innocence
In the Bible’s portrait of justice, a foundational principle is that a person is presumed innocent until sufficient evidence proves otherwise. The Scriptures don’t have a category for lynch mobs dealing out passionate, reactionary vengeance toward someone who hasn’t been proven to be guilty of a crime. The rest of the principles I’ve listed here grow out of this most basic of tenants. This is pictured well in Deuteronomy 19:15-20, Numbers 35:30, and 2 Corinthians 13:1 (among others).

People are given to passions, and our sinful tendency is to hear an accusation (perhaps even a believable one), and to act upon it. We may take to Facebook and share posts. We may text our friend with the opening words, “Did you hear about…” Or, we may simply recategorize the accused in our mind. They make the dynamic shift from being a decent human being to pond scum in the recesses of our psyche. All of these reactions are premature and wrong.

Here’s your principle: Accused and Convicted are not the same thing.

The Right to Cross-examination
Proverbs 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. (ESV)

You know what’s easy, and I mean really easy? Just as easy as microwaving ramen? I’ll tell you. It’s easy to paint a horrid picture of someone’s character and actions. It’s also easy to spread the word about this abhorrent person, both in person and online. Someone could level a charge against you right now, post about it online, and within minutes they will have “likes” and sympathetic comments. The ease of leveling a charge should always be met with the biblical principle of the right to cross-examination. The passage in Proverbs 18 (above) states this in a plain way. Someone may tell a very convincing story, but their version is never the whole picture. Just bring in someone speaking for the defense, and the picture may change (perhaps it was upside-down the entire time).

Here’s your principle: Don’t come to a conclusion after hearing one side of the story.

The Necessity of Credible Witnesses
The Ten Commandments are a summary of what true morality entails. This is why God wrote them both on the hearts of people and on the tablets of stone. This is why Jesus insisted that the moral law of God would never pass away, and that anyone who tried to minimalize them was in for a surprise (my paraphrase).

Every Christian ought to know all Ten and live by them, but that’s a post for another time. My purpose here is to direct you to Commandment #9. Remember?

Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (ESV)

Notice that we don’t just need witnesses in general. We need credible witnesses, as in true, not false, witnesses. This is important enough to God that he enshrined this principle in his Top Ten. Throughout Scripture, a charge against any person may not be taken seriously unless there is contributing testimony from credible sources. Not only is this repeated throughout the Old Testament, but is repeated in the New, especially pertaining to charges against the elders of a local church (1 Tim. 5:19). Similar to the right to cross-examination, this principle prevents judgment from being cast based upon the accusations of a single source. Practically, this means that if anyone comes to you with an accusation toward another, wisdom and biblical obedience dictate that you do not jump over to “their side” immediately.

Here’s your principle: Require multiple credible sources in gathering testimony.

The Necessity of Impartiality
God does not show partiality (Deut. 10:17; Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34-35). This means he does not have favorites based upon any merit of our own, our ethnicity, societal standing, etc. Not only is God this way, but he requires the same of people (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17). This means that, as it pertains to justice, everyone gets a fair shake. While it is true that repeat offenders will be taken less and less seriously as they continue to commit infractions, there is a basic guiding rule that items of justice require equal rights and treatment to both the accused and the accuser. “Justice is blind” is a saying for a reason. We can’t factor in variables like whether or not someone shares our DNA, our hometown, our social standing, or any other trait that might cause us to “tip the scales.” This is why it is so important, for example, that jurors have no personal relationship with the accused or accuser in a trial.

Here’s your principle: Strive to be objectively unbiased in issues pertaining to justice.

Conclusion

I’ll write one last post on biblical justice soon. I’ll create some real-to-life scenarios to help flesh out these concepts. For now, if you’re thinking that this doesn’t apply to you since you don’t anticipate a future as a prosecuting attorney, let me remind you that these principles are necessary and helpful to you in the day-to-day patterns of your life. More than that, they will be helpful to your family, your future generations, and your church as you work to build them into your culture right now.

They matter for the discipline of children.
They matter when allegations float down the streets of a small town.
They matter when you read an accusation online.
They matter as you consider your new neighbor and what kind of person he might be.
They matter every day.

Our job as Christians is to step into the accusatory, litigious world around us and insist upon a better way than the feelings-driven abominations of justice that pervade the world.

More to come.

Next to me is our family’s copy of On the Incarnation by Athanasius of Alexandria. If you’re not familiar with the work, I’m sure the name of the author alone is enough to tell you that it wasn’t written any time recently. The publishing date on my copy says 2022, but there were quite a few editions prior to this one, to put it lightly. Athanasius published this apologetic work shortly after the Council of Nicaea met in 325.

The author was a scholar, bishop, and apologist for the Christian faith. He is still considered one of the great church fathers, and On the Incarnation has stood the test of time, making its way into many homes and Christian school curriculums all over Christendom.

Because titles are meant to be helpful, you need not put on your detective hat to figure out what Athanasius was writing about. You don’t need to ask Grok, either. This short work was written to give a reasoned defense of the incarnation of Jesus to a new believer, equipping him to answer the objections of his day. Remember, “his day” was the fourth century, a period in history with which we certainly have nothing in common… right?

I just finished reading this book yesterday, and I was struck by the timelessness of the issue at hand. Today, just as then, people challenge the major tenants and notions of biblical Christianity. It turns out that God had enemies back then, just like today. It also turns out that we need a solid, biblically-based, ready-to-go defense of this gospel that we claim changes everything. The opponents of Christianity back then have a shared heritage with opponents of Christianity today: at the center of most of their frustration is this idea that Jesus of Nazareth was God enfleshed, and that his work was cosmically significant in a lasting way.

I’m writing this short post for two reasons. First, I want to commend Athanasius’ little book to you. It’s good. Like, really good. I encourage you to read it and to savor the sweetness of the center of our faith. God has come to us to accomplish a great redemption, and by trusting in him we have life in his name. How glorious!

Second, I want to pull a couple quotes from the book to encourage today’s Christian. Making much of Christ and his work was the focus then. Making much of Christ and his work is still the focus today. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that “we have it so much worse” than people did back then, and that our challenges dwarf theirs, leaving men like Athanasius with nothing to say to us in 2026. We need to be reminded of the true effect the incarnation had on the world and of the trajectory the work of Jesus set for creation.

Friends, the coming of Jesus really did change things on this planet for the better, and that change continues from the cross to Athanasius to us - all the way to glory. Consider some of what our brother Athanasius had to say.

“Since the Saviour came to dwell among us, not only does idolatry no longer increase, but it is getting less and gradually ceasing to be.”

“Again, who has ever so rid men of their natural passions that fornicators become chaste and murderers no longer wield the sword and those who formerly were craven cowards boldly play the man? In a word, what persuaded the barbarians and heathen folk in every place to drop their madness and give heed to peace, save the faith of Christ and the sign of the cross?”

“When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer; any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away. So also, now that the Divine epiphany of the Word of God has taken place, the darkness of idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are enlightened by his teaching.”

Sounds hopeful, doesn’t it? The good news is that what Athanasius is saying is not imaginary or far-fetched. Wherever the gospel goes, change really does follow. How far will it go?

Habakkuk 2:14
[14] For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (ESV)

Christian, the person and work of Jesus are the substance of our message today. Don’t underestimate the gospel. Don’t replace it with anything else. Believe it. Recite it. Apply it. Teach it. Trust it. The gospel that God used to transform your heart and life, along with every converted person throughout history, is still potent enough for these times.

New year, new me? No, not really. In fact, from a third-person view, I haven’t changed much in the past couple of years, save for my beard becoming gradually more gray. By the grace of God, sanctification is also taking place, and that change is meant to be steady until we enter the presence of our Savior. As I consider 2026 and changes I might need to implement, I’ve come to a realization. Keeping up with the change in the world doesn’t require anything new on my part. In fact, just the opposite is true. To stay in a position to speak into the world today, I don’t need to move forward. I need to look backward.

Here’s what I mean: the world continues in its cycles of madness, debauchery, war, confusion, regime change, repeat. To be sure, there are moments of revival. The church grows and persists, as Jesus promised. Real progress is made in one place while steps backward are taken in another. I’m not a “doomsday” guy by any means. I just acknowledge that there is nothing new under the sun, and just because the calendar turned over, that doesn’t mean Christians need something new or innovative to speak truthfully into our day. Like I said, I want to take this year to look backward.

I’m going to use this year to revisit old truths in a specific way. Here’s how that will take shape in my life: rather than buying and reading new books (a practice I love), I’m going to commit to only reading, or rather re-reading some books that have deeply impacted me over the past ten years. They impacted me for a reason. They were clear, full of truth, and didn’t stray far from the plain and fundamental teachings of the Bible. The list is still being compiled, but here is a sample so far.

• Christianity and Liberalism by J Gresham Machen
• On the Incarnation by Athanasius
• Don’t Waste Your Breath by Brian Borgman
• It’s Good to be a Man by Michael Foster
• He Shall Have Dominion by Kenneth Gentry
• Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson

This list is incomplete and does not include selected readings from books like Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students or Institutes of the Christian Religion by Calvin. Plus, I’ll continue to read recreationally from various genres (I’m 60 pages into Dune, for example). Obviously, and most importantly, this is all supplemental to time spent in the Scriptures daily. I personally recommend the Journey through the Bible program that Church and Family Life has produced.

Here’s my point in this brief post - don’t feel like you need to need to learn something new to be able to speak intelligently and redemptively toward the ever-changing madness in the world. We’re dealing with transsexualism, transhumanism, and trans-everything else, for starters. Nothing in the news surprises me anymore. Neither should it surprise you. The US just captured a South American dictator and made him wear Mickey Mouse ears? Sure, why not.

It’s madness, and it’s moving at a million miles per hour. The Bible and the truth it contains, however, are static. The Word of God speaks to every moment in history, but it does not bend for any moment in history. I encourage you to use the Year of Our Lord 2026 to take a deep breath, slow down, and get back to basics.

Justice is not a concept reserved only for juror-filled courtrooms, administered and applied solely in the presence of judges, the accused and the accusers. When the term is used, our minds tend toward the sort of scene I just described - justice as the goal of a formal and woodenly staunch setting. While this is not the only setting where justice is needed and applied, it is a good mental image worth conjuring during the smaller moments that require justice. Here’s why: while not every incident or accusation leads to the courtroom, the same standards and procedures of justice are just as applicable around the dining room table and concerning drama in your county, town, or neighborhood. In other words, justice may change in its scope, but not in its nature. It’s a fixed thing, because God said so.

If you think that understanding biblical justice doesn’t apply to you, or shouldn’t be a priority for your mental capacities right now, I urge you to reconsider. The term “justice” has been coopted and replaced by a counterfeit that, when the justice-looking varnish is stripped away, we see the label “feelings” bleed through. Justice is sought by those who don’t understand what justice is nor upon what foundation it rests. Justice becomes the battle cry of people who are actually seeking vengeance and self-promotion.

Let me give some examples that may sound familiar. You’ve likely encountered something close to one or more of these.

A local couple become bitter against a prominent figure in their town or county. They feel like this figure is an obstacle to their own prominence and position (whether its in the area of business, politics, or something else), so they begin an online campaign to discredit the figure. They begin (seemingly) innocently enough. They ask simple questions that are worded just so that they cause the reader to faintly hear their implications. Eventually, their questions morph into full-blown scrutiny. They make false assumptions. They entertain the testimony of malicious witnesses. They take quotes out of context and fail to believe the best. They simplify arguments and create a straw man of the one they wants to destroy, all in the name of “justice.” Meanwhile, their Bibles collect dust. They want you to join them in believing this figure is objectively a bad guy. They want their problem to become your problem. And you had better join them. You care about justice, don’t you?

Here’s another example. A man works in a mid-level position in his company. He holds a position of some visibility, but has never been able to excel at the rate he'd like. He seems to have stalled out in his career. He tries to work above his paygrade, offering ideas to his superiors that are consistently overlooked. “How could they not consult me? Don’t they see my opinion as valuable?” and so on. The man becomes resentful toward the management and starts taking notes on them. Little dissatisfactions begin to fill his mind and that Google Doc he created. He shares them with other employees, planting doubt in their minds about the quality of their leaders. Things get to the point where his superiors can do nothing right in his eyes. He’s made up his mind about them, and he’s building his case for quitting, but in such a way that his departure is demonstrably their fault. If only there was justice, so he says, he might be able to stay. His frustration culminates in the mass-emailing of a manifesto that includes exaggerations, assumptions, and patently wrong conclusions he’s made about the leadership based upon the only counsel he deems worthy: his own. He now wants to know if he has your support. After all, you care about justice, don’t you?

