Every Knee Will Bow

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

This morning I was reading Psalm 22 as part of my devotional. This Psalm is often referred to as a Messianic Psalm because it points forward to the work of Christ on the cross.

Similarities with Jesus’ Crucifixion

The first line of this Psalm is quoted by Jesus when He was hanging on the cross. In Matthew 27:46 Jesus says,

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As you read through the rest of the Psalm one notices a similarity to what happens to Jesus and how those crucifying Jesus act. Jesus’ bones are out of joint, His strength has dried up, He is thirsty, His hands and feet are pierced, but His bones are not broken (14-17). Those in the crowd mock Him, they call out for Him to ask God to deliver Him from the cross, and they divide His garments by casting lots (7-8, 18).

The Lord has not forsaken Jesus

It seems the Lord has forsaken Jesus on the cross, but He has not. His plan has always been for Jesus to die for the sins of mankind (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1). A plan worked out from before the foundations of the earth.

Every Knee Will Bow

Instead of forsaking Jesus, the Father resurrects Jesus and exalts Christ to His heavenly throne with the promise that everyone will worship Him (Psalm 22:27-28; Phil. 2:8-11). In verse 29, the Psalmist says,

All the prosperous of the earth eat
and worship;
before him shall bow all
who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not
keep himself alive.

Indeed, all will bow down to worship Him, even those who are not Christians. Every man, woman, and child will bow their knee before the Lord when He returns. Isaiah predicted it (Isa. 45:23), Paul confirmed it (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10), and John wrote about the coming day when the Lamb (Jesus) would sit on His throne and every creature would recognize Him as Lord (Rev. 5:13).

There will be a day when Jesus will return, and there will be a day when every knee will bow to Him as Lord, whether you recognize Him now as Lord or not.

A Plea

Now is the time my friends to confess Christ as Savior and Lord of your life. If the Lord has given you the faith to believe in Him, then believe. For you can either confess Jesus as Lord and Savior now, or in the after life, but after this life is over, our chance of reconciliation with God and eternal life goes with it (Ecc. 3:17; 9:4-6).

Assurance

Those who are believers in Christ, be assured of your salvation. Place your hope fully in Christ and Christ alone, knowing He is our Savior and Lord. Know that the Lord will return and He will defeat the enemy, Satan. Know and trust that He will reign on His throne forever and ever, and that we will experience true joy for all of eternity as we worship and praise Him. Come Lord Jesus, come!

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The Great Paradigm Shifting Gospel

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals6 Comments

I have been reading through John Calvin’s Institutes. I picked up a read through the Institutes in a year plan, and it has been a blessing. Even though he wrote hundreds of years ago, his writings are still applicable to our times.

Right now, I am reading in chapter 8, where Calvin is establishing the credibility of Scripture. In talking about Sacred Scripture, Calvin says,

“Nevertheless it [Scripture] clearly is crammed with thoughts that could not be humanly conceived”[1].

He is right. Scripture is crammed with thoughts that those writing without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit would never conceive. The reason a non-inspired writer would not conceive of them is because Scripture is often paradigm shifting in nature.

What does it mean for Scripture to be paradigm shifting?

It means what we think should be the case is not. How we think things should go is not the way God thinks they should go. Our normal model is not God’s model. I believe we do not have to look far to see where our model is different than God’s.

The Gospel

We do not have to look any further than the gospel message. You see, the gospel tells us that God’s Son left His heavenly abode, descended to the earth by being born of a virgin. He lived a holy and sinless life, being 100% God and 100% man. Instead of people worshipping Him for who He is, namely, God. He was ridiculed, mocked, beaten, and crucified. Even so, His crucifixion was not contrary to God’s plan, it was His plan (Eph. 1). Through Jesus’ person, life, death, and subsequent resurrection from the tomb, we, sinful man, who deserve nothing but punishment, can have life, if we believe it is Jesus who reconciles us to God.

