Uncategorized

Connectionalism

Posted on by Carl Robbins

For the last two Sundays Sandy and I’ve been away from WRPC, ministering in other congregations.

Carl OKC ConferenceTwo weeks ago we spent the weekend at Heritage PCA in Oklahoma City, preaching seven times at their Oklahoma Conference on Reformed Theology. We delighted in their Lord’s Day worship services (AM & PM) from the familiar  songs out of the Trinity Hymnal, to the wise pastoral prayers, to the reverent administration of the sacraments, and the loving fellowship. Denise Peabody accompanied the congregational singing – just like she has done (with excellence & joy) for over 30 years.

Robbins GrandbabyLast Sunday we enjoyed Lawndale PCA (My son, John, and DeAnna’s church) in Tupelo, MS where I was privileged to administer the sacrament of baptism to my newest grandchild (Emmie Ruth). Again, wonderful singing, excellent teaching of the Word in Sunday School and the soul-searching preaching (from Hebrews 3) and the praying of our old friend, Pastor Bill Bradford. The Lord’s Table was served with joy and sincerity. We were thankful for the warmth and friendliness of humble, believing people.

Two churches in different states. But in both places Sandy and I felt completely at home. Why? In a word, “Connectionalism”.

What does “connectionalism” mean? That members of PCA congregations have a web of connections based around:

  • A system of doctrine to which EVERY minister, elder and deacon must subscribe – All ordained men publicly vow that they have carefully read the Westminster Confession of Faith, and “subscribe” to it as their beliefs and practices. We are bound together by our firm insistence on our creed.
  • Government – Every PCA congregation has the exact same system of oversight: rule by a plurality of elders, all elected by their people. All of these congregations are part of presbyteries, which are all part of the General Assembly. WRPC is NOT an independent entity, but tied to a large (almost 2,000 congregations) denomination.
  • Discipline – All churches in the PCA are committed to guarding the peace and purity of the church, and so will address sin and hold her members accountable for a holy life. We are united by our discipline.
  • Relationships – It’s very typical when people who are in one PCA congregation move across the country that they find another PCA congregation in their new location and plug in. At WRPC we have members who were part of PCA churches in Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio, Nevada, Texas, Georgia, California and more

Sandy and I joined Heritage PCA in OKC in July of 1983 and have been ensconced in PCA congregations ever since: in Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Our plan is to die happy in the PCA. These are our people. We are connected.

Theology/Worship

Our Favorite Hymns: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Posted on by Carl Robbins

Walter C. SmithThis is a classic example of a true “praise song”.                                                                                                  Instead of “threatening “ to praise God (“Lord, I just want to praise you”), but never actually getting around to speaking about Him, instead of me and my intentions…this hymn is almost completely theocentric, focusing on the attributes of God. In fact, the scholarly hymnologist Erik Routley said “One hymn of pure praise stands out among the mass of devotional hymns – it is “Immortal, Invisible”, a fine simple hymn, noteworthy for its plump polysyllables.”

The author of the hymn was a faithful Free Church of Scotland (i.e. conservative Presbyterians to this day) minister, Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908). Smith not only pastored, but penned several hymnals. This hymn was in his 1867 collection, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life.

As with many of the hymns in our hymnal, the editors have shortened this classic. The Missing stanzas are:

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small; In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee 

All laud we would render; O help us to see, ’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart, Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart. 

Come prepared to “make His praise glorious” (Psalm 66:2)!

Theology/Worship

Our Favorite Hymns: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Posted on by Carl Robbins

IMG_8213A few weeks ago I preached about the focus of the Christian Life: Maturity (from Ephesians 4:13-16)

One of the central places where we should be striving for maturity is in our corporate worship. I have spent far too many hours in congregations where the gathered worship was far more like Children’s Church!

Much of what is sung in contemporary Christendom is designed to keep the worshiper in perpetual immaturity, namely choruses, which are repetitive and mantra-esque, and almost totally devoid of Scriptural content.

In contrast, our hymnal (the Trinity Hymnal) is packed with 742 hymns and psalm settings designed for mature worship. One of our favorite hymns is #598, “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”.

