Doctrine of Doing

"First, all preaching should be practical.  The proper end of all doctrine is practice.  Anything brought forward as doctrine, which cannot be made use of as practical, is not preaching the Gospel.  There is none of that sort of preaching in the Bible.  That is all practical.  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  A vast deal of preaching in the present day, as well as in past ages, is called doctrinal as opposed to practical preaching.  The very idea of making this distinction is a device of the devil.  And a more abominable device Satan himself never devised.  You sometimes hear certain men talk a wonderful deal about the necessity of "indoctrinating the people."  By which they mean something different from practical preaching; teaching them certain doctrines, as abstract truths, without any particular reference to practice.  And I have known a minister in the midst of a revival, while surrounded with anxious sinners, leave off labouring to convert souls, for the purpose of "indoctrinating" the young converts, for fear somebody else should indoctrinate them before him.  And there the revival stops!  Either his doctrine was not true, or it was not preached in the right way.  To preach doctrines in an abstract way, and not in reference to practice, is absurd.  God always brings in doctrine to regulate practice.  To bring forward doctrinal views for any other object is not only nonsense; it is wicked."  Charles G Finney (quoted from Revival Lectures, pg. 222, emphasis mine)

Jesus never preached to satisfy the curiosity or men, to excite their senses, or simply for the sake of sharing information.  He aimed to move the hearts, minds, and man's complete being to repentance and righteousness.  Jesus did not seek to only engage the mind but move the soul.  Finney wrote these words quoted above almost two hundred years ago, yet we still see this practice continually in the church.  "Feeding the sheep" today often constitutes the sharing of information rather than motivation to action.  Quite often I find that abstract doctrines, or teaching in an abstract manner does little more than please the minister.  People politely sit through message after message, sift through the material, and though there is an abundance of information there is no direction concerning how to live in light of it.  Therefore the material exists to quiet a man's conscience:  he has done his duty in listening to a sermon rather than the sermon being an impetus used by the Holy Spirit to cause a man to draw nearer to God in faith.  He has had a healthy meal at the LORD's table and returns hungrily back to the slop served up in the world's trough.

The result of this kind of preaching is overfed and overweight sheep due to lack of exercise - actual exercise of the Christian walk with Christ.  Like cows we chew and chew, digest, and stand around talking about what we're eating.  We have the scripture on our breath but it doesn't have practical impact.  Take for instance the doctrine of the pre-tribulational rapture of the church.  People happily take a position, but for what?  Unless this doctrine moves you to action, it is like standing in the batter's box to hit without a bat.  Your stance may be textbook, your uniform spotless, and you may have memorized word-for-word the rules of baseball.  But without a bat you cannot perform your purpose in the box:  to hit the ball!  The doctrine of the rapture can and should move us to action:  the necessity for personal repentance and evangelism; the knowledge that our time is short causes us to labor with earnest, urgent diligence; to desire and labor so our conversation will glorify God more and more as we see the Day approaching; we will be sober, watchful, and godly and on.

It has never been good enough in God's eyes for a man to know something.  Knowledge brings a man under greater condemnation!  It is the application of this knowledge that constitutes wisdom.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  A preacher does Christ disservice when he does not specifically apply the Biblical truths of doctrine to practical life.  Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies!  When we think of any doctrine in scripture, how does it move us to greater love?  How does doctrine stir up our hearts to glorify God with our lives?  These are questions which I must address not only with my mouth through preaching or discourse, but also through my thoughts, words, and actions.  The most essential doctrines can be degraded to information regurgitation rather than life transformation.  How we need the Spirit to teach us and guide us in our daily lives!  Let us not only be good students but servants of the Most High God.  May our lives be display of true doctrine, an outflow of the life of Christ which speaks volumes of wisdom no one can deny.

Divine Acceptance

It's not often when an object lesson literally jumps into your lap.  While reading today Poncho, the Tooke's dog, did something he has never done before.  He came up very close to the chair I was sitting in, stared at me with his tail wagging, and suddenly jumped into my lap.  Before I could put what I was reading on the table beside me, he had settled down in a comfortable position.  Poncho is a medium-sized dog (poodle/cocker mix) that weighs around 50lbs, likely not the ideal size of a lap dog!  As I stroked his coat Ross remarked, "Now there's the ultimate in acceptance.  He's found a friend."  Poncho proved his acceptance of me by his actions.

As I sat with Poncho spread across me, there was a deep sense of pleasure in this display of confidence and trust.  Unfortunately today the word "pleasure" tends to have a sexual connotation, but this was nothing of the sort.  If Poncho suspected I would injure or hurt him he would refuse even to be touched by me, much less leap into my lap.  What had I done to deserve such favor over the last week?  Nothing unusual.  I had given him a few treats, opened a door for him when he wanted out or in, and scratched his belly.  Though it is likely he rested on me motivated by selfishness for attention, it made me happy he displayed such trust and desire.  It was no trouble for me to put down my papers and make him the object of attention and affection.

There was something sweet in the familiarity and closeness we shared for those moments.  After a while he moved on and I continued to read, thinking about this lesson.  If I can take pleasure in a dog seeking attention, does not God take greater pleasure when His creation seeks after Him?  Do our actions confirm that we have accepted Christ as LORD, Savior, and Friend?  Am I willing, with humility as Poncho, to approach God and climb into His lap?  Won't it give God great pleasure to know that with all the toys, diversions, and cares I might have, I will lay them all aside to spend quiet time with Him alone?  I am not Poncho's owner but God is my Owner, having bought me with a price:  the blood of Jesus.  He deserves such time with me but will not legally require me to spend a set amount of time with Him.  He could put me on a leash, threaten me with violence, and heave me onto His lap - but that would not be according to God's character.  He has freely given me His love, and desires I would freely love Him back.

