A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando for the Gospel Coalition Women's Conference, a weekend of great teaching, some good rest, and the chance to hang out with some really old friends (time, not age!) and some brand-new friends. The final conference message was by Don Carson on Nehemiah 13*, addressing common pitfalls of reformation and revival, certainly helpful things to think through as we work and pray toward the growth of God's church here in Toronto. But of all the things he mentioned from this passage, it was an observation from his first point that I've really been thinking through in the last several weeks. Nehemiah 13:1-3 tells us that as the people listened to the law of God being read, they discovered that "no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God, for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them", and that as the people heard this, "they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent". Carson pointed out the danger of going beyond the law, of not only removing those God had specifically asked them to bar, but also anyone at all who was not of Israelite descent. The original law is from Deuteronomy 23, where it says that "no Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of The Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever... You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever." But then it goes on to say that "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor and Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the LORD." So clearly, God is not barring all foreigners from the assembly of his people. Carson's point was that in our eagerness to be law-abiders, we can be tempted to go beyond God's requirements, setting up standards that are "higher" and more stringent than even what a holy and righteous God requires. Very true, and something to be guarded against.
But what has really struck me as I've reread the passages from Nehemiah and Deuteronomy over the past several weeks is not so much what WE do with God's standards, but what HE does. As I read Deuteronomy 23 and see the blunt statement that no Moabite is to be permitted in God's assembly, I cannot help but immediately think of the Bible's most well-known Moabite. "No Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD forever". And yet... Turn over a couple books and find Ruth, a Moabite who, by God's own sovereign appointment, was not only brought into the people of God, but who was great-grandmother to the man after God's own heart, King David. Not even close to ten generations passed before God took the descendant of a Moabite and put him on the throne of Israel. And it doesn't even end there! Generations go by, hundreds of years pass, and who is David's descendant? Jesus himself, God's own son and Saviour of God's people. In his genealogy, Matthew reminds us in no uncertain terms that Ruth (along with a few other "unsavoury" characters) is in the very family line of Jesus.
How is it that God can forbid the inclusion of any Moabite or his descendant in his assembly and then turn around and bring his own son into the world as the descendant of a Moabite? Only in the same way that we, who were once children of wrath like the rest of mankind, have been made alive together with Christ and seated with him in God's heavenly assembly. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses... While we were still his enemies, pronouncing curses against God and his people, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, the son of a Moabite. His great-great-great grandmother was an object of wrath, brought into God's family by grace alone, and through his perfect life, death and resurrection, he now intercedes for all us Moabites who trust in him for our identity, so that we can stand in God's assembly without fear of rejection.
Our God is holy and righteous and his requirements are perfect and good, yes. And our God is unfathomably full of mercy and grace toward those who will come to him confessing that in and of themselves, they have nothing to offer and, in fact, no reason to even hope for his acceptance, apart from Jesus' perfect fulfillment of the entire law of God and his death on the cross for the curse we deserve.
"God so loved the objects of his judicial wrath that He made a sovereign, unconditional Promise to save them, not by setting aside the requirements of His holy Law, but by fulfilling them Himself, in the Person of His beloved Son! 'Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other!' To God be the glory, forever and ever!" (Charles Leiter, The Law of Christ)
Do you know this mercy? And do you extend this mercy to those around you, to the outcasts, to the broken, to the rebellious, to those who don't meet your standards?
Let's rejoice today in such mercy extended to us, and may it flow through us to the world around us to the praise of God's glorious grace!
__________________________________________________________________
*the full audio and video are available here
Showing posts with label Conference Notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conference Notes. Show all posts
Monday, September 08, 2014
Monday, July 16, 2012
When My Pastor Speaks
I've spent the last couple weeks going over my notes from the TGCW Conference, and as I've reread the passages and made a neater, more concise set of personal notes, I've gotten to thinking about how infrequently I do this on a regular week after my regular local church service. I mean, I used to take good notes every Sunday until the notebook and pen were replaced by wriggling babies. But the babies are older now, and I almost always have my hands free during the service. At some point I heard some defense of trading in note-taking for better, more attentive listening, and thought I'd give it a try. And then I just got lazy. Now it may be true that you miss a few things when you're busy taking notes. But whether you take notes or not (and from my own experience, note-taking does help concepts stick in your head, and you have the opportunity to review them later), when was the last time you spent Monday morning revisiting the Scripture passage from Sunday, meditating on it, praying for the Spirit's help to apply your pastor's sermon? These days, when many churches make the sermons available online, you can even go back and listen to it again for all those things you missed while you were taking notes. But while many people who've been to a conference with world-renowned preachers hang on their every word and spend time later meditating on the truths they've heard, those same people (myself admittedly included) often come distracted to church on Sunday and the sermon is out of their minds by the end of the day, never to be thought of again. My brothers and sisters, this should not be so!