Let me offer one more. A woman becomes dissatisfied in her marriage. This could be for a number of reasons. Maybe her knight in shining armor turned out to be more of a court jester. Perhaps physical intimacy was not all she’d heard it was cracked up to be. Or maybe she’d taken the full dosage of feminism that the culture had prescribed, and she came to realize that archaic ideas like children, modesty, domesticity, and fidelity don’t really fit into that “vibe.” It’s hard to get “likes” on Instagram from the feminist superiors when your photos are crowded by snotty kids and a blue-collared husband. Whatever the reason, she starts building her case for victimhood. You can bet she’ll be mentioning her feelings an awful lot. There will be tears. Once she has your attention, she’ll start using words like “hurt” and “unsafe” without acknowledging the need to clarify what in the world she means by those words. She knows she can get away with this, because no one in their right mind will challenge a crying lady in the 21st century. Don’t ask questions. Just believe her. You care about justice, don’t you?

If we, the people of God, don’t understand what God says about justice (true justice), we’ll fall prey to opportunistic bullies; sentiment-worshipping, self-proclaimed “victims” who seek their own self-interest at your expense. They will accuse you, drag you through the mud, ruin your reputation and move on. Here’s some good news, though - like all bullies, they normally only have as much power as you give them.

You don’t have to play the game. You can keep your lunch money. Rather than just hide under the slide (keeping with the bully analogy), you can be proactive in standing against them. There are ways to take the teeth out of their bite, the wind out of their sails, or whatever “disarming” image you prefer.

What I’d like to do in the next couple of posts is summarize what the Bible says about true justice and how the modern Christian, family, church, and even society can uphold these principles today. I pray this appeal blesses you. Our age is litigious and rampant with those who buy and sell with the currency of accusation and credibility. Let’s be aware.

More to come.

PS - I'm doing a lot of my writing on Substack these days. To read and subscribe, click here.

A vast kingdom lay under a wicked curse for centuries. The true King had been forgotten, and darkness covered not only the land, but the hearts of people. Citizens droned through life, searching in vain for purpose and fulfillment; giving their affections and resources to lesser, false kings and vain pursuits. They were murderous, self-serving, and enslaved to the powers of darkness that cast the curse over this once glorious domain.

Into that darkness, a light dawned. Like a meteor crashing to the earth, all people and places were illuminated by it's arrival. The true King had come to reclaim what was rightfully his. He would be met with abundant opposition, but his steady victory was certain. He was the flame that would push back the veil of darkness, restoring purpose and glory to this drowsy and needy land. One by one, his enemies would fall. He did not come to negotiate. He came for war.

This might sound like a back-cover summary of a fantasy novel you picked up at a used bookstore; the kind with a worn dust jacket that says, "I've been read by countless eighth-grade boys," and with cover art that is reminiscent of the fantastic tales of old. Lewis and Tolkien would approve. The reason this story sounds familiar is because it is familiar. All great stories take their basic shape and best traits from the story God has written - the one being lived out before our very eyes. This is the story we are part of, and one of the climactic moments in the story is that holly-jolly season that makes places like Target and Wal-Mart so much money. This is about Christmas, but not Christmas as most would normally think about it. Christmas is a warzone.  

Christmas is not what the unbelieving world wants it to be. They would have all us Christians celebrating the birth of the King in a way that is expressly inoffensive and, well... non-Christian. They are ok with a Christmas that includes general tidings of goodwill (though don't ask where the goodwill comes from - that's a no-no). They are ok with the lights, the presents, the trees and the cheer. These emblems are only tolerated so long as their celebration remains on the surface, and no one does any exploratory drilling to find out what's really going on ten or twenty feet down. In short, the unbelieving world wants to claim Christmas for their own, but they insist on stripping it of all Christian meaning first. They'd like to casually scoot in next to those of us worshipping Jesus and singing Advent hymns so that they can say, "See? Christmas is for us, too!"

The great mistake made by the world (and, unfortunately, tolerated by evangelicals for so long) is that Christmas can be viewed as some sort of philanthropic common ground. During this season, the thought goes, Muslims, atheists, LGBTQ folks and everyone else in between can come close to the fire, get warm, pat each other on the back, sip some cocoa, have a laugh, then go back to their various forms of rebellion against God. All of this is done in the name of ... Jesus?

Christians know better (or, at least, we ought to). We know the truth. We did not find it after years of heavy searching and contemplation. God, in his mercy, revealed it to us while we were in our rebellion. All praise to him! We do no one any favors if we do not call Christmas exactly what it is - a warzone. Put away your Hallmark movies and grab your battle axe.

To understand what I mean by saying Christmas is a warzone, let me remind you of that first Christmas. Now, I love Christmas songs as much as the next guy. Silent Night is a staple of my life that will never be taken away. However, the scene painted by the lyrics to that particular hymn may not entirely capture the tone and setting of the arrival of Jesus. Consider some lines from other hymns we sing:

O come, though Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
____________________________

Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the pow'rs of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away. 
____________________________

Remember, Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray

Are you picking up on the theme here? Jesus came on a mission that disrupted the agenda of Satan. Never forget that Jesus was born into a land with a governor that wanted him dead from his birth! Scripture says that all Jerusalem was in turmoil at the news of his arrival. His enemies wasted no time attempting to seek and destroy the promised King. Joseph and Mary sneaked out of their own country (likely funded by the Magi gifts) and had to lay low until one wicked king was replaced by another.

Fast-forward to Jesus' public life and ministry. His enemies never went away. The Scribes, Pharisees, and High Priest wanted him dead. Satan himself made an appearance to tempt Jesus in the wilderness and thwart his mission. The hatred would continue right up through Jesus' show trial, conviction, and murder. Even after he came to life again, the powers-that-be went to great lengths to silence the truth of his resurrection.

Why such antagonism toward Jesus? Here's why, and we can't miss this: Jesus came to a world that was not ok. Jesus did not come here and discover that things were desperate. He came because things were desperate. He parachuted behind enemy lines, in a sense, fully aware of the direness of the situation. John 1:10–11 tells us:
 
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (ESV)

Jesus didn't start a conflict by taking on human flesh. The war had started far, far earlier. Jesus just arrived to fight and win the definitive battle. This war had been going on since Genesis 3. Ever since our first parents sinned in the Garden, the cosmic conflict has been between the seed of the serpent (Satan) and the seed of the woman (God's people). There is no third side, and there is no treaty between these two opposing forces. The fight is violent, and it will be to the death. Consider this God-breathed declaration of war:

Genesis 3:15
[15] I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” (ESV)

What is important for us to understand at Christmas (and at all other times) is that the Advent of Jesus is not a time to forget differences with the seed of the serpent (those still in their rebellion against God), but to remember the differences and declare them. Why? Because God Almighty remembers them, and it is precisely the ongoing rebellion against him that the Incarnation was designed to address. Christmas isn't a break from the conflict. It's the rallying cry to our King as he leads his powerful charge against his enemies.

"The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable." - Ralph W. Sockman

Here's the other thing to remember: the Herod family dynasty may have faded away, but the spirit they embodied and employed against God has not diminished. Christians remain the most persecuted people in the history of the universe, and that is precisely because of Christmas. How do I figure? At Christmas, our God, the true God, bridged that greatest of gaps between heaven and earth to confront evil to its face. Now, every person to draw breath is faced with the reality that they must answer to the child in the manger. They either join the Magi in worshiping him as the true King, or they remain in their rebellion against him. There is no in-between. So the war wages on.

It is fought when ancient, biblical truths are attacked or redefined, such as God's declaration that all people are male or female, and we can't switch from one to the other. It is fought when the state attempts to jettison God's definition of marriage and morality. It is fought when we are told that elected officials, not God, are the highest authority on earth. It is fought when public voices diminish Christianity as oppressive and extremist while simultaneously celebrating atheism, LGBTQ ideology, Islam, or any form of false belief. They don't care which worldview you have, as long as it isn't the only true one.

This doesn't just take shape in capitol buildings or in public policy. It happens around dinner tables and in the modern-day colosseum of social media. You might see it when your God-hating aunt is visiting for Christmas and she verbally lauds praises regarding the cousin in the family who is careening toward death, disease, and condemnation through a homosexual lifestyle. This relative is "brave," "courageous," and "inspiring," so she says. If you dare to voice any kind of rebuttal, gentle as you may be, she then calls you and your God uncaring for suggesting that God has a better plan for humanity through heterosexuality, and that maybe the way humanity has flourished and prospered since the beginning of time, according to God's design, is the best option for humans. What an extremist you are.

Events like this are significant. They are skirmishes in the war I'm talking about - the war that has gone on since Adam and Eve were "shown the door" in the Garden.

The best news, as it pertains to this war, is found on many gilded Christmas cards. Let me remind you of the significance of Christmas according to the prophet, Isaiah.

Isaiah 9:6–7

[6] For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
[7] Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (ESV)

The child in the manger did not come to promote a new philosophy or ideology. He did not come to set things right "in theory" or in unquantifiable ways. Look at the text. God, through Isaiah, promised that this child would bring about a change - a real, tangible, and increasing change. As I've said before, the government (rule and reign) of Jesus only grows in one direction. It increases. That's all it does. It only grows. It will not shrink, diminish, or nearly waste away. Like a balloon filling slowly with air, or like a stone that grows until it is a planet-engulfing mountain (to use the prophet Daniel's image), Jesus' rule and reign will only increase, and that increase began when the King touched down to the world he created.

Is there hope in this war? Make no mistake, friend. There is only hope, and the hope increases, right along with the unstoppable rule of Jesus.

Like the skirmish I described regarding your fictitious (or perhaps real) aunt, there are a million little battlegrounds in a million little places. I encourage you to think on a large scale and a small scale.

On a large scale, fight for the crown rights of Jesus in your nation, state, and county. Take public stands for truth when and where you can, and urge your church to do the same. This means resisting wicked legislation and supporting righteous legislation. It means letting your voice be heard to your elected officials, both for praise and rebuke. Pray for your leaders. Contend for righteousness and the promotion of the gospel in your place.

On a small scale, this means we don't waste the little opportunities. Every interaction is an opportunity to make much of truth. Care for your neighborhood and town enough that you consciously do what you can to see the worship of Jesus increase. For starters, make your local church the headquarters for the battle in your place. Don't neglect the saints or the ordinary means of grace God has given through his local body. You need the fullness of what he's provided for this ongoing war. Connect yourself to the church.

This also means engaging in evangelism. Don't neglect the souls in your town! 
Even more personally, this fight likely begins at your dinner table. Everyone under your roof either worships Jesus as Lord, or they don't. Even if they do, isn't it true that we all need the basic truths of who God is and what he has done to save sinners placed in front of us again and again?

The point of this post is not to suck all the fun out of Christmas. I hope this season is filled with joyous celebration! Indulge in the warmth, charity, and feasting that is appropriate to the occasion. Just remember, Christian, that the very cause you have to celebrate is the same cause God's enemies have to continue in their anger and rebellion.

Go ahead and celebrate, but keep your armor on and your weapon nearby.
Merry Christmas!

"We don't observe Halloween. That's the devil's day."
"We don't want to accidentally invite evil into our lives."
"Dressing up like something wicked gives that wicked thing credence or power."

Statements like these resound from the years of my own childhood and are repeated through many evangelical conversations. Christians don't observe Halloween. This is a familiar and common sentiment, and one that I'm aware many who read this may still espouse. Let me say at the onset that I absolutely understand the heart and intention behind the idea that Christians should seek shelter during this day. We don't want to participate in evil or give the appearance of any such thing. That's absolutely true!

But run this thought experiment with me: what if Halloween was not owned by the pagans, but actually the Christians? What if this day was part of a centuries-old celebration, created by the church, with only good and biblical intentions? Would that make any difference in how we think about the day? Let me ask it this way: what if there was a historically-based, purely Christian way to observe Halloween? Would you want to hear about it?

That's the simple purpose of this blog post. If you finish reading this and still want nothing to do with the day, that's ok. We all have that freedom of conscience (Rom. 14:5-9). I do hope, though, that what is said here would at least cause us all to think, not just about Halloween, but about what it means to be a Christian and to take every opportunity to proclaim what is true in this dark world. That is, after all, what Halloween is all about.

Let me start with a brief history. The term "Halloween" is a modernized version of the Christian holiday All Hallows Eve. The word "eve" always denotes itself as a precursor to something else, and in this case, the reference is to November 1st, which is All Saints Day. Following, on November 2, is All Souls Day. These three days, collectively referred to as "All Hallowtide," were developed and formalized in the early medieval period as days to honor Christian martyrs and to pray for those who face violent deaths for their faith. All Hallows Eve (now Halloween) is a Christian holiday.

