Do We See the Dignity of Jesus?

via Boone’s Creek Baptist Church on 1/20/08

Luke 3:21-38

We as Baptists are at a critical time. We are defined more by what we do than by what we believe. I come across this mindset quite a bit. Some say they do not want their doctrine to get in the way of the Christianity — as if the two are mutually exclusive. We grow quite content with the basics rather than drinking deep and meditating on God’s revealed Word to us.

Weekly, I read through the Western Recorder (our state Baptist newspaper). One day, I decided to respond to much of what I read in this manner. I mention this note not simply to draw attention to this, but share with you my desire as your pastor here. We need to remember who Jesus is and the mission which he sent us to accomplish. That we all agree with. But do we see the cruciality of knowing who He is and what He accomplished? For instance, when we see the Great Commission, do we see that Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18)? Well, who is this Jesus who possesses this authority? If we simply say, “He loves me and died for me” — that could apply to a U.S. soldier. So it’s more than that!

Then you say, “Well, he died for my sins!” What qualifies him to do such a thing? “Because he died on the cross!” Why a cross? Many died on a cross — why was Jesus dying on a cross 2,000 years ago any big deal? The usual answer is, “So we could go to heaven!” But even in the Great Commission, Jesus exhorts us to teach those who would be disciples everything that he has commanded. My point is, the glory of Jesus is not that he simply put us on a mission, he wants us to know the One who commissions us.

1. See the divine dignity of Jesus.

Luke 3:21-22 tells us:

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, [22] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22, ESV).

Notice that Jesus’ divinity is seen in a number of ways. First, the heavens opened up! That’s right — the clouds parted in a way that likely no filmmaker could reproduce. We see this happen in a number of other times in the Scriptures.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. What was the purpose of this? When John the Baptist noted that Jesus would come along baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire, the fire represented the Word of God that has a two-fold function: it purges in judgment, but also reconciles by bringing peace. John Piper rightly puts it:

The dove suggests to Jesus purity, meekness, innocence. It was not majestic like the eagle or fierce like the hawk or flamboyant like the cardinal. It was simple, common, innocent, the kind of bird poor people could offer for a sacrifice.

Jesus called his disciples to minister in a rather interesting way. Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves”(ESV). Various political administrations are marked by a certain propensity for aggression or non-aggression. If they tend to lean toward war and aggression, they are called hawks. If toward a more peaceful understand and an aversion to war, they are called doves. But do not mistake us saying that Jesus’ ministry in being marked by a dove means that he is weak. It means that he will be tender with the weak.

Then the Lord calls from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is of the same substance as the Father, thus he is fully God. This is not the only time the Father calls out of heaven. He did so during Jesus’ transfiguration. God is showing His seal of approval on his Son.

Let me ask you, when you think of Jesus, what comes across your mind? Is he someone that may cramp your style? A cosmic killjoy who wants to take away your freedom and fun? Or maybe you have gotten past this, but look around and really wonder if Jesus lives up to the biblical billing? Do you see his meekness as weakness? Do you see his humility as someone who is a chump before the world? Make no mistake about this One. His power conquers death. His power conquers the very thing that separates us from God.

With this we also see…

2. … the human dignity of Jesus.

The fact that God would condescend to minister to us as a human being is such an amazing fact and feat, words can hardly describe this. In fact, in the early part of church history, the average Christian had a difficult time grasping how Jesus could be fully divine and fully human. IN Jesus’ time, they had an easy time seeing Jesus as a human (after all, he was standing right in front of them) but not as divine. In our day, the problem is the exact opposite — all divine, but too far removed from being human.

In Jesus’ time, they had a difficult time seeing him as holy God! Yet, that’s exactly what the Scriptures in general teach about Christ — and what this passage teaches us about him. Here we see the emphasis on his divinity with some of his humanity intertwined. Notice the humanity. Jesus was ‘baptized and was praying.’ These two things seem like very human things, doesn’t it? If Jesus is God, two questions arise: why did he need to be baptized, and why was he praying?

