What We Got and What Christ Got

I had the privilege of leading our church in their first Good Friday service.  It was a blessing.  I preached from Zechariah 3:1-10.  One of the main points I drove home was the idea of exchange.  Below is a comparison I made between what we got and what Christ got at the cross.

• We got a clean turban; while Christ got a crown of thrones.
• We were clothed with clean garments; while Christ was stripped of his garments.
• We were given life; while Christ was given death.
• We were declared innocent, even though guilty; while Christ was declared guilty, though he was innocent.
• We had our sin taken away; while Christ received our sin upon himself.
• We were reconciled to God; while Christ was separated from God.
• We as the unclean, were made clean; while Christ the clean, was made unclean for our sake.

Martin Luther reminds us of this concept of exchange when he said:

Learn Christ & him crucified. Learn to sing to him &, despairing of yourself, say, “Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, just as I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine & have given me what is yours. You have taken upon yourself what you were not & have given to me what I was not.” 

Jesus, the Rich Young Ruler, and Us

Over the past two weeks I’ve preached on Matthew 19:13-20:16.  Because our Bibles have chapter and verses breaks, we tend to view 19:13-30 as one part, and 20:1-16 as a separate part; however, this is one long narrative.

In the first part of the passage we find Jesus’ conversation with the man who wanted eternal life. The Bible tells us he was rich, young, a ruler, and overall a good guy (cf., Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23). From all appearances he had it all. In his attempt to gain eternal life he asks Jesus, “what good deed must I do?” This man thought that by doing something good he could get something from God. His idea of eternal life was based on exchange or merit, rather than grace. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. Jesus’ words do not imply that one can earn salvation by keeping the law, but are meant to show the man that he isn’t really a law-keeper, but a law-breaker. The man argues that he has kept all these commandments. The man had done many good things in his life and believed that his own goodness entitled him to something from God.  But when confronted with the call to give away his wealth and follow Jesus, he left sorrowful. Jesus’ challenge to the man revealed that he loved his money more than God.  In other words, he loved his money more than Jesus (God in the flesh). Therefore, in actuality he had broken the first and most important commandment of the law (you shall have no other gods before me, Exo 20:3).

Having heard Jesus’ discussion with the rich young ruler, the disciples logically ask, “what about us?” The disciples did forsake all for Jesus (cf., Matt 4:20). Jesus assures them that they will be rewarded accordingly, but also quickly warns them not to misunderstand God’s grace. In some sense, the disciples are like the rich young ruler. They were asking Jesus to look at their goodness.  Jesus’ warning to his disciples in this parable is that God’s grace is not conditioned on your hard work or goodness, but is freely given according to his sovereign grace (cf., Matt 19:23-26).

Too often we are tempted to think that our goodness earns us something before God; because our mindset is framed according to our own sense of goodness, rather than God’s definition of goodness (which is perfection). When we define goodness according to ourselves we will always use it to justify ourselves and will always view God as unfair. Yet, the gospel teaches us something entirely different. The gospel is never good news until we first hear the bad news. The gospel reminds me that God is fully justified in sending sinners to hell. The fair thing for God to do is to pour out all of his judgment and wrath against us. God does not owe us anything; he doesn’t even owe us the opportunity to hear the gospel. But what God does for us in Jesus is that he seeks us, saves us, and gives us everything that is his. Jesus becomes my sin bearer; he takes my punishment upon himself at the cross. Jesus is the true rich young ruler who gave up his home in heaven and became one of us. Jesus is the perfect law-keeper, who always did the Father’s good will. In Jesus we find perfect goodness; and when we trust in him we get all of his perfect goodness to stand before a perfectly good God. The gospel is not what we must do for God, but what God has already done for us in Christ.  Logically, this means that true change happens in our lives when we stop believing the lie that we need to do something for God, but instead start believing the truth of what God has already done for us in Jesus.  Satan’s primary way to destroy us is to tempt us to forget what God has done for us in Jesus and to get us to believe that our acceptance before God is based on something other than Christ’s perfect righteousness.

And so, what is it you are still depending on for your salvation?  Have you fled to the Lord Jesus Christ?  If you have fled, do you continue to flee to Christ as your only hope, your only salvation, and as your only source of satisfaction?

A Pastor’s Toolbox

As I recently finished up another sermon for this week, I realized there are certain books that I could just not do without in sermon prep.  Besides the Bible itself, I seem to consult these tools most often as I prepare.  Below is my toolbox.

Bibleworks. I’ve used this tool since my junior year in college.  It has been a phenomenal exegesis program.  Practically does all the work for me, but you still need Greek and Hebrew skills to maximize its capabilities.

Synopsis of the Four Gospels.  I find myself in this book a lot more since I’m preaching through Matthew.  Even if I wasn’t preaching through Matthew, I am always teaching in some venue or another from a gospel account that requires me to check this book.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament.  This book has been a gem since it came out in 2007.  The NT is full of OT quotations, references, and allusions; and this book is the perfect help in thinking through how the NT writers used the OT.