(But what about the candy and costumes? How does that fit in?)
Now, this is where things get interesting. The dates for these three holidays were chosen by the church for where they landed in the year. The harvest was over, so people had time to celebrate and travel. The imagery of "harvest" also greatly reflected the notion of saints having finished their lives and being harvested up to heaven. Very pertinent to this topic is the fact that the dates also happened to coincide with an ancient, Celtic observance called "Samhain" (pronounced Sow-when).
 
Now, stay with me here. Explanation is required.

Samhain was a pagan observance of the changing of the seasons from summer to winter. Summer was seen as the time when food was plenty, crops were growing, days were warm, and the sun shined bright. Conversely, winter was the time where cold, death, and immobility were welcomed in. Here's a detail we can't miss: the pagans who observed Samhain believed that, during this transition from summer to winter, from light to darkness, and from life to death, that the line between the seen and unseen worlds was blurred. The dead could walk the earth. Spirits could mingle with humans. Some of these spirits, they believed, were malevolent, and so this was no joyous feast for the pagans. It was a time of caution and endurance. There was a real fear of the grave and what existed beyond it.

To mitigate against the unwelcome influences of the dead and evil spirits, the celts included practices like lighting large bonfires, symbolizing the enduring warmth of the sun. More than that, people would leave gift baskets outside their homes for the spirits; offerings given with the hope to appease them and sway them away from tormenting the living. Rugged and thrown-together costumes and masks were worn, the thought being that the spirits could be "tricked" by the disguises, not able to differentiate between the living and the dead.

The bottom line is this: the ancient, pagan time of Samhain was characterized by fear and a desire to appease wicked spirits, hoping beyond hope to keep them at bay for another year.

Now, back to the Christian introduction of All Hallows Eve. This day, by the plans of the church (and God's providence) landed on the exact same day as the pagan Samhain. Rather than disregard the widespread , pagan practice altogether, the church took the approach of redeeming something salvageable. 

While the purpose of Samhain was to fearfully hide from and appease spiritual entities, the intent of All Hallows Eve was the opposite. Christ had come. He had conquered. He had made short work of death and of every lesser power and authority, both seen and unseen.
This holiday pointed people toward the victory of Jesus and his rule and reign over all things, even the realm of death itself.

While the heart of Samhain was thrown out (and rightfully so), some of the practices were kept and baptized into Christianity, so to speak. For example, young children would go "souling." They would walk from door to door in the village, offering to pray for the souls of the residents of each house. In exchange for their prayers, the people in the house would give them small, tasty cakes. This is the origin of what we call "trick or treating."

Here's another example. The practice of wearing costumes was kept, not in an attempt to blend in with evil spirits, but as a method to mock them. Wearing costumes associated with evil powers (a cartoonish devil, for example) and death itself (perhaps a skeleton), became used as a "victory lap," of sorts, shouting Christ's victory over these powers. People would don the costumes and play out dramatic performances in the town square or in front of homes. In these dramas, death was always defeated, and evil was always vanquished.

In a day in age in which death was always at the door (plagues, famines, high mortality rates, etc.), it was a common Christian practice to be reminded of the brevity of life and the certainty of death. Death was much less taboo to talk about and consider than it is today, and incorporating elements of death and the Christian promise of glorious life beyond it were seen as entirely appropriate elements to embrace and celebrate.
CS Lewis stated,  “Above all else, the devil can not stand to be mocked.”

Viewed through this historic, Christian lens, we see that All Hallows Eve was an opportunity to keep the tradition of Elijah alive. Just like the scene atop Mount Carmel, Christians are free to mock the defeated, powerless gods of the world and celebrate the true reign and eternal power of the one, true, God.

I know there are objections. Again, my purpose here is not to bind anyone's conscience, but simply to provide a perspective on All Hallows Eve you may not have heard before and, if nothing else, to disarm Christians who may be a bit too adamant about how the day should be observed (if at all).

Isn't it true that very few Christians view Halloween in this historic way?
This is likely true, and is precisely the reason we need to spread the word! Wouldn't it be great for Christians all over the western world to reclaim and reboot what our Christian forefathers started?

But isn't dressing as nasty things a way to give them power? 
Not necessarily. Intent matters, and we can't fall for the fallacy that depiction equals endorsement. Think of Lewis' book, The Screwtape Letters. The book is about demons, but it is in no way endorsing them or approving their actions. It is simply a depiction. The same goes for art and fictional works, like Paradise Lost. On Halloween, we can depict evil beings, not to endorse them, but to display their downfall.

But don't cults and pagans practice ritual sacrifice and other satanic practices on Halloween?
Probably. And they should stop. Even so, the fact that rebellious, pagan people are co-opting a Christian holiday is not a reason to give it up or concede ground. Rather, we ought to be spurred to plant our flag deeper, celebrate harder, and denounce the devil and his works with even more clarity.

There may be lingering sentiment against Halloween, even at this point in the blog. Maybe I've not convinced you. Again, that's ok. But let me come to a close with this.

Christians are meant to be about the business of contending for the crown rights of King Jesus throughout the world and its systems whenever and wherever we have opportunity.

This is not just limited to squeezing confessions of faith out of individuals, but also working to redeem whatever in the world is redeemable. This means systems. This means city halls. This means festivals and holidays. Now, to be sure, some systems, days, and institutions need to be thrown out entirely. October 31st is not one of them. Rather, why not take a pagan fear of death and turn it into a Christian celebration over death? That's what All Hallows Eve is meant to be. 

You don't have to observe All Hallows Eve. You don't even have to set out the bowl of candy on the porch. But I do think that, if you do observe the day, you can do so with a clear conscience and in an expressly Christian way. There is a lot of pop culture baggage pertaining to the modern holiday that is not helpful. I'm aware of that, and I'm not encouraging anyone toward sin. But here's what you can do: you can teach your family and yourself how to take a joyful victory lap around the institution of death and the defeated spiritual powers that lay powerless in the background of Jesus' empty tomb. You can use the day to let your mind and heart be projected into eternity, where death will be a distant memory and every enemy of Christ will be fully vanquished. This is the Halloween for which I contend.

Just this January, I had the joy of attending the annual conference for Founders Ministries. All the singing, speakers, and content were excellent and edifying, but I admit, there was one man who I was especially looking forward to hearing.

Dr. Voddie Baucham had recently relocated from Zambia to serve as the incoming president of Founders Seminary beginning this fall, and to say that his presence and his preaching commanded respect is an understatement. He preached on the character of ministers and how God uses pastors behind the pulpit in revival. I was moved. I was encouraged.

On the second day of the conference, I spied Dr. Baucham sitting in his pew between sessions reviewing his notes. It was a rare moment in which no one had approached him for conversation. I cautiously approached him to say hello and ask him to sign a copy of one of his books. He was a mountain of a man. His hands were like catcher's mitts. His voice was thunderous. He was terribly kind. Our interaction was 30-45 seconds, tops. I tried to not sound too much like a "fanboy," thanked him and returned to my seat, trying to focus on slowing my heart rate. I'd met one of my heroes of the faith. What a privilege. Fast forward.

I was on the phone yesterday afternoon when my friend paused, mid-sentence.
"O no," he said. I could tell he pulled the phone away from his ear to view something on his screen.
"What's up?" I asked.
He sighed deeply. "Voddie Baucham just died."
I went outside and I cried, but it wasn't the first time this year I'd mourned the departure of a prominent saint.

Dr. Baucham went to be with our Lord just yesterday from a yet unnamed medical issue.
The world is still reeling from the death of the prominent evangelist, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated September 10th.
Just two months ago, on July 14th, longtime pastor John MacArthur passed away after years of faithfulness. All three of these men had gravitas. They had weight to their words and mission.

Pastor MacArthur was, perhaps, the greatest example of modern faithfulness, pastoring the same church body for more than half a century.

Dr. Baucham was, in my mind, the quintessential example of a bold and biblical preacher, inspiring ministers over the world as they approach the Word of God Sunday after Sunday.
 
And Charlie? As has been widely and truly stated, Charlie was one of us. But he was more than that. Charlie showed the way to the coming generation, teaching us how to bring our faith into the public square with kindness and firmness.

And now all three are gone.

What is going on? I find myself crying out to God and asking why he is taking these prominent men out of the game. Voddie was only 56 years old. Charlie was younger than me. Many believe our nation is primed and on the cusp of revival. For all intents and purposes, from our creaturely standpoint, this seems like a very unfortunate time to remove these saints.

Times like this require a foundation of solid, biblical understanding. We need doctrine. Now is not the time to speculate, but to turn to our God and what he has revealed. We seek comfort. We find it in the Scriptures.  

Let's be reminded of a few simple yet profound truths that we need to keep in front of our faces.

God's decree still stands. Don't forget that God has declared the end from the beginning, and all things fit into his eternal decree (Is. 46:10). God did not drop the ball by accidentally letting three giants of the faith die in the same year. We say God is big, and that's true. Here's the deal - He's big enough to take ownership for these deaths. Don't forget that this is his world. History belongs to him. His crown rule includes the right to take his saints home at the time he has predetermined.
 
Death comes to all. This is among the saddest statements in Scripture. Death comes to all. Don't forget that these giants were in fact mortal. They, like us, were born under the curse of sin and began to experience the curse of decay from their birth. Until our Lord returns, death is a horrible but fixed guest in this creation. C.S. Lewis once wrote about the topic of war and how much of a travesty war is. While granting that times of war are especially sad, Lewis reminds his readers that every young man who dies in battle is a man who would have died eventually, even had he never touched a gun or put on a uniform. The departure is inevitable. The point is this: death comes to all.

Church history didn't start with these men, nor will it end with them.
The halls of faith are full of saints who lived profoundly and should be remembered honorably (Heb. 11). The three saints mentioned here are now added to that glorious roster. Before Dr. Baucham, there was Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Before him was a man named Spurgeon. Before Spurgeon was Keach, Calvin, and Luther, and so on, and so on, right back to the beginning. In short, church, take some comfort here. The growth and success of Christ's church has never rested on one man, save for the God-man, Jesus Christ. God's will was accomplished in the world via the church before these men, and we are assured by Christ himself that the work will continue (Mat. 16). 
 
Their deaths are precious to God.
Lastly, know that God is not weeping over the loss of these saints. Heaven has gained three warriors who are now resting where they belong - in the indescribable presence of their God, the angels, and the gathering of all the saints who preceded them. Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (ESV)

God has a will to execute on earth, for certain. But this is also true: God delights in bringing his children home! 

These men left giant boots to fill. It might be overwhelming to think about the prospect of seeing them filled by others. Who is up to such a calling?

To remove the pressure, just know that men of their degree are indeed rare. They were great and not just anybody can replace them in their capacities. What are we to do? Let me call us to a few items of action.

First, pray. Ask God to raise up godly leaders to preach with the power of a Voddie Baucham, to exhibit the faithfulness of John MacArthur, and to show bravery and love like Charlie Kirk.
 
Second, do your part. It's highly likely that no one will ever write or read about the feats of faith accomplished at Bayview Bible Church, and that's ok. God has called us to simple faithfulness here and now. He sees your heart. He commends our lives. Live for God and embrace the role he's given you, however big or small.

Third, have high expectations. God will replace these men. We know this, because Jesus cares about the church much more than we do. He can raise up another MacArthur, Baucham, or Kirk tomorrow. He could raise ten-thousand of them, if that's his will. He knows we need church leaders who are uniquely gifted to lead the way in a limited, human capacity. He knows. And he'll provide them. He already is.

Praise God for the printing press and the internet. The voices of these men will carry on, I pray, for generations. I will continue to benefit from them. I can read them. I can hear their voices. I can tell my kids about the time I met Dr. Baucham at the Founders Conference or the time I chatted with John MacArthur in the airport, thinking he highly resembled Al Pacino (true story).

Mourn them. Continue to learn from them. Thank God for them. Most importantly, take your own boots out of the box, lace them up, and put them on. Make it your goal to wear them out with what life you have left. My prayer for us all is that, when the Lord calls us home, our boots will look just as ragged as Voddie's.

My four-year-old daughter, Nora, and I just took some time to walk a lap around our small, cedar vacation house near the Washington coast. We were looking for snails or slugs. Either would be fine and would make a good temporary pet, and would be housed in Nora's tiny, glass bottle, recently acquired at a souvenir shop. She had prepped the critter's stay with a few leaves and some grass. Any gastropod would have been fortunate for such accommodations. Alas, we did not find any snails or slugs this time, but there is always tomorrow.