Remember the longing in the words of Jesus?  He says in Matthew 23:37:  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  God has all the comfort to give, but we so often are unwilling to receive.  Jesus offered love, acceptance, forgiveness, and salvation, and men instead plotted to kill Him!  There is little in a human relationship that compares with the closeness of a hen to her chicks.  She has the capability to cover them all, warms them with her body, and protects them from harm.  Each chick nestled beneath has all of her.  We hold our babies, but a hen covers them.  What a picture of closeness Christ desires to share with us if we are willing!

What a blessing that God rejoices in companionship with us!  We climb up in His lap with our dirty old selves, complete with wet muddy paws, bad breath, drool, rancid gas, and stickers all through our coat because of where we've been.  But God delights in us even though there is nothing we can do to earn his divine acceptance.  Psalm 147:11 says, "The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy."  Instead of taking this grace for granted, may we avail ourselves of it by offering ourselves a living sacrifice unto God.  When we trust God, we have no fear of abuse by Him.  He delights in our advances and will never turn us away because we are not worthy.  We are not worthy anyway!  Yet when we admit our unworthiness and seek Him with desire He is pleased.  God will make us the attention of His affection and acceptance if we allow Him.  Have you climbed up in the LORD's lap today?

The Good Personal Shepherd

I have spent the last few days driving around town, familiarising (Aussie spelling!) myself with the local roads.  It's been great to visit with people from the congregation, share great food, and have the freedom to travel without requesting a lift!  The car shown is a Lancer the church has provided for my transport and has been a blessing.

A huge key to my successful navigation of Sydney roads is me not having to navigate them alone!  The Tookes have been kind to loan me their G.P.S. and what a great help it has been.  It prompts me in advance for turns, warns me of the abundant red-light and speed cameras, and monitors my speed.  The function I like most of all is when I make a wrong turn or have to detour because of road work it automatically adjusts the route to my destination.  It is also encouraging there are multitudes of ways to arrive at any destination.  The question is:  how long do I want it to take?

One aspect of the TomTom I appreciate is it does not become frustrated with long lights, traffic, my choice of music, or operating error.  Without a shred of anger at my wrong turns it immediately reconfigures my path to the right way.  It never says, "You are an idiot.  Turn around, fool!"  The G.P.S. does not turn off if I make more than one wrong turn as punishment for my poor decisions behind the wheel.  It does not overwhelm me with criticism about being in the wrong lane or mock my confusion.  It is almost as if the TomTom really wants to say with a smile, "You have reached your destination."

This reminds me of the gentle way God leads us through this life.  He has a purpose and a design for every person's life in bringing Him glory.  Like Pilgrim in Bunyan's allegory, though there is a clear path laid before us we can be tempted to turn any which way.  We can lose our sense of direction when we walk contrary to God's Word, forsake the Good Shepherd, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  All of us have been that dying, pathetic, helpless, bleating sheep caught in thorns on a precipice.  Without the intervention of the Good Shepherd, our souls would be lost for eternity.  Jesus does not drive the sheep but chooses instead to lead them.  God has given us the choice as human beings to follow Him or not.  Praise God that when we wander from His care, protection, and guidance, He will come after us.  The Good Shepherd will leave the 99 in safety to find that single lost sheep.  When Jesus recovers the sheep He does not dole out violence in anger, but rejoices and celebrates that what was lost has been found.  The horrible experience of separation from Him disciplines us to follow Him closer and more faithfully in the future.

A fitting end to this post is the third and fourth verses of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Robert Robinson written back in 1757.  The truth of these words has not changed over that time.  Let us never forget to thank God for His great faithfulness unto us!

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Come Holy Spirit!

I awoke this morning to the sound of strong gusts of wind which scratched branches across the tile roof.  The trees swished in unison as the breeze fluttered the leaves, almost like the noise of running water.  It reminded me of the words of Jesus in John 3:8:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  God employs no wind generator to make the breeze blow, just like He needs no wave machine to control the tides.  The sound of the wind and the visible effects are obvious, but the source and substance of wind remains unseen.

Jesus compares wind to the Holy Spirit and His influence on the life of a Christian.  While a tree is forced to move due to the power of the wind which overcomes the pull of gravity, the Holy Spirit will not make a man do anything.  God doesn't just want to move our limbs but our thoughts, attitudes, and desires.  He may seek to move us from one place in the world to another.  Of course there are many who move, but their movement is without direction and purpose.  Many people seek to do the works of God, yet refuse to believe in Christ whom God has sent.  They are constant motion and movement but because they are not filled by the Holy Spirit they are aimless.  God's work is an inner work.  Man tends to focus on externals while God looks at the heart.  An inner work will have evidence outwardly as we remain yielded to the Spirit.

The tree cannot dictate how the wind will blow, and likewise a man cannot dictate the movement of the Holy Spirit.  Man cannot make the wind blow how it pleases him.  But man can choose to obey as the Holy Spirit empowers and directs him.  God has this remarkable grace which allows men to call upon God according to His will and frees God to do what He desires.  If we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?  Amazing that God would choose to make men a part of this process!  God could do it all by himself without faulty, feeble men, but He has placed this glory in earthen vessels so the "excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Cor. 4:7).  Are we willing to pray God would send His Spirit in power upon us?  Are we willing to speak, move, and act in obedience to Him?  My prayer is summed up in the old song:
 

Shine, Jesus shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow, river flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth your word

Lord and let there be light.