Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

This past week was a wonderful reminder of the global work that God is doing as we as churches held our annual Northern Alberta Missions Conference. It is always exciting to hear reports from various missionaries from around the world. In particular, it was a great blessing for us to have Doug and Sharon Woyke share about their faithful ministry in Japan.

In light of all this, the question I'd like us to consider for a moment is how does the sovereignty of God relate to missions and evangelism? Can you be a Calvinist and a missionary at the same time? If it is ultimately up to God to save people, what part do we play? What are we called to do about it? Does it depend on us to present the gospel a certain way?

Charles Spurgeon (pictured above) was a very good example of a great evangelist who believed firmly in the sovereignty of God. He once said, "Let us arose ourselves to the sternest fidelity, labouring to win souls as much as if it all depended wholly upon ourselves, while we fall back, in faith, upon the glorious fact that everything rests with the eternal God."

With respect to our role in evangelism/missions, JI Packer wrote an excellent chapter on this in his book Evangelism And The Sovereignty Of God. Although this may be a lengthy quote, I'd encourage you to read through it carefully. Here is part of what he says:

The knowledge that God is sovereign in grace, and that we are impotent to win souls, should make us pray, and keep us praying. What should be the burden of our prayers? We should pray for those whom we seek to win, that the Holy Spirit will open their hearts; and we should pray for ourselves in our own witness, and for all who preach the gospel, that the power and authority of the Holy Spirit may rest upon them. ‘Pray for us,’ writes Paul, ‘that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified.’[2 Thes 3:1] Paul was a great evangelist who had seen much fruit, but Paul knew that every particle of it had come from God, and that unless God continued to work both in him and in those to whom he preached he would never convert another soul. So he pleads for prayer, that his evangelism might still prove fruitful. Pray, he pleads, that the word of the gospel may be glorified through my preaching of it, and through its effect in human lives. Pray that it may be used constantly to the conversion of sinners. This, to Paul, is an urgent request, just because Paul sees so clearly that his preaching can save nobody unless God in sovereign mercy is pleased to bless it and use it to this end. Paul, you see, does not hold that, because God is sovereign in saving sinners, therefore prayer is needless, any more than he holds that, because God is sovereign in saving sinners, evangelistic preaching is needless. Rather, he holds that, just because the salvation of sinners depends wholly upon God, prayer for the fruitfulness of evangelistic preaching is all the more necessary. And those today who, with Paul, believe most strongly that it is the sovereign agency of God, and that alone, that leads sinners to Christ, should bear witness to their faith by showing themselves most constant and faithful and earnest and persistent in prayer that God’s blessing may rest on the preaching of His word, and that under it sinners may be born again.

The truth is, if we want to see lives being saved here in our community and across the ocean in places like Japan, we must be a people of prayer. We must pray urgently that God would use each of us to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to our neighbors. And we must also pray urgently that God would do the same with our missionaries.

In, Not Out or Of

As we continue our series in the gospel of John and as I look ahead to chapter 17 I am reminded of a constant tension/struggle that we as Christians are called to work out in our lives. That being the call to be in the world but not of the world. As Christians we are called to be witnesses, or lights in the world. We do not have the option of retreating to an isolated community void of all worldly influence and technology. Yet we also need to guard against becoming too much like/of the world which can lead to compromising our message or coming across as hypocrites. As a result, we need hear very carefully Jesus' prayer for us. He does not pray that we be taken out of the world but sends us into it, while He states very clearly that we are not "of the world." So then the question is, how do we guard against these two extremes?

I raise this question now because it has a very practical application next Wednesday. What are Christians to do about Halloween? Should we allow our children to participate or not? Personally, I know that we have wrestled with this ourselves for many years. But it's FREE CANDY!!! So I have decided to send my children out in one hour shifts starting at 5pm sharp with 5 minute breaks in between to get that candy from, as Jerry Seinfeld puts it, "those fools that are so stupidly giving it away." Seriously though, we do need to think about these kinds of issues carefully. Tim Challies recently had this to say on his convictions about Halloween:

This day provides a unique opportunity to interact with neighbors, to enjoy their children and to prove that Christians are part of the community and not merely people who want only to interact with Christian friends or to only interact in our own way and on our own terms. The truth is that I have several convictions regarding Halloween. I despise the pagan aspects of it. I am convicted that my children should not dress as little devils or ghosts or monsters or otherwise glory in evil. But I am also convicted that it is a poor witness to have a darkened house, especially in a neighborhood like ours which is small and where every person and every home is highly-visible. Halloween is the one night of the year where the good neighborliness that flows from being in Christ is communicated and reinforced. We are citizens of another Kingdom where The Light is always on. That analogy seems particularly appropriate.

Whether or not you agree with his conclusions, we all need to recognize our need as Christians to live out this tension of not being of the world or living out of it. This will, of course, take a great deal of discernment, guidance and grace.

You Should Be Committed

"Jack and Grace met through a mutual friend. From day one they seemed to be the perfect match. Grace was everything Jack had always wanted. She was beautiful, outgoing, and caring—always there when Jack needed her.