Charlie Kirk's daughter is only one year behind Nora. She is three years old, and will likely have little or no memories of her father. There will be no trying again for slugs tomorrow for this girl and her dad. The backyard adventures, little conversations, and prolonged, exaggerated hugs are all over. They don't get any more.

Charlie was killed today, violently and suddenly. His wife and two young children were left behind; his children now fatherless and his wife now a widow.
Even as I type this, there are many questions unanswered and details that have not been provided. The identity of the shooter is not yet public, for example. In the upcoming weeks, there will be article after article, video after video, all dissecting the incident, seeking to identify motives and get into the head of the shooter. In advance, I wish I had a nickel for every time the killer's "mental health" will be mentioned.

I am writing this short post right now to try and cut through all that (yes, I'm admittedly worked up and I don't know how collected my thoughts will come across).
Much of what you read in the weeks to come will be speculative garbage that does not get to the heart of the issue. I want to assert that, fundamentally, we already know what we need to know. I'll say it simply.

He was not a random target. He was not simply a casualty of politics.

Charlie Kirk was martyred.

Charlie Kirk was killed because he was courageously and effectively bringing truth to a deceived populace. He stood for what was good, and he believed in the principles and ethics that made America a wonderful country from the start. His truth often centered around commonsense issues, like the existence of two sexes, the dangers of Islam, and the freedom and opportunity capitalism brings. Where did all those ideas come from? Were they somehow separate from his broader worldview? Spend any amount of time researching Charlie, and the answer is an immediate and emphatic "no". Charlie Kirk was a Christian, and not just on paper. He pulled no punches in talking about his faith and the faith of our forefathers. Many of his events were centered around promoting biblical Christianity, and he often hosted (and was hosted by) other prominent, unashamed Christians.

To put it simply, Charlie Kirk was a Christian working to change the minds of America's youth toward what is true and right, and it was working. That's why he was killed, and that's why he will be memorialized as a martyr.

His Turning Point USA videos are nothing short of inspiring. Charlie frustrated his opponents to no end, but his tactics didn't include belittling. He didn't manipulate. He didn't lie. He didn't get mad and shout, or call names, and the like. He presented truth in a calm and collected way that always invited his opponent to consider their own worldview and see the flaws in it. Charlie did things right, and the wicked couldn't stand it. Because truth will ultimately shine forth, his enemies decided to destroy him rather than engage with him.

This is what happened to Charlie Kirk today, and this is a moment I will never forget.

But it's also a moment that shouldn't be wasted. Christian, stop and consider what I'm about to say. Today's events (and others like these events) are proving to us over and over that America is entering into a new and uncharted season in its history. The days of a so-called "congenial bipartisanship" are gone. Our nation is at a crossroads, and the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk is the latest dramatic proof. Let me say it again - Charlie was killed because he believed in sharing ideas through conversations, and his faith-fueled dialogues proved to be true and helpful to a nation searching for its identity. We expect assassination attempts on those guilty of war crimes, or mob bosses, or radical tyrants, but not conversationalists. But this is where our nation is right now.

Promoting the traditional family is considered radical. Saying out loud that homosexuality is destructive to a civilization is labeled hateful. Claiming that there is only one version of truth, and that it belongs to God is regarded as oppressive. And having meaningful, logical conversations on college campuses that might lead to 20-year-olds abandoning liberalism? That will get you killed.

Rise up, church. Now is not the top to privatize your faith. Now is not the time to keep your thoughts to yourself. Now is not the time "wait it out" and hope for a better tomorrow for the United States as you return to your couch or your phone.

May 50 men of equal zeal rise up to take Charlie's place. May we all learn from his courage. May all Christians take their faith as seriously as Charlie, and may we, like Charlie, carry our faith with us into the public square.

I, for one, am not interested in a weak, privatized religion that watches through the curtains while Satan's minions march into town and take over what was once so evidently blessed. If embracing a traditional, biblical Christianity in both private and public is considered radical, then consider me officially radicalized. I want to be like Charlie.

I hope you want to be like Charlie, too. Here's how:
Read the Bible. Believe it. Teach it to your children. Give yourself to a local church. Husband, wash your wife with the word. Wife, respect your husband and help him however you can.

Love your Savior and the country He has placed you in. Use your brain. Speak the truth. Invite enemies to the table, and cripple them with biblical common sense. Love your enemies enough to tell them they are wrong, and use whatever lawful resource you can to fight for the good of your people in your place. Advocate for the promotion of righteousness and the resistance of evil - not just in your heart or home, but in your county, state, and nation.

I thank God for Charlie Kirk, and I take comfort that, by now, he has heard the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Pray for his young children. Pray for his wife. Pray for America. Get radicalized. Get to work.

It goes without saying that our current, living generations are not as capable as previous generations in many practical areas. We live in an age when artisanship and craft are very specialized and carried out by the select few. For example, making soap and cheese are considered specialized tasks today and reserved for those “crunchy types” of folks. Not long ago, these were commonplace and necessary practices that took place from home to home.

The point is not to knock our current generation, but rather to illustrate a point. There are some practices - ancient ones, even - that we cannot afford to lose. The problem is (as I see it) that some aspects of modern, popular church culture have worked to bury this ancient practice out of sight from the common Christian. I am talking about the biblical practice of fellowship and hospitality.

We are hopefully seeing the last remnant of the commercialized, consumeristic church. I pray my children will see the fad and experiment of "seeker-sensitive" churches go away entirely in their lifetime. The consumeristic model is one that is just as it sounds; churches orient their Sunday liturgies, weekly functions, and word choices toward those who come to a church in order to get and not give. The church, rather than being seen as a unique and holy organism, is seen as an industry to offer services. This is an unhelpful and failing model, as shallow churches turn out shallow Christians, and fostering a mindset of consuming, rather than participating, is robbing the people of biblical participation and ownership.

If you have spent much time in the evangelical church world, you have been affected by this mindset to varying degrees. Even the most obscure, smalltown churches seem to have been impacted, even slightly, by the consumeristic mindset that's been so widely promoted and employed in recent history. We are takers. We go to church to receive (to be fed). We sit for 90 minutes on Sunday, sing songs we like, hear a sermon, chat with friends for a minute or two, then go home. See you next Sunday.

Much should be said about this broad topic, but let's focus on just one negative effect that the consumeristic mentality has had on us evangelicals. Here it is:

We've depended so entirely on the church to organize fellowship for us that we don't know how to do it on our own.
 
Fellowship has, for too long, been viewed as a service a church offers, rather than a trait of the Christian lifestyle.

Does the local church need a program or list of events to create avenues for fellowship within the body? It shouldn't. There is nothing wrong with a church planning events for her people. I rather like these events, in fact. The point is that if a church member is depending upon someone else to plan and coordinate fellowship for them, that's an indication that a good shift in thinking is in order.

At Bayview bible Church, the elders recently announced the decision to implement Wednesday night services in place of our former Home Groups (at least for a season). The Number One question I've received since this announcement has been, "What are we going to do about fellowship?" This would be like if you asked me to rotate the tires on my truck by myself. I've never done it before, and I've always depended on someone else to do it for me. I need some guidance!

Don't lose hope, Christian. You can and really must take charge of Christian fellowship. I understand how intimidating it can be to instigate meaningful relationships and planned interactions with folks in the church. Here are a couple guiding principles for you to keep in mind, followed by a practical suggestion or two to help you get started.

Principle #1: You don't need permission to pursue relationships within the church body. I don't mean for this to sound too elementary, but I think some of us need to hear it from time to time! You are well within your right to pick a night, send some invitations, and welcome other parts of the body of Christ into your home. We kindly ask that you do not promote any heresy, but other than that, please have a ball!

Principle #2: It's easier than you think. You don't have to come up with anything fancy. Fellowship is simple. Just make it happen. For example: take a moment to think about something you've planned to do this week (run errands, find firewood, go for a hike), and invite someone along to join you. That's for a one-on-one or a couple-to-couple situation. Here's another: Have a few families to your home for a cookout. These simple ideas are more than adequate. You'll be surprised at the return on such a simple investment. Now, for a couple suggestions to make the whole endeavor easier.

Suggestion #1: Use your calendar. Don't wait for fellowship to happen spontaneously. Pick a date in advance. Ask the question, "Who have we not connected with in a while (or ever)?" send the invite. Lock it in. The hardest part is over at this point!

Suggestion #2: Get outside your comfort zone. We all have our friend groups. Even in the church, there are those toward whom we gravitate relationally, and that's ok. You can't be best friends with everyone. You must, however, put in the good work to get to know your church body. I encourage you to invite people over (at least every other time) who you admittedly don't know as well as you should. You might be surprised at how well you connect with them. Some of my closest connections have been made in this way, and I continue to be surprised.

Consider this with me:
Imagine you invite people over to your house twice per month. Each time, you invited two families over. This means that there are six household-to-household interactions taking place at your direction each month. Now, what if five other households did the same thing? The number of interactions jumps to 30. See how quickly this multiplies? There can be consistent, meaningful fellowship among the people of the church in the intimacy of our homes without any church program in place.

What would keep you from implementing something like this in your own household? Fear of what people will think of your home? Fear of vulnerability? Fear of attachment to brothers and sisters in Christ? Beloved, step out in faith. Open your schedule and your home. Watch God work as he gives you more and more space in your heart for the members of the body. Reclaim this ancient practice!

Spend much time in the church, and you will inevitably say goodbye to others at some point. People leave. Sometimes, these people are very close friends. Other times, we hardly knew them and the news of their departure doesn't reach us for weeks. When someone or a household leaves a local church, answering the "who" question is not difficult. It's the "why" question that often goes unanswered or undefined. Why did they leave? Rumors may abound. Speculation grows. Sometimes the truth is mixed in.
For those us us left behind, we often don't know how to think about those who depart. The intent of this post is to help us think clearly about the folks who decide to say goodbye to the church and to answer the question of how we ought to move on once they're gone. As we'll see, people leave for a variety of reasons, and the reasons do make a difference. None of them however, change the mission of the church.

For the sake of simplicity (and more importantly, truth), I've divided these reasons into two categories: Good Reasons and Bad Reasons. Let's start with the good reasons.

Moving Away
An individual or household may make the difficult decision to relocate based on family issues, health concerns, or a providential opportunity from God. After much prayer, consideration, and hopefully meaningful discussions with the elders and other trusted members, moving away just may be in the best interest of a household. While this is always sad, these are the sorts of folks we can send away with a smile and say, "Come see us again sometime."

Significant Doctrinal Change
Hopefully, no Christian has the same depth of theological understanding at age 80 than they did at age 20. As we grow, we learn, and as we learn, we grow. Normally, the insights we gain from the Scriptures lead us into greater depth with our God and his people, and everybody wins. Sometimes, though, shifts in doctrine can be a good reason to leave one body and find another body to join. To be clear, there is a spectrum here, and not every doctrinal change provides good grounds for leaving a church.

For example, well-meaning and biblically-thoughtful Christians are able to discuss and disagree on the different ways of approaching the Fourth Commandment and how it ought to be obeyed today. An issue like this is much less significant than, say, a Lutheran coming to a change in convictions and becoming a Baptist. That's a much larger gap to bridge. For that Christian, it may be wise to find a fellowship where he can join and worship with a clear conscience and without the worry of misrepresenting that body. Then again, he may stay, if he can do so in good conscience. These sorts of issues should be handled with care, time, and good counsel. Ultimately, if someone leaves over a significant doctrinal divide, we can wish them well and thank God for our time with them. No hard feelings.

Sent by Church
Sometimes, God is gracious to a church in such a way that leaders are multiplied to the point that they can and should be sent with the blessing of their local body for another meaningful gospel work. This may take the form of a church plant 20 miles down the road, or a missionary endeavor 2,500 miles across an ocean. These are good departures.

Unfortunately, bad reasons for leaving seem to be just as, if not more prolific than good reasons. This short list is not exhaustive, but is hopefully helpful.

Unregenerate
Sometimes, plain and simple, people are found out to be those still dead in their sins and living in enmity against God Almighty. They may have been convinced for years that they were a Christian, only to hear the biblical gospel and come to realize that they are far from God. Others may knowingly be hiding amongst the ranks of God's people, seeking their own gain for a variety of reasons. Regardless, the preached Word will bear fruit, and often that fruit is exposing the hearts of people who do not know God.

Ideally, when this happens, the unregenerate person will see their sin as heinous and Christ as glorious, turning to him in true faith and repentance and joining the family of God. We pray for this reaction!

Other times, when confronted with the exposure of their sin, some people take off. They give up the act entirely and realize they aren't fooling anyone anymore. They enjoyed hanging around the church for a season, but they were never truly part of it because of their unrepentance. Rather than submit to the Savior, they go find a new social club.
This is not a good departure.

