God blesses “beta” sermons

February 27, 2010 David Murray 3 comments

I will never preach a perfect sermon. My content will never be perfect. My manner will never be perfect. In fact, the more I preach, the more I understand why Paul called preaching “foolishness.” Yet, God has chosen “the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). What a relief!

I once heard a well-known preacher advocate spending a minimum of two weeks preparing a sermon. He said that he preaches his sermon to himself thirty times before preaching it in public, and that no sermon prepared the day before it was preached was worthy of the name “sermon.”

I saw many pastors’ heads drop all around me. That kind of “counsel of perfection” may be the norm for an exceptional few. However, the vast majority of “ordinary” pastors are not privileged with that kind of time or schedule.

What will happen if you try to live up to this? Well, I know one pastor who refused to preach a sermon until he had every single word written out, and every comma in the right place. He would spend 20-30 hours perfecting each sermon. This, of course, was unsustainable. Eventually he was off work with stress, and within a few years he had left the ministry – burned out.

Like most “ordinary” pastors, I preached at least three times a week in my congregation (two Sunday services and a midweek meeting). Every Monday morning I had to climb that daunting three-peaked hill in the midst of pastoral visitation, funerals, evangelism, administration, meetings, etc. Sure, I worked as hard as I could to prepare the best sermons I could every week, but there were many times my sermons were definitely “beta versions.” They were far from bug-free. And do you know what I discovered? God blesses “beta” sermons!

I am not advocating laziness or sloppiness in preaching. But I firmly believe that God blesses faithful pastors who preach to the best of their abilities and capacities in the midst of a busy pastoral schedule. Many of my “Saturday” sermons were blessed by God on Sundays.

So, fellow-preacher, don’t be afraid of launching your sermon in beta. Better to spend the last hour of preparation in prayer than on punctuation. And remember, God’s Spirit can turn betas into alphas.

10 Methods of Meditation

February 26, 2010 David Murray 1 comment

Yesterday we considered why we should meditate on Scripture. Today let’s look at how to meditate.

1. Limit

- Set apart no more than 5-10 minutes to begin with

- Start with one short verse or part of a verse

2. Vary

- Some days chose a theological verse, others a practical or devotional text.

3. Write

- Write the text on a small index card

- Put it in a place you will come across regularly (purse or pocket?)

4. Memorize

- Memorize the text in 2-3 word blocks

- Say it out loud

- Set specific times in the day to recall verse (coffee/meal times)

5. Focus

- Pick out the key words and look them up in a dictionary (English or Bible)

- Substitute some words with parallel meanings or even opposite meanings

6. Question

- Interrogate the verse (who, what, where, when, why, how?)

7. Explain

- How would you explain the verse to a child or someone with no Christian background

8. Pray

- Use the verse in prayer (worship, confession, thanks, petition)

9. Review

- File the cards and every Sunday read them and test your memory of them

10. Do

- Not just an intellectual exercise but let it lead to practice (believe, repent, hope, love, etc.)

Picture: 2008 © Laurin Linder. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

10 Motivations to Meditation

February 25, 2010 David Murray 0 comments

Here are ten reasons why you should make meditation on Scripture part of your Christian life.

1. It stops sin

If we hide God’s Word in our heart it will stop sin at its roots (Ps. 119:11).

2. It starts good

Meditation on the Bible’s practical exhortations and commands reminds us of our Christian duties. What we think about is what we eventually do (Prov. 23:7).

3. It guides and refreshes prayer

Meditation on verses of Scripture opens up new topics and areas for prayer.

4. It turns sleeplessness into a blessing

The Psalmist turned the “wasted” hours of insomnia into a soul-enriching feast (Ps. 63:5-6).

5. It uses time well

It is a far more profitable than, say, watching the TV. It will also make you happier (Ps. 1:1-3)

6. It makes you ready to witness

By filling our hearts with God and His Word we will be much more ready to give an answer to every man that asks a reason for the hope that we have (1 Pet. 3:15).

7. It helps you in fellowship

You can edify others in fellowship because you can propose a verse for discussion and give some thoughts upon it.

8. It increases communion with God

God meets with His people through the Scriptures. A person who never thinks on Scripture will never meet and walk with God.

9. It revives spiritual life.

“To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).

10. It has many biblical precedents and examples (Ps. 19:14; 39:3; 77:12)

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD (Ps. 104:34).