When the American Protestant Hymns Project was developed by Prof. Stephen Marini of Wellesley College, he ranked the 300 most reprinted hymns of all American Protestant hymnals for the last 250 years. “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” was ranked seventh for “popularity”, meaning it was found in almost every hymnal published, even Roman Catholic hymnals!

The hymns author, William Williams (1717-1791), was a strident Calvinist and a noted preacher during the great Welsh Revivals that were occurring at the same time as The Great Awakening was happening in America. But his more lasting contribution was as a hymn-writer.

Williams composed several hymnals (Yes…plural) that were so well-received that they went thru several printings. During his life he penned over 850 hymns in both English and Welsh

No less than David Martyn Lloyd-Jones compared Williams to Isaac Watts, as a hymnwriter- who packed his hymns with both theology and Christian experience.

Several factors go into making a hymn memorable and beloved, but just to note two

a.) The tune is vigorous and manly and easily memorable

b.) The hymn drips with biblical allusions. Anyone who has ever read Scripture will immediately find themselves familiar with the phrases of the hymn.

As you read the stanzas of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” note a few of the biblical references:

  1. Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land;
    I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand (Deut 9:29)
    Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more (Exodus 16:18)
    Feed me till I want no more.
  2. Open now the crystal fountain (Rev 22:1) Whence the healing stream doth flow;
    Let the fire and cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through (Ex 13:21-22)
    Strong Deliv’rer, strong Deliv’rer (2 Samuel 22:2-3) Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
    Be Thou still my Strength and Shield (Psalm 28:7)
  3. When I tread the verge of Jordan (Joshua 3:17) Bid my anxious fears subside;
    Death of death and hell’s Destruction (Rev. 1:18)  Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
    Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee (Psalm 27:4-6)
    I will ever give to Thee.

By the way, as with many historic hymns, our hymnal only prints SOME of the stanzas. Here are some more of the original stanzas, penned by Williams:

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power, Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom, Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave, Sin, and Satan and the grave.

Musing on my habitation, Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings: Come, my Jesus, quickly come; Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee! Lord, I long to be with Thee

Family/Parenting

The Basics of Parenting: Requiring Obedience

Posted on by Carl Robbins

I was first introduced to John Piper’s writings when I was a seminarian and his marvelous book on Romans 9 fell into my hands. I have appreciated him ever since, and usually find him compelling and convincing. Below is an excellent instructional article Piper recently penned on a foundational premise of Christian parenting; namely that Bible believing parents MUST require obedience of their children.

Husbands and wives, if there is anything about which you need to be of one mind, it is this! And not just one mind, but one practice.

You will notice at the close of the article that Piper gives some definition to obedience: “Quick, happy, thorough”.  If you’ve heard me speak on this I always use the terms “immediate, joyful and complete”. These are synonymous ideas. Read, learn, enjoy and implement!

The original article by John Piper can be found at Desiring God

JohnPiperDesiringGodParents, Require Obedience of Your Children

I am writing this to plead with Christian parents to require obedience of their children. I am moved to write this by watching young children pay no attention to their parents’ requests, with no consequences. Parents tell a child two or three times to sit or stop and come or go, and after the third disobedience, they laughingly bribe the child. This may or may not get the behavior desired.

Last week, I saw two things that prompted this article. One was the killing of 13-year-old Andy Lopez in Santa Rosa, California, by police who thought he was about to shoot them with an assault rifle. It was a toy gun. What made this relevant was that the police said they told the boy two times to drop the gun. Instead he turned it on them. They fired.

I do not know the details of that situation or if Andy even heard the commands. So I can’t say for sure he was insubordinate. So my point here is not about young Lopez himself. It’s about a “what if.” What if he heard the police, and simply defied what they said? If that is true, it cost him his life. Such would be the price of disobeying proper authority.

A Tragedy in the Making

I witnessed such a scenario in the making on a plane last week. I watched a mother preparing her son to be shot.

I was sitting behind her and her son, who may have been seven years old. He was playing on his digital tablet. The flight attendant announced that all electronic devices should be turned off for take off. He didn’t turn it off. The mother didn’t require it. As the flight attendant walked by, she said he needed to turn it off and kept moving. He didn’t do it. The mother didn’t require it.