Pressure from Spouse
Have you ever seen a couple in a church in which one spouse is "all in," while the other hangs out on the fringes and never lets anyone get close relationally? Don't be surprised when that couple disappears entirely. When you eventually call them up or run into the them at the grocery store, the more amiable of the two will do all the talking and explain how "It just wasn't working" or how they needed a church that could "better meet their needs." Look closely, though. You'll see no joy in their eyes. What they are really saying is, "My spouse wanted to leave and I've found it's easier to get on board than to argue."

The distant spouse doesn't want accountability or meaningful relationship. If anybody dares get too close, they duck down the alley. The other spouse, the one who was just starting to grow and benefit from the body, sighs, shrugs, and follows. This is a common version of being unequally yoked. This is not a good departure.

Ignorance
This example is best described by a short, fictional dialogue. Observe:

A: "Hey, did you know that the pastor believes (some doctrine with which the subject is unfamiliar)?"
B: "No, I didn't know that. What does that mean?"
A: "It's bad. Trust me. I Googled it."
B: "No kidding! What did you learn?"
A: "An expert on Youtube explained how dangerous this teaching was. You should watch it. The video is only 90 seconds long and very thorough."
B: "I will watch it. Send me the link. Do you think we should leave the church over this?"
A: "Probably. We can't have a pastor who teaches heresy."
B: "Should we talk to the elders first?"
A: "I don't think so. We have all we need to know."

End scene. This is not a good departure.

Arrogance
If ignorance is leaving because the party doesn't know enough to make good decisions, arrogance is leaving because the party thinks they know more than they do. They have a lofty view of self.

The arrogant person comes to the conclusion that her or she (or a couple) know far better than the elders pertaining to how a church should operate, what should be taught, who should be in which positions of responsibility, what songs the church should sing, and the like. Normally these people are constantly looking for a position of influence and authority. When the elders make it clear that they already have the whole "shepherding the flock thing" under reasonable control, these people get antsy. If they can't gather a small following here, they may as well move onto the next unsuspecting church.

The arrogant departee is normally (not always) a serial offender. Just watch. They will quickly make their rounds through the county, attending every church until they hit a wall of some kind at each one. They'll find a reason for departing that makes the elders sound awfully bad, and they'll leave. No one does it right in their eyes, you see. If only all these churches would get their acts together, they might find a body to settle into for the long haul. This is not a good departure.

What's to be done by those who remain when part of the body separates itself?

First, the remaining Christians should be reminded of their mission. Christ has commissioned his Bride, the church, to see disciples made and matured and to be his representative presence on earth. The mission is too vital and life too short to waste time sulking, begging the departed to come back, or stewing over "what if" questions. You can miss them, you can pray for them, and you can stop and say "hi" to them in line for an oil change. However, just know that the energy (mental or otherwise) that you give to them is energy you could be giving to your church body; the saints who have stayed and who need you. I heard a pastor say it like this one time: worry about the seat with someone in it more than you worry about the empty seat.

Next, adapting to the departure of a person, friend, or household in the church ultimately comes down to an exercise in trust. Just because someone leaves, that does not mean God has dropped the ball. It does not mean the church is doomed, and it is not a sign or portent of more bad things to come. Do we trust the Lord when the church body shrinks and people leave for any reason, whether good or bad? Let the dust settle. Pick yourself up. Look around, and link arms with the folks who are still present, trusting God with what's in store.

Lastly, the Christian who is processing the departure of church folks needs to be reminded that eternity really will arrive one day. Heaven and earth will become the same place, God will dwell among his people, and pain and tears will only exist in distant memory. This is important because, as you likely know, many departures from church come from or produce a fair amount of heartache. Accusations are leveled. Claims are made. Criticisms abound. Leadership is challenged. Integrity comes into question.

To be sure, clarity should always be sought when and where it can, but be prepared; there will be departures that leave us scratching our heads without all the answers we seek. Take comfort in this - eternity is coming.

The day will come when all God's people will dwell together in true love and harmony. No more rumors. No hurt feelings. No departures. Won't that be nice? By the grace of God, we can labor on today, working through hard departures. Our hope rests in our Savior, not in anyone else. Isn't it great that he never leaves or forsakes us?

May difficult departures be few are far between, and may our people only leave for good reasons. May we also be prepared to continue to deal with sin and its affects. Let's think rightly about each situation as it comes. Let's focus on what God has laid right in front of us. Let's labor right now for the eternal glory that awaits the Bride.

When we trust people, we are trusting them only to certain degrees and in certain capacities. For example, I am trusting the experts at Les Schwab in Rathdrum to fix my brakes as I write this. I will soon get in my truck and drive away, demonstrating that trust by reaching 70 mph on Highway 95 as I journey home. When the time comes to brake (and it will), I am fully expecting that the processes of deceleration will work as they ought to work. I am trusting these good folks with the work set before them.

Just because I can trust a Les Schwab employee to fix my vehicle, that trust does not translate into every area of life. I need not trust that same employee, for example, with filing my taxes, babysitting my kids, or guiding me on a backpacking trip through Kazakhstan. Again, we trust people to certain degrees and in certain capacities.

I've been thinking about trust quite a bit lately as it pertains to our various tiers of magistrates and elected officials. Like many Americans, I have experienced some frustration as of late with policies, statements, and what look like potential coverups in our government.

Now, to be clear, I'm not a political expert, which is part of my point. I'm a pretty average guy when it comes to following the news and tracking the broad sweeps of what happens in Washington, D.C. From this average guy's perspective, there have been a few proverbial eyebrows raised at some of the decisions made by our leaders recently.

If you're like me, you were pretty excited at the election of President Trump and all the nifty gifts that came with him. You liked his tough stances on key issues. You liked his promises to oust corruption in the Capitol and in the city streets. You liked his plan for American wealth and a better economy, and so on. You likely were also excited about many of his picks for cabinet members and officials; experts who were ready to get their hands dirty in bringing about a great return to fundamental principles of justice, prosperity, and security.
To a great extent, many of these ideals and promises are being pursued and accomplished, and I'm grateful for that. I still like the things I've listed here. In no way am I regretting casting my vote the way I did.

At the same time, just like the way the "new car smell" eventually fades away and the "check engine" light is sure to blink to life at some point, even the most conservative Americans are being reminded that President Trump has not and will not usher in heaven on earth. Speaking for myself, I've been at times slightly disappointed (and at other times downright aghast) at some of his statements and choices. His support base is divided on issues like involvement in various foreign wars and a failure to release long-promised information regarding child trafficking and high-level corruption, to name a couple.

Now, my purpose here is not to bash our president, but to remind you all that, just like the Les Schwab employees, we need to keep things like trust in perspective. The president is not our god, our guru, or our messiah. We have entrusted certain things to him, but not all things. Perhaps, on certain issues, you've been recently disappointed in our leader. "I've already bought the MAGA hat," you're thinking. "What now?"

The solution is not to become disillusioned with the entire system or to discontinue our prayers and support for our leaders. You don't have to burn your bright red hat or peel the bumper sticker off your truck. The solution is to place all the players back in their correct position according to biblical revelation.

Psalm 146:3 says this:
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. (ESV)

Similarly, Psalm 118:9 tells us,
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. (ESV)

Let's briefly consider what God says to us here. Compiling the truth found in these two verses, we conclude the following:

Human leaders are not worthy of trust in the same way God is worthy of our trust. Why not? They can not bring salvation (Ps. 146). They are not able to provide refuge in the same way or to the same degree as can God in heaven (Ps. 118).

This does not mean that human leaders (princes) are useless or irrelevant. It simply means that our trust in them must be tempered in light of God Almighty. God alone saves, and God alone provides security and refuge in the most meaningful and permanent sense. We also know from Romans 13 that it is God Almighty who delegates authority to these earthly princes, and that he intends for us to trust in them to certain degrees and in certain capacities. 

When we maintain this biblical perspective, we realize that an immense amount of pressure is released from the situation. When President Trump (or any president) acts screwy or wickedly, our first reaction must be to remind ourselves of the order of things. God is God, and the president is not. Our trust ultimately does not rest in this man, his cabinet, or whether or not he releases the Epstein Files (though he should). Our trust ultimately rests in God's great plan of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, and the pardon he's brought to undeserving sinners.

Before you react to the next blunder to come out of the District of Columbia, start here. If your universe is in danger of being shattered because your president does something foolish, just pause. Remember where your trust rests. From there, pray fervently. Write your congressman. Work for local change, etc. Keep participating and calling for integrity. Keep supporting your leaders, and don't give into the trend of "cancel culture." But do it all with God's hierarchy in mind. No matter what bill is passed, no matter what policy is implemented, no matter what takes place at our nation's highest level - there is a higher level to which we can and must appeal. 

At Bayview Bible Church, our purpose is to make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all the commands of Jesus. This is our broad “mission statement,” and it follows that everything we do or endorse as a local church should fit under that umbrella of purpose.  We recognize that there is some freedom to structure our plan for discipleship that might look different from another biblical church in the area. Similarly, we are free to structure our discipleship in different ways in different seasons, based upon the different needs of our church body. What I’m saying is that we are allowed to change things up as we see the need! We are in one of those seasons that necessitates some adjustments. There are two significant changes to our discipleship at Bayview Bible Church that we want to communicate to you, along with our rationale for doing so.

Two Services Each Sunday 

We are implementing a second service on the Lord’s Day. The reason for this is multifaceted. As things are now, with one service, our space is very crowded. In recent history, in fact, we’ve had gatherings with more than 170 people. As you know, these people are currently divided between sitting upstairs and downstairs. More often than not, because of space constraints, the upstairs crowd and downstairs crowd aren’t able to mix and fellowship in a meaningful way. Our thought is that if the church is going to be divided into two groups, we should give each of those groups the best situation and efforts toward worship that we can give. Rather than watch church through a screen, we want to allow everyone the opportunity to gather for worship in one space, even if that means two separate worship services.  

Adding a second service will also buy us some time. With space to grow, we can continue to receive new members into the body as we pray and work toward a building across the street. To be more specific, with two services, we believe we could grow to more than 200 people somewhat comfortably.

There are, of course, downsides to this plan. We aren’t excited about these two groups forming their own cultures and identities, never mixing and never benefitting from each other’s company. We will do what we can to create “church-wide” events for as many people as possible to get together, whether that’s on the church property or elsewhere.
Please know that our intent is, once we are in the building, to consolidate back into one Sunday gathering. At this point, we don’t see having two services as a long-term fixture at Bayview Bible Church.
 
While we do believe this addition is necessary, we are aware that it creates some needs. Adding a second service also raises the need for volunteers on some of our ministry teams, namely Audio/Visual, Safety and Security, and Sunday Operations (setup and teardown). If you have been thinking about volunteering for one of these teams, now is an excellent time to make yourself known. We need the help! Please reach out with any questions. We hope to implement this plan as soon as we are logistically able. Be on the lookout for a survey in your email asking whether you are more likely to attend an 8:30 am service or a 10:30 am service.

Midweek Service 

The second change coming to our structure is the introduction of a midweek service. On what will likely be Wednesdays, beginning in September, we will begin an hour-long service at the Bayview Center from 6:30 –7:30 pm.  The service will consist of three elements. First, there will be a dedicated time to singing. We will sing songs we already know, and likely learn songs we intend to introduce on Sundays.  Second, we will focus on teaching. While not a sermon, there will be attention given to biblical and theological instruction. This teaching may be expositional from the Scriptures, topically-focused, or a systematic theology emphasis. Some of these details are not yet determined.  Third, we will give time to prayer. We see the importance of the church to pray fervently and regularly, and Wednesday nights would give us an avenue to do this in a regular and corporate way.  

The implementation of a Midweek service means that we are, at least temporarily, stepping away from Home Groups. Home Groups have many merits and have been helpful to many people in the church. We are aware of their value, and we want you to know that the decision to place Home Groups “on the shelf” was not an easy one. They’ve been a helpful avenue for deepening relationships, prompting study in the Scriptures, and offering prayer to God.The growing difficulty with Home Groups has become this: in our current season of life in the church, we are not able to multiply them with qualified leaders at an adequate rate. In other words, we can’t tell the whole church that Home Groups are essential to our discipleship while we don’t have enough groups/space within them for everyone to join.

We believe that rushing men through a pipeline to lead new Home Groups without taking the time to train and observe them would be detrimental in the long term and would potentially create significant issues for the church down the road. It’s a big deal to “lay hands” on a man and endorse him for teaching, even if the setting is a small group of people.

A midweek service would meet some of what Home Groups offered (fellowship, deeper learning, prayer). More than that, these midweek services would also buy us some time to explore who some of the future leaders of the church might be and get to know those men better than we do now. It is possible that we would revisit Home Groups in the future once we are able to execute them better.

