Get More Out of Scripture Today

On August 13, 2015August 27, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Quotes1 Comment

I am convinced that the greatest devotional need for most of those reading this article – even those committed to spending time in the Bible every day – is to meditate on Scripture.

It seems a common experience for people to read the Bible and then, as soon as they close it, to forget everything they’ve read.

People are seldom changed by what they immediately forget.

Why Can’t We Remember?

Do most people somehow lack the mental equipment necessary to remember something they just read? I think the forgetfulness occurs mostly because people spend two or three seconds reading one verse, then two or three seconds with the next verse, and so on until they are finished. How much does anyone remember of thoughts they considered for just two seconds?

Reading the Bible was never intended to be the primary means of absorbing the Bible. Reading is the starting place, but meditation is the absorption of Scripture.

And it is the absorption of Scripture that leads to the experiences with God and the changes in our lives that we seek when we come to the Bible.

Why is Our Time In Scripture Not More Profitable?

The main reason more Christians don’t find their daily time in the Scriptures more profitable has little do with the strength of their memory, the level of they education, or their IQ; rather, the problem is very simple: a lack of meditation on Scripture.

How Do We Meditate on Scripture?

There are many ways to meditate on the text of Scripture, such as:

Repeating the verse or phrase with emphasis on a different word each time.
Rewriting the verse or phrase in your own words.
Looking for applications of the text.
Formulating a principle from it.
Asking what question is answered or problem is solved by it.
Praying through the text.
Select something from your reading and ask: “How does this text relate to the gospel and the Jesus?” Maybe you will select a single word, a character in the narrative, or the main idea of the passage. From it you may see, for instance, (a) something that shows our need for the gospel, or (b) an example that points to something Jesus is or (c) something Jesus did in an even greater way, or (d) an illustration of one of the effects of the gospel upon those who believe.

Challenge

If you spend just sixty seconds meditating on a verse of Scripture, do you realize that may be ten to twenty times as long as you would normally consider that verse? Reserve at least a minute in your Bible reading time today, choose a verse, and [meditate on it using one of the means above. You may start by] ask[ing], “How does this text relate to the gospel and to Jesus?”

Questions for Reflection

Do you spend time meditating on God’s Word?
How could meditating on God’s Word change the way you do your daily devotional reading?

Resources

Table Talk Magazine, Seeing the Gospel in the Word of God, by Donald Whitney, February 26-27, 2011 (headings and bullets mine)

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Surviving the Challenges of the Pastorate

On August 12, 2015August 10, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral2 Comments

If you think back over your life, there are bound to be a few days you hold as special; days that have shaped you. In my life there are a little more than a handful of days that are extremely special to me; days I will never forget.

Those days include: High School, College, and Seminary graduation. The day my wife and I were married. The birth of our two sons – Camden and Bryson. My call to the pastorate, and the day I was ordained. Those are all special days for me. Days I will never forget. Days that have shaped my life.

While each of those days were joyous occasions, each also brought with them new challenges. One day, or one journey, that has been joyous yet challenging is the call to the pastorate. I have been extremely blessed by the people I pastor, but I have also been extremely challenged.

For the those who are thinking of entering the pastorate, just starting out, or are seasoned pastors there are three things that will help you survive the challenges of the pastorate.

Surviving the Challenges of the Pastorate

(1) Love Jesus

You must love Jesus above anything else in your life. When you love Jesus more than anything else, you will pursue Him more than anything else. It is necessary that you pursue Jesus because you will need Him to strengthen you for the task at hand.

There will be times when you will have to console those who are hurting, pray for those who are sick, apply godly counsel and wisdom to sensitive and difficult situations in the church, and much more. You can’t do those things in your own power, nor must you attempt to. Doing so is the surest way to set yourself and your church up for failure.

So in order for you to serve the Lord in the way He has called you to serve Him, you will need to love Jesus more than anything else in your life, so that you will pursue Him to a greater extent than anything else in this world.

When I talk about pursuing Jesus, I mean for you to pursue Him in prayer, Bible study, and worship. Which are all necessary if you are going to lead and serve the church according to God’s Will.