Yes, it's been said before, but I need a refresher, so here are 6 reasons why it's actually MORE important to listen attentively to and meditate on your pastor's sermons than John Piper's or Tim Keller's (unless, of course, they are your local church pastor!):
1) Your pastor labours for you
C.J. Mahaney does not know you. He is not praying for you by name. Your burdens and joys are not his. But your pastor does know you, pray for you and share your life and that of the other members of your local church. So when he speaks, he is speaking to YOU--someone he cares for, someone whose trials and celebrations he knows and can speak directly into. And he puts in countless hours of study and preparation to bring God's Word to you. Listen to him. He is your God-given shepherd, and he is working for you. (1 Thess. 2:7-12, 5:12,13)
2) Your pastor is accountable for you
When he stands before the judgment seat of Christ on the last day, he will have to give an account for his leadership and care of the flock he was assigned. If he has not led faithfully, that will be his to answer for, but if he has been faithful and you have not listened, will you want to answer for that? And he knows that he carries the burden of care for your soul, so when he speaks, he speaks with that weight on his shoulders. Matt Chandler will not be asked about his care of you, but your pastor will. So your pastor's words should carry more weight with you. Labour to make his accounting a joy and not a sorrow! (Hebrews 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
3) Your pastor speaks the passions and visions of your local body
Every church has slightly different emphases and visions. Mars Hill looks different from Redeemer, which looks different from Bethlehem, which looks different from Covenant Life. They all look a little different from your church. And that's okay! They are led by different men with different styles and visions. As long as the gospel is central, we should seek to embrace the community and passions of our local church (as far as they are in accordance with Scripture, of course). And these passions are primarily caught from the pulpit. If we are not listening, or are listening more attentively to Mark Driscoll (or insert other big name here), we will have a vision that differs from our own church, and it will be very difficult for our leaders to take us in the direction they believe God has for our church. Which leads me to...
4) It brings unity to the body
If in a local church, we are all listening to the same man (or men) each week, and seeking to understand and apply the messages, we will all be on the same path together, learning together, working together, envisioning the future together, passionate about the same things. This makes for a glorious unity of purpose within the local church, better enables each member of the body to do its part for the whole, and often gives the church a more active, visible presence in the broader community. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
5) Your pastor speaks Christ to you
You would not ignore Christ if He spoke to you face-to-face. You would certainly run home and try to get it down on paper, and return to your notes often, seeking to diligently apply all that he had said. Well, when God's Word is faithfully preached, Christ is there by his Spirit, speaking to you. If we would not ignore Christ in the flesh, we should not ignore Him when He speaks through His servants. And yes, they may err. They may not preach perfectly. But if your pastor is a godly, faithful man, when he addresses you with the Word, you'd best believe that Christ is there in the bulk of it. And if there is error, how will you know unless you spend time poring over the same texts, revisiting and meditating on your notes? (2 Corinthians 4:1-6, 5:18-20, Acts 17:11)
6)You need food more than once a year!
A conference is a feast: piles of messages by articulate, charismatic speakers--so many, in fact, that you often feel like you're about to burst before it's even over. But just like you still need to eat the day after Thanksgiving (or at least by the second day!), you can't live on a once-a-year spiritual feast either. You need a regular diet of God-glorifying, Gospel-centred truth from the Scriptures. It's great to have a little growth spurt after a sermon by Don Carson, but it won't keep you alive for very long if you don't make use of the regular food source at your own church. Enjoy the conference, learn from it! But don't starve yourself when it's over! (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Have I convinced you yet? Because I've convinced myself :) I think this Sunday will find me with pen and paper in hand, ready to listen, learn and apply.
Yes, it's been said before, but I need a refresher, so here are 6 reasons why it's actually MORE important to listen attentively to and meditate on your pastor's sermons than John Piper's or Tim Keller's (unless, of course, they are your local church pastor!):
1) Your pastor labours for you
C.J. Mahaney does not know you. He is not praying for you by name. Your burdens and joys are not his. But your pastor does know you, pray for you and share your life and that of the other members of your local church. So when he speaks, he is speaking to YOU--someone he cares for, someone whose trials and celebrations he knows and can speak directly into. And he puts in countless hours of study and preparation to bring God's Word to you. Listen to him. He is your God-given shepherd, and he is working for you. (1 Thess. 2:7-12, 5:12,13)
2) Your pastor is accountable for you
When he stands before the judgment seat of Christ on the last day, he will have to give an account for his leadership and care of the flock he was assigned. If he has not led faithfully, that will be his to answer for, but if he has been faithful and you have not listened, will you want to answer for that? And he knows that he carries the burden of care for your soul, so when he speaks, he speaks with that weight on his shoulders. Matt Chandler will not be asked about his care of you, but your pastor will. So your pastor's words should carry more weight with you. Labour to make his accounting a joy and not a sorrow! (Hebrews 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
3) Your pastor speaks the passions and visions of your local body
Every church has slightly different emphases and visions. Mars Hill looks different from Redeemer, which looks different from Bethlehem, which looks different from Covenant Life. They all look a little different from your church. And that's okay! They are led by different men with different styles and visions. As long as the gospel is central, we should seek to embrace the community and passions of our local church (as far as they are in accordance with Scripture, of course). And these passions are primarily caught from the pulpit. If we are not listening, or are listening more attentively to Mark Driscoll (or insert other big name here), we will have a vision that differs from our own church, and it will be very difficult for our leaders to take us in the direction they believe God has for our church. Which leads me to...