The Paradigm Shift

Here is the paradigm shift in the gospel message. It is not through our works, our goodness, or our own self-righteousness that we are reconciled to God (Eph. 2:8-9). We cannot clean ourselves up, thinking somehow our works will earn us favor with the Father. The Pharisees tried, but Jesus condemned them (Luke 11:37-44).

Even after salvation, we cannot earn favor with God through our works. God has poured out His grace on us. He has filled our grace tank full. Our works cannot add anything to the tank.

Even though our works cannot earn us favor with God, we often live as if they do. Thinking if I don’t read my Bible or pray first thing in the morning, somehow I have lost God’s favor, and His hand will not be upon me that day. The gospel tells us that type of thinking is wrong.

Even though it is wrong, that type of thinking is natural to us. It is how we are hardwired. We do something and we expect it to earn us something. Not so with God. Instead of living the Christian life to get something from God, which would be a way for us to control God.

We live the Christian life not to get something from God, but because we can.

When God saves us, He changes our heart, releases us from the bondage of sin, and provides us with the Holy Spirit, empowering us to follow His commands. Commands we follow, not because they will earn us favor with God, but commands we follow because we are now able to and desire to (Phil. 2:13).

Conclusion

The Scripture is often paradigm shifting. Taking what we think to be the case, and showing us what we thought was the way things are, is not how they are with God. The gospel is the greatest example of a shift from man’s model to God’ model. We often believe we have to earn our salvation, but God tells us we are freely given salvation. All we have to do is believe, which is also made possible through God giving us the faith to believe (Rom. 8:28-30).

Even after we are saved, we believe we have to do good works to keep our salvation, or we have to do good works to merit God’s favor. The gospel tells us that is simple not true. We have been saved by God’s grace and we are kept until the last day when He will pour out a final measure of His grace on us, bringing us into a state of glorification and ushering us into eternal life (1 Peter 1:13). There is no amount of works we could do to earn our salvation, and there are no amount of works we can do to keep our salvation, or merit God’s favor.

This does not mean we do not live differently as Christians. It means the reason we live differently is a complete paradigm shift from what we thought. We live differently because we are now able and willing to. When we are saved, we are released from the bondage of sin, given a new heart, new desires, and the Holy Spirit who empowers us to do the will of the Father. In short, we live the Christian life because we delight in God and God is most glorified when we are most happy in Him.

Resources

[1] John Calvin, The Institues, Book 1, Ch. 8, Sec. 2, pg 83.

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The Next Chapter

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Leadership, Pastoral8 Comments

This last Sunday I preached in view of a call at Sycamore Baptist Church. The Lord graciously revealed His will, which was that He was calling me to Sycamore Baptist as their Lead Pastor. I accepted the call, and I will be installed as their new pastor on February 5th. I am extremely humbled that the Lord has chosen to use me to lead His church. I consider it a privilege and honor to serve and lead the members of Sycamore Baptist Church in Decatur, TX.

Jen and I are both excited about this opportunity, and we are looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us and the church in the future. Please be in prayer for us as we make this transition to a new city and a new church.

You can specifically pray for us in the following ways:

  • Pray the Lord would give me the wisdom to lead His church.
  • Pray the Lord will reveal to me what I need to teach through both on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Bible Study.
  • Pray the Lord will bless us with young couples to befriend and invite to the church.
  • Pray the Lord will allow me to find a few men to meet with for accountability and discipleship.
  • Pray the Lord will allow the church to be a light to the community, reaching it for Christ.
  • Pray the Lord will allow our transition to a new city and church an easy one.

Building the Church: What is the End Goal?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral, PracticalLeave a comment

In Ephesians 4:7-16, Paul tells us Jesus gives gifts to the church for the building up of the body. Jesus gives gifts to the individual members of the church. He also calls some men, to become Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastor Teachers, and gives them as gifts to the church, in order to equip the saints for the work of ministry. The congregation, along with the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastor Teachers, are to build up the body of Christ. They are to work toward a certain end. It is that end that I want to focus on today.

