Feeding a Hunger for Spiritual Progress: Part 1
This post first appeared in shortened form at Gene’s personal blog
There are basics to spiritual formation that anyone who wants to make spiritual progress in Christ must learn and practice. Some spiritual disciplines are spiritual exercises to help you grow spiritually.
If I were to go out right now and say I’m going to go run a marathon, I can’t do it. why? I haven’t disciplined myself to prepare to do that. But if I chose to, in about 6-9 months, I could do it, if I were willing to put in the work.
In the same way, there are things you or I want to do or want to be spiritually that we simply can’t turn on by direct effort. If you struggle with anger, losing your temper, you can’t just say, “I’m not going to do that anymore.” That doesn’t generally help. If you are constantly worried and anxious you can’t just say, “I’m not going to feel that way any more.”
Rather, you have to put some disciplines in practice that will provoke you to spiritual growth. There are lots of spiritual exercises: service, silence, fasting, simplicity, study, prayer, bible reading, meditation, and memorization, to name a few. John Ortberg made one up that he called slowing. It involved deliberately seeking to cause things to take longer. For instance, if you are always in a hurry, deliberately put yourself in the longest line at grocery store or drive in the slow lane.
All the disciplines don’t need to be practiced by everyone, but the two core disciplines, which all other spiritual disciplines use and enhance, are prayer and bible reading. For a few weeks I want to address practically how to get at the bible.
I like the hand illustration by the Navigators regarding the bible. The five fingers of the hand represent five ways to get a grip on the bible: hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating. All of these are important. They don’t need to be practiced in any particular order. I have found that the third step of Bible study is critically important for my own development. But hearing the word is fundamental to all the others. Numerous methods provide opportunity to “hear” the word. Faithful participation in corporate worship and then listening intently to the word being preached is primary. Participating in small group bible studies is another. It is relatively easy, and in many cases free, to listen to scripture being read. Free options include the online ESV bible and Bible Gateway. I own the ESV audio bible which I have uploaded into Itunes and onto my itouch.
Stunning resources are available for hearing the word through listening to free podcasts. My favorite are Tim Keller, John Ortberg and John Piper but there are many others.
Why is this particular step of hearing the word important? If I understand Romans 10:17 it is how faith it is developed. Romans 10:17 (ESV) 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Here is how that works. Hearing the word of Christ directs our attention to God’s faithfulness instead of on the circumstances that trouble you or frighten you.
The question remain is then will you, will I, be intentional about hearing the word of Christ? There’s no way to make spiritual progress without it. As I heard John Piper say in a message some time ago. “I can’t promise you that if you will get faithful to hearing God’s word that you will grow. But I can promise you that if you don’t, you won’t grow spiritually.”
Dealing with Stress
Most of us deal with more stress than is good for us. Most of could also learn to handle the stress we face in a better way. My family tells me that I’m a stress carrier. Ouch. When I’m stressed I seem to act in ways that ensures that the blood pressure of those close to me goes up as well. I will argue tomorrow from Hebrews 10 that the solution is not so much less stress, but to have the right kind of stress. Stress may be a good thing and in some ways we need more of it. We tend to worry and be anxious about things that in the end won’t matter so much. by contrast, where we need to sense some tension, some stress is in the character of our faith and our relationship with God. We need to be willing to allow a book like Hebrews to deeply probe our lives and create some discomfort within us so that we are most concerned about the things that will move us in the right direction for now and for eternity, for ourselves and for those closetst to us. I hope you can join us for the discussion.
Gene
Men’s Meeting
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Hebrews 10:32–39 (ESV) 32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Questions for Discussion
- What creates the most stress in your life?
- How can this text help you to see that hope more practically?
- To what extent can you imagine joyfully accepting the plundering of your property?
- How often do you honestly evaluate where you confidence lies?
How can we practically live by faith now?
Anger According to Jesus
I’ve spent two weeks discussing the subject of anger in our men’s breakfast. It didn’t seem right to leave the subject without grappling with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5: 21-26.
There’s a tremendous section in Dallas Willard’s book, The Divine Conspiracy, p. 147-154, that discusses Jesus famous words mentioned above. It is possible to read most of that section online without purchasing the book, though it does require an Amazon account. (Is there someone that doesn’t have an Amazon account?) Here is how:
- Go to www.amazon.com
- Log in or sign up for a new account
- Navigate to http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Conspiracy-Rediscovering-Hidden-Life/dp/0060693339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307390318&sr=8-1
- On the left hand side, click on the image of the book cover which has the words above it, “Click to look inside”
- Find the search box down the left hand side that says “search inside the book” and search on the word “anger”
- Choose the reference that comes up on p. 147.