4) It brings unity to the body
If in a local church, we are all listening to the same man (or men) each week, and seeking to understand and apply the messages, we will all be on the same path together, learning together, working together, envisioning the future together, passionate about the same things. This makes for a glorious unity of purpose within the local church, better enables each member of the body to do its part for the whole, and often gives the church a more active, visible presence in the broader community. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
5) Your pastor speaks Christ to you
You would not ignore Christ if He spoke to you face-to-face. You would certainly run home and try to get it down on paper, and return to your notes often, seeking to diligently apply all that he had said. Well, when God's Word is faithfully preached, Christ is there by his Spirit, speaking to you. If we would not ignore Christ in the flesh, we should not ignore Him when He speaks through His servants. And yes, they may err. They may not preach perfectly. But if your pastor is a godly, faithful man, when he addresses you with the Word, you'd best believe that Christ is there in the bulk of it. And if there is error, how will you know unless you spend time poring over the same texts, revisiting and meditating on your notes? (2 Corinthians 4:1-6, 5:18-20, Acts 17:11)
6)You need food more than once a year!
A conference is a feast: piles of messages by articulate, charismatic speakers--so many, in fact, that you often feel like you're about to burst before it's even over. But just like you still need to eat the day after Thanksgiving (or at least by the second day!), you can't live on a once-a-year spiritual feast either. You need a regular diet of God-glorifying, Gospel-centred truth from the Scriptures. It's great to have a little growth spurt after a sermon by Don Carson, but it won't keep you alive for very long if you don't make use of the regular food source at your own church. Enjoy the conference, learn from it! But don't starve yourself when it's over! (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Have I convinced you yet? Because I've convinced myself :) I think this Sunday will find me with pen and paper in hand, ready to listen, learn and apply.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Chaos Controlled
"At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne... and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal." (Revelation 4:2,6)
When I hear the word "sea", the image that springs to mind is of a quiet beach with waves gently crashing against the warm sand, beautiful blue water spread out as far as the eye can see. A lovely, inviting picture, eh? And so when I think of God's throne sitting over a sea of glass, I don't blink an eye.
But to people of ancient times, and still to mariners and coast-dwellers today, the sea is a volatile, dangerous place, the kind of place you might go and never return home. In the Bible, the sea is a picture of chaos and evil, as in Isaiah 57:20. And so for John to see a sea that was still and calm enough to look like glass would have been unusual for him. But in this heavenly scene, the sea of chaos and turmoil is subject to God's throne, and therefore, it lies calm at His feet.
The dictionary defines chaos with terms like "confused unorganized state", "inherent unpredictability", "complete disorder". If you've lived for any length of time on this earth, you've experienced it--one thing after another totally out of your control. If you have small kids, it may feel like the definition of your life! But even when life is out of your control, is it really out of control? Even when you can't foresee the calamity about to be compounded, is it really unpredicted? Is chaos a reality? From our perception, yes. But John's vision of the unseen, very present reality answers a resounding "no"! Chaos is only ever real from our human perspective. From the perception of heaven, all circumstances, calamities, turmoil and chaos are firmly under the ruling throne of God Almighty, and are predicted, orderly, fully under control, calm as a sparkling crystal sea. If we can only see our chaos from heaven's perspective, how much less anxiety, fear and emotional turmoil we will experience in the midst of it!
On Sunday morning, after an enjoyable, peaceful Saturday, I was meditating on this truth. Then I headed into what was supposed to be a fairly relaxed day. Little did I know that the hour of time before church would turn into chaos--an unexpected responsibility, a change of plans, discouraging news, a slightly late departure followed by an overheating radiator in the van that had me tensely watching the thermostat all the way to church, praying that we'd make it there, especially since I had no method of contacting Nathan should we break down. (Did you read my Moth and Rust post? Yes, this is still the same week!) We did make it, but we were late, and as I was dealing with a fussy kid, I was unable to carry out my responsibility to pray in the service. I was literally shaking when we finally got settled in our pew.
And then we sang "Behold Our God". As we got to the chorus line, "Behold our God seated on the throne", it hit me. He's on His throne, and all that "chaos" of the last hour? It's under His feet, completely controlled. He's got it all in His hands. He knew all those circumstances would come together like that. He even knew we'd sing that song so I could have my perception changed to see the real reality and worship. There's really no such thing as true chaos. Sure, it feels like chaos when we've lost sight of the heavenly reality and realize we're not in control of our situation. But it's a calm sea under His feet, and the day is coming when the sea will be no more (Rev. 21:1)!
I've twice been stuck on a country road with a broken-down van full of kids and no cell phone. It's no fun. And the kids like to point out the one spot everytime we go down that road, so I get constant reminders :) The idea of it happening again feels like chaos to me. But we've got daily swimming lessons this week, which means I can't take the van to the shop just yet. So we open the windows, turn on the heat (thank you, Lord, for cooler temps this week!), keep an occasional eye on the thermostat, blast a CD and sing at full volume about God on His throne all the way to the pool and back. The chaos is controlled!
"Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders."
(Psalm 107:23-32)
When I hear the word "sea", the image that springs to mind is of a quiet beach with waves gently crashing against the warm sand, beautiful blue water spread out as far as the eye can see. A lovely, inviting picture, eh? And so when I think of God's throne sitting over a sea of glass, I don't blink an eye.
But to people of ancient times, and still to mariners and coast-dwellers today, the sea is a volatile, dangerous place, the kind of place you might go and never return home. In the Bible, the sea is a picture of chaos and evil, as in Isaiah 57:20. And so for John to see a sea that was still and calm enough to look like glass would have been unusual for him. But in this heavenly scene, the sea of chaos and turmoil is subject to God's throne, and therefore, it lies calm at His feet.