One last time, the flight attendant stood over them and said that the boy would need to give the device to his mother. He turned it off. When the flight attendant took her seat, the boy turned his device back on, and kept it on through the take off. The mother did nothing. I thought to myself, she is training him to be shot by police.

Rescue from Foolish Parenting

The defiance and laziness of unbelieving parents I can understand. I have biblical categories of the behavior of the spiritually blind. But the neglect of Christian parents perplexes me. What is behind the failure to require and receive obedience? I’m not sure. But it may be that these nine observations will help rescue some parents from the folly of laissez-faire parenting.

1. Requiring obedience of children is implicit in the biblical requirement that children obey their parents.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). It makes no sense that God would require children to obey parents and yet not require parents to require obedience from the children. It is part of our job — to teach children the glory of a happy, submissive spirit to authorities that God has put in place. Parents represent God to small children, and it is deadly to train children to ignore the commands of God.

2. Obedience is a new-covenant, gospel category.

Obedience is not merely a “legal” category. It is a gospel category. Paul said that his gospel aim was “to bring about the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). He said, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience — by word and deed” (Romans 15:18).

Paul’s aim was “to take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). He required it of the churches: “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him” (2 Thessalonians 3:14).

Parents who do not teach their children to obey God’s appointed authorities prepare them for a life out of step with God’s word — a life out of step with the very gospel they desire to emphasize.

(If anyone doubts how crucial this doctrine is, please consider reading Wayne Grudem’s chapter, “Pleasing God by Our Obedience: A Neglected New Testament Teaching” in For the Fame of God’s Name, edited by Justin Taylor and Sam Storms.)

3. Requiring obedience of children is possible.

To watch parents act as if they are helpless in the presence of disobedient children is pitiful. God requires that children obey because it is possible for parents to require obedience. Little children, under a year old, can be shown effectively what they may not touch, bite, pull, poke, spit out, or shriek about. You are bigger than they are. Use your size to save them for joy, not sentence them to selfishness.

4. Requiring obedience should be practiced at home on inconsequential things so that it is possible in public on consequential things.

One explanation why children are out of control in public is that they have not been taught to obey at home. One reason for this is that many things at home don’t seem worth the battle. It’s easier to do it ourselves than to take the time and effort to deal with a child’s unwillingness to do it. But this simply trains children that obedience anywhere is optional. Consistency in requiring obedience at home will help your children be enjoyable in public.

5. It takes effort to require obedience, and it is worth it.

If you tell a child to stay in bed and he gets up anyway, it is simply easier to say, go back to bed, than to get up and deal with the disobedience. Parents are tired. I sympathize. For more than 40 years, I’ve had children under eighteen. Requiring obedience takes energy, both physically and emotionally. It is easier simply to let the children have their way.

The result? Uncontrollable children when it matters. They have learned how to work the angles. Mommy is powerless, and daddy is a patsy. They can read when you are about to explode. So they defy your words just short of that. This bears sour fruit for everyone. But the work it takes to be immediately consistent with every disobedience bears sweet fruit for parents, children, and others.

6. You can break the multi-generational dysfunction.

One reason parents don’t require discipline is they have never seen it done. They come from homes that had two modes: passivity and anger. They know they don’t want to parent in anger. The only alternative they know is passivity. There is good news: this can change. Parents can learn from the Bible and from wise people what is possible, what is commanded, what is wise, and how to do it in a spirit that is patient, firm, loving, and grounded in the gospel.

7. Gracious parenting leads children from external compliance to joyful willingness.

Children need to obey before they can process obedience through faith. When faith comes, the obedience which they have learned from fear and reward and respect will become the natural expression of faith. Not to require obedience before faith is folly. It’s not loving in the long run. It cuts deep furrows of disobedient habits that faith must then not infuse, but overcome.

8. Children whose parents require obedience are happier.

Laissez-faire parenting does not produce gracious, humble children. It produces brats. They are neither fun to be around, nor happy themselves. They are demanding and insolent. Their “freedom” is not a blessing to them or others. They are free the way a boat without a rudder is free. They are the victims of their whims. Sooner or later, these whims will be crossed. That spells misery. Or, even a deadly encounter with the police.