You do not start a building project without first understanding what you are building, nor do you start building up the body of Christ without first understanding the goal in mind. What is that goal? Where are we as a congregation supposed to be headed? Paul provides the answer in verses 13-14 when he says,

Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

I believe we can pull three attributes out of these verses, which tell us where we are headed as a church, which is ultimately to maturity. Let’s look at the three characteristics of a mature church:

1. It is a church were everyone is unified because of a common faith and where everyone has a deep intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ

The first phrase Paul writes, “Unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God” has the idea that the entire congregation is united, they are one, because of their shared faith. As well as those in the congregation have an intimate and real knowledge of Christ, which is gained from seeing Him work in the body.

The psalmist is a good example of one who had an intimate knowledge of God. We often read of him crying out to God as his protector, comforter, and salvation. He sees God as a righteous judge and deliverer, as well as one who provides for the poor and the needy.

The psalmist does not know these things about God because he has studied them, even though he has, but he more so knows these things about God because he has experienced them first hand either in his life or in the life of those he knows.

Just like the Psalmist. As we see families in our congregation go through struggles and walk with them as Christ works in their lives, we come to know that Christ is faithful. As we see recent converts change their way of life, casting off addictions and clinging to the Savior, we come to know that Christ is better than our former way of life. As we see Christ work in the congregation, or in our own life, we develop a deep intimate knowledge of Him.

2. It is a church that resembles Christ in its thoughts, actions, and knowledge

Paul says we are to keep building up the body until we reach “mature manhood.” The idea is that we, as the body, are to become a well-built full grown man. What does a well-built full grown man look like? The next phrase tells us.

A well-build full grown man is one who, as Paul says, reaches the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” In other words, it is a church, where the entire congregation resembles Jesus in their  thoughts, actions, and knowledge.

3. It is a church that is able to discern false doctrine and combat those who desire to destroy the church through deceitful schemes

In verse 14, Paul gives us the reason for why we should grow in maturity, which also serves to tell us what it looks like to be a mature man. He says,

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

As we become unified and grow in our knowledge of Christ. And as we move toward being a full-grown man, one that resembles our glorified Savior, Jesus Christ, we should be able to discern false teaching and the schemes of those who seek to destroy the church.

Instead of being like children who are easily influenced, we are to be like full grown men capable of discerning what others are telling us. Instead of being like a rudderless boat that is tossed to and fro by every wave that comes by, we are to be like a stable ship, which is able to navigate rough waters with a clear path.

As we grow in our maturity, we, the entire church, are to be able to evaluate the latest doctrines and theological trends that try to pass themselves off as Christian teaching, as well as discover who it is that is trying to destroy the church. In doing so, we put ourselves in a position where we are able to protect the church.

The end product is three-fold:

(1) It is a church were everyone is unified because of a common faith and has a deep intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ.

(2) It is a church that resembles Christ in its thoughts, actions, and knowledge.

(3) It is a church that is able to discern false doctrine and combat those who desire to destroy the church through deceitful schemes.

Conclusion

To these ends, we, as a church, are to be building because they represent the final product of a mature church. In order to get there, it will take every member of the church exercising their God given gift. As well as we will need to speak the truth of God’s Word to each other in love (vs 15). May we, as a church, work together until we attain to this goal, knowing our work will not be fully complete until Jesus returns.

The Necessity of God’s Word

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

In my last two posts, I argued for the relevance of Scripture. You can check those out here: The Relevance of Scripture (Part 1) and The Relevance of Scripture (Part 2). In this post, I would like to argue for the necessity of God’s Word. God’s Word is necessary because it alone tells us about our Creator, Savior, and Lord. Creation alone can only take us so far. Without God’s written Word, we would not know who God is and what He has done for mankind.