The dictionary defines chaos with terms like "confused unorganized state", "inherent unpredictability", "complete disorder". If you've lived for any length of time on this earth, you've experienced it--one thing after another totally out of your control. If you have small kids, it may feel like the definition of your life! But even when life is out of your control, is it really out of control? Even when you can't foresee the calamity about to be compounded, is it really unpredicted? Is chaos a reality? From our perception, yes. But John's vision of the unseen, very present reality answers a resounding "no"! Chaos is only ever real from our human perspective. From the perception of heaven, all circumstances, calamities, turmoil and chaos are firmly under the ruling throne of God Almighty, and are predicted, orderly, fully under control, calm as a sparkling crystal sea. If we can only see our chaos from heaven's perspective, how much less anxiety, fear and emotional turmoil we will experience in the midst of it!
On Sunday morning, after an enjoyable, peaceful Saturday, I was meditating on this truth. Then I headed into what was supposed to be a fairly relaxed day. Little did I know that the hour of time before church would turn into chaos--an unexpected responsibility, a change of plans, discouraging news, a slightly late departure followed by an overheating radiator in the van that had me tensely watching the thermostat all the way to church, praying that we'd make it there, especially since I had no method of contacting Nathan should we break down. (Did you read my Moth and Rust post? Yes, this is still the same week!) We did make it, but we were late, and as I was dealing with a fussy kid, I was unable to carry out my responsibility to pray in the service. I was literally shaking when we finally got settled in our pew.
And then we sang "Behold Our God". As we got to the chorus line, "Behold our God seated on the throne", it hit me. He's on His throne, and all that "chaos" of the last hour? It's under His feet, completely controlled. He's got it all in His hands. He knew all those circumstances would come together like that. He even knew we'd sing that song so I could have my perception changed to see the real reality and worship. There's really no such thing as true chaos. Sure, it feels like chaos when we've lost sight of the heavenly reality and realize we're not in control of our situation. But it's a calm sea under His feet, and the day is coming when the sea will be no more (Rev. 21:1)!
I've twice been stuck on a country road with a broken-down van full of kids and no cell phone. It's no fun. And the kids like to point out the one spot everytime we go down that road, so I get constant reminders :) The idea of it happening again feels like chaos to me. But we've got daily swimming lessons this week, which means I can't take the van to the shop just yet. So we open the windows, turn on the heat (thank you, Lord, for cooler temps this week!), keep an occasional eye on the thermostat, blast a CD and sing at full volume about God on His throne all the way to the pool and back. The chaos is controlled!
"Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders."
(Psalm 107:23-32)
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Self-Quake
Since Anne was a young girl, pride has been her constant companion. She was a straight-A student from a godly, middle-class home with a pastor and PhD for a dad, and a mother who was a model homemaker. Anne never did anything shockingly bad. She graduated from a very well-respected college with the highest GPA in the arts program. And through it all, with all the accolades and applause, her pride subtly grew in the background. Enter marriage and motherhood: She got a smart, passionate husband who loves her far more than she deserves; her kids are smarter than both of them, and cute, to boot. She bakes her own bread, she sews dresses for her daughters, she homeschools, she writes a blog. And she is thankful for all of these things, but they are circumstances that have brought many, many temptations to pride. In all of these things, her temptation has been to think highly of herself, of what she's achieved, even in areas that she has no control over. And no matter how hard she fights it, every time there is a new achievement to add to the list, that temptation to pride creeps back in.
Anne knows she needs to humble herself, to be willing to admit where she's failed, to admit her pride, to serve in ways where she doesn't necessarily shine. But if all the while she is thinking, "Look at how humble I'm being, admitting this weakness, serving this way," she knows she hasn't gained any ground. What is she to do?
The apostle Paul knew about temptations to pride, too. He writes in Philippians 3: "I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." In his day, these were all "good" reasons for pride.
So what is it that frees him from boasting in his status and accomplishments? "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Paul had seen Christ's glory, revealed to him first on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), and then through the pages of Scripture, the witness of the first disciples and various visions given to him by the Spirit (for example, 2 Cor. 12:2-4). And in the face of such glory, all those earthly achievements and distinctions looked not just a little lackluster, but as actual losses, garbage, refuse. As he was aware of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, pride in temporal, self-glorifying things showed itself to be what it really is: worse than useless, vain, rubbish. In the reality of Christ's righteousness, trying to get righteousness by earthly achievements was not only impossible, but actually hindered him from having righteousness from Christ by faith.
Tim Keller refers to our seeing God's glory and holiness as producing a sort of "self-quake". When we behold His glory, our confidence in ourselves and in our own glory is shaken to the ground. We don't humble ourselves by thinking of all the ways we can make ourselves humble. We humble ourselves by seeing ourselves in the light of His unfathomable glory, glory so blinding that He has to partially veil Himself for us to even be able to stand in His presence. In the light of that glory, our self becomes completely insignificant, and instead of boasting in our righteousness or great deeds, we are forced to run to Christ and His glory in the cross for cover. As C.S. Lewis said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." And the only way to think of ourselves less is to think of Him more.
The world prizes success, status and skills. And yes, skillful accomplishments can be helpful to the human race. But they cannot be the source of our identity, pride or righteousness. If we are beholding Christ in His glory and grace toward us, and holding out hope for the day when we our sight of Him will be unhindered, we can honestly call these attainments rubbish, and if they are rubbish, what is there left to be proud of? If we are beholding the beauty of Christ in His suffering for our sake, then the thorns and sufferings God sends us to keep us from conceit will be seen as gain, and our boasting in Christ's power in them will become genuine, not merely another means of pride. We are looking, not to our glory in this life, but to the resurrection of the dead that will fully and finally reveal Christ's glory to all eyes.
