Gospel Incomplete

The topic of the gospel has been mentioned in numerous conversations as of late. Not that any of us can adequately grasp the completeness & complexity of the gospel, yet those I speak with agree that for years something has been missing in our "gospel." Or, if not "missing" in our gospel, there seems to be something "incomplete" or "misguided." I'll do my best to organize some thoughts I have been having:

Coming from a Baptist background (the last 8 years or so), I learned that some denominations were liberal based upon the portions of Scripture that were stressed. For example, those who focused too much upon social aspects of the gospel were liberal, not stressing enough doctrine. Yet, there were those who were strict on Bible teaching & yet permitted drinking responsibly...liberal. In Seminary, I heard a pastor of a very prominent Baptist Church in the mid-South who had written his PhD. dissertation on the topic of "elders is in the church." According to Dr. B (code-name), "elder rule is directly from the pit of hell"; churches that have elders are...liberal. By majoring on these issues I feel like we have made God look small & petty. 

What am I not saying? 

• I am not saying that we shouldn't adopt a creed or doctrine. Actually, I think we should have very inflexible aspects to our beliefs. I agree with Mohler who said, "it is nonsense to say Christianity is about Jesus without confessing who Jesus is...we must declare what Scripture declares concerning Jesus." 
  
• I am also not saying that the entire counsel of God is not beneficial (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet, you & I both know that certain preachers stress certain aspects of the gospel & favor specific mandates above others. 
• I am also not saying that the church doesn't have a prophetic voice in the world, declaring to the world God's judgment against sin. 

What I am saying?

• Consider that far too many people in my church (& yours as well) believe the gospel is about the minimal entry requirements to get you into heaven when you die. As John Ortberg said, trusting Jesus has meant "are you counting on a certain arrangement that got made so that you can go to heaven when you die?" If this is what Jesus taught, then I have been reading the wrong Bible. 
• People are confused & lost. As a result, many are fundamental about issues that are highly important but yet they are forgetting some of the most important commands. I believe many have been given false assurance of salvation & believe that to be moral is to be saved. As Brennan Manning stated last week, "How many times have you heard anyone say, 'Wow, those Christians really love one another. Rather, we are only known for our opposition to abortion & homosexuality." 
• Jesus speaks of both our social responsibility to the "least of these" & the poor as well as the Great Commission of discipleship. I love what Greg Pinkner said, "the church must care for those in need because it is the best way to remind us of what Christ has done for us." 

A few ideas on what I would hope to see:

• Stress the sovereignty of God in all things & proclaim the gospel. Mohler said, "If true gospel has content, it is irreducible, it is non-negotiable, it is glorious. It saves. It is the gospel that redeems." 
• Find theological "non-negotiables, absolute essentials, unconditional assertions," aka doctrine & bind it to social responsibility. Not either/or but both/and. 
• Have churches that are birthed out of mission rather than dissension. I would dare say that the majority of churches in my region were planted due to irreconcilable differences with their "former" church. Many of these churches need to "die & be born as a mission" (Schuller). I may be naive but I sincerely believe that if our churches (specifically leaders) would demonstrate a missional lifestyle, many of our narcissistic idols could be destroyed. 
• Develop a curriculum of teaching within our churches that allowed church members the opportunity to hear the whole counsel of God. Instead of preaching on random texts every week which can be confusing when you try to piece it all together, why not develop a curriculum for Scripture teaching. 
• People need to hear even the portions of Scripture that are very difficult to hear. When is the last time you heard a preacher stress Jesus' teaching "it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven"? Have we forgotten that if we make over $1500/month, we are in the top 3% of the wealthy in the world. If anyone is rich, surely it is us. We need to take inventory of what we really "need" & give away a bunch of stuff/possessions & take responsibility for the poor, orphaned, widowed, etc. in our backyard & overseas. 
• New generations are going to challenge our thinking in how we view the gospel. We must be prepared to have our minds enlightened to Scripture & how it is lived out. 