9. Requiring obedience is not the same as requiring perfection.

Since parents represent God to children — especially before they can know God through faith in the gospel — we show them both justice and mercy. Not every disobedience is punished. Some are noted, reproved, and passed over. There is no precise manual for this mixture. Children should learn from our parenting that the God of the gospel is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:7, 29) and that he is patient and slow to anger (1 Timothy 1:16). In both cases — discipline and patience — the aim is quick, happy, thorough obedience. That’s what knowing God in Christ produces.

Parents, you can do this. It is a hard season. I’ve spent more than sixty percent of my life in it. But there is divine grace for this, and you will be richly rewarded.

Apologetics

Apologetics Resources for Kids

Posted on by Dan Dodds

I was recently asked about resources for kids on the topic of apologetics. Since I thought others might benefit from it, I pass it along to you. This is not comprehensive list, but it’s a good start!! Here is what I wrote:

Obviously, you can quickly get into some heavy philosophy when you discuss worldviews so I tend to hold off on that stuff until they are older. But here is how I would proceed:

With younger kids (5-12): Creation videos and works that show the glory of God in creation (The Privileged Planet, the Privileged Species, ICR’s Unlocking the Mysteries of Genesis and Amazing Creatures that Defy Evolution [on You Tube] are good.) Many of these tend to come from an evidentialist standpoint (i.e. the belief that people are rationally neutral and all they need are the facts) and you will want to correct this with a more biblical (Van Tilian) thinking (people suppress the truth of God’s existence and the truth of His Word and plunge themselves into irrationality).
Middle School (who can handle more difficult material)/High School Kids: I have not seen all of these, but there is a video series from Answers in Genesis called Nuclear Apologetics with Jason Lisle and it is available free on line. It looks good with lots of quotations by the well known reformed apologist, Dr. Greg Bahnsen. But also remember that the Answers in Genesis folks tend to be theologically Arminian and that will show up from time to time. I would also (for older kids) take them through Sproul’s Consequences of Ideas which is a history of philosophy. Bahnsen’s Pushing the Antithesis is also good but I believe is no longer in print. There are some Bahnsen lectures for high school kids dealing with some of the basics too – ask the folks at Covenant Media Foundation which would be good for your particular children’s age group (you may want to buy the “Apologetics in a Flash” that I note in the next paragraph).
High School/College: Some resources would include: Always Ready, Presuppositionalism, and for advanced reading, Van Til’s Apologetics, all by Greg Bahnsen. Articles and MP3’s at Covenant Media Foundation by Bahnsen are also very helpful. For a while they had a flash drive called “Apologetics in a Flash” that has a lot of his material – it was worth the price and they range from basic to advanced but are not listed that way which would have been helpful. Listening to the Bahnsen/Stein debate is also worthwhile; I would recommend you print it out and read it while listening – there’s a lot there. The Bahnsen/Sproul debate is also good to get a feel for the difference between presuppositionalism and classical apologetics. Van Til “Why I Believe in God” and “My Credo” as well as his other books such as Defense of the Faith and Survey of Christian Epistemology. Van Til tends to be heavy, so be ready. I have also read some Nancy Pearcy’s books lately (Total Truth, Saving Leonardo and Finding Truth) and they are excellent; not ‘fully Van Tilian’ but getting there.
These are not all the resources available, but they’ll get you started!
Counseling/Family/Marriage/Piety/Uncategorized

For Men: The Danger of Being a Reckless Husband

Posted on by Scotty Anderson

HusbandhelpwifeOne of the scariest verses in the Bible for husbands is found in 1 Peter 3:7: “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

The scariness of the verse is that Peter says something we probably can’t imagine: God stops listening to the the prayers of a husband who is careless with his wife. You might be tempted to think that’s a little too literal a reading of that verse. Perhaps. But don’t go too far from that interpretation. A failure to understand and honor your wife is no small threat to divine fellowship and prayer.

Think through the particulars of how husbands dishonor their wives?