So what is Anne to do? Behold Christ! Search the pages of Scripture for glimpses of His glory. Meditate on the glory of the One whose greatest "achievement" was laying down His life to pay the price for all her pride and mine. Read about the holiness and mighty hand of God that is able to lift up and also to crush to the ground. In the light of such glory, straight-As, clever children and "enviable" homemaking skills will begin to look like awfully small things to hold up with pride.
(And yes, I'm Anne.)
Anne knows she needs to humble herself, to be willing to admit where she's failed, to admit her pride, to serve in ways where she doesn't necessarily shine. But if all the while she is thinking, "Look at how humble I'm being, admitting this weakness, serving this way," she knows she hasn't gained any ground. What is she to do?
The apostle Paul knew about temptations to pride, too. He writes in Philippians 3: "I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." In his day, these were all "good" reasons for pride.
So what is it that frees him from boasting in his status and accomplishments? "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Paul had seen Christ's glory, revealed to him first on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), and then through the pages of Scripture, the witness of the first disciples and various visions given to him by the Spirit (for example, 2 Cor. 12:2-4). And in the face of such glory, all those earthly achievements and distinctions looked not just a little lackluster, but as actual losses, garbage, refuse. As he was aware of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, pride in temporal, self-glorifying things showed itself to be what it really is: worse than useless, vain, rubbish. In the reality of Christ's righteousness, trying to get righteousness by earthly achievements was not only impossible, but actually hindered him from having righteousness from Christ by faith.
Tim Keller refers to our seeing God's glory and holiness as producing a sort of "self-quake". When we behold His glory, our confidence in ourselves and in our own glory is shaken to the ground. We don't humble ourselves by thinking of all the ways we can make ourselves humble. We humble ourselves by seeing ourselves in the light of His unfathomable glory, glory so blinding that He has to partially veil Himself for us to even be able to stand in His presence. In the light of that glory, our self becomes completely insignificant, and instead of boasting in our righteousness or great deeds, we are forced to run to Christ and His glory in the cross for cover. As C.S. Lewis said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." And the only way to think of ourselves less is to think of Him more.
The world prizes success, status and skills. And yes, skillful accomplishments can be helpful to the human race. But they cannot be the source of our identity, pride or righteousness. If we are beholding Christ in His glory and grace toward us, and holding out hope for the day when we our sight of Him will be unhindered, we can honestly call these attainments rubbish, and if they are rubbish, what is there left to be proud of? If we are beholding the beauty of Christ in His suffering for our sake, then the thorns and sufferings God sends us to keep us from conceit will be seen as gain, and our boasting in Christ's power in them will become genuine, not merely another means of pride. We are looking, not to our glory in this life, but to the resurrection of the dead that will fully and finally reveal Christ's glory to all eyes.
So what is Anne to do? Behold Christ! Search the pages of Scripture for glimpses of His glory. Meditate on the glory of the One whose greatest "achievement" was laying down His life to pay the price for all her pride and mine. Read about the holiness and mighty hand of God that is able to lift up and also to crush to the ground. In the light of such glory, straight-As, clever children and "enviable" homemaking skills will begin to look like awfully small things to hold up with pride.
(And yes, I'm Anne.)
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
When He Appears
How do people change? If you're at all like me, your default "biblical" answer probably sounds something like, "They need to recognize their sin, see that it's not what God wants for them, throw in a few earthly consequences or rewards for good measure, and then try really hard, with lots of prayer, and of course, reliance on the Spirit." Now you might not actually say it quite like that. But that's how we often practise it in real life. A typical lecture for the kid who just yelled nasty insults at her brother because he didn't want to play the game exactly how she wanted it: "Dear daughter, you are being very rude and angry with your brother. But don't you know that God wants you to be kind? And if you keep yelling at him like that, he'll never want to play with you again. You don't want that, do you? Now stop trying to take control, and remember, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!" Of course, maybe that only happens at my house. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not the only one! And don't we lecture ourselves that way about our sin, as well? "I'm really envious of her nice house, and I know the Bible tells me that envy is sinful. And I don't want it to get in the way of my friendship with her. I really need to work on being content with what I have. Lord, make me content!" Have you ever noticed that this usually doesn't get you very far in your struggles with sin (or your kids' struggles with sin)?
Of all the messages at The Gospel Coalition conference, the one that impacted me the most was Elyse Fitzpatrick's workshop on "Counsel From the Cross". She was speaking about counseling ourselves and others primarily with the gospel--the life, death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf--as the focal point, rather than counseling based primarily on a series of practical steps or pop psychology. If you're not sure what that looks like, I highly recommend you listen to the message when it's posted on the Gospel Coalition website--I'm not going to try to recap her entire one-hour talk in one blog post (thank me later!). Now I was already familiar with a more gospel-centred counseling approach, though the workshop was helpful in clarifying for me a little more of what that looks like. But the thing that stuck out to me the most from her talk was one little word: "because".
