There’s nothing like reading your own thoughts expressed more articulately by someone else. Every reader knows the “eureka!” moment when you say to yourself “That’s what I’ve been thinking, but I haven’t been able to say it so clearly. Yes!” Well, when I have those moments now, I’ll collect the statements here. When I’ve gathered several comical or profound quotes I’ll make a “Things I Wish I’d Said” post.
This week’s TIWIS words come from John MacArthur, Phil Johnson, Joel Osteen (sort of), and D. A. Carson. The post ends with a fun exercise from Dan Phillips. Now, an “exercise” doesn’t exactly fit the TIWIS category (I’m already breaking my own rules), but it’s interesting and instructive nonetheless. Enjoy!
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John MacArthur offers the following zinger in what is actually a very balanced post on the environment and environmentalism:
“I’ve told environmentalists that if they think humanity is wrecking the planet, wait until they see what Jesus does to it.” (from the blog post “Christians and the Environment” at Pulpit Magazine’s blog)
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Phil Johnson is in the middle of unpacking his Shepherd’s Conference message on Acts 17 in a series of blog posts. While he tries to find time to post on the topic at Pyromaniacs, you can read a summary of the message here along with my take on Paul’s ministry in Athens here. In the following quote he nails the problem with the typical understanding of contextualization:
“To sum up: proper cross-cultural translation and illustration ought to aim at making the gospel clear. Listen closely to the typical missiologist or church planter who champions the idea of contextualization—and what you’ll usually hear is someone trying desperately to make the gospel more palatable. Unbridled enthusiasm about this sort of contextualization has dramatically changed the evangelistic strategy so that the number one goal in contemporary evangelical outreach is for the church to assimilate into the world as much as possible—and above all, be cool—so that the world (or some offbeat subculture) will like us.” (from the blog post “Why I Don’t Like the C-Word” at Pyromaniacs)
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This is funny. Tominthebox News Network, the hilarious satire site, said the following on behalf of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church:
“Our new Lakewood slogan is, ‘God is most satisfied in us when we are most glorified in him.’“
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“So many aspects of ministry demand excellence, and there are not enough hours in the day to be excellent in all of them. When I was a young man, I heard D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comment that he would not go across the street to hear himself preach.Now that I am close to the age he was when I heard him, I am beginning to understand. It is rare for me to finish a sermon without feeling somewhere between slightly discouraged and moderately depressed that I have not preached with more unction, that I have not articulated these glorious truths more powerfully and with greater insight, and so forth. But I cannot allow that to drive me to despair; rather, it must drive me to a greater grasp of the simple and profound truth that we preach and visit and serve under the gospel of grace, and God accepts us because of his Son. I must learn to accept myself not because of my putative successes but because of the merits of God’s Son. The ministry is so open-ended that one never feels that all possible work has been done, or done as well as one might like. There are always more people to visit, more studying to be done, more preparation to do. What Christians must do, what Christian leaders must do, is constantly remember that we serve our God and Maker and Redeemer under the gospel of grace.” (From D.A. Carson, Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, pp. 92-93).
(HT: Thabiti Anyabwile)
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This isn’t really something I wish I’d said, but there’s a great lesson to be learned regarding focus (and lack thereof) in our exegetical work. Give this exercise a go:
(HT: Dan Phillips)
Filed under: Notable Quotes, You Tube | Tagged: D. A. Carson, Dan Phillips, Joel Osteen, John MacArthur, Phil Johnson, tominthebox
Chris, what exactly does it say about me if I did not get the number of passes correct or see the moon-walking bear?
Um…
Not only do you miss “the point” of biblical texts, but you’re prone to factual errors, as well?
No. I’m sure that can’t be it.
So, what’s your point?
Actually, I went 0-for-2, as well.
I was encouraged by Carson’s words, though. Seriously. Being reminded that God’s grace is the basis of our standing before God and the strength for our ministry with men is like throwing open the windows and letting cool air into a stuffy room. Ministering outside of God’s grace is miserable and guilt-producing.
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(Public service announcement for those whose vocabulary is as limited as mine: The word putative means “commonly regarded as such; reputed; supposed.”)
I had read that quote by Carson somewhere before. I can totally relate to what he (and Lloyd-Jones) were saying. I feel the same way every week after Sunday. I think we all know that Scripture is deep and living and powerful and we have an intense desire to communicate those truths with clarity and compassion. We must be diligent to rightly divide the Word, but only God can take His Word and renew the mind and change the heart of those who hear. What a load God’s grace takes off of our shoulders.
I found myself strangely drawn towards counting the black team’s passes . . .
I got to read Phil Johnson’s entire article on the C-word. I could give a big Amen to what he wrote. I think in some cases the disagreement comes down to clarifying what we mean when we say ‘contextualization.’ But with a word like that, we rely greatly on culture to determine its meaning – as in how are the majority of the people who use the term defining it. I thought one of the comments that followed the article was great. It was along the lines that we ought to make the C-word ‘clarify.’
And wouldn’t we be in an awful place if we ever met a preaching or ministry opportunity with an attitude of ‘Wait’ll they get a load of me!’ In fact, I’m sure we have all heard a sermon preached under such a cloud. One quick story: while working at the information desk at BJ, a somewhat recognizable evangelist approached me with a stack of books. The title was “12 of the Greatest Evangelistic Sermons of All Time” or something of that nature. He had published the book himself and wanted me to give them out to pastors that were visiting. It was a nice collection of sermons by Spurgeon, Whitfield, Edwards and – you guessed it – himself. It just reminds me of what a weighty thing it is to minister the gospel. Good stuff. Thanks.
I agree with the above stated regarding Carson’s quote. I feel the same way, and I have only been a senior pastor for 7 months. But isn’t this really how we are somewhat supposed to feel after preaching? Doesn’t God want us in the position of being totally dependent upon Him and not dependent on our human wisdom or eloquence, or joke-telling skills? It really is the foolishness of preaching, perhaps because of the instruments that are being used to herald divine truths. God, in His grace, wisdom, and incredible mercy, allows worthless men like us to trumpet God’s revelation – what a great God we serve.
Thanks for the insights.
Now that I’ve seen the moon-walking bear I need to trot down to Lakewood and learn to be a better me.
:-)
On the other hand, I think I’m better off getting on my knees and come before a Holy God and His precious Word.