In order to know God’s will, you must be in His Word as often as possible. In order to apply His will, you must pray. In order to grow in your love for God so that you will continue to pursue Him more and more in prayer and Bible study, you need to worship the Lord, so that your affections are stirred for Him more and more each and everyday.

Let me encourage you to make it a point to read God’s Word as often as you have opportunity. Not just for sermon preparation, but for personal devotion. Allow God to nurture your own soul as you meet with Him daily in His Word.

Pray each and every time you have a question to answer, a situation to handle, a decision to make, or a sermon to write.

Be involved in the worship service, attentive and worshipping alongside your congregation. It is easy to find projects to complete, people to talk to, or notes to review before you step in the pulpit. Avoid doing those things and worship alongside your congregation, not only as an example to them of the importance of worship, but also for your own soul.

As well as take moments throughout your day to worship the Lord for the many ways He is working in your life, for the awe of His creation, and the prayers He has answered in your life and the life of your church.

(2) Love Your Church

Love is an interesting word in our modern vocabulary. By it people often mean they have a certain feeling about someone or something, which usually arises because that something or someone makes them feel good. So for instance when I say I love coffee. What I really mean is that it makes me feel good, so good that it invokes a response out of me.

However, when I talk about loving the church, I don’t have that same type of love in mind. Instead I have in mind the love that Christ has for us. In 1 John 3:16, we read,

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 Jn 3:16)

Jesus’ love for us is self-sacrificial, and it is not based on feelings or what we can do for Him. We know that is true because Jesus died for us while we were His enemies (Rom. 5:7-8).

It is important we have that type of love for the church because there will be times when the church doesn’t make us feel good. But here is the thing, we aren’t called to serve the church, to love it’s people, to only give of our time, money, and resources when they are making us feel good. Instead, we are called to love the church at all times regardless of how it makes us feel.

Unless you love your church with the same self-sacrificial love that Christ has for us, you will not stick in there. The first bout of controversy, difficulty, or lack of perceived success that can easily creep in will cause you to give a little less of your time, your emotions, and your heart to the people you are called to serve. It might even cause you to start looking elsewhere for greener pastures.

(3) Love Your Family

With all the demands that are put on you in the work of ministry, the one thing that is easy to but something you can’t do is neglect your own families. You must love, care for, and continue to nurture them, even while you are loving and serving the church.

In fact, you should see your family as your first church. The way you love, serve, and minister to them should be a reflection of how you will love and serve your second church – the one you are called to pastor. So don’t neglect your families to do the work of ministry.

This is something I have had to learn in my ministry. I love pastoring, teaching, and preaching. In the past, I have neglected my family to do those things. Thankfully, by the grace of God I learned quickly that was not the way things should be. As a result, I quickly set some parameters. Parameters my wife helps me to keep.

So yes, love your church, sacrifice for and serve your church, but don’t do it to the neglect of your family because your family is your first church and there is nothing more important than taking care of them.

I am convinced that if you do these three things – (1) Love Jesus, (2) Love your Church, and (3) Love your Family – you will be an effective pastor, who will serve the church well for many years to come.

Question for Reflection

What advice would you offer to those facing the unique challenges of pastoral ministry?

Resource

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How Do We Run the Race to Win the Prize?

On August 10, 2015August 7, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical2 Comments

In my last post, we learned Christians must not give up. We must keep pressing forward. Despite set backs, road blocks, and distractions, we must, as Paul tells us, run the race of the Christian life to win the prize (1 Cor 9:24). But how? How are we to run?

How Do We Run Race to Win the Prize?

(1) Winning the prize takes assurance and motivation that comes through continued self-control

In an effort to lose some weight and fit into my clothes better, I have been working out, eating healthy, and cutting the sweets out. The first two aren’t hard for me. I like working out and we generally eat healthy at my house. I, however, have a sweet tooth.

Cutting sweets out of my diet is a battle for me. One sweet that is particularly tough for me to give up is ice cream. If there is ice cream in the freezer, every time I walk by it I want to open it up and indulge. The urge becomes especially strong at night when I am relaxing on the couch watching TV.

Lately, I have been winning the battle, but there are times I lose. There are times when I lack self-control, which is ok every now and again. But if I want to win the diet battle, I have to exercise self-control, self-discipline more often than not. As I continue to exercise self-control and self-discipline, my assurance that I will win the diet battle grows, which motivates me to keep pressing on.