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. A very helpful resource for any type of study.  The real plus of this volume is that it gives individual book overviews and subject studies from a biblical-theological perspective.  I have also benefited greatly from the introductory articles.

Calvin’s Commentaries.  There are few complete or almost complete commentary sets on the Bible.  Calvin’s is one of the few.  I like to read what other pastors say about a passage. Calvin is one pastor that has said something on just about everything in the Bible.

There are other resources I use, such as individual commentaries, surveys, background studies, and biblical-theological resources; but these five I frequent weekly–even daily.

What’s in your toolbox?

Tchividjian on Preaching

I recently finished Tullian Tchividjian’s new book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything.  His book is full of great stuff.  Please pick up a copy and read it.  There is far too much to summarize, but let me offer two statements he made about preaching.

Moralistic preaching is stimulated by a fear of the scandalous freedom that gospel grace promotes and promises.  The perceived fear is this: if we think too much and talk to much about grace and the radical freedom it brings, we’ll go off the deep end with it.  We’ll abuse it.  So to balance things out, we need to throw some law in there, to help make sure Christian people walk the straight and narrow. (p. 50)

Preachers these days are expected to major in “Christian moral renovation.”  They are expected to provide a practical to-do list, rather than announce, “It is finished.”  They are expected to do something other than, more than, placarding before their congregation’s eyes Christ’s finished work, preaching a full absolution soley on the basis of the complete righteousness of Another.  The irony is, of course, that when preachers cave in to this pressure, moral renovation does not happen.  To focus on how I’m doing, more than on what Christ has done, is Christian narcissism (an oxymoron if I ever heard one)– the poison of self-absorption which undermines the power of the gospel in our lives.  (p.117)

 

 

An Invaluable Kingdom and its King

I have been quite busy lately, so posts are few and far between.  However, I did want to share that last Sunday I preached from Matthew 13:44-52.  In this text, Jesus gives us the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value.  The main point I made in the sermon is that the kingdom of heaven is invaluable because Jesus is invaluable.

Jesus is of infinite worth.  He is that treasure hidden in a field and that one pearl to be possessed above all others.  If Jesus is not of infinite value to us, then we must ask why?  Jesus’ worth to us is only measured in proportion to our recognition of how worthless we are before God.  In other words, we will only see Jesus as great to the degree that we see our sin as great against God.  We must understand that we are sinful people; fully deserving of God’s wrath if we are to see the infinite value of Christ.

The value of Christ is that he gives me something I can’t do for myself and he gives me something I never deserved.  When I realize I am nothing and have nothing except in Christ; then I get his everything–his worth, his value, his merit, his wealth, his resources, his riches, his excellence, his perfection, and his significance.   These truths are not just the key to my salvation, but my sanctification.  By seizing the infinite worth of Christ in my life so I will find that other things in my life will become less valuable to me.

 

Jesus: The God of All Comfort

This past Sunday I preached from Matthew 9:18-35.  The central thesis was that the promise of God’s comfort has now come to us in Jesus.  Biblically speaking, comfort is the forgiveness, healing, and hope given to me in Christ.  Below are the two primary applications I brought out.

1.) Comfort is found only in Jesus.  Why?  Because Jesus left his place of comfort, to be uncomfortable for you, so that you might know the comfort of God in Christ.  Jesus left heaven (his place of comfort and fellowship), entered this uncomfortable world (took on human flesh, sat with us, and died), so that we could now experience God’s promise of comfort.

2.) As you have been comforted, so comfort one another.  Although Christ is not physically on earth bringing comfort to his people; Christ comforts his people through his people (2 Cor 1:3-4; 7:6).  We comfort one another with the glorious truths of the gospel.  When someone dies, when we counsel people, when we visit the sick, when people are hurting, depressed, lonely or despairing we give them the comforts secured for us by the cross.  In short, we give them the gospel.

Preaching the gospel to ourselves and others is the only thing that will bring genuine and lasting comfort.

Gospel Punch Line

All of us have been in those situations where we hear a joke and wait for the punch line, but it never comes.  At that point the joke doesn’t produce laughs, but only confusion.

Just as a joke can fail to deliver a punch line, so can a sermon.  How many times have you been listening to a sermon, expecting to hear the preacher unpack the glories of Christ or the beauty of the gospel, but sadly he never gets there.  Instead the sermon is filled with do’s and don’ts.  The pastor never gives you the gospel punch line.  In other words, he never points you to Christ, he never unpacks gospel truths; but instead leaves you confused.

Failure to give people the gospel can happen in all sorts of venues.  In men’s studies, women’s studies, small groups, youth talks, discipleship meetings, or counseling sessions.  If you never get to the gospel, people will always leave confused; trying to make sense of the world and their lives apart from Christ and his gospel.

So here are a few words of exhortation:

1.) Pastors, teachers, leaders give the people the gospel–always.  Don’t leave them “hanging” and waiting for the gospel.  Whatever you’re teaching on, always bring the gospel to bear on their lives.

2.) Congregations expect your pastors, teachers, and leaders to give you the gospel.  Pray that God would disclose to them the glories of the gospel to give to you.  Hold them accountable in their preaching and teaching.  And above all never settle for anything less than the gospel.