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? To many, this looks very undignified. If Jesus is truly God, and if he is King of kings and Lord of lords, why would he come to John, asking to be baptized by him? This baptism was a baptism of repentance. Was Jesus coming up and confessing some sin or shortcoming in his keeping of the law? It goes back to why Jesus came to begin with. Jesus came to save his people from their sins. In order to do this, Jesus needed to identify with his people. Remember from Galatians 4:4-7:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Look at this again. God sent forth his Son. In what way did he enter into the world? He was “born of a woman.” Under what conditions? He was “born under the law.” What was the result? “To redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons.” This explains what the Gospel of Matthew was referring to. Look with me at Matthew 3:13-17:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. [14] John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” [15] But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. [16] And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

So what was Jesus doing? Jesus was being undignified — at least as far as the world is concerned. How many dignitaries and famous people do you know who would condescend to merely speak or shake hands with and ‘ordinary’ person? Yet why would he do such a thing? He did this to identify with our situation so he may be able to be a worthy substitute in paying for our sins. Consider this passage from Romans 5:12-21:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— [13] for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. [14] Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

[15] But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. [16] And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. [17] If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

[18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. [20] Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, [21] so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus came as a Second Adam to overpower the curse of sin in this world. The grace He brings is far superior than the bleakness and the devastation of the curse. And on a day to day level, let’s see why Jesus coming as a human is so important:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV).

What temptations has Jesus faced? All of them. Think of how you are tempted — things in which you would be mortified to see the light of day . Things that you afraid to even mention in your prayers to God. Please know that our Great High Priest (the only priest I need in this life and the next) not only intercedes for us, but also understands our issues. We can approach Him through the Gospel and find sanctifying help whenever the need arises — and that need constantly arises.

Conclusion

In reference to the letter I wrote to the Western Recorder, a reader left a comment that I thought was particularly enlightening. Her name is Wendy Duncan who authored a book entitled, “I Can’t Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult.”

Hi Bro Matt,

Thank you for responding to the letter in the Kentucky State Baptist paper. As a former Southern Baptist with a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I am one of those who “strayed” to a cult. It was a Bible-based cult with a masterful and manipulative cult leader and like several other former Baptists who were involved in this cult, I got hooked. Interestingly, one of the cult members worked for our state Baptist paper.

When I was in seminary I took a course on cults and the emphasis was on the teachings and doctrines of the various cults. Before joining this particular cult, I did my research. I reviewed their doctrinal statement and it could have passed for any mainstream Christian group. I also called several cult awareness ministries to see if this group was included in their list of cults and was told it was not.

I ended up staying in this cult for over seven years before leaving. One of my last conversations with the cult leader was most telling. I said (shouted), “Your voice is so loud, Ole, that I can’t hear God’s anymore.”

After leaving the cult, my husband, who had been a member for twenty years, and I, struggled to regain our relationship with God. The first year after leaving was one of the worst periods of my life, but with God’s grace, we are managing to hang on to our faith. We joined a liturgical church (cult experts recommend going to a church completely different than the cult experience) and are slowly making our way back to a strong relationship with Christ.

Although now I see that the doctrine that this cult taught was heretical, the teachings were only one thing that was problematic. I think it is important that we teach the church and especially our young people, the other signs of a cult, as well as how they recruit and why they appeal to individuals.

The largest number of cults in our society today is Bible-based cults. Thank you for addressing this issue. I pray you will continue to grow your church in these areas and teach your members how to minister to those who leave cults.

My desire is that you are so gripped by the Gospel, you would never find yourself becoming fodder for Bible-based cults who hijack our terminology, but redefine those same terms. Chase hard after God to see what His will is and to understand what his Word says. Let’s not be a mile wide and an inch deep. Let’s explore the depths of Christ as found in His Word!

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The Church Needs Creeds and Deeds

Recently, in response to a letter submitted to our Kentucky state Baptist paper‘s Baptist Forum section that seemed to say “No creed but the Bible,” I felt the need to respond to this mindset. Given how many Southern Baptists are straying to other cults such as Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses because of the lack of biblical depth they possess, I wrote the following.