Paul tells us something similar. He tells us that if we want to finish the race of the Christian life and win the prize, we have to exercise self-control and self discipline, as we do our assurance that we will finish the race grows, which provides us with motivation to keep running (1 Cor. 9:25a; 27).

One way we can exercise self-control is by having a greater desire to please God than ourselves. I don’t know about you but my desire for God grows when I remember what Jesus has done for me in the gospel.

The gospel message tells us that Jesus saves us from the wrath of God by absorbing our sins on Himself and dying the death we deserve. As well as it tells us Jesus defeated sin’s reign over our lives, allowing us to resist its temptation and exercise self-control.

As we remind ourselves of the gospel, preaching it to ourselves, a sense of gratitude towards God and a desire to please Him should grow in our hearts. Our affections should be for God and not sin. When our affections, our desires, are more for God than sin, we will exercise self-control, resisting the desires of the flesh, which should give us assurance and motivation to keep running the race.

(2) Winning the prize takes focus

Muhammed Ali was famous for his saying, “I float like a butterfly. I sting like a bee.” Those two qualities allowed him not only to make quick work of his opponents with his pounding punches, but it also allowed him to make his opponents look foolish for striking the air instead of him.

Paul tells us if we want to finish the race and win the prize, we can’t be like Muhammed Ali’s opponents. We can’t flail around the ring, “beating the air” or running aimlessly (1 Cor. 9:26). Instead we have to box as one determined to knock their opponent out, and we have to run as one determined to win the race. In order to do that, we must be focused.

What we need to be focused on is Christ and the eternal heavenly reward awaiting us, so that we will keep our eye on the prize and stay on the track.

(3) Winning the prize also takes us heeding the warning of the past

Israel had a troubled history. One littered with fall after fall. What was at the heart of Israel’s sin was their pride. They thought they didn’t need the Lord, that they knew better, that they had it all figured out. They, however, were wrong, and their many falls prove it.

In fact, all of us are wrong if we believe we have it all figured out. Proverbs 11:2 tells us that,

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Pr 11:2)

And Proverbs 16:18 says,

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Pr 16:18)

Those who think they know better than the Lord, that they don’t need Him, that they have it all figured out will not succeed. They will fall. You see, if we are going to finish this race, if we are going to win the prize, we can’t go at alone. We must depend on God. We must look to Him for how we are to live. We must humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to lead us.

(4) Winning the prize takes us resisting temptation

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul says,

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor 10:13)

Paul delivers to us a wonderful promise from God. A promise that tells us we don’t have to sin; we can resist temptation.

We can resist temptation because God makes a way of escape. In other words, He doesn’t allow us to get in a situation where we are forced to sin. We always have a choice.

John Piper commenting on this verse says,

“You can endure any temptation if you are relying upon and delighting in God more than what you are being tempted towards. A sufficient reason of obedience will always be given in the time of temptation.”

Then he goes on to say,

“Some kind of evidence that God is preferable to the sin we are tempted with will be given…That evidence might be:

(1) Remembering a threat, command, or promise God has made in His Word.

(2) Recalling an experience we have had of God’s kindness.

(3) Receiving a word of encouragement about God’s glory and beauty from a friend.”[1]

God will always provide us a way of escape. If that is true, the real question is: Do we want to escape the temptation and please God, or do we want to succumb to the temptation so we can please ourselves? That is what it comes down to — who we desire to please – God or self?

If we desire to please God, if we delight in God, then we will be able to resist temptation because God always provides a way of escape for us.

(5) Winning the prize takes us fleeing idols

We can’t be united to Christ and an idol. We can only worship one thing. If we choose an idol over God, we are in jeopardy of running of the track and not finishing the race.

What is an idol?

An idol is anything we allow to take the place of God in our lives. It’s those things we give the most weight to, or think are necessary for life and happiness. Ultimately, an idol is anything that stands between us and God, hindering our relationship with Him because we are giving it our love, affections, and worship instead of God.

How do you know what your idol is?

Think about what you give your:

Attention
Time
Money
What you sacrifice for
What you can’t live without

That which fits those categories could be an idol in your life. It could be the thing that is stealing your affections, love, and worship away from God.