Tomorrow: 10 Methods of Meditation

Picture: 2008 © Igor Zohrov. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

Describing the indescribable

February 24, 2010 David Murray 2 comments

Many have attempted to describe the indescribable pain of depression. Numerous similes and metaphors have been used to convey depression’s deep, deep agonies. However, I don’t think I’ve seen anything come so close to describing the indescribable as this deeply moving poem by my Christian friend, Sue Lubbers.

Three things make this poem especially touching. First, it was written by a Christian, which actually adds another layer to the suffering. The Christian with depression not only loses physical energy, intellectual ability, and emotional activity, but the most precious thing in their life feels lost – their spiritual relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Second, the poem is breathtakingly honest. It does not attempt to gloss over or minimize the horrific thoughts and feelings that stalk and haunt the soul in this desolate valley. It is so far removed from the shallow and artificial triumphalism of so much of modern Christianity. It is much more reminiscent of the deep and realistic piety we find in many of the Psalms, in Job, and in Jeremiah.

Third, the poem holds out great hope for those still passing through these deep waters. To get maximum benefit, don’t read across the two columns. Rather, read the whole of the first column. Then start reading down the second column, comparing it as you go with the parallel line in the first column. What a transformation! The Lord has revolutionized this dear believer’s life. If you, or a loved one, are still in column one, then read column two and see what our almighty and gracious God can do in the most desperate of situations.

And if the Lord has spared you this affliction, then thank him for His undeserved favor towards you, and use the poem to cultivate sympathy and understanding for sufferers.

Picture: 2008 © Michele Piacqadio. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

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An email from my heart

February 23, 2010 David Murray 20 comments

What do you do when you hear that a young woman you once knew well, and who had been showing much spiritual promise, has started dating a non-Christian?

Here’s a lightly edited email I sent some time ago when faced with that tragic situation (name changed). What would you remove from or add to this email?

Dear Rachel,

I hope you are well and that the Lord is continuing to bless you in your vocation. I often think of you with much fondness.

I know that I am about to risk losing your friendship and affection. However, Rachel, I must write the next few sentences because there is a far greater risk you are running – the risk of losing your own soul. I know you have not made a profession of faith, but you cannot deny that the Lord has been at work in your life; and I had a good hope of it being a saving work. However, you are in great danger of spoiling and ruining this work by dating an unbeliever.

I have seen this pattern repeated again and again and again over the past twenty five years. Christian young woman starts dating unbeliever. Unbeliever starts going to church now and again. Christian young woman persuades herself that the unbeliever is converted or soon will be. They marry (often after pre-marital immorality). The unbeliever gradually loses his “interest” in the Gospel, and stops going to church. The marriage suffers. The Christian young woman backslides. Any children are usually drawn to the unbelieving man and start living ungodly lives. The marriage is miserable and often ends. The young woman’s life is destroyed and so is her witness. That is exactly as we should expect because the Bible forbids the believer from making the choice to be united to an unbeliever (1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Cor. 6:14-16). The exceptions to this pattern are extremely rare.

Rachel, your life is so full of potential for happiness, usefulness, and Christian fruitfulness. I plead with you, please, please, please give up this relationship and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy. The Lord can provide a wonderful Christian husband for you, if you are patient and seek His will. And, above all, seek marriage to the best husband of all, the Lord Jesus Christ.

With much Christian love,

David.

PS. She never replied.

Calvin and Piper on Sufficiency of Scripture

February 22, 2010 David Murray 0 comments

The Bible does not give specific or detailed guidance on every moral and spiritual dilemma and issue. If it did, instead of having one book we can carry with us, we would have a library of volumes that we could never read in a lifetime. This is why the God’s Word gives general principles and guidelines for us to apply to our specific situations. The Westminster Confession (and the Baptist Confession of 1689) summarizes the Bible’s teaching about itself:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture (WCF 1.6).

What this means is that while we may not find a specific verse about our specific problem or need, we will always find a principle or guideline, which we can apply to our situation. However, rigorous thought and prayer are necessary. We must not just sit around waiting for a voice or a vision. We must read Scripture prayerfully, seek the relevant principles, and by “good and necessary consequence,” not by leaps of logic and irrationality, apply them to our situation.