- Read for free!
You can do this with almost any book, but hang on to your wallet.
Below is the scripture and discussion questions for tomorrow’s meeting.
Men’s Meeting
Tuesday, June 8, 2011
Matthew 5:21–26 (ESV)
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Questions for Discussion
- Do you agree that anger in and of itself creates harm?
- Why is it that we do withhold anger in some settings but then are more likely to unleash it on those who are closest to us?
- Anger first arises spontaneously, but we choose to indulge it. In what ways do we indulge or nurture anger? How does this result in our “carrying a supply of anger around” with us, which is quick to ignite? Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, p. 149.
- Nurtured anger always involves self-righteousness and vanity. What sorts of things do we say to ourselves and others that reveal this self-importance? (For example, How could he say that to me?)
Built to Last: The Challenge of Endurance
Tonight the pastors are beginning a message series on the book of Hebrews called Built to Last: The Challenge of Endurance. Pastor Gene’s outline for tonight is below.
Building a Foundation: Part 1
Hebrews 1
Embrace a fully biblical view of who Jesus is
Hebrews 1:1–4 (ESV) Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Identify Jesus as uniquely great in your own soul
Hebrews 1:5–14 (ESV)
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Leadership and the Fruit of the Spirit
In this week’s men’s meeting I’m taking one week off from addressing the issues raised at the men’s retreat to share some reflections from my weekend away at Gordon Conwell. Ironically, it will end up having a great deal to do with the subject of anger, which I will return to next week. Here are the scripture and the discussion questions.
Men’s Meeting
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Galatians 5:19–24 (ESV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Questions for Discussion
- Who are or have been the leaders who have made the greatest positive difference in your life? What characteristics drew you to them?
- Do you agree that the development of the fruit of the Holy Spirit within us is a path to becoming a more effective leader? Why or why not?
- How would you go about seeking to develop the fruit of the Spirit?
- How would the greater development of the fruit of the Holy Spirit address a problem with anger?
Fighting Off Discouragement
Wednesday’s outline from Gene on Psalm 42
Fighting Off Discouragement
Speak the truth about the state of your soul
Psalm 42:1-3(ESV)
1As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
Deliberately call to mind the acts and the goodness of God
Psalm 42:4-10 (ESV)
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of iHermon,
from Mount Mizar.
Persist in preaching to yourself about where to find hope
Psalm 42:5, 7-11
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
the challenge of community
The latest version of kindle for PC (the program is free, not the books of course) allows me to copy straight from books. I like that a lot. I just read this, it reminds me of Eph. 4:1-3. Paul would never have said, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, if it wasn’t going to be a serious challenge.
“Church” is not an event. It is people—people whom God calls us to love. What is more, it is in a very important sense an involuntary community of people: we don’t choose our brothers and sisters—God does. And sometimes (oftentimes) those people are not terribly compatible with us—not the people we would choose to hang out with. But it is this very incompatibility that is so important, for at least two reasons. First, learning to love the people I don’t like is by far the best way to learn how to love (it’s easy to love people I happen to like). Second, the church is supposed to be a sociological miracle—a demonstration that Jesus has died and risen to create a new humanity composed of all sorts of people.
Challies, Tim (2011). The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion (p. 108). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Gene
Tonight’s worship rehearsals and outline for tonight’s message called Experiencing Security
Dear Seaford worship ministry folks,
What a tremendous day we had on Sunday. God richly blessed us. We all had prayed hard and worked hard. I hope you were encouraged by the day. Thank you to each of you in the worship ministry who worked so hard. I got strong and positive comments about not just the work of the band and the choir but also that of the sound, video and projection work.
I am genuinely excited about tonight’s mid week worship service and about our rehearsals following. I’ve just finished up my sermon prep for tonight and the sermon this evening has important relevance for our work in the worship ministry. My outline is listed at the bottom of this message. It may look a bit harmless, but I promise you there is a kick in the gut in there for everyone at some point tonight, especially me!
In tonight’s mid week service I’m going to be introducing a new song that we I hope we will be rehearsing soon with the worship choir and band. I just don’t have my hands on the best arrangement yet. It’s called “Defender,” and it is a powerful song that I believe is going to be important for our whole congregation.