Paul tells us if we want to finish the race, we have to flee idols. We have to run from them toward God, allowing Him alone to satisfy us (1 Cor. 10:14).

Question for Reflection

What are some other ways to run the race to win the prize?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon Run the Race to Win the Prize which you can listen to in its entirety here.

[1] John Piper, The Sovereignty of God and the Sin of the Believer, found at: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-sovereignty-of-god-and-the-sin-of-the-believer

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Run the Race of the Christian Life to Win the Prize

On August 7, 2015August 3, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical1 Comment

Dan Jansen was always close with his sister – in fact it was she who suggested he become a speed skater. In 1988 his dream came true when he made it to the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. With just hours to go to his first race he informed his sister had died.

Of course, the news of his sister’s death stunned and devastated Jansen, but he decided to compete anyways. His sister had encouraged him to be a speed skater and supported him along the way to his Olympic dreams. It is what she would have wanted.

As he raced across the ice that day, grief proved to be too much. He feel in both races, dashing his hopes of winning the gold.

Although he was grieved and defeated, Jansen decided he couldn’t quit. He continued to chase the gold. In 1992, he came back to the Winter Olympics hoping to win, but the gold eluded him once again. Still undeterred he set to train for the next Olympic games. Finally, in 1994, all his effort paid off. He not only won the gold in the 1,000 meter but he also set a new world record.

Jansen succeeded because he didn’t give up. Despite all the set backs he kept pressing forward toward the prize.

Likewise, as Christians we must not give up. We must keep pressing forward. Despite set backs, road blocks, and distractions, we must, as Paul tells us, run the race of the Christian life to win the prize (1 Cor 9:24).

Run the Race of the Christian Life to Win the Prize

Paul, using an image from the Isthmian Games held in Corinth, says in 1 Corinthians 9:24

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one received the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”(1 Cor. 9:24)

Now when Paul says this, he doesn’t mean to imply only one of us will win the prize, that is pressing Paul’s image too far. Instead what Paul wants us to do is run the race of the Christian life in such a way that we will win the prize.

When I was in elementary school, I was one of the fastest kids in the school — it was a small school. I remember one year I was cocky. I knew I was faster than everyone else, so on the first race of the heat I held back; I didn’t give it my all. I still came in first, but when I went to brag to my teacher about how I had just won he said, “You didn’t win by much. You better step it up, or you won’t make it to the finals.”

My teacher taught me something in that moment. He taught me that I didn’t have it in the bag and that I had to give it my all, I had to run so as to obtain the prize.

Christians must do the same. We have to run so as to win the prize. We can’t give a half effort. We can’t be lackadaisical about our Christian walk. If we are, we may not cross the finish line and win the prize.

Not Works Based

In saying we have to run in such a way so as to obtain the prize, Paul is not advocating a works based salvation. Paul is holding a tension between Christ’s work and our work. Yes, those who are Christ’s will finish the race, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work to finish it.

The encouraging part of running the Christian race is that we don’t have to run it in our own power. At salvation, not only is our heart created anew, which causes us to desire to run for Christ, but we are also empowered by God to run. In Philippians 2:12b-13, Paul tells us to:

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12b-13)

Do you see what Paul is saying? We are to work out our own salvation – run with all our might, striving for the finish line – but we don’t run in our own power or alone. God runs with us, empowering us by changing our will, causing us to want to work to please Him, and giving us the strength to press on. What a glorious truth!

What is the Prize?

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor 9:25)

Once again using an image from the Isthmian Games, Paul tells us our prize is greater than any earthly prize because: It is not perishable, but imperishable. It’s not temporary, but eternal. It’s not a laurel wreath, but a crown. Our prize, the prize we run the race to receive, is eternal life.

Since our prize is so great, we should give it our all. We shouldn’t run the race at half-speed, but full steam ahead until we cross the finish line.

Question for Reflection

Are you running the race to win the prize?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon Run the Race to Win the Prize which you can listen to in its entirety here.

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How & Why We Need to Live Out the Golden Rule

On August 5, 2015July 29, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical7 Comments

We all know the Golden Rule. It is found in Matthew 7:12. There Jesus says,

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

While we have all recited this rule throughout our life, do we know what it really means?