  • Infidelity and Aloofness – The most obvious way to violate this commandment is to simply not be content to dwell with her, particularly by being unfaithful through adultery or pornography or even by physical or emotional detachment. Cutting her off from your affection and sinning against your marriage covenant guaratees suffering. Consider David in Psalm 32:3–5 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” David’s adultery and related sins destroyed his relationship with his heavenly Father. How could he possibly pray and and praise God or ask God for anything before repenting?
  • Disrespect and Denigration – Some men disparage their wives by mocking them publicly or complaining about them privately. But a man who tears down his wife tears down himself. Paul’s words in Ephesians are telling – “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church…let each one of you love his wife as himself…” Eph 5:28–29, 33. By making yourself an enemy of the church (for whom Christ died and to which your wife belongs) you curry no favor with Christ as Paul himself learned (Acts 9:4). Would you expect a man who is at war against himself or against the church of Christ or against Christ to be well-received at the throne of grace? Of course not. But the man who is tearing down his wife is truly tearing down the body of Christ and is guilty of all.
  • Criticality and Comparison – Almost all me can be heard at one time or another being critical of their wive’s “womanly” qualities. As a man have you ever heard yourself say, “Are you really getting that emotional over this?” or “Seriously? You can’t even open a jar of peanut butter?” There is striking similarity between that attitude and the attitude of the self-righteous Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. He prayed, “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” At least the Pharisee was priding himself above sinners: “extortioners, unjust, adulterers, …tax collectors.” You would think he had a decent leg to stand on before God, but Jesus is quite clear that a man who so prays, God rejects. Given that the Pharisee’s comparison was to so notorious a crowd, how much worse then is it for the husband who is contemptuous of his wife, not for being a notorious sinner, but just for being a woman acting according to the design capacities God has given her.
  • Ignorance and Unawareness – Finally, husband’s need to heed the call to “live with your wives in an understanding way,” literally, “according to knowledge”. An old friend of mine put it this way, “You should understand all women in general and your woman in particular.” Her owner’s manual comes from a knowledge of God’s word, the accumulation of wisdom, and a study of her in particular. There are several routes to this but all of them require intentionality, observation, and (what she really appreciates) a little warm interrogation. For example, ask such questions as, “What is it that I do that you like best?” or, “What is something I could do that would make you feel more loved?” Women are big fans of those questions. In so drawing out of her (Proverbs 20:5) you’ll be able to bless and honor her. “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” – Proverbs 16:5–7.

For believers it goes without saying that we want our prayers to make make progress and to succeed. For men, the barriers to that success are easily constructed by themselves in their own house. If you find your prayers and prayer life suffering, go home and evaluate your love for the woman God gave you. And if you find the relationship suffering and your wife unloved, then repent and heed the words of the angel to Ephesus: Revelation 2:2–5 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” It’s a lesson for the church well learned and applied by careful husbands. 

Counseling

Common Grace Counseling

Posted on by Dan Dodds

PhrenologyIn a recent edition of the The Atlantic (2015) authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt wrote an article entitled “The Coddling of the American Mind” in which they describe a condition in some of the ‘elite’ American Colleges which they call a ‘movement.’ The authors write about the ‘oversensitivity’ of college students who seem to be searching for some (any) way(s) in which to be offended.

Believing this to be an unhealthy trend both for colleges and the students, the authors suggest applying some current psychological theory to the situation to assess it and to provide some guidance as to how to go forth.  The approach they take is called ‘Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’ (CBT hereafter) which they describe as follows:

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a modern embodiment of…ancient wisdom. It is the most extensively studied nonpharmaceutical treatment of mental illness, and is used widely to treat depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and addiction. It can even be of help to schizophrenics. No other form of psychotherapy has been shown to work for a broader range of problems. Studies have generally found that it is as effective as antidepressant drugs (such as Prozac) in the treatment of anxiety and depression. The therapy is relatively quick and easy to learn; after a few months of training, many patients can do it on their own. Unlike drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy keeps working long after treatment is stopped, because it teaches thinking skills that people can continue to use.

The goal is to minimize distorted thinking and see the world more accurately. You start by learning the names of the dozen or so most common cognitive distortions (such as overgeneralizing, discounting positives, and emotional reasoning; see the list at the bottom of this article). Each time you notice yourself falling prey to one of them, you name it, describe the facts of the situation, consider alternative interpretations, and then choose an interpretation of events more in line with those facts. Your emotions follow your new interpretation. In time, this process becomes automatic. When people improve their mental hygiene in this way—when they free themselves from the repetitive irrational thoughts that had previously filled so much of their consciousness—they become less depressed, anxious, and angry.