I am saddened and stunned at the outcry of those who lament how Southern Baptists seek to clarify doctrinal issues concerning the Scriptures, God, Christ, the church, and family. And yet all of us show the same type of shock when we see that of all the denominations from which the cults steal their sheep, Southern Baptist are their primary source of growth. Why is this?

It is because we Southern Baptists define ourselves more by what we do than by what we believe. Look back over older Western Recorder editions: they spent more time teaching what the Scriptures say rather than talking about missions and church growth almost to the exclusion of doctrinal beliefs. In fact, when Southern Baptists take a stand, they are derided as uncaring, academic, and divisive.

I am all for loving Jesus, but I believe creeds are just as valuable as the deeds. Both must be present — both the content of Scripture as well as the fruit of obedience to the Scriptures. I am for loving the Jesus of the Bible who has clear attributes and had a clear mission for His people. Until Southern Baptist rigorously study who Jesus is, what He has done, what the implications are for us who claim to be Christ-followers, what he expects from His Church and its individual members, we will continue to be fodder for those who deny the faith as we will cease to grow in any significant and spiritual way. Numbers are not the only way to grow a church — we need to be sure there are enough faithful in the church already as well!

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Tobacco? Sin! Alcohol? Bad! Gluttony? Well, that’s OK: Southern Baptists and the Weight Issue (Mark Combs)

Very convicting article by Mark Combs. Click here to read.

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Tobacco? Sin! Alcohol? Bad! Gluttony? Well, that’s OK: Southern Baptists and the Weight Issue (Mark Combs)

Very convicting article by Mark Combs. Click here to read.

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Do I Wish I Could Have Gone to the SBC Annual Meeting? Absolutely!!

A number of Southern Baptists bloggers have lamented not being able to go to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio.  Give all the videos
put up online from the convention, I feel as if I was there. 

While some have expressed even thankfulness that they could not go, I regret that I could not — and even now am looking forward to the 2008 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis — a scant three hours from Lexington!  Why do I wish I could have gone to the Convention and why am I looking forward to next year’s?  Here’s a few reasons off the top of my head:

1.   Fellowshipping with other Southern Baptists.  Over the past decade, approximately 10,000 Southern Baptists attend the annual meeting from all over the world.  On occasion, I see some friends I have known in past churches or from seminary days gone by.  At the 2006 convention, my family and I were able to fellowship with Chris Whaley, my former pastor back in college days.  Chris helped me with my first summer intern positions in the early 1990s which really helped get my feet wet in full-time Kingdom work. 

2.   Seeing Christians cooperate.  Some deplore the political nature of the convention, others lament over the parlimentary procedural nature of the convention (making into one long business meeting, of sorts).  I like seeing Baptists come together and cooperate.  We may not like some of the decisions concerning some of the resolutions — and we may have a problem with some of the agendas put forth.  I, however, enjoy seeing 10,000 SBC messengers come together and have a say in the direction of our convention.  To me, it’s a beautiful thing to see.

3.   Taking my family along.  I love going to these meetings with my wife.  Why?  Because I so seldom get to take her to anything like this (and depending on some weeks, I so seldom take her anywhere due to meetings, services, visitation, etc.  You may say, “Matt, you have four kids — what about them?”  They have a place for your children to learn, play, and have fun with other children their own age.  It’s an incredible set-up. 

4.   Personally seeing what happens first-hand.  I am head-long into the blogosphere.  And it is so interesting to see how many different interpretations come about from someone’s address or motion from the floor, just to mention two.  When I fail to attend the convention as I did this year, I have to rely on what others say about it who were there.  As some consolation, I am thankful for SBC Voices who actually put up video footage from the convention so we can watch these particular addresses ourselves and come to our own conclusions.  But nothing beats seeing it firsthand.

5.   The ministry in surrounding areas.  You go to the hotel, you have a chance to say you’re with the Southern Baptists for the convention and an opportunity opens up to plant Gospel seeds.  You go to an area restaurant, same thing.  You see someone on the street handing out a flyer or pamphlet denouncing what Southern Baptists are all about, and you have an opportunity to engage them in a conversation.  Plus, they have booths at the convention which hand out free tracts to distribute to the various stores, hotels, restaurants and all points in-between. 

