JackHammer

So, we’ve laid the foundations of the Christian worldview. You can refresh your memory here and here, or you can keep reading. And since foundations serve a vital role in building, we see the necessity of covering our bases. Since we view the world through Christian eyes, we understand that God is absolute, that God is sufficient, that God is the ultimate reality, the Uncaused Cause of all things. We understand that nothing exists apart from or independently of God, and thus we understand that Creation is entirely dependent on God. And this means that we depend on God for knowledge. We can only know what God intends that we should know, what God has revealed to us in nature or in Scripture. God knows all things originally and exhaustively, we only know after Him. And that includes our knowledge or understanding of right and wrong, and how right and wrong is determined. We do not make up our own ethic. God has revealed the Christian ethic, and we receive that ethic.

This, in a nutshell, is the foundation. And foundations, as they go, are fine things. I once knew of a man who spent a great deal of time digging out footers, setting in reinforcement, and building a very sturdy foundation for his future home. After several years of work, he finally finished with the foundation. We all admired it, wondering what would sit on it. But the foundation just sat there, holding up nothing but leaves, dust, and the occasional stray ant. Foundations need a house hat.

Our Christian Worldview, while certainly an admirable thing, needs something to cap it off. In other words, we need to take this fine Christian Worldview, and put it to some practical use. Foundations are only good when they are useful. And foundations are only useful when they prop something up. A Christian Worldview is viewing the world through Christian eyes, which implies that we Christians do some viewing, and that we are actually looking at something. We apply our Christian Worldview. This work of applying the Christian Worldview begins in the home.

Ephesians 6:4 gives us a mandate for applying the Biblical Worldview, starting in the home.

And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The modern meaning of nurture is similar to the word nourish – to feed, to promote growth. But the word nurture is broader than mere physical nourishment and nurturing. It includes growth in maturity. This is accomplished through education. To nurture is to educate, to train up. The Greek word in this passage is paideia, which is the word the Greeks would have used for education. In the Greek world, classroom instruction and formal education was a central part of paideia, but it was not the entirety. The central point of paideia went further than mere knowledge, extending into the culture at large. The goal of paideia in the Greek world was the establishment and furtherance of a culture. Children were cultivated, both by the culture and for the culture. Greek philosophers pictured the ideal citizen taking his place in the ideal culture, and all education aimed at producing that ideal.Then along came the Apostle Paul. Paul presents a new picture – a new ideal. “Bring them up” Paul says, “in the paideia… of the Lord.” A new culture, Paul argues, a new kind of culture is required. And, unlike the Greek world, Paul places the responsibility for this enculturation on the fathers, not on the government. Fathers must bring their children up in this Christian culture, this “culture of the Lord.”

Obviously, this “culture of the Lord” looks different than Ephesian culture. But Read the rest of this entry →

The central theme of missions, Scripturally, is not the deep burden of God from His love for lost men, but a deeply and more important motive—His desire to be worshiped.  It also speaks of why men are saved and what it is to be lost.  To be lost is to not be able to worship and praise and glorify God, and men are saved to worship and praise and glorify God.  I know this is no headline, but God, not man, is the center of God’s universe.  It is not consistent with a Biblical approach to believe, teach, or practice missions as though man were the central focus of missions. The conclusion is that doxology, that is, glorifying God, is the proper motive of missions; rather than soteriology.

The primary motive of God in the salvation of lost men in Scripture is “for the sake of His name.” There are many verses to back this up, these are just a few:

• 1 Samuel 12:22—”For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.”
• Isaiah 48:9—”For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.”
• Acts 15:14—”Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”
• Romans 1:5—”By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:”
• Romans 9:17—”For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”

There would be no reason for God to save people if He was not doing it for His glory, so that His name would be glorified, so that people would worship Him. God is concerned with the advancement of His glory. The Great Commission is the regaining of the authority of the Lord over all creation. His disciples obey His commission because He has all authority, and, therefore, out of recognition of His authority.

Spurgeon called Psalm 96 the “missionary hymn.” The children of Israel knew and were to have known that God had designs for all the children of men. It was always that through Abraham and his descendants God would bless all the families of the earth. No Jew could read this psalm and think that it was God’s will for them to remain exclusive. They were not to be of the world, but they were in the world, and they were to be multiplying the praise of God among men.