What about fellowship? 

One of the biggest benefits of Home Groups was the regular fellowship they offered. It’s good for the people of the church to be together and share life with one another! The elders are urging you to take the reins on this aspect of church life. We encourage you to open your home regularly, bring in people of the church, and exercise godly hospitality over meals, coffee, and sunsets.  For example, at my house, our plan is to have two households over to our home every other Sunday for a meal after our church service. We hope the combination of households is different every time so that we can get to know the people of the church in a healthy way.  Give it some thought and do something similar! Start a regular rhythm of fellowship at your house. You don’t need anyone’s permission for this, and I believe you will find great joy and blessing in the habit.  

Thanks for taking the time to read this long explanation of these forthcoming changes. If you have any questions, please reach out to the elders. We are grateful for each one of you. God bless you.

Welcome back. The topic at hand is Family Worship – the regular practice of households worshiping God on a regular basis. In case you missed it, there was a first part to this two-part bit on Family Worship. Part One laid the foundation and impetus for Family Worship, and today’s post will help us flesh out how Family Worship can look practically. 
The underlying principle behind my pushing for Family Worship is this: Households that worship create churches that worship.

You really ought to go back and read the first part, but let me summarize quickly here. 
What is a household? Biblically, we saw that a household is defined by the group of people who dwell and exist under the same authority. This is usually, but not always, a traditional family.

Family Worship has a biblical precedent. We observe households in both Testaments giving some level of organized worship to God.
 
Worshiping Families are essential to the local church. Family Worship is not sufficient for a household. The command to still gather with the saints on the Lord’s Day still stands, regardless of how much organized worship took place at home any given week (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 3:10).  

Dads/husbands should take the lead. The biblical pattern and express command of God is that the fathers be the leaders in this endeavor (Eph. 6:4).
 
With those key, foundational points in mind, I want to try and answer some practical questions. Please bear in mind that each family will likely do Family Worship in their own way, perhaps with subtle or major differences, and that is ok. To the best of my knowledge, there is no “Family Worship Task Force” that enforces uniformity from home to home. I would strongly suggest that, however you go about this, you work to incorporate the following elements.

If we don’t live according to God’s Word, we don’t stand a chance of having a full understanding of him or of living rightly (Isaiah 8:16-22). Scripture is full of the repeated call to the Scriptures. Just go read Psalm 119 for a reminder!

One way or another, the Bible must have a central role in your times of Family Worship. This means the Bible should be read – out loud – for the benefit of everyone present. Discussion about the text and appropriate application should follow. This can be intimidating, especially to the leader, because he feels a burden to be able to explain the passage. In a great sense, this is true! Family Worship does push us into greater biblical literacy and theological depth. Don’t be daunted! Rather, be excited that God is prompting you into a regular rhythm that will benefit your relationship with him and your role in your household.

I imagine this is where I might get the most pushback. Singing can feel awkward, especially in small and intimate settings. Being part of a large family makes this easier, but what about the couple in their 70s or 80s? Should they sing, too? Yes, they should!

Remember, unlike the singers in pop culture, when we sing praises to God, we do well to remember that the benefit of singing is not linked to the skill involved. In short, you can sound like a howler monkey and still accomplish the Bible’s plan for you through song! Worshipful singing isn’t meant to showcase our abilities (or lack thereof). The purpose of our singing is explained in Colossians 3.
 
Colossians 3:16
[16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)

Singing helps God’s Word to take root in our heart. Singing teaches us amazing truths about our great God. Singing gives us expression of our thankfulness to God for all he’s done for us.  

I encourage every household, large or small, to incorporate singing into their regular Family Worship routine. There are abundant resources for help in this area online and in print.

The worship of God has always included communing with him by prayer. Do not neglect time before God together as a household. Your prayers need not be eloquent. They need not be scripted. All they must be is sincere. I know not everyone is comfortable praying out loud. Some people have no problem praying spontaneously in the face of a huge gathering. Other people have a hard time saying “grace” at the supper table.

If you are one who is uncomfortable praying, I want to gently urge you to step out in faith and work toward praying out loud. I am especially addressing the heads of households. Your prayer will not only benefit you, but it leads your entire household before the throne of grace. It is a tremendous privilege and responsibility! Again, God is not sitting in heaven with a clipboard, taking notes about how “grand” our prayers are. He simply loves his children to come to him in dependence.

A simple prayer could look something like this:
“God in heaven, thank you for this time of worship today. Thank you for your Word, and specifically for (whichever text you read). Please help us to understand these truths and apply them to our lives. Go with us into the rest of our day and week, we ask, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
 
Your simple prayers aren’t useless, nor are they mocked in heaven. The angels don’t pull your prayers out of a filing cabinet and say, “Hey, guys! Check out this guy’s super-lame prayer!” Revelation 5 tells us that our prayers, even the simple ones, are as incense to God in heaven. Think about that!

Like anything, Family Worship takes a little planning and intentionality in order to happen regularly, and I do urge you to make this a daily practice. It is far too easy to neglect things that are good for us. Don’t let worshiping the one, true God be one of them. Here are three practical tips.  

Pick a time. Don’t wing it from day to day, assuming that you’ll find time somewhere to get Family Worship done. If that’s your attitude, I assure you that the practice will not take long to die entirely in your home. Pick a time and stick to it. If you choose 7 pm, for example, let the rest of the day flow around Family Worship, and not the other way around. If you have company over, invite them to join you.  

Choosing a firm time for Family Worship solidifies the practice as something essential to your household and life rhythms, which is absolutely appropriate!
 
Be Prepared. We’ll steal the motto from the Boy Scouts for this one, and we’ll pray that the BSA gets some footing in biblical Christianity.  

If you are the one leading Family Worship, you ought to be prepared. Remember, your household will only take worship as seriously as you take worship. This need not be anything monumental, but it should be obvious. The text to be studied should be chosen in advance. Any songs to be sung should also be chosen and made available on paper, hymnal, or some other form. If there is a focus for prayer, that should also be determined ahead of time.
 
Don’t overdo it. You are not going to solve the world’s problems at Family Worship. You are also not going to train your five-year-old all the differences between the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God in a single sitting. Don’t feel the pressure of turning yourself and your household into scholars overnight. That’s not how anything in life works.  
Rather, do not despise the day of small beginnings, and be ready to settle in for the long haul. Be excited about small steps forward, tiny lightbulbs that go from off to dull to glowing to shining bright over the course of weeks, months, and years. Do not feel bad if the text raises a question to which no one has the answer in the moment. You are doing the right thing, and the right things usually are the hard things.  

Let me end by giving you a very imperfect example of what Family Worship could look like. I’m going to relay to you how we carry it out in our home. If our example does nothing more than push you forward into the practice done in your own way, then praise God! I don’t assume that our format is infallible, and I’m sure we’ll make some changes to it as life goes as (as we have already done). To whatever end it serves you, I thank God for that.  

We meet for Family Worship in my house every day but Sunday, when we focus on the corporate gathering. We wake the children at 7:15 am with the expectation of beginning at 7:30. We’ll find the next chapter we intend to read in our Bibles (everyone has their own copy of the Scriptures). We normally work our way through a book (right now we are in 1 Timothy, for example). Five of us can read, so I’ll look at how many verses the chapter has and divide it be five. As an easy example, if the chapter has 25 verses, we each get five. I’ll read the first five, the person to my right will read the next five, etc.
 
Once we’re finished reading, I’ll ask the family what they observe and what questions they have. Depending on the passage, there are sometimes more questions/observations, and sometimes less. Any questions that can be answered in the moment, we answer. Anything that needs further study, we’ll leave to be considered later (again, we aren’t overdoing it).  
At this point, we consult the Family Worship Bible Guide, a book designed for Family Worship that provides summaries and prompting questions for every chapter in the Bible. It has proven to be a very valuable resource. (As a side note, if you are part of Bayview Bible Church and would like a copy of the Family Worship Bible Guide, come see me.) This is where the majority of our conversation is prompted.  

After our time in the Word is finished, we turn to singing. I might select a hymn (in its entirety or select verses) or a psalm set to a well-known tune for this. A great resource for this is the Trinity Psalter and Hymnal. In this hymnal, you’ll find most familiar hymns that we sing at Bayview Bible Church, along with many psalms sung to tunes you will recognize. You can also find songs in other print forms or online. There’s even nothing wrong with pulling up a song on Youtube and singing along.  

We end with prayer. Occasionally, I alone will pray on behalf of the family. Normally, though, we each pray. To help us, we created a pattern that follows the days of the week. It’s even alliterated, which helps us. I don’t mind if you laugh or call us corny!
 
Ministry Monday (praying for Bayview Bible Church and its various ministries and needs among the people).  

Town Tuesday (we pray for our place, starting with Bayview and moving out to our county, state, and country).  

Waiting Wednesday (praying for specific items/needs for which we are waiting on the Lord).

Thankful Thursday (we give thanks to God for the various provisions he’s given us).  

Family Friday (we pray for each other in specific ways).  

Sanctification Saturday (we pray for God’s work in us to help us in the battles we face against sin).  

I just devoted a lot of proverbial ink to the issue of Family Worship, and I want to end by circling back to the premise I gave at the start: Households that worship create churches that worship.

Are there difficulties that come with Family Worship? Yes, there are. You will have days when you are tired, or angry, or lazy, and rallying the household to worship together is far from your mind. Please know in advance that God’s grace is sufficient, even when Family Worship doesn’t go as planned or happens in a half-hearted way. He carries us along. So yes, this is sometimes difficult. More importantly, though, it is always worth the effort.
 
I challenge you, the skeptic, to commit to Family Worship for one month and see if the culture in your home doesn’t begin to change. There is always blessing in obedience, and that blessing is meant to be known from household to household.

John 4:23
[23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (ESV)

***Resources

The Family Worship Bible Guide
by Dr. Joel Beeke

A Theology of the Family
Edited by Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard

Isn’t it amazing how the more one reads the Bible, the more ideas and doctrines fall into place in one’s mind, heart, and life? Here’s an easy example: from the first page of inspired Scripture, we learn that God made everything. This means he owns everything and all his creation is accountable to him. As we read Scripture and see this truth over and over, our understanding of how the universe works according to God’s will comes into greater focus.
As I have continued to read Scripture in my adult life, one of God’s great emphases has come into play over and over; that of the household and its prominence in God’s plan for people and redemption.  

When I said “household,” it’s possible that the image formed in your head was one of a lumberjack father, a pregnant mother kneading homemade bread, both sets of grandparents playing checkers on the porch, and somewhere around 22 outfit-coordinated children taking care of the family chores with happy smiles (God bless these families, by the way). I certainly do include these large, traditional families in my meaning. It is a wonderful blessing when Dad and Mom understand their roles, the Word of God is treasured, and the family stays intact. However, I also contend that the priority of the household is not limited to the households described above. I am aware that there are broken families, blended families, young singles, empty-nesters, along with widows and widowers. Some households may contain one person. Others may be comprised of many people, including step-siblings, half-siblings, adopted cousins, and the quirky grandmother who lives upstairs. These households are valid in God’s eyes and are often filled with real-life Christians who can and should obey God with all their might in their setting. The typical word for “household” in the Bible simply means everyone belonging to the same family or house. The definition is somewhat broad, so we have some room to work with here!

My purpose today is not so much to draw attention to how a household should look, but rather what a household should do.

It is important to note that making a big deal of households is not a newfangled idea. It was actually God’s idea, and he saw to codifying the household straight away. Remember Genesis 1 and 2? God made man alone and determined that his solitude was not good. This was the only “not good” thing to exist in creation, as far as we can tell. To remedy the incompleteness of Adam, God brought him a wife and gave them a mission, namely, to make more people and fill the earth with worshipers of God. Let me say this succinctly:
God’s plan to fill the earth with people who represent and worship him is meant to be carried out through biblically-ordered households.

From then on, we see not just individuals, but households participating in the worship of God. I could really drag this out, so let me just list them here: Adam’s household (Gen. 4), Noah’s household (Gen. 8), Abraham (Gen. 12), Isaac (Gen. 26), Jacob (Gen. 35), Job (Job 1) - all these ancient men led their families in the worship of God.  
As the commonwealth of the people of Israel was established, the families were given specific instructions for the worship of God within each household.

Deuteronomy 6:4–7
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (ESV)

The expectation and standard of worship within the household was set for Israel under the Old Covenant and can be seen throughout the pages of the Old Testament.  

“But, some may contend, “that was during the Old Covenant era. Now, we have the church, and household worship is no longer important to God.” I would respond to this by pointing out a couple of things. First of all, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that he in no way was abolishing the law, meaning that God’s ultimate standard of righteousness in no way changes at the advent of Christ. It follows, then, that the same standards of morality must continue to be taught within the family. Paul says this explicitly in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Ephesians 6:4
[4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)

How will this bringing up of children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord happen if households are not making efforts to direct their members toward God and his revealed truth? Family worship must continue and remain a staple for the household, even under the New Covenant.

God has ordained and instituted three arenas of government for the good of people. These are the civil government, the family government, and the church government. Christians fall into an ideological trap when they entertain the idea that we can only respect one of these spheres, but not all of them at once. All of them are for our good and should be treated as such.  

The Church is charged with the right corporate worship of God and the furtherance of God’s purposes on earth (Ephesians 3:10). The family is charged with ensuring the viability of the human race and raising children in a Christian way (Gen 1:27-28; Eph. 6:4). These two spheres of government are not at odds. In fact, they need each other. Let me say it this way: Healthy churches are made up of healthy households. You want to see the church charge forward on its God-given mission to disciple the nations? The best and first thing you can do is to work hard for the spiritual health of the household. Without healthy and focused households, you won’t have a healthy and focused church. Family worship, then, contributes to corporate worship in the local church. If you worship well at home, you’ll worship well on the Lord’s Day.

One of the world’s major points of contention with Christianity is that our truth doesn’t change. The world changes faster than that digital billboard by Wal Mart, but our source of truth and standard for living remains static. One of the areas where we receive criticism is in our view of authority and hierarchy. Our unbelieving neighbors can’t change God’s order of things, no matter how big a fit they throw. Like it or not, God has ordered his universe according to fixed rules and a fixed authority structure, with Himself existing at what theologians call the “tippy top.”

His plan for authority extends right down into our daily lives. When we investigate what God has to say, we see that, since the beginning, he has intended for men to lead in the various arenas already mentioned (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Tim. 2:12-14; Is. 3:12). Particular to the topic at hand is the father’s charge to rule and lead in the household. Fathers, this means you can’t wait around for worship in your household to spontaneously pop out of the ground. The burden is on you to cultivate this good pattern. Like Abraham building an altar or Job offering prayer on behalf of his children, the fathers must take their God-given role seriously. This may mean starting something entirely from scratch, and that’s alright! There is no bad time to start the habit of the organized worship of God in the household. In fact, once I personally came under this conviction and established Family Worship times in my household, I started by confessing to the family that I should have started this practice long ago. I have not regretted the decision!

What if someone exists in a household where a father is not present, willing, or able to lead in worship? Though much could be said here, I would contend that God intends for us to obey to the best of our ability with what we have, even if the situation is not ideal. Should a mother/wife/single woman see to worship in the household if she needs to? Absolutely!  

I realize that I haven’t even touched the “How-to” of household worship at this point. That will come in Part Two. I thought it necessary to start by establishing the biblical precedent for worship taking place within the household. Be encouraged, Christian. You can find richness, joy, and an increase in faith through tending to your own household and seeing the worship of God increase under your roof, for your good and His glory. More to come!
 
Resources

Books:
The Family Worship Bible Guide by Dr. Joel Beeke
A Theology of the Family, edited by Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard
 
Audio:
Church and Family Life Podcast

Pope Francis died the day after Easter this year at 88 years old. I’m a few days behind the ball, so this announcement is likely not a surprise to anyone by now, especially if you have a smart phone, a laptop, a television, a newspaper, or even smoke signals. My point is that something like this is big news around the world. I want to address our little corner of the planet – specially the Christians at Bayview Bible Church. What should our reaction be to the passing of this man?  

During moments like this, we are all likely only one or two degrees of separation from someone who is seriously sad about Francis’ passing. We all have neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who claim Roman Catholicism as their belief system. What should be our response or our prepared answer when we interact with the Catholics in our lives? Should we, for just a moment, forget our differences, head to the Hallmark store, and find a “Sorry for the Loss of your Pontiff” card? It sounds like a complicated situation, since everyone involved is, after all, some form of Christian in the broad sense of the word.

Now, just in case you got seriously lost on the internet and wound up here by mistake, let me fill you in on the fact that Bayview Bible Church is a Protestant church. If you don’t have a dictionary handy, that means we are Christians, but we are not Eastern Orthodox and we are not Roman Catholic. We are a product of the faithful saints who were ejected from the Roman church when they challenged reckless teaching and practice some 500 years ago.  
All this to say, for a Protestant, the words and decrees of the Bishop in Rome carry about as much authority as that of a mall cop-in-training. It isn’t a stretch to say that rejecting the office of the Pope is actually a key part of what makes us Protestant.  

“True,” you say, “but I have a lot of friends who look to the pope for guidance. Whether I follow him or not, I can share in their grief. Right?”  
I would counsel that while you can certainly meet your friends in their grief, you should not share in their grief. I'll explain in a moment.  

If you’ve keenly noticed by now that I seem standoffish toward Francis, that’s because I absolutely am. “Why? What did he ever do to you?” The simple answer is this: he was the pope.  

Let me remind you of who Francis claimed to be, and what countless multitudes of people all over the world believed him to be. The following statement from the official Roman Catholic Catechism nicely summarizes the Roman teaching of the office of the Pope.

"The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered." (Catholic Catechism, 882).

Do me a favor and go read that again. Now, let me highlight what is being said. According to Rome, the Pope is Peter’s successor and thus is the supreme foundation of unity for all the faithful. He is called the “pontiff,” a word with a root that means “bridge-maker” and is accurately translated as “high priest.” He is believed to have universal power over the entire Christian church, a power that cannot be challenged.
 
While I’m only going to deal with the claims of this single paragraph, some other activities of the Pope deserve an “honorable mention.” He also is believed to have the ability to absolve people of their sins, to speak ex cathedra (in an infallible way), and to hold the highest interpretive keys of the Holy Bible.

Back to the paragraph from the catechism. Here is why I take issue with Francis and every other so-called pope, one claim at a time.

The pope is not Peter’s successor. Nowhere in the New Testament is Peter said to hold primacy over the other Apostles or given the specific burden of establishing a continual office of a bishop in Rome with the mission of ruling over the entirety of Christianity. More than that, the Bible tells us that the office and work of the Apostles was temporary. Consider Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:19–21
[19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (ESV)

There is no apostolic continuity beyond the foundation of the church!

The Pope is not the foundation of unity for all the people of God. In Colossians 1, Paul speaks of Jesus in a way that demonstrates that God the Son, not any mere man, is the head of the church.

Colossians 1:17–18
[17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (ESV)

No pope has ever been the bridge-builder between God and man. Sometimes I wonder if any of the popes have ever read and considered the words of the Epistle to the Hebrews. If they understood it, they would take off their huge hat, hang their heads, and repent.  I say this because the message of Hebrews is clear: Christ’s sacrifice has sufficiently met God’s standards, nullifying any need for another high priest. This means sacrifices are never to be repeated or reinstated, and there is no need for an inadequate, sinful man to absolve us of our sins.

Hebrews 9:26
[26]...But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (ESV)

Because Jesus has accomplished what no priest could, we look to him and to him alone as our mediator to God.

1 Timothy 2:5
[5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus... (ESV)

Church, there is much more I could say about the office of pope and the authority he is believed by many to have, but I hope this is enough for our purposes. With everything I’ve said in place, I’m going to make what I know is a strong statement.  

The office of pope is, by its very existence, a blasphemous office.

I’m making no claims that Francis ever kicked his dog or that he owed his neighbor money. He may have been very pleasant to be around. None of that changes the fact that ever since the invention of the office of the pope in the Fourth Century, these men have created continual, global confusion as to how the sinner might be made right with God, and to whom people should look for ultimate guidance, absolution, communion with God, and spiritual formation.

Should we mourn the loss of Pope Francis? We should not. I would encourage you to pray that the office of pope would somehow disappear entirely. A better suited emotion in this situation is pity. I pity the man. He was, himself, deceived into believing many wrong things that Scripture opposes. Consider this: the man who believed himself to be the mediator between God and man did, this past Monday, come face-to-face with the actual mediator between God and man. I do not know the details of that meeting, but I assure you that once it was over, there was no lingering confusion.  

In the odd chance that a Roman Catholic reads this, I want to implore you to consider what’s been said here. Open your Bibles to the Epistle to the Hebrews and read it carefully. Once you are finished, ask the question, “How does a human pope fit into God’s plan for his people?” I pray that you see the answer plainly: there is no place for the office. Abandon the human tradition that has bound so many for centuries. Look to Christ alone as your one source of forgiveness and mediation. Many former Catholics have experienced the freedom I am describing. You can, too. I would highly recommend, by way of a printed resource, the book “Are We Together?” by the late R.C. Sproul. Give it a read and let’s grab coffee.

I should say, as a final and related note, that I do have a category for appreciating a pope in a secondary way, and that is when he acts as a co-belligerent with Protestants to work for the general betterment of Western Civilization. Many popes have done that in a variety of ways. Francis, however, seemed bent on destroying the foundations of Western Civilization, so I cannot offer him any praise in this regard, either (but that’s a blog for another time).

Welcome and Instructions


Old Testament Reading 
Isaiah 53:1–6
 

Congregational Singing 
Jesus Paid It All

 
New Testament Reading
Mark 14:32–42


Congregational Singing
Man of Sorrows, What a Name







Responsive Reading
Matthew 27:11–23
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  
 
Jesus said, “You have said so.”  
 
But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”  
 
But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
 
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.  
 
And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  
 
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”  
 
For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.  
 
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”  
 
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  
 
The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”  
 
And they said, “Barabbas.”  
 
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”  
 
They all said, “Let him be crucified!”  
 
And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?”  
 
But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
 
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”  
 
And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”  
 
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.  
 
 
Congregational Singing
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded






 
Scripture Reading
Luke 23:32–56
 

Congregational Singing
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
 





Lord’s Supper and Dismissal

When the gospel comes to mind or into conversation, I think it’s fair to say that the events and aspects of Jesus’ work that are most highlighted are his death and his resurrection. Praise God for these! Jesus died, paying for the sins of his people. He rose again, securing his victory over death and, by extension, the victory of all who place their trust in him.
Something interesting struck me this week as I went through the process of preparing the sermon for next Lord’s Day: every gospel account makes detailed mention of Jesus’ burial; not just his death and resurrection, but also his burial.

Why is that? Isn’t it enough to say that he died and rose again? Why do we need to know about Joseph of Arimathea and his friend, Nicodemus? Does it really matter that they took his body, brought it to a freshly-masoned tomb, wrapped him in a new linen shroud, and adorned his body with 75 pounds of aloes and myrrh? Admittedly, we might think, “Sheesh. These details all could have been summed up in a lot fewer words.”
I want to write this brief post today to make the assertion that Jesus’ burial matters. I believe it matters because God thinks it matters.

Look at Romans 6.

Romans 6:3–4
[3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (ESV)

This passage helps us in our understanding of the doctrine of our “Union with Christ,” a biblical understanding that everything Jesus did counts for all who are joined to him by faith. When he lived his life perfectly, it’s as if we were there, joined to him. When he died in our place, we were there with him. When he rose again, we rose with him. Ephesians even goes so far as to say that we are currently seated with him on high as he reigns! But Paul mentions more than these in Romans 6. He takes time to say that we were buried with him. We should wonder why we needed to be.

Fortunately, the text tells us. We were buried with Jesus so that “...we too might walk in newness of life.” Stop and think about this. Any person who is united to Jesus in his burial is a person who has left his sin in the grave.

When Jesus entered the tomb, he took our sin with him. He came out alive again, and similarly, we are meant to live in “newness,” even now! This means that while we of course still struggle in the fight against our sin, we are a people who live according to the reality that our sin has been dealt with and remains in the tomb, where it belongs.  

Go with me a step further. If our sin was left in the tomb, that means we cannot be comfortable still embracing rebellion or making special allowances for wickedness. We can’t say, “Jesus paid for my sin” one moment, only to turn around and hate our brother in Christ the next moment, for example. When we do this, it is as if we are going back to the tomb, entering into darkness, dusting off our sin and carrying it out again.  

To embrace the “old you,” the one that was crucified and buried with Christ, is like walking around with a corpse draped over your shoulders.  

Christian, how can there be room any longer for perpetual lust, greed, hate, envy, and bitterness in your life? Perhaps you need a reminder that when Jesus entered the tomb, he did so on your behalf, and now you are meant to live in a way that is repulsed by the sin left in the tomb. This short post is not a call to live in perfection. You aren’t able. This is a call to view our sin rightly. God viewed it so seriously that he sent it to the grave with his Son, who left it there to rot while he emerged glorious.