I've always been encouraged by the hope of 1 John 3:2,3: "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
What I'd always loved about it was the idea that we will be like Jesus when He appears. But until that conference session, I had never noticed the word "because" in that verse. WHY will we be like Jesus when he appears? BECAUSE we shall see Him as He is! I think I've always assumed that when we get to heaven, we won't sin because God will just miraculously wipe our sin away. And in a sense, that is true. But as Elyse Fitzpatrick explained, the means of our leaving sin forever behind will be seeing Jesus in all of His glory. When the veil is fully and finally removed and we see Him face to face in all of His splendour, His glory will so eclipse the paltry attractions of temporal things, and will make sin, by contrast, to appear as it really is--disgusting, vile, offensive, an afront to holiness--that we will never want those things again. We will be unable to sin, because we will see Him as He is, in all of His glory. And anyone who has that future hope, purifies himself as he beholds Christ's purity now in the pages of Scripture. The greatest means of true change is not making lists of our sins, observing what others are doing to walk in godliness, studying the law, or going into tempting situations with good intentions of avoiding sin (though these things can be helpful to a degree). The greatest means of true change is looking at the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as it is revealed to us in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says the same thing as 1 John 3:2, only in the present tense: "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." How are we transformed little by little, degree by degree, into His likeness? By beholding His glory!
We all struggle with sins of various kinds. But as we fight these sins, are we arming ourselves merely with a list of practical things we can do? Are we focused on ourselves, on how we're performing? Or are we poring over the Scriptures, seeking to see more of God, of His character, of His mercy to us in the cross, of His glory in all of this? Do we come to His word expecting to get some helpful hints for our lives, or do we come longing and expecting to see HIM? Are we praying, not just that we might live holier lives, but that He might reveal more of HIS holiness to us? And as we counsel our spouses, or children, or friends, are we just telling them what we would do, or are we holding up Christ and what He has done?
I realize that if you're in my small group, this is now the third time you've heard me say this in one week! And if you're not in my small group, but you are in my church, it's the second time. But it bears repeating, because I need it drilled into my head, and you probably do, too! It's not all about me; it's about Him. And so I need to daily remind myself to be beholding Christ, to be seeing more of Him, and less of me. I'm still working through all the implications of that for my parenting, for my friendships, and for my own walk with the Lord. My guess is that it will take me a lifetime. But I know that when He appears, I will be like Him, because I shall see Him as He is! So with that hope in mind, I want to spend the rest of my earthly life seeing as much of Him as I possibly can.
Of all the messages at The Gospel Coalition conference, the one that impacted me the most was Elyse Fitzpatrick's workshop on "Counsel From the Cross". She was speaking about counseling ourselves and others primarily with the gospel--the life, death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf--as the focal point, rather than counseling based primarily on a series of practical steps or pop psychology. If you're not sure what that looks like, I highly recommend you listen to the message when it's posted on the Gospel Coalition website--I'm not going to try to recap her entire one-hour talk in one blog post (thank me later!). Now I was already familiar with a more gospel-centred counseling approach, though the workshop was helpful in clarifying for me a little more of what that looks like. But the thing that stuck out to me the most from her talk was one little word: "because".
I've always been encouraged by the hope of 1 John 3:2,3: "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
What I'd always loved about it was the idea that we will be like Jesus when He appears. But until that conference session, I had never noticed the word "because" in that verse. WHY will we be like Jesus when he appears? BECAUSE we shall see Him as He is! I think I've always assumed that when we get to heaven, we won't sin because God will just miraculously wipe our sin away. And in a sense, that is true. But as Elyse Fitzpatrick explained, the means of our leaving sin forever behind will be seeing Jesus in all of His glory. When the veil is fully and finally removed and we see Him face to face in all of His splendour, His glory will so eclipse the paltry attractions of temporal things, and will make sin, by contrast, to appear as it really is--disgusting, vile, offensive, an afront to holiness--that we will never want those things again. We will be unable to sin, because we will see Him as He is, in all of His glory. And anyone who has that future hope, purifies himself as he beholds Christ's purity now in the pages of Scripture. The greatest means of true change is not making lists of our sins, observing what others are doing to walk in godliness, studying the law, or going into tempting situations with good intentions of avoiding sin (though these things can be helpful to a degree). The greatest means of true change is looking at the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as it is revealed to us in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says the same thing as 1 John 3:2, only in the present tense: "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." How are we transformed little by little, degree by degree, into His likeness? By beholding His glory!
We all struggle with sins of various kinds. But as we fight these sins, are we arming ourselves merely with a list of practical things we can do? Are we focused on ourselves, on how we're performing? Or are we poring over the Scriptures, seeking to see more of God, of His character, of His mercy to us in the cross, of His glory in all of this? Do we come to His word expecting to get some helpful hints for our lives, or do we come longing and expecting to see HIM? Are we praying, not just that we might live holier lives, but that He might reveal more of HIS holiness to us? And as we counsel our spouses, or children, or friends, are we just telling them what we would do, or are we holding up Christ and what He has done?
I realize that if you're in my small group, this is now the third time you've heard me say this in one week! And if you're not in my small group, but you are in my church, it's the second time. But it bears repeating, because I need it drilled into my head, and you probably do, too! It's not all about me; it's about Him. And so I need to daily remind myself to be beholding Christ, to be seeing more of Him, and less of me. I'm still working through all the implications of that for my parenting, for my friendships, and for my own walk with the Lord. My guess is that it will take me a lifetime. But I know that when He appears, I will be like Him, because I shall see Him as He is! So with that hope in mind, I want to spend the rest of my earthly life seeing as much of Him as I possibly can.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Glorious God Who Hears
I was reflecting this morning on Paige Benton Brown's conference message from 1 Kings 8 and in rereading the passage, was struck by these words:
"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive... If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers." (1 Kings 8:27-30, 37-40)
God cannot be contained by even the highest heaven; He is all-glorious, all-holy, all-knowing. And yet, He has regard for the prayers of His people, not only to forgive (glorious truth!), but also to hear and act on the many and varying afflictions, however small, that His people lift up with humble hands toward Him, and all to the praise of His glorious grace! It reminded me of Hebrews 4:14-16:
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
What an encouragement to pray! Through Christ then, let us come before this glorious and lofty God, who hears and forgives His people!