For this is the Law and Prophets

In order to answer the question, we have to start with the last phrase, “For this is the Law and Prophets.” Later on in Matthew we come across a conversation Jesus has with a Lawyer who asks Him what is the greatest commandment.

In response to the question, Jesus says,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

It is important we start with this phrase because Jesus’ commandment in verse 12 is another way to summarize the command. We can’t do unto others as we would have them do unto us without first loving God and then loving others.

The reason we need to love God before we can love others has to do with our heart. Before our heart is penetrated by the gospel we are enemies of God. We don’t love Him, we hate Him.

After our heart is pierced by the gospel, a change takes place. We no longer see God as our enemy. Instead we love Him, which is crucially important because only after we love God, will we obey His command to love others and practice the Golden Rule.

Positive, Not Negative

The second thing we need to look at in order to understand the Golden Rule is the nature of Jesus’ command. His command is given in the positive, not the negative.

Instead of not doing what we don’t want done to us. Jesus tells us we are to do to others what we would want them to do to us.

In other words, if you want others to…

Serve you
Love you
Care for you
Give to you
Be nice to you
Respect you
Honor you
Listen to you
Learn from you
Hold you accountable
Comfort you
Counsel you
etc

…then you do these things to them. In the way we want to be treated, we are to treat others, which is the Golden Rule.

Easier Said Than Done

I know it is easier said than done. It is easy to not do what we don’t want done to us. For instance:

If we don’t want others to steal from us, we don’t steal from them.
If we don’t want others to hurt our families, we don’t hurt theirs.
If we don’t want others to aggravate us, we don’t aggravate them.

It is much easier for us not to do what we don’t want done to us because of the benefit we receive.

It is much harder, however, to do what we want others to do for us because we don’t always benefit. We may do and do, but never see any return. Here is why love is necessary.

True Love

True love is not built around our emotions, getting what we want, or what makes us happy. The culture defines love in that way. The Bible, however, defines love as self-sacrifice, which means we don’t always get what we want. When we are not getting what we want, it is harder to live by the Golden Rule.

The golden rule, however, isn’t about us getting what we want. Jesus doesn’t give it so we can be selfish. He gives it because He wants us to understand what it looks like to truly love one another.

Salt and Light

When we live out the golden rule, truly love others, we live as salt and light to the world. We are a witness for the gospel because we live in a way the world doesn’t because the world doesn’t give without getting.

Not only are we a witness to the power of the gospel when we live out the Golden Rule, but we also promote peace and societal flourishing. In other words, we make the world a better place, and give others a glimpse of what the world to come will look like simple by doing unto others what we would have them do to us.

Questions for Reflection

Do you truly live by the Golden Rule?
What would you add to the discussion here about the Golden Rule?
Do you agree or disagree with my explanation and application?

The Soul Shaping Reality of the Gospel

On August 3, 2015July 29, 2015 By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Quotes4 Comments

We need a little perspective here. Our situation in the U.S.A., relative to Christians elsewhere, is not unusually difficult. It is true that we are now moving away from a time when Christianity has had some cultural acceptance. After all, consider how popular it has been to be “born again.”

But let us remember that outside the U.S.A., there are Christians who live under tyrannies, such as from Islam, or in extreme poverty, or surrounded by horrible political corruption, or are subject to rampant crime. Our situation is really not that bad!

What the Message Isn’t

What it requires is that we have some conviction about biblical truth, some savvy about the culture in which we are living, and the spine to preserve our identity as believers.

It is a temptation to think that by being nice and accommodating we can make the Christian gospel seem like a great little addition to everyone’s life.

But the gospel is not a great little addition. It is a soul-shaking, costly demanding reality. The church cannot hide this fact!

The gospel is not about self-therapy. Despite our pressured, taut, nerve jangling age, the Christian message is not there just to make us feel better about ourselves or more able to cope.

What the Message Is

It is about coming before our great God and Savior, confessing our sins, entrusting ourselves to Him, and surrendering our claim upon ourselves to Him.

What is Needed

What is most needed, and what is most lacking in the church, is a little character in differentiating its message from self-help therapies and marketing strategies. Our deficiency is not that we lack the right technique. It is that we often don’t have a real alternative.