Covenant Presbyterian Church - Nashville

I've often thought that church architecture says something about one's theology.  I live in a community influenced heavily by an architect who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright.  Thus, we have some innovative church buildings that don't always achieve the goal of pointing worshipers to a transcendant God.  We also have some newer church buildings that look like retail stores. 

Here is the story of a sister PCA church down in Nashville and their desire to build a facility that honors God both outside and inside.  Putting aside my sinful desire to have something similar (even on a much smaller scale), one word comes to mind: Impressive.  Lord willing, when we hold General Assembly in Nashville next June, I hope to worship in that church.

Click on the link below to watch the short presentation.  To God be the glory.

©Covenant Presbyterian Church

The Knowability of God

I have begun a sermon series entitled, 'The God Whom We Worship'. I began with the truth that we only know as much about God as He has chosen to reveal. I also discussed archetypal knowledge and ectypal knowledge. The first is the knowledge that God alone possesses. He has perfect knowledge of Himself. The second is the knowledge that we have -- revealed knowledge. Though we are made in God's image we are not on the same plane with God(remember geometry?). Indeed mankind is on a separate and unequal plane from God. We can only know Him insofar as He reveals himself to us through general revelation (the knowledge of God in our heart as well as that which comes from creation) and special revelation (the Scriptures).

Compounding our ability to know God, and thus worship Him correctly, is the matter of human sin. I found the following quote very helpful with regard to God's revelation in light of Creation, Fall and Redemption:

"As a result of the entrance of sin into the world, the handwriting of God in nature is greatly obscured, and is in some of the most important matters rather dim and illegible. Moreover, man is stricken with spiritual blindness, and is thus deprived of the ability to read aright what God had originally plainly written in the works of creation. In order to remedy the matter and to prevent the frustration of His purpose, God did two things. In His supernatural revelation He republished the truths of natural revelation, cleared them of misconception, interpreted them with a view to the present needs of man, and thus incorporated them in His supernatural revelation of redemption. And in addition to that He provided a cure for the spiritual blindness of man in the work of regeneration and sanctification, including spiritual illumination, and thus enabled man once more to obtain true knowledge of God, the knowledge that carries with it the assurance of eternal life."

Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 38. Eerdmans, 1938 reprinted in 1993.

White Horse Inn - Important Messages

You might be familiar with Dr. Michael Scott Horton and the White Horse Inn. I have been a listener for years and recently got caught up with the summer broadcasts.

I wish to bring to your attention two recent programs from July. The first is entitled "Glory Story" and the second is entitled "Who Needs the Church?" Both were part of a series on Pelagianism but pretty much stand alone (if you don't have time to listen to the two preceding shows). "Glory Story" is almost self-explanatory: it describes various strands of Christianity that are triumphant -- liberalism, Christian nationalism, even health & wealth theology. "Who Needs the Church?" addresses the latest views from none other than Dr. George Barna who is now predicting that in the near future huge numbers of church attenders will stay at home and get what they need from the internet. His line of argumentation follows the trajectory of self-improvement and self-actualization insofar that people will use the internet to find 'life coaches' to help them be all that they can be.

You can find both broadcasts by clicking on the link below. For those who are unfamiliar with the program you may be pleased to learn that it is a roundtable discussion between 4 ministers representing the various streams of the Protestant Reformation (Reformed, Lutheran and Reformed Baptist). Each program is about 30 minutes long.

White Horse Inn (Dr. Michael Horton) - Broadcast Archives

For those wishing to learn more about the White Horse Inn either click here or on the link provided to the right.

Dr. Michael Scott Horton on Transforming Culture

Over at 9 Marks Ministries website I found a terrific essay by Dr. Michael Scott Horton on the topic of the church tranforming culture. Part of his essay traces the historical roots of cultural transformation -- one approach grew out of the First Great Awakening while a distinctly different approach grew out of the Second Great Awakening. Horton demonstrates that modern day attempts to transform the culture are rooted in the theology of the Second Great Awakening.

Horton raises an interesting question that I have not heard before: are we under-valuing Christ's ascension to heaven? In short, he argues that in Christ's physical absence, the church has stepped forward to fill in the gap, to be 'incarnational.' In so doing we have adopted a 'messianic complex' about our own importance to transform culture and finish the work that Christ began.