I could go on & on. I am not pointing fingers unless first the finger is in my face. I just know that there needs to be reform in our churches. I believe this is slowly but gradually taking place. If anything, I hope to be a part of a people who are taking Jesus' teachings literally, even the ones that cause me "sacrifice." But, I am sure I will echo with the great missionary Hudson Taylor who said, "I never made a sacrifice." A life given in abandoned service to Christ is your "best life now". 

Please join the discussion. 

May the Lord interrupt our lives...

I would like to share with you a prayer that has meant a great deal to me lately as I have prayed to God that He would interrupt my life. 

May all your expectations be frustrated.

May all your plans be thwarted.

May all your desires be withered into nothingness.

That you may experience the powerlessness & the poverty of a child & sing & dance in the love of God the Father, the Son, & the Spirit. 

--Henri Nouwen

A Song I Couldn't Sing

Years ago a worship song was released by Vineyard called, "Breathe." As a worship leader, I used to kind of avoid doing this song. At the time I wasn't quite sure why, but I always had trouble singing it. It wasn't because it was a difficult song to sing vocally or a tough one to play on the guitar. No, it was & is the lyrics that led it to become the song I couldn't sing. Consider the lyrics:

This is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me.

This is my daily bread, this is my daily bread, Your very word spoken to me.

And I, I'm desperate for You. And I, I'm lost without You. 

There is nothing within the lyrics that I disagree with in my belief, creed, or theology. It is only in my living (practical theology) that I tend to ignore my desperation for God. Although I am crucially aware of my desperation for God as literal sustainer of life, I often live in such a way as Nietzsche metaphorically stated, "God is dead." 

And this I know, that God is the only One who is truly alive. And, I am learning to sing this song with new life. The last thing I ever wanted to do was lead songs for my congregation that made them hold promises or confessions that they never intended to live out (see Ecclesiastes 5:4-7). I suppose that is why I prefer songs that make a great deal of God's sovereignty & power--that we are not dependent upon our performance, rather God's mercy. 

I am desperate for God. And you are desperate for God. And everyone is desperate for God. If only we lived this way. 

This past Friday night I sat in the balcony of a large church auditorium & beneath me were roughly 600 men & women who were in recovery of either drug or alcohol addiction. As we worshipped together I couldn't help but sense the overwhelming presence of God. I thought to myself, "I have finally come to a service where there are none righteous & they realize it." Everyone there knew they were barely hanging on & were desperate for God to do something. Without God showing up, there was no hope for these people. All they would look forward to is sinking back into addiction & pain. I couldn't help but weep. 

Then...I returned Sunday to my church. As I led our congregation in worship, I felt like I was in another world. Rather than sensing a spirit of desperation, I sensed a spirit of self-righteousness. In general, the people of our church do not "need" God. This too made me weep, yet in a totally different way. 

Stay hungry, stay foolish!

Lunch with Brennan

As many of you know, my life has been fundamentally impacted by the writings of author Brennan Manning. So much so, my son's name is John Brennan. As a new Christian, I happened to pick up his book, A Ragamuffin Gospel, & my life would never be the same. I read numerous stories of God's redeeming grace & how it changed peoples' lives. I read of Brennan's journey as he volunteered to be a prisoner in order to share God's love toward the inmates. Again, of the time when he served the homeless by becoming homeless. Also, I read stories of how the religious became disciples of Jesus, prostitutes who became loyal wives & mothers, prisoners whose spiritual chains were broken, alcoholics who became pastors, & more. Personally, God revealed to me through Brennan's writing that I could come to God as I am, not as I should be. I found freedom from legalism & accepted Christ's invitation to mercy. Even at this moment, I find it hard to adequately express what his writings have done for me. I have a deeper love because Brennan helped me realize the expanse of God's grace. 