6.   The booths of all the SBC agencies, seminaries, colleges, and organizations.  It’s so wonderful to see the ministries in which the SBC is engaged.  God has blessed us financially, missionally, and educationally. 

So when the time comes for the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis in 2008, I’m there — it’s only a three hour drive and I just might take the whole family (we’ll see). 

And as the old hymn writer wrote, “Oh, who will come and go with me?”

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How Old Are Most Southern Baptist Pastors?

Tony Kummer brought this to my attention. I, too, was surprised to see that over half of all SBC senior pastors are 50 years of age or older.

No wonder when I attend the Southern Baptist Convention that most people look at me with shock when I tell them I’m a pastor (I’m 35, by the way). I notice that my age bracket only represents 14% of all SBC pastors.

I’ll ask the same questions Tony did:

• Does this surprise you like it did me?
• What significance does this have on the churches?

(You can feel free to leave a comment on Tony’s blog entry as well — I know he’d appreciate hearing from you.)

Technorati Tags: SBC, pastors, age

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Did Falwell Really Use the Word “Heresy” to Describe Calvinism?

Jerry Falwell this past Friday preached a sermon to 1828 prospective new students to Liberty University entitled “Our Message, Mission, and Vision.”  In their blog, Founders’ Ministries points out one tragic statement when Falwell addresses the atonement:

We are not into partcular love or limited atonement. As a matter of fact we consider it heresy.”

“Heresy”?  What an unfortunate use of words.  Irenaeus in the 2nd century defined heresy in a work of his as such:

Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in on attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself (IrenaeusAgainst Heresies 1.2) (HT: Matt Slick, CARM)

In fact, condemnation falls upon those who are false teachers of false doctrines. Galatians 1:8-9 tells us:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you [MRP: that is, preaches heresy], let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Also in Titus 3:10:

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,

Clearly, this is a serious matter. Clearly, the use of this word should never be used lightly. Clearly, we must be careful when calling something we do not hold to be true or agree with ‘heresy.’

Tom Ascol makes an excellent point here:

Does Jerry Falwell and Liberty University really judge John Piper to be a heretic? If we take his words seriously, as surely we ought if we are to honor him, then he believes that Al Mohler, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, D. James Kennedy, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, Tom Nettles, Wayne Grudem, Sinclair Ferguson, James White and Fred Malone teach heresy.

That certainly is his and Liberty’s right to believe. I simply regret that they believe it. I do not regard my universal redemptionist brothers to be heretics because of their views of general atonement. I think they are wrong and they think the same of me. But that does not mean that we have to accuse each other of being heretics.

In a recent blog entry (“Why All the Angst Against Calvinism, Objection I: They Are Not Evangelistic“) that has just recently caught some attention, I understand the objections against it — in fact, I used to hold to them rather stringently as well. Yet, I never found myself telling others they were flat heretics when they believed in Christ and his atoning work on the cross. This is a hard issue to reconcile and I have my convictions which I believe speak from Scripture.

But when Jerry Falwell with his influence begins to use this language, and when Ergun Caner says that “Calvinists are worse than Muslims,” I shake my head that these men as leaders of an influential bastion of an evangelical institution of higher learning throw out comments such as this. It seems rather irresponsible.

But, as Ascol also points out, at least he’s forthright and honest about his beliefs. Disagree, but do so in a manner which does not slanderize those who disagree with you. I expected more from Falwell and Caner.

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Did Falwell Really Use the Word “Heresy” to Describe Calvinism?

Jerry Falwell this past Friday preached a sermon to 1828 prospective new students to Liberty University entitled “Our Message, Mission, and Vision.”  In their blog, Founders’ Ministries points out one tragic statement when Falwell addresses the atonement:

We are not into partcular love or limited atonement. As a matter of fact we consider it heresy.”