He also raises this question, IS ALL OF LIFE KINGDOM WORK?

"If this theological argument is correct, then we should question popular statements like, "All of life is kingdom work." No, proclaiming the Word, administering baptism and the Supper, caring for the spiritual and physical well-being of the saints, and bringing in the lost are kingdom work. Building bridges, delivering medical supplies to hospitals, installing water heaters, defending clients in court, holding public office, and having friends over for dinner are "creation work," given a pledge of safe conduct ever since Cain under God's regime of common grace. In this work, Christians serve beside non-Christians, as both are endowed with natural gifts and learned skills for their common life together. "

He also raises this question, "SHOULD THERE BE "CHRISTIAN" INSTITUTIONS?

His conclusion? "Again, if this theological argument is correct, we should ask whether there should be Christian hospitals, Christian businesses, or Christian entertainment industries. Haven't such enterprises, which often do no more than mimic their secular counterparts, distracted the church from its primary focus and ministry? What if churches were more seriously Christian, concentrating on Christ as he is delivered to sinners through Word and Sacrament, and their members were scattered throughout the week to occupy posts alongside their non-Christian neighbors instead of being driven into an ostensibly Christian sub-culture? What if, instead of trying to discipline a pagan culture, we restored the evangelical practice of church discipline in our own churches (a point made better by Paul in 1 Cor 5:9-12)?

Surely the abolition of the slave trade was a noble work. Yet in Britain it was not the church as an institution that abolished slavery, but Christians in public office who had been formed by the church's ministry. When William Wilberforce came to John Newton for advice on whether he should enter the ministry, Newton encouraged his friend to pursue politics instead. It was as a member of parliament that Wilberforce loved and served his neighbor, benefiting from the ordinary means of grace that Newton ministered to him. The church preaches God's transcendent law and gospel, and her children pursue their cultural mandate in their secular vocations. One wonders what might have happened if, instead of dividing over national policy, Protestant churches in the antebellum American North and South practiced church discipline against slave-holders. After all, according to numerous accounts, South African apartheid in our own time came crashing down when the Dutch Reformed Church confessed that its religious justification of the system was "heresy." Disciplined by its sister Reformed churches around the world, the church did what only the church could do, and the result was that the system lost its moral legitimacy."

Read the rest of the essay here: Transforming Culture with a Messiah Complex - 9Marks

Testimonies re. The White Horse Inn: Know What You Believe & Why You Believe It

If you've never listened to the White Horse Inn you ought to start. Recently I came across this list of testimonies from people all across the evangelical spectrum whose lives have been transformed by this program. Read the testimonies and then listen to a broadcast or two. Then pass the word.

The White Horse Inn: Know What You Believe & Why You Believe It

Dr. R. Scott Clark - Is the Confession of the Substance of Our Faith? « Heidelblog

After my last post Dr. Clark was kind enough to add a comment with a link to the following post on his blog:

Is the Confession of the Substance of Our Faith? « Heidelblog

In it he expands on the distinction between 'substance and accidents' of the reformed faith. He also delves into the entire matter of strict subscription vs good-faith subscription vs. system subscription. When all is said done he really doesn't like any of these three approaches to dealing with our creeds and confessions.

In short, he prefers a different approach altogether -- subscribing to creeds and confessions 'because' (quia in Latin) they are a biblically faithful summary of Scripture. He likens the trends in modern Presbyterianism to be on a different trajectory because it subscribes to creeds and confessions 'insofar as' (quatenus in Latin) they faithfully summarize Scripture. He would like to see Reformed churches jump to the quia rail and amend their creeds and confessions via the normal process of introducing an overture and convincing the church that a certain section is in need of clarification. That is an interesting proposition worthy of further consideration. The difficulty of the PCA amending the Westminster Confession of Faith is that a super majority (over 75%) is required at the initial General Assembly, then a similar majority of the presbyteries must concur, and finally the following General Assembly must approve by that same margin. A tall order indeed.

From where I sit good faith subscription seems to be working.

Os Guinness' critique of Frank Schaeffer's "Crazy for God"

One of the most influential people in the last 50 years was the late theologian/philosopher Dr. Francis Schaeffer. His five volume set of books occupies a prominent place on my bookshelves. Time and again I go back to his works for perspective on culture, philosophy, theology, and the essence of the Christian faith.

Schaeffer's rise to prominence occurred in the late 60s and 70s -- years when I was still growing into the person that I now am. I don't think I heard about him until I was in college and even then people referred to him in hushed tones -- "he's so heavy and hard to understand." Others were dismissive saying that his methodology in apologetics was like "carpet-bombing the enemy." Read him for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

During the fall of 2007 his son Frank Schaeffer released a book entitled Crazy for God. It is a memoir of his parent's life and work founding L'Abri (French for The Shelter) and their attempt to speak to the student unrest of their day. One might expect a glowing work from the son of such prominent people but no, Frank Schaeffer airs their dirty laundry for the world to see (including some of his own). So much for the commandment to honor one's parents.

I have only read excerpts of "Crazy for God" and frankly, I was shocked. There are others who are in a much better position than I to comment on Frank's book. Os Guinness was a personal friend of Francis and Edith Schaeffer living with them for a number of years. He was also a close friend of Frank's as well. He has written a thoughtful response to "Crazy for God" posted at Christianity Today (see the link below). One hopes that Frank will read the review and take to heart these words from Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."

Fathers and Sons - Books & Culture

Two Kingdom Theory - Dr. David VanDrunen

For those of you grappling with the Christian's role in the world and especially with regard to culture, you owe it to yourself to listen to Dr. David VanDrunen. The occasion for this address was his installation as the Robert Strimple Chair of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminister Theological Seminary in Escondido, California.

Having been exposed to Abraham Kuyper's view of Christians and the culture but not thoroughly convinced, this is an area of additional study for me. I would suspect that the Two-Kingdom Theory would also have bearing on one's millenial views (another area of study for me).

Click on the link below and you will see an official announcement of his installation along with photos. In the upper right you will find a link to the message itself.

Westminster Seminary California newsevents

Steve Wilkins leaves PCA for CREC

I've been waiting for the dust to settle before posting this article. Rev. Steve Wilkins has been at the center of the Federal Vision controversy for the last few years. It had been alleged that his theological views were out of step with the Westminster Confession of Faith. An investigation had been launched into the presbytery's handling of the matter and it was found guilty of failing to adequately examine Rev. Wilkins and deal with his theological differences with the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Last Sunday (1/27/08) Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church voted without dissent to leave the PCA and retain Rev. Steve Wilkins' as their pastor. They are now considered a mission church of the CREC (Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches).

What precipated this decision was the guilty plea of Louisiana Presbytery to one of two charges of misconduct brought by the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA. The vote to plead guilty occurred about a week earlier at a meeting of the presbytery. For several days the outcome of that meeting remained a secret until a previously unknown internet post was found. The guilty plea paved the way for Rev. Wilkins' to be tried by the Standing Judicial Commission and a trial was planned in early March. But before the SJC could issue its summons to Rev. Wilkins Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church held its congregational meeting and voted to leave the PCA.

You can read about the details here Reformed Musings This blog is published by Ruling Elder Bob Mattes who served on the PCA Ad Interim Committee whose report received a near unanimous vote of approval at last year's General Assembly.

Rev. Doug Wilson of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho and leader of the CREC has also weighed in on this matter. His comments can be found here BLOG and MABLOG

It is unfortunate that Wilson characterized Rev. Wilkins as "a member in good standing of the Louisiana Presbytery and consequently may transfer his membership according to the PCA BCO (38-3a), with the presbytery simply recording the action." Fact of the matter is that Wilkins was about to be tried for teaching things inconsistent with the Westminster Confession of Faith and he chose to flee than take the risk of being found guilty and possibly being disciplined. That doesn't speak well of his integrity nor of the CREC which has thumbed its nose at the disciplinary procedures of the PCA more than once.

Postscript:

Shortly after posting this article I came across Steve Wilkins' explanation of why he and his church are leaving the PCA. You can read it in its entirety right here: Steve Wilkins & AAPC's Letter Detailing the Reasons for Leaving the PCA

Those familiar with Presbyterian polity will notice an error in his theological views. While he affirms submission to his Session (board of elders) and his presbytery he fails to affirm the same submission to the denomination and its highest court (the General Assembly). Our ordination vows do not pit "presbytery" vs. "General Assembly" and allow someone to submit to one without the other. Subjection to the brethren is subjection to the denomination as a whole via its courts. Again, this does not speak well of Rev. Wilkins or of his church.

O Day of Rest and Gladness

At church I am in the middle of preaching a series on the Ten Commandments. Yesterday's topic was The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day (Exodus 20:8-11). Most Christians and most churches shy away from this discussion. Many assert that "we're not under law but under grace" (a misreading of Romans 6:15) and refuse to consider if the Sabbath commandment has any bearing for us today. That is unfortunate.

Yesterday I labored to show why God commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath. There are two major reasons for this found in both lists of the Ten Commandments:

• Exodus 20:8-11 God directed them to observe the Sabbath and rest from all labor. They were to consider this day as holy: something sacred and not to be defiled by working. In so doing the Israelites were following God's example of resting (see Genesis 2) and they were entering into His ongoing rest one day out of seven.


• Deuteronomy 5:15 includes a separate reason for the Sabbath: it was to be a day to remember their former slavery in Egypt and how God redeemed them from that miserable condition.

Added this discussion ought to be the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the hold day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed your with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 58:13-14

Notice the word 'delight' in verse 13. It comes from the Hebrew word 'oneg' meaning "daintiness or exquisite delight." It can also mean something luxurious or a luxury. God's intent from the beginning was that the Sabbath was to be a luxurious gift to His people, not a chore or a burden. I think that it is safe to conclude that the few in ancient Israel saw it that way and it is abundantly evident from the Gospels that the Pharisees were not even close to this understanding.

Jesus asserted that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He also asserted that He was Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8) and that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Jesus is thus upholding Sabbath observance but also transforming it to something different and better for Christians. He is upholding Isaiah's assertion that this day is a gift from God and ought to be considered as such.

Here is how the Reformed Tradition has understood the significance of the Sabbath:

• Heidelberg Catechism
  Q 103) What does God require in the fourth commandment?
  A) First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; and that I, especially on the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest, diligently attend the church of God, to learn God’s Word, to use the sacraments, to call publicly upon the Lord, and to give Christian alms. Second, that all the days of my life I rest from my evil works, and let the Lord work in me by His Holy Spirit, and thus begin in this life the eternal Sabbath.
• Westminster Shorter Catechism
  Q 58) What is required in the fourth commandment?
  A) The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself.
  
  Q 60) How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
  A) The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations that are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Dr. Edmund Clowney argues in his book, "How Christ Transforms the Ten Commandments" that the Sabbath has the following benefits for Christians:

• Physical rest - If the ancient Israelites along with their slaves, their livestock and the foriegners were to rest from all of their labor one day out of seven, how much more are we do the same. We have 6 days to do our work, shopping, homework, and yardwork. Competitive sports ought to be fit in on those other days too. Of course their are times when we must do some work on the Lord's Day and there are occupations when people must work an occasional Sunday but those ought to be the exception and not the rule. Those with laptop computers ought not to be logging in unless absolutely necessary. Those emails can wait! And as we enter into this physical rest we are getting a foretaste of the eternal rest that awaits all of God's people (Hebrews 4:9).


• Spiritual refreshment - The ancient Israelites observed the Sabbath as a day of spiritual renewal. Christians are to do the same. The Lord's Day is chiefly a day for us to receive instruction from His word and partake of the sacraments. That's why our tradition has taught and encouraged morning and evening worship with both services serving as bookends to the day. What better way to observe the Lord's day than to begin and end the day worshiping God and receiving instruction from His Word?


• A Sign of Redemption - The Israelites were to observe the Sabbath to commemorate their redemption from slavery in Egypt. It was to be a day of joy and gladness! Christians ought to observe the Sabbath in the same way: God has redeemed us from our slavery to sin (Ephesians 2) and from the futile ways we inherited from our forefathers (I Peter 1:19). God did this for us as we were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and incapable of freeing ourselves.


