Who Is To Blame: Preacher or Pew Warmer?

Many people ask what is wrong with Reformed churches? Why are so many not growing? Why do we receive the slander of 'the frozen chosen' or 'the dead orthodox'? Truthfully, if one is chosen- he will not be frozen. There are imperatives in the Scripture that move us to be anything but frozen. And if one is orthodox, then he will not be dead, because orthodoxy requires us to have orthopraxy (right practice). Sadly, preachers want to accuse many in the pews of being the problem. We hear, 'People want to be entertained, they do not want sound preaching and demands on their lives.' Martyn Lloyd-Jones saw the problem from the other end- he blamed the preacher first; and saw the preacher's problem finding its way into the pew:

The time has come when we must assess the whole situation . It is entirely wrong to take our problems to the people; we have got to preach what is most profitable for them, what is really going to help them. The main problem of evangelicalism today (apart from slipping away from truth) is the lack of power- what do our people know of 'joy in the Holy Ghost'? You will not win people to teaching if you are a dull teacher! The wife of a deacon said to me about someone she had heard, 'He is unlike so many of our Reformed preachers who are so dull.' If you preach without moving people, you have failed as much as others. If we do not know the joy of the Lord what is the value of what we say? We must start with ourselves. To hear of 'excellent lectures on doctrine' being given on a Sunday is truly appalling. Are you right in assuming those in front of you are enjoying the Christian life, and they are able to convict others? These two things go together. Arguing about niceties will not help us. What is the value of anything if we are not living epistles?

God's Name Made Holy

The Scriptures teach us that the we are to make God's name holy in all of our lives and actions. This is not just seeing God's name as holy on the Lord's Day (or for two hours on the morning of the Lord's Day), but is to be a lifestyle that we live out. We are to make people see the holiness of God through the way in which we live out our Christian faith in the daily grind of life.

Hallowed be Thy name; that is, grant us, first, rightly to know Thee, and to hallow, magnify and praise Thee, in all Thy works, in which Thy power, goodness, justice, mercy and truth shine forth; and further, that we so order our whole life, our thoughts, words and deeds, that Thy name may not be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account. -Answer 122

The Christian's Identity Established Through Sonship

Tonight I heard a great sermon by Pastor Lanning on our adoption in Jesus Christ. It was called Establishing Your Identity. You can listen to it here. Some of the sermon incorporated the Reformed Confessions below:

Westminster Larger Catechism
Q74: What is adoption? A74: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow heirs with Christ in glory.

Heidelberg Catechism
Q33: Why is He called God's "only begotten Son," since we also are the children of God? A33: Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God, but we are the children of God by adoption, through grace, for His sake.

Q34: Why do you call Him "our Lord"? A34: Because not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood, He has redeemed and purchased us, body and soul, from sin and from all the power of the devil, to be His own.

On a side note, Pastor Lanning is my homiletics instructor as well as my pastor. As Professor Lanning, I do not think that he would allow me to get away with this quote, but he pulled it off quite well:

"Mr. Rogers taught us that all grows together because we are all one piece... that is good human biology as well as good Christian Theology".

It is worth spending the 40 minutes in meditation on our adoption as sons!