“Heresy”?  What an unfortunate use of words.  Irenaeus in the 2nd century defined heresy in a work of his as such:

Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in on attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself (IrenaeusAgainst Heresies 1.2) (HT: Matt Slick, CARM)

In fact, condemnation falls upon those who are false teachers of false doctrines. Galatians 1:8-9 tells us:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you [MRP: that is, preaches heresy], let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Also in Titus 3:10:

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,

Clearly, this is a serious matter. Clearly, the use of this word should never be used lightly. Clearly, we must be careful when calling something we do not hold to be true or agree with ‘heresy.’

Tom Ascol makes an excellent point here:

Does Jerry Falwell and Liberty University really judge John Piper to be a heretic? If we take his words seriously, as surely we ought if we are to honor him, then he believes that Al Mohler, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, D. James Kennedy, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, Tom Nettles, Wayne Grudem, Sinclair Ferguson, James White and Fred Malone teach heresy.

That certainly is his and Liberty’s right to believe. I simply regret that they believe it. I do not regard my universal redemptionist brothers to be heretics because of their views of general atonement. I think they are wrong and they think the same of me. But that does not mean that we have to accuse each other of being heretics.

In a recent blog entry (“Why All the Angst Against Calvinism, Objection I: They Are Not Evangelistic“) that has just recently caught some attention, I understand the objections against it — in fact, I used to hold to them rather stringently as well. Yet, I never found myself telling others they were flat heretics when they believed in Christ and his atoning work on the cross. This is a hard issue to reconcile and I have my convictions which I believe speak from Scripture.

But when Jerry Falwell with his influence begins to use this language, and when Ergun Caner says that “Calvinists are worse than Muslims,” I shake my head that these men as leaders of an influential bastion of an evangelical institution of higher learning throw out comments such as this. It seems rather irresponsible.

But, as Ascol also points out, at least he’s forthright and honest about his beliefs. Disagree, but do so in a manner which does not slanderize those who disagree with you. I expected more from Falwell and Caner.

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The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Takes a Bold Stand

A recent Baptist Press article of November 15 outlines a bold stand the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina took at their recent state convention:

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina strengthened its membership criteria Nov. 14 to specify churches that do not support homosexuality and do not allow homosexuals to be members until they repent.

Messengers voted by nearly a three-fourths majority to change the convention’s articles of incorporation, Article VI.A.3 concerning membership as proposed in the “Sanderson Motion,” brought before the convention last year by Bill Sanderson, pastor of Hephzibah Baptist Church in Wendell.

The original article stated, “A cooperating church shall be one that financially supports any program, institution, or agency of the Convention, and which is in friendly cooperation with the Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work.”

(To read the rest of the article, click here.)

As with most discussions concerning polity in Southern Baptist churches, the question of autonomy arises. Does an outside entity, even within the denomination, have the right to accept into their membership those whom the Bible states are engaged in sinful behavior such as that of homosexuality? There are those who claim that SBC churches are autonomous in nature with no outside intervention able to run the operations of the church.

Yet the Southern Baptist Convention is unlike many other denominations in that the members of those conventions have a say-so as to the doctrinal boundaries and distinctives. Mark Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC, stated:

Neither I nor the convention sought out this issue. It is important to know that this reflects biblical standards we all can unite on. This in no way attacks a person caught in the grips of homosexual behavior. This is the establishment of a standard for the North Carolina Baptist Convention.

No one sin is worse than another. As believers, we have a responsibility to stand against an agenda which is contrary to Scripture. Nothing would please me more than if this discussion was unnecessary. However, this convention must stand with courage.

On the other side of that coin, Nathan Parrish, pastor at the Peace Haven Baptist Church in Winston-Salem felt this result was unproductive.

We should have more conversations with each other rather than cast stones at each other. Having the right to exclude does not give us the right to exclude. This creates another layer of board-driven committee oversight and power.

“Conversations.” What is there to talk about when the Scriptures are so clear? It’s time for us to quite thinking we can have conversations to come to some compromise and listen to the commands of Jesus and His servants.

More on this later … but I am proud of the BSCNC of their stand. There’s hope for the SBC yet!

Great Site on Kentucky Baptist History

I met Jim Duvall in the lobby of the Southern Seminary library early last month and he introduced me to his Kentucky Baptist History website.  It has a lot of good resources (plus a link to other state histories he has put together.

Click here to peruse!