• A People Set Apart in Place and Time - When the Israelites observed the Sabbath they were the sole Sabbath-keeping nation on the face of the earth. They weren't out in the fields working nor were their markets open. No doubt the nations looked at this monotheistic nation with its weekly Sabbath observance with wonder. So too Christians ought to be set apart from our surrounding culture by observing the Lord's Day. Our friends and neighbors ought to look at us with wonder about why we hold this day as special and sacred. This is where Dr. Marva Dawn's book, "A Royal Waste of Time" is so helpful. To the watching world we are wasting our time by observing the Sabbath. But what a 'royal' waste of time it is as we worship the Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

The hymn, "O Day of Rest and Gladness," says it better than I ever could:

O day of rest and gladness; O day of joy and light, O balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, and bright, on you the high and lowly, through ages joined in tune, sing "Holy, holy, holy" to the great God triune.

You are a port protect from storms that round us rise, a garden intersected with streams of paradise; you are a cooling fountain, from life's dry dreary sand; from you, like Pisgah's mountain, we view our promised land.

Do you view the Lord's Day as a delight (Isaiah 58:13)? Do you see it as God's luxurious gift to you, a foretaste of what awaits all Christians? Do you see it as a weekly reprieve from the rat race? It is not a chore but a gift. If you haven't thought about it in these terms I encourage you to study it closely. I challenge you to call the Lord's Day a delight. In fact I dare you to call it a delight.

Federal Vision, Steve Wilkins and the Louisiana Presbytery

Yesterday the news broke that the Standing Judicial Commission of the Presbyterian Church in America had completed its investigation of the Louisiana Presbytery. At issue is the theological views of one of its ministers, Rev. Steve Wilkins, whose voluminous writings have convinced many that he has strayed beyond the boundaries of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

The SJC conducted this work because it had been alleged by more than one party that the Louisiana Presbytery had failed to adequately examine Rev. Wilkins to determine if, indeed, his views were inconsistent with the Westminster Confession of Faith. The SJC found that the Louisiana Presbytery failed to do its work in examining Rev. Wilkins' theological views.

In the PCA all officers (ministers, elders and deacons) must subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. This does not mean that every 'jot and tittle' must be affirmed but that any exceptions taken to the WCF must not "strike at the fundamentals of the system of doctrine" contained therein. Consequently each presbytery must examine all candidates for ministry and inquire about any exceptions to the WCF that may be held. Such exceptions must be classified and recorded in the presbytery minutes (which are subject to annual review by the General Assembly). Here are the four classifications by which differences with (exceptions to) the WCF must be recorded:

a) the candidate stated that he had no differences; or
b) the court judged the stated difference(s) to be merely semantic; or
c) the court judged the stated difference(s) to be more than semantic, but “not out of accord with any fundamental of our system of doctrine” (BCO 21-4); or
d) the court judged the stated difference(s) to be “out of accord,” that is, “hostile to the system” or “strik[ing] at the vitals of religion” (BCO 21-4).

NOTE: The Louisiana Presbytery failed to record Rev. Wilkins' stated differences to the WCF (as found in his writings) based on this four-fold list of criteria.

What will happen next is unclear. The Louisiana Presbytery has until February 1, 2008 to decide what course of action they will take. You can read a more detailed explanation here:

http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2008/01/06/pca-indictment-of-louisiana-presbytery/#comments

NOTE: You will need to scroll up to read the article in its entirety. For some reason the link is taking readers to the comments section.

N.T. Wright - From the Horse's Mouth

Perhaps you've heard of N.T. Wright or are aware of the debates about The New Perspective on Paul (NPP). I have not read his works but have learned that in some quarters he is hailed as a hero of sorts and in other quarters he is regarded as a troublemaker bordering on being a heretic.

Here is a recent interview he granted at Southern Theological Seminary in Louisville that covers everything from his conversion and upbringing, to his theological views, and his current writings. The interview is done by a current student who has done his homework: he asks hard questions and to his credit Wright doesn't flinch -- he answers the questions in a straightforward manner. The interviewer also introduces Wright's critics (R.C. Sproul, John Piper, D.A. Carson and Doug Moo who have all written books interacting with Wright's works) and gives him an opportunity to respond.

The interview lasts about an hour but it is fast moving.

Enjoy

NT Wright Justification, New Perspective on Paul - Mp3 Podcast Interview By Trevin Wax Said At Southern Seminary