John Calvin on Scripture

John Calvin, one of the greatest theologians of all times, writes in his institutes concerning Scripture. Here is what he says,

Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God. This, therefore, is a special gift, where God, to instruct the church, not merely uses mute teachers but also opens his own most hallowed lips. Not only does he teach the elect to look upon a god, but also shows himself as the God upon whom they are to look. He has from the beginning maintained this plan for his church…put[ting] forth his Word, which is a more direct and more certain mark whereby he is to be recognized [1].

From this, one should gather that God’s Word is a special gift. Scripture is a special gift because it instructs man as to who God is and how they are to live as a result. Without Scripture, man would not know God, nor would man know who he is, namely, a sinner in need of a Savior.

Creation Declares There is a God, But It is Not Enough

The Psalmist tells us creation declares there is a God, but creation itself is not enough, man needs Scripture to tell them who God, the Creator of the universe is. Read what David writes in Psalm 19:1-3:

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

Paul agrees with the Psalmist, but also tells us that man, even though he knows there is a God, does not worship Him as God. Here is what Paul has to say,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Rom. 1:18-21)

From this, we should see that man understands there is a God because creation evidences His handiwork, but because of man’s fallen nature he creates idols to worship. Instead of seeking the Creator of the world and worshipping Him, man fashions a god of his own making.

Even Though Man Knows God Exists, He Needs God’s Word

Paul’s visit to the Areopagus, where he found “an altar to the unknown god” is evidence man knows God exists (Acts 17:23). However, even though man knows God exists, he does not “know” Him because nature can only tell us there is a God, it cannot tell us anything personal about God, which is why the Psalmist continues in Psalm 19:7-11 saying,

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Without God’s Word, we would not understand His law, testimony, precepts, or commandments. In short, we would not know who God is, nor would we know we are sinners who are in need of a Savior (Rom. 3:21-23; see also Luke 24:27).

By Faith and By God’s Word We Know God

Before I conclude, I want to return once again to Calvin. Commenting on Hebrews 11:3, Calvin makes it evident man can only see God if he is illumined by God through faith. He says,

For this reason, the apostle, in that very passage where he calls the world the images of things invisible, adds that through faith we understand that they have been fashioned by God’s word [Heb. 11:3]. He means by this that the invisible divinity is made manifest in such spectacles, but that we have not the eyes to see this unless they are illumined by the inner revelation of God through faith [2].

So then, unless God illumines our eyes to see Him, we will not. And unless God provides us with His Word, then we are not able to truly “know” Him as our Creator, Lord, and Savior because it is His Word that tells us who God is and who we are. Calvin continues,

Nevertheless, all things will tend to this end, that God, the Artificer of the universe, is made manifest to us in Scripture, and that what we ought to think of him is set forth there, lest we seek some uncertain deity by devious paths [3].

Conclusion

So then, we see that unless we have God’s Word, we cannot know God as Creator, Savior, or Lord. We can only know there is a God, but the details about Him and about us are unknown. The only way we can come to know God is through His written, innerant, and inspired Word, known as the Bible. Therefore, the Word of God is not only relevant, it is necessary, for without it we are without knowledge of God and ourselves.

Resources

[1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. Mcneil, Book 1, Ch VI,I, pg 70
[2] Ibid., Book 1, Ch V, 14, pg 68.
[3] Ibid., Book 1, Ch V, 15, pg 69.

The Relevance of Scripture | Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Pastoral, Practical, Preaching1 Comment

In part 1 of this series, which you can read by clicking here, I gave my argument for why Scripture is relevant for us today. I concluded:

Scripture is relevant to us today because we deal with the same things those in biblical times dealt with.

Adam’s sin in the garden affected all mankind leaving us with a sinful nature (Gen. 3). Since we have a sinful nature, we not only sin, but are deficient, not understanding the way God would have us to live. The biblical writer understands man’s condition, and in his writings deals with man’s sins and deficiencies, the same sins and deficiencies we deal with today. Thus, understanding the sins, or deficiencies, a biblical writer is dealing with, and the commands, or counsel he offers, will provide us with the author’s purpose for writing the text, as well as it makes the text relevant for us today.