Hypocrisy

Last week I preached from Matthew 6:1-18.  The passage deals with the motivations of our hearts when it comes to practicing righteousness.  A tough passage, but here is one of the main applications I brought out.  Jesus makes it clear who the hypocrite is in this passage: the one who seeks the favor of men rather than God.  The most natural definition of the hypocrite is a person who says one thing, but does another.  A person who puts on a false appearance of righteousness and piety.  Often times this kind of hypocrite can be easily recognized; however, there is another kind of hypocrite that we all can become.

The other kind of hypocrite has experienced the grace of God, seeks to practice righteousness from a pure heart, and even believes that he or she is sincere in their efforts.  Yet, this hypocrite is self-deceived.  This hypocrite believes his or her desires are sincere, but actually they are very insincere.  Insincerity, man-pleasing, and sinful motivations may not always be immediately discerned, but often only become apparent based on the way a person reacts to certain situations. 

1.) This kind of hypocrite is disappointed when no on recognizes or complements them when they serve.  They feel like a failure when no one tells then how great they are or what a wonderful job they did.  They are frustrated when no one thanks them for their hard work. 

2.) This kind of hypocrite is offended when they are not asked to do something important.  To begin with, this person has a clear misperception of what is considered important.  They talk a lot about serving, but are only interested in doing so in public ways; such as praying, leading, or teaching.  They are interested in serving, but only to be recognized by others.    

3.) This kind of hypocrite is upset when they are not getting the credit they think they deserve.  They make many contributions to the body of Christ, but become frustrated when no one is paying them respect for it. Furthermore, they may even become jealous when someone else is being praised for doing the same thing they have already done.

Even though we may not express these attitudes outwardly–what is in our hearts?  Do we become disappointed, offended, or upset in our hearts?  As I mentioned before, often these feelings are not easily discerned at the beginning, but only become apparent based on how we react.  Sadly, we all have been this sort of hypocrite. 

Thankfully, we have Jesus.  Despite my propensity to be a hypocrite and at times having been this sort of hypocrite; God accepts me based on Jesus’ consistent and non-hypocritical work, rather than my inconsistent and hypocritical work.  When I am tempted to feel unappreciated, unrecognized, or even unloved for what I do, God has already fully displayed his recognition and love for me at the cross.  The gospel leaves no room for selfishness or self-pity when I understand what God has already done for me in Christ.

Be Wise In How You Teach From the Law

A few weeks ago I preached Matthew 5:17-20.  The title of the sermon was The Greater Moses.  This passage has been one of the most challenging in my life and yet it has been extremely rewarding thinking through the implications of Jesus’ words.  The main idea of the sermon was that since Jesus fulfills the OT Law, it can only be rightly understood and applied in relation to him. 

I brought out several applications, but one in particular was that we must be wise in how we understand and teach the Law.  Being wise means understanding and teaching the Law from a Christ-centered perspective.  We now understand and apply the Law through the lens of the cross.  If we “lift” the Law from its context and apply without understanding it through Christ we run the risk of ruining our lives and the lives of those we teach.  How many believers have been put under legalistic bondage because someone taught from the Law without carrying it to its salvation-historical conclusion in Christ (e.g., don’t get a tattoo because Leviticus 19:28 prohibits it)?  If we fail to understand Christ as the end of the Law we might end up with a works based salvation, rather than a grace based salvation; a gospel based on morals, rather than on Christ.  As Jesus’ disciples we want to imitate the way he understood and applied Law.  If we want to be true teachers and keepers of the Law, then we need to instruct others how to see that Christ is the end of the Law.

Helpful Thoughts About Preaching Christ From the OT

Most of you have likely read this post over at TGC, but it’s still worth re-posting. Keller and Carson offer some wise counsel when it comes to preaching Christ from the Old Testament:

Tim Keller

1. Don’t “get to Christ” so soon in the sermon that you don’t unfold the meaning and application of the text to the original hearers. If you “jump to Christ” too soon that often means you inspire people but you don’t give them concrete application for how they are supposed to live.

2. Don’t “get to Christ” so late in the sermon that he seems like an add-on, a mere devotional appendix. If you wait too long to get to Christ listeners won’t see how Jesus’ work is crucial if the listeners are going to obey or heed the text.

3. Don’t get to Christ artificially. This is a big subject of course, but I believe two of the best ways are (a) by identifying in your text one of the many inner-canonical themes that all climax in Christ (Don Carson’s language), and (b) identifying in your text some “Fallen Condition Focus,” some lack in humanity that only Christ can fill (Bryan Chapell’s language).

Don Carson

1. Study constantly how the NT writers use the OT. That will give you insight into how you should move from the Old to the New.

2. Make good use of available tools, not least the Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. For even when you are preaching from the OT, the indexes in the volume will alert you to any use of your OT passage within the NT.

3. Ensure that this sort of study does not overlook or set aside complementary disciplines—e.g., understanding what genre of literature you are dealing with and how it makes its appeals, where this literature falls along the axis of redemptive history, and so forth.

HT: TGC