So, as a gift from my wife, she found out that Brennan Manning was going to be in Birmingham this weekend & contacted the host organization, thefreedomsource.com, to arrange my registration for the conference. (The director, Sandor Cheka, was very gracious & a pleasure to meet. We are about the same age & I was totally encouraged by his work to form the Addiction Coalition). When I arrived, I was met by the staff of Freedom Source & they allowed me some personal time with Brennan. In fact, I had the opportunity to have a brief lunch with him, just the two of us. May I share with you my journal entry from Friday:

"Its Octover 24th & I drove down to Birmingham this morning to see & meet one of my heroes of the faith--Brennan Manning. I was so nervous on the trip down because I wanted to find him as graceful as I had always imagine (or sensed from his books). By an act of grace from the Lord, I was privileged to sit & visit with him over a brief lunch. I told him that through his books, he has been a mentor to me & has helped heal my image of God & self. I was so grateful for the moment he turned to me, placed his hand on my forearm & said, "I am so glad you are here!" I couldn't agree more. Thank the Lord for His kindness--He made a dream of mine come true." 

Conversation before lunch:

Myself & Brennan Manning

Scripture Meditation as a Spiritual Discipline

The past few weeks at church my pastor has been teaching on the topic of Scripture Meditation as a Discipline for Spiritual Growth. If you know me very well, you would realize that this is very exciting for me. Something about spiritual growth & the disciplines gets my blood pumping. 

One of the comments that Wayne stated was, "multi-tasking is not a virtue." As I received his instruction I couldn't help but think, "he just called me out." Regardless of his intention, I was reminded that I am practically always multi-tasking. Let me offer some examples of my common behaviors: I read while watching television; I type while talking on the phone; I journal while listening to music or a sermon; I listen to music while mowing or driving or working; I work on a minimum of 3-4 projects at a time; I read approximately 3-4 books at a time. In summary, rarely does anything have my full attention. This is not a virtue. 

I suppose many spiritual disciplines are helping me realign with God's values. For example, taking a sabbath rest is helping me cease from trying to create anything & simply enjoy God's good gift of today. Journaling is helping me voice prayers to God that I wouldn't normally say (I am not that talkative of a person). But currently, the discipline of scripture meditation is probably most beneficial. I ask myself the question, "what do I spend most of my time thinking about?" Well, when I have not spent time reading & internalizing God's word, the answer is dreadful. Yet, when I fill my mind with God's precepts...I am refreshed. Consider just a few passages:

"And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; & I will meditate on Your statutes." Psalm 119:48

"I will extol You, my God, O King, & I will bless Your name forever & ever. 

Every day I will bless You, & I will praise Your name forever & ever.

Great is the Lord, & highly to be praised, & His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise Your works to another, & shall declare Your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty & on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, & I will tell of Your greatness.

They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness & will shout joyfully of Your righteousness." Psalm 145:1-7

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your sons & shall talk of them when you sit in your house & when you walk by the way & when you lie down & when you rise up. 

You shall bind them as a sign on your hands & they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house & on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9

May we give ourselves the gift of Scripture meditation. Let it be something that we schedule into our daily/weekly routine. Surely we will be changed & our character reformed as the instrument of God's word works in our hearts. 

Ben Finch

Abandoning Outcomes pt.2

When we abandon outcomes, not only do we rest in what God may accomplish through us, but also we find peace in what Christ may accomplish in us. Specifically, I am speaking of God's sanctifying work in the life of the believer through the written law & the Spirit's work (consider Psalm 19:7-14, Psalm 119, Hebrews 4:12). 

When we receive, study, & internalize God's word (the law of the Lord), "there is nothing lacking in it for its intended purpose" (Willard, Rev. of Character, 167); it "restores the soul." Consider this: "Nothing in the Old Testament suggests that what the law does in the human heart is a human accomplishment. Rather, all benefit is ascribed to the law itself and to its giver...The benefit of the law would be a loss if we viewed it as something we must achieve on our own. For in attempting to use the law in this way, we will throw ourselves back into the position of self-idolatry, attempting to exploit the law as a tool for managing ourselves and God" (Willard, 167). The law can become a tool of self-righteousness rather than an instrument of grace. 

Willard graciously stated, "The presence of the Spirit and his grace is not meant to set the law aside but to enable conformity to it from an inwardly transformed personality...we cannot separate spirit from law, though we must separate spirit and law from legalism--righteousness in terms of actions" (Willard, 167). 