"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive... If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers." (1 Kings 8:27-30, 37-40)
God cannot be contained by even the highest heaven; He is all-glorious, all-holy, all-knowing. And yet, He has regard for the prayers of His people, not only to forgive (glorious truth!), but also to hear and act on the many and varying afflictions, however small, that His people lift up with humble hands toward Him, and all to the praise of His glorious grace! It reminded me of Hebrews 4:14-16:
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
What an encouragement to pray! Through Christ then, let us come before this glorious and lofty God, who hears and forgives His people!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Preserving the Gospel
My husband, Nathan, spent a few years as a cell phone salesman. As most phone stores do, his stores carried a cell phones and also numerous accessories to go with them. Now suppose that Nathan thought the phones were all well and good, but he had a particular obsession with all the nifty cell phone cases in the store. Instead of spending his time pouring over the various features of the phones, he spent all his breaks looking over the cases, comparing the benefits and pitfalls of the different models and designs. And when a customer came into the store, he just assumed they already had a phone and jumped into selling them a great new case. "Phones are nice," he'd admit. "But what's really important is that you get the best case possible. This one here has several great features. And just look at the cool design on the back..." If all he ever talked about were the cases, and if he sold them with enough passion, he might just sell a few to gullible customers who didn't own a phone to put in the case. But while they could certainly find other things to keep in there, other ways to put it to use, that case wouldn't do them any good at all if they were in a bad accident on the highway and needed to call for help.
Now this story seems absurd. What cell phone salesman in his right mind would focus only on the cases? But as Don Carson pointed out at the Gospel Coalition conference this past weekend, in his message "Preserving the Gospel", this is something we often do as believers when it comes to the gospel. His point was that the people around us will catch from us what we are most passionate about, and what we repeat most often. If we assume the gospel, if it's not our primary focus and passion, we won't pass it on to others, intentionally or not. If we talk more about some issue than about the gospel, those around us--our children, our fellow church members, unbelievers--will pick up a passion for that issue, rather than a passion for the gospel, because they will see that this other thing is what we consider to be most important.
Of course, the cell phone illustration is incomplete. Having a cell phone is not essential (I know, because we had no phone and no GPS for our entire trip to an unknown city, and we came back alive and happy!), whereas having the gospel is THE essential. But if it's so important for a salesman to be passionate to sell actual phones, and not just their cases, how much more important is it for us to be passionate about the essential gospel of life!
So I'm asking myself: Is the gospel my passion? Do I care more about feeding on demand, or homeschooling, or healthy eating habits than I do about the gospel? When I talk with other believers, am I insisting on the gospel first and foremost, or am I spending all my time debating what the Bible says about a woman's role in the home? Are we more focused on arguing over mode of baptism, or the continuation of the gifts, than we are on preaching the gospel to each other? And for those of us with kids, are we more focused on the law and its rewards, or on the gospel of grace, when we instruct and discipline our them?
I'm not saying, and neither was Carson, that these issues aren't important, that there isn't a time and place to discuss them, to make distinctions, to decide for one side rather than the other. But without the centrality of the gospel, it doesn't matter how much time we pour into other even very important biblical issues. When I die, the deciding question for me is not going to be "Do you think it is righteous to send your kids to public school?" or even "Were you baptized as an infant?" The question will be "What gives you the right to stand before God and be counted righteous, rather than thrown into hell to suffer his just wrath for all eternity?" And the only answer to that is the gospel that I do indeed deserve his wrath, and yet he, in all his holiness and in all his mercy, sent his perfect son Jesus Christ to live a perfectly righteous life and die in my place to take the punishment for my sins, and to give me his perfect righteousness as my own, as if I had never sinned, nor been a sinner, so that now, I have all of God's approval and love and forgiveness, and the hope of knowing God as his beloved child for all eternity. THAT is what I want to be most passionate about. THAT is the primary thing I want to communicate to my husband (who actually cares far more about the phones than about their cases), to my children, to my brothers and sisters in Christ, to the lost around me every day! And it is only in light of THAT that all the other issues have meaning and importance.
Lord, give me a passion for your glorious gospel that far outweighs the issues of the day, or the issues of my day. Help me to be intentional about beholding your glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18-4:6), so that my love for the gospel would increase, not only for my own perseverance in the faith, but also so that my family and my friends and even the strangers around me would see what is truly central and essential, and by your Spirit, be encouraged to pursue it, too!
Now this story seems absurd. What cell phone salesman in his right mind would focus only on the cases? But as Don Carson pointed out at the Gospel Coalition conference this past weekend, in his message "Preserving the Gospel", this is something we often do as believers when it comes to the gospel. His point was that the people around us will catch from us what we are most passionate about, and what we repeat most often. If we assume the gospel, if it's not our primary focus and passion, we won't pass it on to others, intentionally or not. If we talk more about some issue than about the gospel, those around us--our children, our fellow church members, unbelievers--will pick up a passion for that issue, rather than a passion for the gospel, because they will see that this other thing is what we consider to be most important.