Boy there is a lot packed in there isn’t there? “Ancient wisdom,” “…it teaches thinking skills…,” “the goal is to minimize distorted thinking and see the world more accurately,” “ choose an interpretation…in line with (the facts),” “your emotions follow your interpretations.”

I believe this to be a great example of common grace counseling in that much of what is written here comes right out of my Biblical Counseling Textbooks. Of course there are big differences too. There is no reference to Scripture at all here and no requirement for the presence of the Holy Spirit. In another article, Christian counselor David Powlison, with the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation points out that CBT focuses the self on the self, rather than on God. True.

But of course we don’t just think about God, we research what His Word says about us and our situation which includes our thought life and how we are processing the trial. We try to discover any thinking that is unbiblical and requiring biblical correction. To that end I find the following list of ‘cognitive distortions’ listed in the article quite interesting – and even useful. Here they are along with a few of my comments and Scriptures which are italicized.

—————————————-

Common Cognitive Distortions

A partial list from Robert L. Leahy, Stephen J. F. Holland, and Lata K. McGinn’s Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders (2012).

  1. Mind reading. You assume that you know what people think without having sufficient evidence of their thoughts. “He thinks I’m a loser.” We might think here of assuming that we know the motives of others when we don’t. The two dangers are 1) thinking that you can accurately know someone’s heart and 2) assuming that there is only one motive (when there are usually more). See here Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. 1 Corinthians 13:7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Proverbs 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. Proverbs 18:17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.
  2. Fortune-telling. You predict the future negatively: things will get worse, or there is danger ahead. “I’ll fail that exam,” or “I won’t get the job.” (See 10)
  3. Catastrophizing. You believe that what has happened or will happen will be so awful and unbearable that you won’t be able to stand it. “It would be terrible if I failed.” (See 6)
  4. Labeling. You assign global negative traits to yourself and others. “I’m undesirable,” or “He’s a rotten person.” Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
  5. Discounting positives. You claim that the positive things you or others do are trivial. “That’s what wives are supposed to do—so it doesn’t count when she’s nice to me,” or “Those successes were easy, so they don’t matter” (See 6)
  6. Negative filtering. You focus almost exclusively on the negatives and seldom notice the positives. “Look at all of the people who don’t like me.” Items 3-6 all have to do with negative thinking – always putting a negative spin on events. But for the Christian, every trial is an opportunity to glorify God, serve others and be like Christ (Ken Sande). Here are just a ‘few’ verses for what we SHOULD be thinking: Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Romans 5:3-4  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Romans 8:31-32  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
  7. Overgeneralizing. You perceive a global pattern of negatives on the basis of a single incident. “This generally happens to me. I seem to fail at a lot of things.” (See 8)
  8. Dichotomous thinking. You view events or people in all-or-nothing terms. “I get rejected by everyone,” or “It was a complete waste of time.” Exodus 20:16 ” You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (nor to yourself – D2)
  9. Blaming. You focus on the other person as the source of your negative feelings, and you refuse to take responsibility for changing yourself. “She’s to blame for the way I feel now,” or “My parents caused all my problems.” This one is big and is an epidemic in our culture. How should the Christian think? Matthew 7:1-3 “Judge not, that you be not judged. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
  10. What if? You keep asking a series of questions about “what if” something happens, and you fail to be satisfied with any of the answers. “Yeah, but what if I get anxious?,” or “What if I can’t catch my breath?” Here is what the Scripture says: 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Regarding what we believe will be a future event: Ecclesiastes 7:14  14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. Ecclesiastes 8:7 For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur? You don’t have the gift of prophecy. James 4:13-15  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;  whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
  11. Emotional reasoning. You let your feelings guide your interpretation of reality. “I feel depressed; therefore, my marriage is not working out.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
  12. Inability to disconfirm. You reject any evidence or arguments that might contradict your negative thoughts. For example, when you have the thought I’m unlovable, you reject as irrelevant any evidence that people like you. Consequently, your thought cannot be refuted. “That’s not the real issue. There are deeper problems. There are other factors.” Proverbs 19:20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. Proverbs 1:5  A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, (and many more in Proverbs)

God wants us to think in accordance with the truth, past, present and future. May the Holy Spirit guide us to His truth and may we glorify Him in our thought lives.