What is the point? The point is that our aim should be obedience to the word of God in the Spirit and power of Jesus. As Christ is formed within us, our actions will be more like His. We cannot produce Christ-likeness anymore than we can save our own souls; it is the work of Christ. Otherwise, we may become proud, self-righteous, and a bigot--walking around thanking God that we are not like "those sinners." We must see for ourselves the depths of our own "total" depravity so that we may catch a glimpse of the magnitude of His grace toward us (refer to Ephesians 2). 

Yet, I must remind us that grace is not opposed to effort but achievement. We must continually pursue spiritual disciplines as a means by which God does and will demonstrate His sanctifying work. Only realize that any real growth or success in sanctification (becoming more like Christ) is a product of God's grace working within you. If you boast of your "achievement", you are a "glory-robber," taking credit for something you have not done. 

May He fashion within us a heart after His own. 

"The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalm 119:8)

Abandoning Outcomes pt. 1

Question: Will you trust God enough to quit attempting to manipulate outcomes? 

In other words, do you believe that you are clever (also substitute persuasive, smart, godly, etc.) enough to accomplish what only the Spirit of God may accomplish? I believe we all fall prey to these thoughts.  

Yet, there is so much peace that comes when we trust God & that He is going to do what is right. In this, we accept that within ourselves, we cannot make anything turn out right; we abandon the outcomes to God. (Willard, Rev. of Character, 165). This allows us to trust in the sovereignty of God. I personally find great satisfaction that after I have poured out myself in worship & work that I am utterly dependent upon Him to accomplish growth. 

I struggled for years in ministry as I "burned at both ends" trying to accomplish something that might merit God's favor. What I soon realized is that the only favor I was really trying to receive was that of being recognized by colleagues, church members, & others as a sort of Christian spiritual prodigy. Therefore, I poured out much energy that may not have had any eternal value whatsoever. I now call it pride. 

I suppose at the heart of trusting God is the virtue of humility. Angela of Foligno stated, "One of the signs by which a man may know that he is in a state of grace is this--that he is never puffed up." Further, Willard said, "Humility is the great secret of rest for the soul because it does not presume to manipulate outcomes" (166).  

My dear friends, work in the service of Christ with all your heart & be obedient even to the point of life's end. But, trust the outcomes to God & the peace of Christ will release all anxiety. "Because of the Christ revealed in the Bible, we know that God is good" (166). 

Tomorrow: Abandoning Outcomes pt. 2

Also, stay tuned for a link to a free download of my book, A Remarkable Practice, in digital (.pdf) format. I would love your insight. 

Sin lives in a costume.

I am not one to dress up for Halloween anymore; I guess I have grown out of it. Yet I haven't put away my costumes, in fact, I have become quite the expert in masquerading. Actually, I have taken it to a whole new level--the many costumes I (& you) have of self-righteousness. 

DP Tripp says, "Sin lives in a costume." I concur. Consider Tripp's findings of the "sin costumes" that we wear: 

"Impatient yelling wears the costume of a zeal for truth. Lust can masquerade as a love for beauty. Gossip does its evil work by living in the costume of concern and prayer. Craving for power and control wears the mask of biblical leadership. Fear of man gets dressed up as a servant heart. The pride of always being right masquerades as a love for biblical wisdom." (32). 

I suppose very few of us will "dress up" to celebrate halloween & its activities. Yet, I wonder how many of us dress up every day? I submit that we all do. And I reflect that we will never see ourselves for who we are until we are exposed by the Word of truth (a mirror) & the sincere love of those we live in community with. Otherwise, as Tripp says, "We're all too skilled at looking at our own wrong and seeing good...sin causes us not to hear or see ourselves with accuracy." (32). 

People desire to be different but not disciplined; it must begin with the discipline of accurate self-awareness. 

A love for God's Word

Consider Psalm 119:41-48:

May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord,

Your salvation according to Your word;

So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word.

And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, 

For I wait for Your ordinances.

So I will keep Your law continually, forever & ever.