For example, take the question “Whom shall I marry?” The Bible does not tell any of us the specific answer to this. There are general principles for the Christian to follow. It must be “only in the Lord.” Christian patience must be exercised. Your husband or wife should be willing to accept the roles and responsibilities that Scripture outlines. By “good and necessary consequence,” by prayerful reasoning with these principles you can find the answer.

What about the Church? There is much the Bible explicitly tells us about order in the Church. There is much we can work out or deduce by prayerfully reasoning with biblical principles. However, there are some things that God has not said anything about in His Word, either explicitly or implicitly. For example, the Bible does not give us plans for building churches. It does not tell us how many services to have, when to have them, or how long they should be. It does not tell us how many times we should sing, pray, or read from the Bible. The Westminster Confession (and the Baptist Confession of 1689) puts it like this:

There are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed (WCF 1.6).

We decide these things using sanctified common sense, always acting under the general rules of the Word (1 Cor. 14:40).

It is in this latter area that I believe some sincere believers are going wrong. Over-reacting to attacks on the sufficiency of Scripture, they are going to an unbiblical extreme sufficiency position, claiming for the Bible what it does not claim for itself, and thereby denying themselves many of God’s riches. The sufficiency of Scripture does not mean that we should shun every non-biblical source of knowledge or wisdom, not even in some areas of worship and church government. John Piper works this out in his article Thoughts on the Sufficiency of Scripture:

The sufficiency of Scripture does not mean that the Scripture is all we need to live obediently. To be obedient in the sciences we need to read science and study nature. To be obedient in economics we need to read economics and observe the world of business. To be obedient in sports we need to know the rules of the game. To be obedient in marriage we need to know the personality of our spouse. To be obedient as a pilot we need to know how to fly a plane. In other words, the Bible does not tell us all we need to know in order to be obedient stewards of this world.

The sufficiency of Scripture means we don’t need any more special revelation. We don’t need any more inspired, inerrant words. In the Bible God has given us, we have the perfect standard for judging all other knowledge. All other knowledge stands under the judgment of the Bible.

John Calvin used the illustration of spectacles to explain this (Institutes 1.6.1). He said that the Bible is not only what we read, but what we read with. We use its pages as spectacles to view and read the world and the knowledge God has distributed throughout it. He developed this further in Book 2 of the Institutes:

The human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator. . . . We will be careful. . . not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears (Institutes 2.2.15).

If we regard the Spirit of God as the sole foundation of truth, we shall neither reject the truth itself, nor despise it wherever it shall appear, unless we wish to dishonor the Spirit of God. Shall we say that the philosophers were blind in their fine observation and artful description of nature? . . . No, we cannot read the writings of the ancients on these subjects without great admiration. But if the Lord has willed that we be helped in physics, dialectic, mathematics, and other like disciplines, by the work and ministry of the ungodly, let us use this assistance. For if we neglect God’s gift freely offered in these arts, we ought to suffer just punishment for our sloths (Institutes 2.2.15-16).

Regarding salvation, it is expressly set down in Scripture. Regarding sanctification, it is expressly set down or may be deduced from Scripture. Regarding knowledge in this world, it must be checked by Scripture, or read through the lens of Scripture. It is in these senses we have “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

For example, the Bible has some explicit instruction on eating and some principles that we can deduce. But the Bible does not tell us all we need to know about eating. So we learn from nutritionists (even non-Christian, evolutionary nutritionists) about how to eat in ways that will improve our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual well-being. We read this knowledge through the lens of the Bible. The Bible is sufficient to keep us from falling into error as we read this world.

Same goes for time-management. We are given some principles in the Bible about time, some of which are explicit and some of which are deduced. But we can be greatly helped to redeem the time by reading modern books on time-management and organization. Again, never leaving our spectacles off, but rather reading and checking this knowledge with the Bible.

The same goes for counseling. Some problems are, of course, entirely spiritual in nature and can only be solved by the Bible. But often the problems we face in counseling are such a mixture of the spiritual, the mental, the relational, the social, the financial, and the physical. In some cases the Scriptures will be explicit. In others we can deduce helpful principles. But in some areas we need to use our Bible as spectacles to read and learn from the knowledge God has distributed and deposited in the world.

The Bible is like a map. It tells us where we have come from, where we are, where to go, and all the essential markers to get us there. But there are details along the way, which we may read through the lens of Scripture to benefit us on our journey, as long as we do not leave the Scriptural path.