Where We are Headed Today

In what follows, I want to provide you with a few practical questions to ask in order to determine the author’s purpose. If we can find the author’s purpose, then we can determine what sins, or deficiencies, he was writing towards. This will help us to determine the FCF (Fallen Condition Focus), which is

The mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those to or about whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage for God’s people to glorify and enjoy him [1].

Once we determine the FCF, we are on our way to understanding how the passage relates to both biblical and modern times.

How do I Determine the Author’s Purpose?

In order to determine the author’s purpose you should ask these questions:

  • Why are these concerns addressed?
  • What causes this account, these facts, or the recording of these ideas?
  • What was the intent of the author?
  • For what purpose did the Holy Spirit include these words in Scripture? [2]

Example: Justification by Faith

For example, if the biblical writer brings up a particular doctrine, such as justification by faith, then you need to immediately ask why? Why did he brings this into the letter? It is not to provide his readers with a systematic theology lesson alone, he has a purpose.

The purpose could be that those whom he is writing were trying to earn their salvation through their works, were doubting the sufficiency of God’s grace, or they could have been afraid of God’s rejection because of a particular sin [3].

As you can see, there could be a number of reasons for writing about justification by faith, but you need to determine the particular reason for your text. Once you do so, you are on your way to determining the author’s purpose and the FCF he was writing toward.

An FCF Does Not Always = Sin

It is important you understand the FCF does not have to be a sin. We have deficiencies because of our sinful nature (fallen condition), which hinders us from living the way God would have us live. Bryan Chapell is helpful here when he says,

An FCF need not be something for which we are guilty or culpable. It simply needs to be an aspect or problem of the human condition that requires the instruction, admonition, and/or comfort of Scripture. Thus, an FCF is always phrased in negative terms. It is something wrong (though not necessarily a moral evil) that needs correction or encouragement from Scripture [4].

What are things other than sin that need to be addressed? Some examples could be:

  • Parenting from a biblical standpoint (Eph. 6:4)
  • Marriage (Eph. 5)
  • Sex (1 Cor. 7)
  • Grief (1 Pet. 1:6; 1 Thess. 4:13)
  • Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 12)
  • Prayer (1 Jn. 5:14)

These are not sins, but they are things we, as fallen man, need biblical instruction, admonition, and/or comfort concerning.

Application

After you have determined the author’s purpose for writing the text by determining the FCF of those to whom he is writing, you need to explore what he says about the FCF. How does he instruct his readers to handle their particular sin or deficiency? In other words, how does he apply the doctrine, instruction, command, or admonition to the FCF? Once we understand how the biblical writer applies the text to the lives of his readers, we can do the same to ours.

Specificity

When applying the text to your own life, or another you are close with, be specific. For example:

Instead of saying, “Prayer is so powerful it can save an individual from hell,” be specific by personalizing the truth. Say, “My prayer for my rebellious son is so powerful it can save my son from experiencing a life of sin, heartache, and eternal damnation” [5].

Specificity is a powerful tool because it drives the truth into the heart and causes one to act.

Conclusion

Understanding the author has a purpose for writing his text, and that purpose is to deal with man’s sins or deficiencies (FCF), the same sins and deficiencies we deal with today, helps us to see how a 4,000+ plus old text is still relevant for us today. Once you understand the FCF the author is writing toward, you can then take and apply his words to your own life. Your specific situation may look a little different than the situation in the biblical text, or it may not, but you can still take and apply that truth to your life.

This week, as you read through the text, I challenge you to start looking for the author’s purpose, the FCF he is writing towards, and how he is applying God’s truth to his readers lives. After which, you should apply that same truth to your own life. Doing so will help you to see how relevant the Bible really is, and will cause your passion and desire for Scripture to increase exponentially.

Resources

[1] Chapell, Bryan, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 50.
[2]Ibid, 48-49.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid, 51-52 .
[5] Ibid, 51.

Image: Adrian van Leen for openphoto.net CC:PublicDomain