Uncategorized

“Affectionately Meditate on His Death and Sufferings”

Posted on by Carl Robbins

Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church is a confessional church. That means we have a confession of faith: a formal, written creed, to which all ministers, elders and deacons must wholeheartedly subscribe. Our creed is also not of recent origin, it’s historic. In fact, we’ve had the same creed since 1647. One of the finest and clearest sections of our confession is the lengthy discussion of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in Larger Catechism 168-177.

psalm-22This Sunday evening (September 13) we will be receiving the Lord’s Supper and to prepare to do so we will hear a sermon on Psalm 22, one of the clearest Biblical discussions of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is most fitting since Larger Catechism 174 reminds us that one of the things you’re to do during Communion is to “affectionately meditate on His death and sufferings”*.

Come prepared to have your heart stirred by the ministry of the Word, and to grow in your love for Christ.

*Larger Catechism Question 174: What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it?
Answer: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fullness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, & love to all the saints.

Church/Family/Parenting/Worship

Children in Worship

Posted on by Scotty Anderson

15665000623_18f45ab1b0_zYou know the phrase, “The elephant in the room”? We use it to refer to issues obvious to everyone but studiously ignored because if it gets brought up, people are likely to get testy. Sometimes in corporate worship the “elephant in the room” is actually a child. A noisy infant. A snoozing preteen. A squirmy four year old. Each one is a reminder that though children are a blessing and reward (Psalm 127:3-5) they do not equally or evenly make themselves a blessing to everyone at all times.

Sometimes, in well-intentioned fashion, people take a smattering of verses on children and draw conclusions which aren’t really warranted. For instance, I’ve talked to many people who’ve taken Jesus welcoming and blessing small children despite the protests of the disciples (Mt 19:13–15, Mark 10:13–16, Luke 18:15-17) to mean that children should always be in worship under virtually any circumstance. At face value who wants to argue with that? To suggest that some children shouldn’t be in worship puts you in the category of the rebuked disciples. You’re now arguing with Jesus which is to be generally unspiritual and perhaps even a child-hater. But we should give the passage a second look. Frequently neglected in the discussion is that the context for this episode was Jesus teaching publicly in a village in Judea among a mixed multitude of laity, Pharisees, and disciples. Many were coming to Jesus (Mt 19:1-2, Luke 17:11ff) specifically to experience an immediate blessing from the direct physical presence of Christ. The same was true for the parents who brought their children and babies (Mt 19:13. Mark 10:13, Luke 18:15). And the point Jesus makes from the episode is that adults (both Pharisees and disciples) should receive the kingdom/come to Christ, as a child, i.e., with child-like faith. If we take this passage as an impetus for always bringing small to children to a worship service we’ve lost both the context and the instruction. Indiscriminately bringing a child into a worship will hardly satisfy what Christ is asking.

We could likewise be instructed by Jairus, the synagogue ruler (Luke 8:40-56). When his twelve year old daughter was sick he left her at home and came himself pleading for Christ to visit his house and heal her. Jairus is both reasonable and faithful. He came to Christ while he left his daughter at home. He’s not rebuked for having deprived his daughter of a blessing by approaching Jesus without physically carrying her to Him. And note the key element in the instructions of Jesus. It comes in Luke 18:50, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” Faith is what is extolled.

Our obedience to Christ in letting the children come is demonstrated in a host of ways: by their baptism, by family devotions, by Bible reading, by instruction, by conversation, by discipline, by Christian education, by example, by community, and by our desperate prayers.  Each are to be done appropriately, modestly, in season, and according to understanding and maturity. It’s not a method. It’s a way of living. And because it is a path of wisdom we need to consider both principles and practices when bringing children into worship.