For the first five months they were inseparable. Jack could hardly think of anything but Grace. He didn't need to look further, he told friends. "She's the one."

Now almost three years have passed. Jack still enjoys the comfort and familiarity of being with Grace, but the spark is gone. Grace's flaws seem more obvious. He's not sure he finds her as attractive as he once did. And he's beginning to resent all the time she wants to spend with him.

One night, when she asks if they can define the nature of their relationship, Jack blows up. "We're together, aren't we?" he asks angrily. "Why isn't that enough for you?"

Obviously, Jack isn't ready for commitment. And it's unclear if he ever will be...

Have you ever been in a relationship like this? I'm writing this book because I believe God has something better for you. He wants you in a relationship defined by both passion and commitment. But before you can take hold of this wonderful plan, you need to know something about this couple. There are millions of Jacks walking around today. And Grace isn't a girl... Grace is a church."

This excerpt comes from Joshua Harris' book Stop Dating the Church and it reminds me of something we looked at during Sunday school this past week. In Genesis chapter 2 we read about Adam and Eve and God's teaching on marriage. But as Paul tell us in Ephesians 5:31-32 this was ultimately about something far deeper.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." [32] This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

In other words, marriage was meant to be a picture of the commitment Christ has for the church. How He has loved the church and given Himself up for her. The question is though, what about our commitment. Are we just "dating the church" or are we faithfully committed to her? To be sure, this will take a certain amount of sacrifice and patience, humility and forgiveness, but it is what God desires from us.

As Mark Dever once wrote:

It is one thing to love a friend. It is quite another thing to love a spouse. Anyone who is married can testify to the fact that love before marriage and love after marriage are two remarkably different actions. Love before marriage is often spurred by attraction. Love after marriage is spurred by commitment. Love before marriage may be strong, but it is not the persevering love that comes from months and years of shared trials.

This is why Paul describes the love a husband has for his wife as the love that Christ has for the church: a completely sacrificial love. The strongest Christian may know what it is like to serve the poor and minister to the lost on his terms, but does he know what it is like to commit to a body of believers? Does he know what it is like to love brothers and sisters through thick and thin? Does he know love that isn’t on his own terms?

Gospel Confusion

If someone were to ask you, what is the gospel, would you be able to give them a clear/concise answer? Perhaps, but let me ask you second question, would your answer be accurate? Would it be biblical? Unfortunately, for some today, there seems to be a lot of confusion over what the gospel is. Some believe it to be the good news of a better life while others feel that it is all about helping the poor and needy.

As Christians, we can afford to be a little fuzzy about a lot of things. But when it comes to the gospel, for the sake of others and ourselves, we need to have a clear understanding of what the bible teaches. As such, on the right hand side of this blog you will find a six minute video in which John Piper explains what the gospel is. (when you click on it it will begin playing on the top of the page) Here is part of what he says:

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

That is it. That is what the gospel is. As Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:21, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Christ dying for our sins in order that we might be accepted by God. That is the gospel.

Along with this, as Christians, we also need to understand that the gospel is not just something we tell others about. It is also something we ourselves need to live by and believe in everyday. As Tim Keller explains,

In other words, the gospel is not just for non-Christians, but also for Christians. This means the gospel is not just the A-B-C's but the A to Z of the Christian life. It is not accurate to think 'the gospel' is what saves non-Christians, and then, what matures Christians is trying hard to live according to Biblical principles. It is more accurate to say that we are saved by believing the gospel, and then we are transformed in every part of our mind, heart, and life by believing the gospel more and more deeply as our life goes on.

I would highly recommended that you read this entire article to gain a better understanding of the need for you and I to preach the gospel to ourselves everyday. Let us as a church, and as individuals in the church, have a clear/biblical understanding of the good news, and let us live it out day by day.

A Dirty Word

I recently saw an ad, for what, I can't remember (isn't that usually the case) anyhow I recently saw this ad that depicted various attributes, such as strength and wisdom, by associating them with certain images, such as muscles and gray hair. Included in these were some negative images such as fear and worry... and humility!?! Interestingly, the word humility was placed over an image of a bird covered in oil. It seems like humility has become a dirty word these days... or at least a very undesirable one.

Ours is a culture that values strength and achievement, that focuses on self-esteem and self-worth. It is everywhere you look, in our schools, on the TV... and unfortunately, increasingly, in the church. Examples of this can be seen in the ministries of people like Joel Olsteen, Joyce Meyer and Robert Schuller, who has redefined sin as "any act/thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem." As a result, we need to remember Paul's words when he says, in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..."

This transformed/renewed thinking involves seeing humility as one of the greatest Christ-like attributes that we can develop in our lives. In fact, it is something we are called to over and over again in scripture:

Philip. 2:3 (ESV)
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Col. 3:12 (ESV)
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience...

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

One of the reasons I love reading men like Baxter, Owens and Edwards is that they seemed to have a great sense of humility. In relation to God's magnificent holiness, they were keenly aware of their own sinfulness/unworthiness. As John Clavin once wrote, "Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty." Similarly, in his book on humility CJ Mahaney says that "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in the light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness."