Last Sunday morning was pretty typical in a lot of ways... mostly kids and babies everywhere... making and eating a meal... catching up with folks... you know, church.
and then i bust out the guitar, and JP has his guitar, and David has his guitar... and there are a couple djembe drums, and a couple of plastic toys that make silly noises and you wonder how the kids always find them and bring them out on Sundays while we're trying to get serious... i love that. God saves us from self-seriousness, with children!
We actually have one toy at our house that has this "stop and go, stop and go, off to school where the big kids go..." song in it... to the "barney" tune... what delightful medicine for the soul. "...with a beep beep honk honk all around the town. Stop and go and round and round..." can you dig it?
anyway, we make and eat, we sing a lot. for like an hour. just unarranged songs that we'll request, or teach... i've been bringing up some old/new songs lately... and then we "shift gears" into a time of sharing from the Life, who is Jesus.
During that time on Sundays, it is typical for several people to share scriptures, insights, revelations, dreams even, and for old sinner Lew to open his mouth to teach. Lew doesn't always teach, because he prefers the Holy Spirit minister through the church to the church, but it is often expedient that he teach... presently it is expedient that he refrain from referring to himself in the third person.
As for that teaching, it is almost never something I have "Prepared" in the classic modern seminarian style. It is a sharing "from the Life, who is Jesus." It doesn't matter what kind of week I have had, because Jesus is always the same, although I enjoy life more when i've had a week of living temperately and with self-denial and sacrifice. (or radical shredding on my skateboard with my sons!) I think i had a week like that in '03, maybe. But I was also really proud that week... (I get the shred on much more regularly)
During that time of sharing this week, we had a slight contention arise around my effort to equip us to discern leadership's faithfulness in the light of scripture. I urged all of you, and always will, to test the fruit of your leaders! Examine their way of life, as you walk with them. Ask the tough questions and do it all in the light of Scripture, the gentleness of humility, and in undying loyalty to Christ.
when this is done in the humility of wisdom
(James), and the gentleness of the Lord's nearness (PHil 4), it will cause that kind of division
(mat.10) which is an effect of the presence of Jesus, in truth. By "...in truth", I am attempting to make a distinction between the presence of Jesus that is proclaimed by some man in front of a room, who by merit of his salary and office is "in charge", yet the real Jesus, who is described in Scripture, would have this guy out!
I would like to make a distinction between That presence of Jesus and the REAL/IN TRUTH
(John 4--spirit and truth) presence of the ACTUAL JESUS, who is authoritatively and reliably described in the Scripture! So when I say to you that a certain degree or quantity of division is the natural outworking of the presence of Jesus, look at
Mat. 10 or
1 Cor 11:18-19.
Think about it. Look at Galatians, where Paul opposes Peter. Listen to Paul telling Timothy and Titus to command certain ones not to teach certain things! Listen to Jude calling out false prophets! Now turn back to Matthew 6 and hear Jesus! Get to 7 and hear Him telling you to beware of false prophets, and toknow them by their fruit.
As I was pressing this home, I said something to the effect of, "If you examine what I am teaching, and it isn't faithful to Scripture to some significant extent, and I won't listen to you or those to whom I am accountable--RUN AWAY!!!"
...and i mean that. i stand by that! As our experience of church fills daily with such pleasant things as shared life in parenting and daily table, we have to stay on our guard against false teaching that would lead us to "groupthink". And the "leader" is just the guy to start making that happen! So I urge all of you to examine the things I teach--that are all on audio recordings that are available to you--and really test and see for yourselves whether or not these things are as I am asserting.
This is especially easy for me to say, because I am one among brothers, here. A good number of you have been with me for 3 to 5 years and have not only proven the outcome of my doctrine (which is not mine at all), but have become adept students of the Master, who is the Word--the author of the Bible. Between David, JP, Chris, and Britt here in Northside, I don't have a chance to get far on the wrong track. With Mike Rea in orbit around us as an elder to me, you guys have someone to talk to when I get wacky.
Yes, it wouldn't be hard to confront me for bad doctrine, if I started a line of teaching that was contrary to Scripture or any of the solid traditions of the church, or any sound judgment of Spirit-filled men, or contrary to the Spirit's guidance in the church... and all of them must be attested to by the whole Body of Scripture, not just wack snippeting.
But!
if what I am teaching you, in regard to your relationship to the Old Covenant laws of Moses and their use and abuse...
...if what I am so confidently asserting during these times of teaching IS orthodox, and in line with the traditions of our elders...
If my doctrine truly is of Christ, and not just to please men, then you should recognize that I have stepped out of the picture, and you are no longer dealing with me, but with the subject of that doctrine, Himself--Jesus Christ! And how you are pleased or perplexed by Him, and your response to that perplexity or pleasure, are a matter, not of opinion-sharing or discussion, but of worship!
This is why the Bible says,
1 Peter 2
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,[a] 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.See that "...if indeed..." there? That is there because there are many hearers of the word who have not tasted grace! This may be you! Or maybe they knew the grace of Father's love in Christ, but left that path for the path of perfoming for men's approval. This is why Paul said in
2 Cor. 11:3
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy... Go read it! I myself feel that jealousy keenly, in a house surrounded by people who lean in for anything that might better clarify their sense for God's grace...
"if indeed" in that Peter passage shows us that, as
Hebrews 3 says, it is possible to miss the grace of God, even while we attend the meetings of the church! Go on and read Hebrews 4 and you'll see clearly that this is talking about that very thing I'm saying--that it is far too possible for you to miss God's Grace, folks.
This is why we are so committed to meet.
This is why we sing and pray and share life.
This is why we take pains to remind and admonish one another to always trust and forgive and pray and never give up!
This! That it is possible to fade off of grace.
Now, someone might say, "he is able to keep me" and I say, Great! Just only make sure you occupy yourself with what the clear teaching of the Word says! Because if He's going to keep you, He'll be keeping you in that! Your proclamation of His "ability" is proper, except if it is a cover for laziness! Get serious, and get helpful to each other!
Maturity in Christ is described in the end of Hebrews 5 as an ability to distinguish between good and evil. I'm not making any plans to fall off the Jesus wagon, but if I did, I am sure that you all can tell, and would be bold to call me back. What say you?
One of the things I love the most about Sundays, is that there is a "completeness" to what is taught, because several believers are sharing from their walk with Jesus, at a time... I don't think words can describe how much Jesus loves us all and how much I love you guys. I wrote this because I think you need to sharpen your game--all of you. You live in a perverse generation. Get your heads on straight and put all of your hope in Jesus! Don't live for TGIF or your favorite show to be on! Stop learning how to think from TV. Stop! Open the Scriptures. Paul told Timothy that they can make you wise. Get wise!