Of course, the cell phone illustration is incomplete. Having a cell phone is not essential (I know, because we had no phone and no GPS for our entire trip to an unknown city, and we came back alive and happy!), whereas having the gospel is THE essential. But if it's so important for a salesman to be passionate to sell actual phones, and not just their cases, how much more important is it for us to be passionate about the essential gospel of life!
So I'm asking myself: Is the gospel my passion? Do I care more about feeding on demand, or homeschooling, or healthy eating habits than I do about the gospel? When I talk with other believers, am I insisting on the gospel first and foremost, or am I spending all my time debating what the Bible says about a woman's role in the home? Are we more focused on arguing over mode of baptism, or the continuation of the gifts, than we are on preaching the gospel to each other? And for those of us with kids, are we more focused on the law and its rewards, or on the gospel of grace, when we instruct and discipline our them?
I'm not saying, and neither was Carson, that these issues aren't important, that there isn't a time and place to discuss them, to make distinctions, to decide for one side rather than the other. But without the centrality of the gospel, it doesn't matter how much time we pour into other even very important biblical issues. When I die, the deciding question for me is not going to be "Do you think it is righteous to send your kids to public school?" or even "Were you baptized as an infant?" The question will be "What gives you the right to stand before God and be counted righteous, rather than thrown into hell to suffer his just wrath for all eternity?" And the only answer to that is the gospel that I do indeed deserve his wrath, and yet he, in all his holiness and in all his mercy, sent his perfect son Jesus Christ to live a perfectly righteous life and die in my place to take the punishment for my sins, and to give me his perfect righteousness as my own, as if I had never sinned, nor been a sinner, so that now, I have all of God's approval and love and forgiveness, and the hope of knowing God as his beloved child for all eternity. THAT is what I want to be most passionate about. THAT is the primary thing I want to communicate to my husband (who actually cares far more about the phones than about their cases), to my children, to my brothers and sisters in Christ, to the lost around me every day! And it is only in light of THAT that all the other issues have meaning and importance.
Lord, give me a passion for your glorious gospel that far outweighs the issues of the day, or the issues of my day. Help me to be intentional about beholding your glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18-4:6), so that my love for the gospel would increase, not only for my own perseverance in the faith, but also so that my family and my friends and even the strangers around me would see what is truly central and essential, and by your Spirit, be encouraged to pursue it, too!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
TGC Women's Conference 2012
As I mentioned last week, I had the great privilege this past weekend of attending The Gospel Coalition Women's Conference in Orlando, Florida with two other women from my church. It was a privilege because I should have been at home taking care of the kids and house, but my husband joyfully insisted on taking over that role for a few days so that I could go. It was a privilege because conferences like that are expensive and I didn't have all the money to go, but some family members generously contributed so that I could. It was a privilege because I thought I'd be going alone, and God provided for two other women to come with me so that we could not only process the conference messages together, but also begin to put it into practise in our interactions with each other (and it was a whole lot more fun - I haven't laughed that much in a while!). It was a privilege because while millions around the globe don't have ready access to the gospel, not only does God grace me with such teaching each Sunday at my local church, He also poured out such an abundance of it at this conference that it made my head spin! Honestly, this past weekend, I felt like I got sprayed by a gospel fire hose!
Between the 8 main sessions, the 3 workshops, 2 pre-conference sessions (there was one more, but it took us a little while to make our way to the conference centre and we missed the first one), and an extra evening "focus gathering", I've come back with enough notes and things to think about to keep me busy for the rest of the summer (not to mention the applications which will easily take more than the rest of this earthly life to put into practise)! I'm planning to work through my notes on each session, at the rate of a couple a week, and make a new shorter set of notes outlining what is most important and applicable about each session (and the conference as whole), so that it will no longer be a jumble in my head. As I do that, I'll be posting some blog entries with thoughts on some of the main points that were made. Others may consider other things more interesting or important, and I'm sure there will be a lot of entries on various blogs about the messages over the coming weeks, but what I want to write here are the things that spoke most to me because that's what I'll be meditating on. Trying to put it in my own words and illustrations and applications will help me process it all. And I hope these notes will also be helpful to you, whether you attended the conference or not.
Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of hearing your Word preached, and may I also explain it clearly for the benefit of others!
Between the 8 main sessions, the 3 workshops, 2 pre-conference sessions (there was one more, but it took us a little while to make our way to the conference centre and we missed the first one), and an extra evening "focus gathering", I've come back with enough notes and things to think about to keep me busy for the rest of the summer (not to mention the applications which will easily take more than the rest of this earthly life to put into practise)! I'm planning to work through my notes on each session, at the rate of a couple a week, and make a new shorter set of notes outlining what is most important and applicable about each session (and the conference as whole), so that it will no longer be a jumble in my head. As I do that, I'll be posting some blog entries with thoughts on some of the main points that were made. Others may consider other things more interesting or important, and I'm sure there will be a lot of entries on various blogs about the messages over the coming weeks, but what I want to write here are the things that spoke most to me because that's what I'll be meditating on. Trying to put it in my own words and illustrations and applications will help me process it all. And I hope these notes will also be helpful to you, whether you attended the conference or not.Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of hearing your Word preached, and may I also explain it clearly for the benefit of others!
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