Session 5 - The True Scandal of the Evangelical Mind R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Text: 1 Cor 1:18-31. The gospel is what unites us: the incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, 2nd coming. This is our story, but to those outside, it is a scandal and foolishness. We often think of them (non-believers) in the light of our story, but we don't consider what they think of us in the light of this story. We are considered blind, stupid, gullible, easily led, etc.
1. We are offended that they are offended by us. We complain about how the world treats us. We are insisting that Paul is wrong, not just Paul but the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because we think we should not be a scandal. Therefore, we reshape ourselves and our story to remove the stumbling block to establish our credibility. i.e. Emergent/Pomo - It's just our story. Everyone has their own narrative.
Seeker sensitive - Remove the sharp edges such as talking about sin, wrath, judgment.
2. We aren't really evangelical because we have no passion for the evangel - the good news. We complaint about the ways "they" do evangelism, but we do not do it at all. We are proud of our minds, but we do not rest in His revelations alone. If we try to bring our minds to the table that's semi-Pelagianism.
Our intellectual garments are filthy rags. Just because "they" are wrong and we are right doesn't mean we are better. We did not "smart" our way to salvation.
Are you willing to be a fool for Christ's sake? What do we do?
Get out of the way. There is power in the Word. Lives are changed by the power of the Word. We don't bring in the elect by our dross but by His gold. We preach Christ and Him crucified. Wisdom begins with the fear of God. Fear Him, rather than the Greeks.
Session 6 - Losing My Religion Sinclair Ferguson
Text: Psalm 119:97-100. In the conservative Christian community, we blame the world and blame ourselves for very little. Or even blame others in the Christian community. Evangelical Christianity is a mile wide and less than 1 inch deep. But we have become experts at blaming others and not taking the gospel seriously. We need to be delivered from the idea that we have it right in our churches. This will not change without prayer. There is unreality in our churches - a profession of reality, but an absence of that reality is not a New Testament church. They put themselves under the teaching of the Word and devoted themselves to prayer. We need mature thinking - a passion for the knowledge of God so we know Him and are known by Him.
Three reasons we need to have a deeper knowledge of God:
1. The reason for which God regenerated us. The Holy Spirit shapes our minds by the mold of revealed truth. We begin to see as we give our minds to the Word of God.
2. The specific teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 12:28 - to love the Lord our God with all our minds. There is a root to our affections that must pass through our minds.
3. This is what has life transforming power. Holy living is in the mind. What do you think about when you have nothing else to think about? This reveals everything about us. Therefore, our minds need to be filled with the Word, because it is impossible to think about nothing.
Three strategic ways to do this:
1. Place our lives under a living ministry of the Word of God. God uses this to shape our living and our thinking. There is a difference between group fellowship and ministry of the Word. There is a difference between the exposition of the Word under the Holy Spirit and any other way the Word is mediated to us. "Sermonettes produce Christianettes" - John Stott.
2. Dig deep into the Word of God for ourselves. It is not enough to go to a lot Bible study groups if this is what you are after. It can mask the fact that this is not what you are doing. Reading a book about a book of the Bible is not studying the book itself.
3. Learn together with all the saints. Read great books of the past with 2 recommendations.
A. Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin. Very readable and pastoral. (This taught Dr. Ferguson to think in a trinitarian way.)
B. On Communion with God - John Owen. (This taught Dr. Ferguson to live in a trinitarian way.)
Text: 1 Cor 1:18-31. The gospel is what unites us: the incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, 2nd coming. This is our story, but to those outside, it is a scandal and foolishness. We often think of them (non-believers) in the light of our story, but we don't consider what they think of us in the light of this story. We are considered blind, stupid, gullible, easily led, etc.
1. We are offended that they are offended by us. We complain about how the world treats us. We are insisting that Paul is wrong, not just Paul but the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because we think we should not be a scandal. Therefore, we reshape ourselves and our story to remove the stumbling block to establish our credibility. i.e. Emergent/Pomo - It's just our story. Everyone has their own narrative.
Seeker sensitive - Remove the sharp edges such as talking about sin, wrath, judgment.
2. We aren't really evangelical because we have no passion for the evangel - the good news. We complaint about the ways "they" do evangelism, but we do not do it at all. We are proud of our minds, but we do not rest in His revelations alone. If we try to bring our minds to the table that's semi-Pelagianism.
Our intellectual garments are filthy rags. Just because "they" are wrong and we are right doesn't mean we are better. We did not "smart" our way to salvation.
Are you willing to be a fool for Christ's sake? What do we do?
Get out of the way. There is power in the Word. Lives are changed by the power of the Word. We don't bring in the elect by our dross but by His gold. We preach Christ and Him crucified. Wisdom begins with the fear of God. Fear Him, rather than the Greeks.
Session 6 - Losing My Religion Sinclair Ferguson
Text: Psalm 119:97-100. In the conservative Christian community, we blame the world and blame ourselves for very little. Or even blame others in the Christian community. Evangelical Christianity is a mile wide and less than 1 inch deep. But we have become experts at blaming others and not taking the gospel seriously. We need to be delivered from the idea that we have it right in our churches. This will not change without prayer. There is unreality in our churches - a profession of reality, but an absence of that reality is not a New Testament church. They put themselves under the teaching of the Word and devoted themselves to prayer. We need mature thinking - a passion for the knowledge of God so we know Him and are known by Him.
Three reasons we need to have a deeper knowledge of God:
1. The reason for which God regenerated us. The Holy Spirit shapes our minds by the mold of revealed truth. We begin to see as we give our minds to the Word of God.
2. The specific teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 12:28 - to love the Lord our God with all our minds. There is a root to our affections that must pass through our minds.
3. This is what has life transforming power. Holy living is in the mind. What do you think about when you have nothing else to think about? This reveals everything about us. Therefore, our minds need to be filled with the Word, because it is impossible to think about nothing.
Three strategic ways to do this:
1. Place our lives under a living ministry of the Word of God. God uses this to shape our living and our thinking. There is a difference between group fellowship and ministry of the Word. There is a difference between the exposition of the Word under the Holy Spirit and any other way the Word is mediated to us. "Sermonettes produce Christianettes" - John Stott.
2. Dig deep into the Word of God for ourselves. It is not enough to go to a lot Bible study groups if this is what you are after. It can mask the fact that this is not what you are doing. Reading a book about a book of the Bible is not studying the book itself.
3. Learn together with all the saints. Read great books of the past with 2 recommendations.
A. Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin. Very readable and pastoral. (This taught Dr. Ferguson to think in a trinitarian way.)
B. On Communion with God - John Owen. (This taught Dr. Ferguson to live in a trinitarian way.)
Thanks for posting this. I have a brother who is an atheist and I'm sure he sees me as "blind, stupid, gullible, easily led, etc." He has suggested to me several times that I read Calvin's Institutes. I don't know if I'll ever be ready to tacklet that one.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful for you and your excellent note-taking! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, sisters.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I was daunted by the Institutes as well. But Gregg Metcalf said you can't eat an elephant all at once but one bite at a time. So I've taken his advice and am reading 1 chapter a week. It will take me more than a year and a half but it's manageable. Calvin is very readable too.
Reading one chapter a week might be doable. I have both a printed copy and a copy on my Kindle. Thanks for the encouragement, both with this post and the one you posted about your daughter, and visitation.
ReplyDelete