And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.

I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings & shall not be ashamed.

I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love.

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love;

And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Lately, I have been reflecting on my love for God--specifically His word. It must be true that even love for Him is a gift from Him. I find myself desiring to read His word more & finding greater discontent when I settle for something far less satisfying (e.g. tv shows, internet, etc.). Yet, as I read the psalm above, I can't help but wish I had a passion for God as David did; it seemed to consume him. A certain line in this psalm (v.46) has been haunting me lately. It has to do with being ashamed of God's word. I don't typically assume myself as one who is ashamed of much anything, yet I find a sense of shame sometimes "well up" within me. In my book, A Remarkable Practice, I share the gospel & speak of the importance of our relationship with & to God. I do this because I firmly believe that people would experience vastly more fulfilled lives if God's grace & redemption were working in their lives. Of lately, I have had the opportunity to present this for a group at the University of Indiana & this past weekend in Phoenix for a group of doctors & staff. It is in these settings that I sometimes feel like apologizing for God's word & what it says about me & you & everyone. I admit, sometimes I would rather be regarded by my audience rather than God Himself; this is disturbing. 

Yet, there is hope. I find myself growing in confidence the more I speak of God's love to others. It is for this reason I have pursued this path anyways--to share Christ & Him crucified. Even now I am encouraged by the opportunity to present the gospel to many who may never grace the presence of my church. What a privilege! May God grant us the privilege to "speak of Your testimonies before kings & shall not be ashamed." May our love for God far outweigh our desire to please men. May we pursue Him with fervency & ignite a passion for His word! As David said, "I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love." 

Dear friends, worship God!

Sustained by Grace

You must read this paragraph; it can change your life. I have always struggled with our role in accepting God's grace, in other words, "how do we actively receive the gift of God's grace?"

"It is a willing heart that causes us to seek the grace that has been promised. When we turn from our own way & recognize our inability to live his way, we begin to seek the full range of resources that he has promised us in his Son. Grace is for the willing and we only become willing when we confess not only the gravity of our sin, but our inability to deliver ourselves from it. Then our willingness opens to us all the sustenance of heart that can only be found in the Son." -Tripp (24)

It seems to me that the sooner I realize my inability to please God or perform to His standards, the sooner I am to literally & figuratively fall on my knees & say "Lord, I am a sinner, I need You." May God deliver us from the lies of autonomy & self-sufficiency (as mentioned by Tripp). I would hate to come to the end of each day with the realization that I spent my most valuable resources in the service of Ben's kingdom rather than our Lord's kingdom. 

Be challenged my friends.

On a More Serious Note...Family Pics

My beautiful wife Joy & our son Brennan. 

My nephew William Chase McDonald. 

Here is a pic of Brennan from a few weekends ago in Charlotte. He is such a wonderful boy!

Family Pics

We must welcome our newest family member: 1989 Grand Wagoneer. Woohoo!

Whiter than Snow

Many of you realize that Isaiah 1:18 was my inspiration for this blog, "Crimson on White." "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow: though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." Often we forget how astonishing the contrast of our crimson on His white. 

I began reading a new book yesterday, White as Snow by Paul David Tripp. I would like to share excerpts with you as I find them relevant. The premise of the book is simply this, "The music of grace is meant to score the life of every believer." With this in mind, Tripp delves deep into Psalm 51, "the thing that is most engaging and exciting about this psalm is that no psalm plays the notes of God's grace better." 

May I share some reflections with you from this morning's read:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions." Psalm 51:1

"It's not just your sin that separates you from God; your righteousness does as well. Because, when you are convinced you are righteous, you don't seek the forgiving, rescuing, and restoring mercy that can be found only in Jesus Christ." (22)

"The theology behind the defense is that my greatest problem is outside of me, not inside of me. In so arguing, I'm telling myself that I don't really need to be rescued by the Lord's mercy. No, I'm telling myself that what I need to be rescued from is that sinner in the room who caused me to respond as I did." (22)

May God grant us His view of sin so that we may better understand His grace, a severe mercy.