With Respect to Our Congregation

Start by recognizing two fundamental and universal principles that ought to carry significant weight with us:

  1. The Love Principle – The first principle is simple. Old Testament (Lev 19:18) and New Testament (Mt 22:39) agree. Doing unto others (Mt 7:12) means taking into consideration how other people feel. When considering bringing your child into worship, what is the loving thing to do for your neighbor. You don’t assume super-human hearing, imperviousness to disease, or infinite patience in others because you know you don’t have those abilities yourself. So if your child becomes a distraction, love your neighbor enough to take your child out of the sanctuary. Or even better, if you suspect at the outset that your child will become distracting, use the nursery, training room, or the at home option until the condition or circumstances pass.
  2. The Heart Principle – The second principle is a matter of theology. The Reformers never viewed worship as magically sanctifying. In other words, no one get credit just for showing up. The benefits and the purpose of worship demand an engaged heart (Ps 9:1, 19:14, 51:17, Is 29:13, Mt 15:8). Consider Westminster Confession 21:5, “Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day”:

The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.

Those words above in bold are words of cognition and engagement. Both the ability to worship and benefits of worship are dependent on mature thinking, using the mind to submit to, learn from, and glorify God. A crying infant is not only distracting others from those actions, but is also not himself immediately benefiting from being present. That is not say there are no benefits from infants and young children in worship. They are welcome and encouraged to be present but not at a high cost to the attention and devotion of your neighbors. Yes, transitioning into congregational worship has to take place at some point but training starts outside the sanctuary, not in it.

With Respect to Your Family

So what do you do with the child who’s not helping or being helped in worship? What do you do when your kids don’t like church? What are you options when others are being distracted by your progeny? Our practices go a long way towards bringing about the heart worship that God desires from us and in our children. These are five suggestions to moving your family towards more purposeful worship.

  1. Be Patient – Remember that as a parent in addition to directing your house to worship the Lord (Josh 24:15), you are also creating a context for worship, a path in which to walk (Dt 6:6ff, 11:18ff, 1 Kings 2:1-4). It’s never just one conversation or one thing you do. It takes time and discipline and prayer and the Spirit working as He wills to bring that about.
  2. Acknowledge that corporate worship is work – Here’s a little secret…corporate worship isn’t fun. It isn’t supposed to be fun. We sometimes try to convince ourselves that it should be fun or we can make it fun but it’s not. The reality is that Sundays are made difficult with special clothes, broken routines, and sitting for an hour and a half in one place with little wiggle room (twice!). Entertainment is (and should be) lacking. Worship is work. Being joyful takes work too or otherwise it wouldn’t be such a frequently repeated command in Scripture. Let your children know that we don’t go to worship merely to endure nor to be entertained, but to work. Because of this we can be honest and have some lowered expectations for their anticipation.
  3. Expect Age-Appropriate Engagement – Now, while we may lower expectations for the attitude of children, we raise our expectations for their learning to worship well. We always demand that they not be serious distractions (a little wiggling is not the end of the world), but we also expect them to grow in what they are capable of. Expect a four year old to sing the Gloria Patri and Doxology which they should have memorized by repetition. Expect a six or seven year old to be doing their best to sing from the hymnal and psalter. Expect a ten year old to listen for details. Expect a 16 year old to own it all for himself.
  4. Train to Appreciate – A fourth thing to do is give our children help: motivation for worship, explanations of the elements of worship, reminders about how and when and why to participate at different points. Give them things to think about on their way to worship. For instance the introit, the opening piece of music before the call to worship, is used as a musical announcement that the King is entering in. It’s supposed to create expectation for the next element, God’s speaking to the congregation in the call to worship. They should understand that when they confess their sin, God speaks back to them a word of forgiveness, that the corporate prayer is a prayer of the whole church and not just the one praying, that the benediction is God having the last “good word” to us as a blessing. These lessons don’t need to come all at once, but over time, as they mature in their understanding, they should gain knowledge to go along with it.
  5. Worship at Home – Finally, I mentioned it before but will say it again with more clarity: Training for worship begins at home, not in the sanctuary. Family worship is the place to exercise patience, practice sitting still, listen without interruption, and engage the word with the mind. These are skills to be developed. They are not instinctive. Five or six nights a week will go a long way toward making Sundays more profitable for everyone. But it only works if you develop some expectation at home that fit with the bigger family you worship with on Sundays.

We can’t say everything that needs to be said but we can move in the right direction. If you took the time to read this far, take a few more minutes to audit your family’s practices in worship. Are you loving others? Are you helping everyone in engaging their heart? Are you working at worship? Or in the way you bring children to worship are you actually hindering them from coming to Christ?