The agenda for tonight’s worship choir rehearsal is here April 27, 2011-2. It’s written from the worship choir’s perspective but we will come at the end of the evening to rehearse Lord, I run to You with the band, engage in a special prayer time with the band, and clear the stage for a wedding this weekend.
In Christ,
Gene
Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength, Part 4
Experiencing Security, Psalm 18
Express affection to God consistently
Psalm 18:1–3 (ESV) 1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
Declare daily your dependence on God
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Deliberately pray and ask for help in the moment.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
Philippians 4:6 (ESV) 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Daniel 3:16–18 (ESV) 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Hebrews 11:32–38 (ESV) 32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Gene
Invest in a rich experience of community with other believers
Invest in a rich experience of community with other believers.
This is the 2nd part of Sunday’s message titled, Core Faith, part 1 is here
Jesus our Lord, was delivered up for our trespasses.
What are the implications of such a picture of such a being? He is Jesus our Lord. The main thing is Jesus. He is our focus. He is the head of the church. But all that worship, all that focus is done in the context of a community in the context of relationships with other like minded believers. There are no solo operatives in God’s kingdom. There are no spiritual Jack Bauer’s. There is no place for a sentimental pseudo faith that says its just me and Jesus against the world.
If anyone could have done this life of following Jesus alone it was Paul. His conversion was dramatic. No question that he was real. His mission was crystal clear. He was ridiculously tough. Once he was stoned and left for dead. Yet he got up and brazenly walked back into town. He wrote 13 of the 27 books of the n.t. He was scholarly. Someone once accused him saying that his great learning had driven him insane. If anyone ever could have gone it alone, it was Paul. Yet Paul was persistently inclusive. He stubbornly insisted that he was on the same level as everyone else. He always worked in teams. He often spoke poignantly about his longing for his companions. He unashamedly by both his words and his behavior expressed great dependence on other people.
I see a disturbing trend away from this sense of community among those who call themselves followers of Jesus in our time. We live in one of the most individualistic societies ever known in history. I believe much of that comes from the direct strategy of Satan to isolate and to divide and conquer. We are wildly mobile. Most of us of driving age have a personal vehicle, we have a personal computer, we carry personal cell phones. We put a tv in every room in the house so we can personally choose what we want to watch. If that’s not enough many of us have dvr’s so as to suit our individual inclinations even further. By the way, all this has been generated not to serve us to but to exploit us, to wring every last penny from us. Our whole society is built on this demand for profit. And so we market products to each other trying to make our competitors obsolete.
It’s very difficult not to bring all this weight, all this baggage into our lives with Christ and frankly most of us think far more like American consumers than we do followers of Jesus Christ., The N.T. clearly teaches that in God’s family each member belongs to all the others. We are called to sacrificially lay our lives down for the sake of each other. The N.T. is saturated by one another language, love one another, serve lift up pray for. This is a communal experience.
Honestly my friends, how do you approach your involvement in this church? How do American Christians decide about church involvement? We say I’ve got to find something that meets my needs. That service time doesn’t work for me. I don’t have time to serve in any of the ministries of the church because I have the ability to fill up my schedule with all kinds of activities that I want to do our have to do. All the while a billion people in the world live on $1 dollar per day, elderly people lonely, single parents desperately struggle and scratch to make their way, marriages disintegrate, lives explode, because we are too busy catching up on the things we have recorded on our DVR’s rather to engage in the real needs of the community.
Paul said, you are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your bodies. Stop prostituting your gifts and your time and your money on everything else in the world, and invest yourself into the things that break the heart of God.
He is Jesus our Lord. Everything you do has connotations for everyone else in the body of Christ. Your choices are not your own.
In this regard, I urge you to read the book Radical by David Platt. Sometimes I read books hard to understand. This is not one of them.
Gene
The Unexpected Benefits of Real Difficulty
Finding God in the Dark, part 3
The Unexpected Benefits of Real Difficulty
- Seek out an accurate view of yourself.
2 Corinthians 12:5–6 (ESV) 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6 Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
- Acknowledge that God acts to shape our attitude and behavior.
2 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV) 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
- Remind yourself of the reasons you must depend on God.
2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (ESV) 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Endure real hardship gladly for what it achieves in our souls.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV) 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Questions for discussion
- How do you explain difficulties in your life?
- What do you think that it means to boast of our weaknesses? Why might it be important to do this?
- What practical sense do you have of God’s grace being sufficient for you?
- In what sense is God’s power made perfect in weakness?