THE MANDATE TO MULTIPLY PRAISE (Psalm 96:1-3)

Sing It (vv. 1, 2a)

We are already being introduced to the evangelistic flavor by the phrase, “all the earth,” as this is the ultimate goal—to have the whole earth worshiping.  Read the rest of this entry →

To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Thanksgiving is here, and hopefully not without your taking time to give thanks. Of course, our thanksgiving should not be limited to one day of the year, duly set aside and observed. Every day should be a day for thanksgiving (I Thes 5:18; Heb 13:15). Nor should a single day end without our taking note of the many reasons we have for giving of thanks.

Are we not blessed in the simple fact that we have someone to thank? We have so many blessings, both simple and grand. Who do we thank? To God only wise, be glory. We would glorify Him as God, and we would be thankful. We need not wonder whom to thank, as if we received an anonymous gift. God gave the gift, and He put His name on the tag. We know Whom to thank, and that is a blessing.

But we should also note that God is glorified through Jesus Christ. God filled the earth with all things to delight the senses, and for that we thank Him as Creator. But Creation is not the greatest gift given by God to man. Creation, in the grand scheme of things, is sort of the “stocking stuffer;” the preliminary gift. Creation is indeed a grand gift, chock full of good things. But our deepest gratitude is reserved for God’s unspeakable gift (2 Cor 9:15). And thus we glorify God through Jesus Christ.

It is through Jesus Christ that we are able to glorify God. Apart from Christ, we were God’s enemies, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in us, because of the blindness of our heart. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: Through Christ we are reconciled. Through Christ, fellowship with the Father is possible, for Christ is our mediator. Through Christ, we can please God. Through Christ, God is glorified.

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

May our praise never cease. May our thanksgiving only increase. May God be continually glorified through Jesus Christ for ever.

AMEN!

An incredible lack of discernment exists in the area of worship music.   Someone can’t be wrong on worship and be right with God.  It is very serious.  Our music is offered to God.  Some say God likes all music offered to Him, because musical style itself is amoral.  Arguments are made with that regard over here.  I write some brief rebuttal below here (see 4., 8., 9.).  God requires wisdom from believers that is guided by Biblical principles and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We can judge properly and we are to judge.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, God commands, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”  So we’re to judge everything, except for worship music?  No way.  If anything is to be judged, it is to be our worship and according to a strict standard.

The music-is-amoral crowd (essentially only a group of professing evangelicals; almost everyone else in the world knows and says it is moral) says that this is one thing that we can’t judge.  We can know what the attire of a harlot is. We can know what “the world” (world system) is.  But they say that we can’t know what inherently moral or immoral music is.  When Scripture commands us to “abstain from fleshly lust,” we are assumed to know what “fleshly lust” is.  We are supposed to know what “uncleanness” and “inordinate affection” is in Colossians 3:5.  We can judge any and all of these things.

As a basis for your understanding that music can be moral or immoral and so that you can judge these things, I have provided just a few websites for you to look at.  What do you do with this kind of material?  Find out what God likes and doesn’t like.  You can understand what music has the inherent qualities He doesn’t like and you never offer that up to Him.  You know He won’t like it, because it doesn’t match up with His holy character.

1—(click on March/April, then click on Morality in Music under The Arts) This is a Catholic, not someone in the evangelical/fundamental music discussion, but someone highly qualified musically. Jonathan Peters is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College. He is currently working towards his masters degree in music composition at Northridge University in California.

2—Another Catholic article—why print these?  This is about whether music has an effect, and the Catholics won’t be seen as having a theological axe to grind.

3—”Final Paper: Does Music Affect You?”

4—Here is a brief excerpt of a paper entitled: “Negative Music And The Effects On Human Behavior.”

5—This research says that it is this: “The present study focused on mood effects of high-tempo (HT) or low-tempo (LT) music on a high-or a low-arousal stressful task condition (HST or LST), manipulating the relationship between affective valence and psycho-physiological arousal.”

6—Here’s a study titled: “The role of music in adolescents’ mood regulation.”

7—Here is an 18 page article with research that shows that the music itself causes problems.

8—Look for: “Is listening to negative lyrics or “angry” music really harmful for my child?” Notice that it differentiates between negative lyrics and “angry” music. Here’s how it starts: “Question: Is listening to negative lyrics or “angry” music really harmful for my child? Answer: Yes — although, surprisingly, the sound of the music has more impact than the lyrics.”