Our union with Jesus in his burial should make us grateful. It should make us humble. It should make us patient with others in the church, especially those who challenge us in a variety of ways. After all, their sin was left in the tomb, too. In fact, it might be stacked right on top of ours...

Resurrection Sunday is coming very quickly. Don’t forget, Christian, from where Jesus emerged victorious. He came out of the tomb, and he left your sin there. According to his power at work in us, let’s live like it.

As I wrap up this three-part series on membership, I want to do what I can to head off some objections at the pass. I am aware that many Christians have simply never given much thought to membership or heard a helpful presentation of it. I understand that! Others have know about membership for years and, for various reasons, refuse to embrace it. Below is a short list of the reasons I have personally heard vocalized about membership. I hope I answer them to your satisfaction. As always, I’m eager to discuss these things in person.
My responses will be admittedly brief simply because I believe these objections are easily answered.  

This reason has my greatest sympathy, though I ultimately do not believe it’s a good reason to keep the church at arm’s length. I understand that people who are discerning, after leaving a church, normally have a lot of heartache and are cautious about attaching themselves to another body. For this reason, they usually take their time so that they can be as sure as possible about their decision. I get that! Those people aren't in view here. Who is in view here is the individual/couple who uses past hurt as a perpetual defense against ever committing to a church again.

I understand that hurt really does happen, and it sometimes happens under the umbrella of a local church. Any time people are involved, there is room for error, and we often step on toes, hurt feelings, and neglect our brothers and sisters. I have been on both the giving and receiving end of this!

However, it is a logical fallacy to conclude that being hurt in a church previously necessitates abandoning the project altogether. Getting food poisoning once doesn’t mean you swear off all food. The bottom line with the local church is that it is God’s good idea, and he says it is worth the effort. My call to the one who has previously been hurt is to be open about it, ask God to minister to you, and get back on the proverbial horse (with a bit more wisdom and experience this time round). Hopefully you can be a help and aid to help the church guard against the same sins that were previously committed against you.

I would argue with this statement on its face. Membership is a natural conclusion from biblical study. It wasn’t born separate from God’s special revelation in the Bible. Rather, it is a good and natural conclusion made from the Scriptures. I would recommend you read and interact with the first two articles in this short series to understand what I mean. As Hebrews 13:17 demonstrates, Scripture requires that we quantify who is leading a church and who are the ones following the leaders. How is this possible without some kind of formal mechanism?

I have heard folks say that they are already members of the church without going through the formal process. “After all, I’ve been coming here for years! I participate when I can. I give some of my money most weeks. That makes me a member, doesn’t it?” This sort of argumentation sounds a lot like "Marriage is just a piece of paper," doesn't it?

If that’s your stance, I would want to point out that you really haven’t rejected the idea of membership. You’ve simply redefined it according to your own standards and not the standards put out by the church leaders (the same leaders the Bible says you ought to be following and submitting to, for the record).

This statement is confusing to me. Wrapped up in membership are things like intentional accountability, expected submission to the doctrine and practice of the church, and an eager participation in taking ownership of a local body and local mission. How could entering into those things not help someone have a closer walk with God?

Very plainly, no, they don’t. Not here, anyway. If there is a church that gets its kicks from formal discipline, I would look for fellowship elsewhere. I have only been in pastoral ministry for ten years. In that decade, I have been actively involved in only two cases of formal church discipline. One of those situations resulted in my removing one of my best friends from our local fellowship and letting him know he was not welcome at the Lord’s Table until he repented. I haven’t heard from him since. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in ministry.

So please don’t buy into the notion that church leaders are eager to enter into formal disciplinary procedures. It is not fun. Discipline that results in removing a person is a good and necessary tool when needed, and I’m grateful God gave us those tools in his Word (Mat. 18; 1 Cor. 5), but those moments are approached with sobriety and usually sorrow.

Of course, anyone is welcome to attend our Sunday Services and even our Home Groups, and some folks do that without joining the church. Here’s the problem: the problem is that the church members’ relationship with that uncommitted person can only go so far as long as a formal standard of belonging and accountability is resisted. There will naturally be limitations in trust and participation. If you are wanting to be a meaningful part of Bayview Bible Church, but you are not willing to submit to the processes and expectations that have been laid out before you, just know that you are limiting yourself.

Most things that are truly good are rarely easy. Marriage is good, but difficult, for example. Membership is the same way. It takes effort. It requires humility, patience, understanding, and often forgiveness. The question I want to leave you with is not “Is membership easy,” but rather, “Is membership good?” If it is good, let’s link arms and pursue it heartily.  

In Part One of this three-part post, I made the short case that biblical church membership is the best option for Christians in the local church. I realize such a claim begs a number of questions, the foremost being, “What is membership and what does it look like?” This is an excellent and necessary question, because membership can’t just exist on paper. If that were the case, those who disregard the concept of membership would be in the right to do so.

In the minds and experiences of many, membership is nothing more than a status that exists in a filing cabinet, but the differences between members and non-members are not quantifiable in any way of consequence. At most, the members show up to vote once per year on the church budget. Big deal, right? Why should anyone want to become a member if there’s nothing tangible attached to it? The solution to this all-too-common problem is not to throw out membership, but rather to take it more seriously.

If we say membership matters, let’s live like it. Let me first define what I mean by “membership”. Church membership a formal, covenanted relationship between an individual/family and a local church.

We know what an individual or family is, but what is a local church? Why talk about that here? If we don’t value the local church, we certainly won’t value local church membership. Understanding why membership matters necessitates we first understand why the local church matters. Let me offer a summary what the Bible says about this.

In short, the church is God’s chosen means of primary gospel witness on earth until he returns. A longer case should be made for this (perhaps in another post), but the local church is the context of the New Testament. The four Gospels tell us about Christ and his finished work, which created the church. Acts is the story of the church taking root all over the region, seen through the inception of local churches. The epistles are all written to local churches, groups of local churches, local church pastors, or a local church member. The Revelation is a letter to seven actual churches, and three letters of Paul are called “Pastoral Epistles” because of the blatant and intentional focus of strengthening the local church. More could be said on this, but the takeaway is that the overwhelming importance of the local church is a major thrust of the New Testament.
 
If the local church matters so much to God, that means it should also matter to us. The structure of it matters. Behavior within it matters. Relationships between the people of the church matter (and as I pointed out in the first post in this series, we have to start by knowing who those people are).  

Our opinion of the church should reflect God’s opinion of the church, and we should take hold of every opportunity to strengthen and invest in a local body. Our assertion is that membership is really the foundation to accomplish all of this. Let me tell you what membership looks like on the ground.

People who join in covenant at Bayview Bible Church can expect a generous unity of orthodox and Protestant belief. I just used a couple of ten-dollar words, so let me explain. When I say we are generous within orthodoxy and Protestantism, what I mean is that anyone who falls into the category of historic Christianity broadly (orthodoxy) and is a product of the Reformation specifically (Protestant) may join this church with a good conscience. If that sounds far-fetched, I want to point out that many people from a variety of corners of Christendom have already done this.  

Within our ranks, we have Baptists of different flavors. We have Presbyterians. We have folks from Lutheran and even Quaker backgrounds. From the “frozen chosen” to “holy rollers,” you can find an interesting cross-section at Bayview Bible Church. Now, let me be clear: this theological diversity does sometimes present some challenges, but it also pushes us into a position of learning to die on the right hills, take things in stride, major on the “majors,” and be constantly evaluating our own convictions with the Bible as our standard.  

Also, even though there is a range of convictions and backgrounds among the members, this does not result in the elders teaching in a watered-down, mushy middle sort of way to keep everyone happy. The elders actually hold to a rather specific and historical confession of faith as our teaching position (the Second London Baptist Confession). We believe the position and responsibilities of the elders require a greater level of solidarity in doctrine and practice, so we seek to teach with conviction while striving to be charitable whenever possible.  

The point is, if you fall into the broad categories of orthodox and Protestant, you are welcome to exist as a member in good standing here. You can also be assured that your elders work hard to understand the doctrinal guardrails mentioned above, and we are vigilant to keep the church safe from serious error and focused on the Word of God.
If you have more questions about this, please visit the “Our Beliefs” page on the website or come and talk to me. It is my joy to discuss these things!

Members of the church enter into a relationship of greater accountability with their church body and leaders. Personally, I believe it’s an aversion to this very concept that drives many people away from membership. Accountability is not something the natural person desires. However, let me list a few items that are meant to be carried out within the church: Water baptism (Mat. 28:18-20). The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26). Formal church discipline (Mat. 18:15-19). Informal confrontation over sinful patterns (Gal. 6:1). Sitting under biblical preaching (2 Tim. 4:2). Corporate singing (Col. 3:16). Prayer (1 Tim. 2:1-3). Confessing sins (Jas. 5:16). These events/activities and more are commanded of the New Testament churches.  

Let me ask an obvious question: what is the ideal relationship in which these things should be carried out? Would you eagerly participate in any or all of these with someone you don’t know or trust? Speaking pastorally, all of these items, especially those that are repeated in an ongoing way, require some level of being known and being accountable.  

When we make ourselves known and trustworthy to the body, we are creating an environment where it is not just acceptable but expected to participate in these activities in integrity. When I see a fellow member not coming to the Lord’s Table, I should go to them in care and ask how I might pray for them. If another member sees a pattern of sin developing in my life, he should lovingly come to me to investigate. Again, with membership in place, these sorts of things aren’t just allowable, but expected.

Church membership is the difference between the following two statements (see if you can tell the difference). “This is where I go to church” vs. “These are my people.”

Church members become shareholders, in a sense, regarding the overall life and direction of the body. Members understand that the health of the entire organism matters, and they are ready to work for that health. I’ve heard it said before that the membership of a church is meant to function in a way that is similar to a body’s immune system. I think that’s right! The members are on the lookout for one another. Because of this, when something fishy is going on, the members should desire to know more, in case danger is at the door. If strange teaching starts coming from the pulpit or at a home group, it should be the members who start asking questions and pressing into the issue.
 
On the more positive side of things, it is the members who are most invested in the mission of the church. When we go through trials, we do so together. When we celebrate victory, we do so together. Again, for members, Bayview Bible Church is not just "where we go to church." These are our people.  We are tied to them and they to us.

Along with members taking ownership is a healthy expectation that we demonstrate our ownership in tangible ways. According to our constitution, the membership has a role in the hiring or dismissal of church leaders, as well as general oversight of the church budget and use of finances. Members can also rally together when there is a serious item warranting a church meeting, which they could initiate (you should request a copy of the constitution, if you don't have one already). All these things I just mentioned are already in place. Moving forward, we are beginning quarterly membership meetings. We want an opportunity to speak to the members in a more pointed and personal way that wouldn't be wise or appropriate at a public worship service. We can also field questions, pray together, address any cultural or theological trends, and communicate issues pertaining to the life of the church. 

Not every expression of membership takes place in a meeting, though. Many things are normal and routine for our members. Can I say something terribly simple? Members should come to church on Sundays (crazy concept, I know). In fact, if members disappear for more than a few weeks without anyone having any knowledge of their whereabouts, it is right for other members to check on them (Heb. 10:24-25).

Along the same lines, members ought to be fiscally investing in the church’s work and what God is doing through this particular local body. There seems to be no more sensitive topic than money among Christians (for some reason), but it needs to be said: giving generously to a local church is right and expected of Christians (2 Cor. 9:6-8).
 
Lastly, members should be eager to serve and participate wherever needed (Rom. 12:1). Early in our marriage, Jessica and I became members of a healthy church, and we told the leadership we were eager to serve. What I had in mind was the music team, so their response was a bit of a letdown. “Great! We really need teachers for the eight-year-old class.” Teaching that class was a hugely shaping time for me. Though it wasn’t what I would have chosen, it was what was needed in that season, and the Lord grew and sanctified me through the process of serving in a way I wouldn’t have chosen.

I want to be careful to not make these posts too long. There’s more to be said about membership, but I hope this has been helpful. I hope you see that biblical church membership is not a control mechanism conceived of by malicious elders in a dimly-lit dungeon somewhere, nor is it a meaningless tradition we embrace blindly. Membership matters. It’s good and right for the Christian and it strengthens the church. Healthy churches are made up of healthy members.  

My offer that I made in the first post still stands. I’d love to meet with anyone who would like to talk about membership more. I recognize that many come from backgrounds where membership was either disparaged or not mentioned at all, and I understand that. Please be thinking about these things, and please reach out if I can be helpful in any way.
 
In the third and last post, I will be addressing common objections to biblical church membership. Be on the lookout for that!

Christ is King!
Joel