9—Here is a source of history of music. Found here is this: “Those moaning saxophones and the rest of the instruments with their broken, jerky rhythm make a purely sensual appeal. All of us dancing teachers know this to be a fact. . . . The music written for jazz is the very foundation and essence of salacious dancing.”

10—I don’t even want you to look at this site, but I link it to show that it exists, as written by someone just being honest about music.  “The earthy tabla beating a steady pulse brings the body into a rhythm, creating a natural form and structure. This structure grows from the ground up. Being receptive to the nuance of music - and often live music - the dancer’s feet and hips feel the rhythm. The oud and qanoon’s vibrations and sensual quarter tones bring their movement and mystery to her belly and hips. Arms surrender and ride on the airwave of the flutes. The dancer is absorbed into the music, and the music into her.”

11—This is full of applicable quotes—very convincing.

12—”Zouk music makes you want to move, it has a sensual rhythm that is sexy and powerful.”

13—”Rockabilly was perhaps the most sexually charged music American white people have ever made. It was full of supple, slap-bass-driven rhythms, and while it was as manic as two high school kids having a quick one while their parents were away, it still swung, and swing is a sexual rhythm.”

14—”The highlight of the evening was their ‘52000ft High’ with its very contagious rhythm and beat that makes it hard not to stand up, put your glass down and dance. It’s got a sexy rhythm, enticing you to move sensually on the dance floor.”

15—”Often at the conclusion of a recital, the musician may choose to play a “thumri’ or “dhun.” This semi-classical style is much freer and completely romantic, sensual and erotic.”

Notes are to music what letters in the alphabet are to words.  The notes or letters can be put together to communicate the wrong message.  God wants the right message communicated to Him.  False worship occurs in two ways:  1)  We worship the wrong God, and 2)  We worship God the wrong way.  Wrong music offered to God is at least worshiping God the wrong way.  If someone thinks that God wants that kind of music, then he might also be worshiping the wrong God.

I have found that many Christians don’t know the difference between praise and thanks, and many don’t seem to care.  How can you praise God if you don’t know what praise is?  Here’s your task for this discussion:  Give a definition of praise from your head, using the passages that are also in your head that you associate with your definition.   By the way, just a hint—don’t use the word “praise” in your definition.

Secondary question and discussion:  Why praise?

Israel, God’s Old Testament congregation, gathered for worship, which included sacrifices, singing, playing, prayer, and preaching.  All of these were offered to God.  Attendance was mandatory. 

And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.     Leviticus 10:11

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.    Joshua 8:35

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.     Nehemiah 8:8

The primary criterion for Old Testament worship was acceptability to God—would God be pleased?  Sometimes it is all called “the sacrificial system” to differentiate it from New Testament worship.  However, New Testament worship is also a “sacrificial system” of its own—a living sacrificial system in contrast to a dead one in the Old Testament.  A holy priesthood offers up spiritual sacrifices unto God (1 Peter 2:5; Philippians 3:3; 4:18).  Like the Old Testament, the main requirement in New Testament worship is God’s acceptance.

Preaching is one of the New Testament offerings, part of the church, God’s New Testament congregation.[1]  The preacher contributes to this by studying, rightly dividing (2 Timothy 2:15), and then preaching the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), giving attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13).  The congregation is quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, setting aside sin, and receiving with meekness what is preached, not being just a hearer, but also a doer (James 1:19-22).  When both do their part, the preacher and the congregation, due to the sufficiency of the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), the congregation is perfected for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), prevented from being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14), throughly furnished to every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), and provoked to love (Hebrews 10:25).

Paul looked at preaching as worship.  In Romans 1:9 he wrote:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.

The word “serve” here is latreia, which is a word understood as a kind of offering like the sacrifices of the Old Testament.  It is translated “worship” in Philippians 3:3.  The work of the Levitical priesthood is described by this word in Hebrews 8:5 and 9:9.  When Paul preached the Gospel, he viewed it as a sacrifice offered to God.  He worshiped God in his preaching.

So preaching is worship. Well, it should be.  As worship, the chief criterion is whether God is pleased by it.  Again, preaching should be God-centered, focusing on what God wants to hear.  Whether the congregation likes it or not, if God does, then we have succeeded in a sermon.  We have worshiped God.

[1]  Since a church is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:17), the locus of worship in the age in which we live, and the pastor is the overseer of a church (1 Timothy 3:1, “bishop,” episkopos=overseer), then the pastor is the designated “worship leader” of a church.