Sermon - Why No Women Preachers?

Preached Sunday, Sept. 25, at First Presbyterian in Enterprise, as part of a series in Timothy and Titus. The message seeks to be faithful to the biblical text and point our thinking about how designed us to be male and female as a blessing to receive that runs against the thinking of our culture in many surprising ways. Click on the title above to hear the audio.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man

By Henry Scougal
The Great Spiritual Classic that Changed two Nations

It was the homeschooling mother of John and Charles Wesley, who found great spiritual insight into the truths of a lively and authentic faith in this little book by a philosophy professor from Aberdeen Scotland. Susanna Wesley was busy with a full house of children, but kept her heart and mind engaged in the deep waters of profound spiritual writers. This book sparked a deep hunger in John and Charles to pursue an authentic Christian experience of faith. Charles handed a copy of the book to another young seeker by the name of George Whitefield who hung around the outskirts of their “holy club” at Oxford. The book led to the conversion of Whitefield, and he became the great preacher and revivalist of the 18th Century which historians declare changed the moral and social landscape of America and England. It is my hope that by offering this updated version in my own paraphrase, I can get others to reading this classic, which I’ve found not easily accessible for modern readers. Language changes, and I know that purists will not like what I’ve done, but I trust that my bringing the language down into contemporary style and wording will at least open the door for new readers who like the missionaries and evangelists of centuries ago, will be ignited with a true love for Christ and not settle for anything less.
This will appear in a series over the next several weeks as I work through the book. It was written as a letter to a friend, offering spiritual direction and advice. I substitute the word “religion” for spirituality, because the use of the word religion meant something different than it does today.

An Abridged Paraphrase by Todd Baucum

The Reason for this Book
My Dear Friend:

It is my desire is to help you in the exercise of your spiritual life and to offer friendly advice on helping you to grow in grace and personal holiness. So, now I can show my affection and express my gratitude for you, by not delaying what I had promised in offering this assistance. Though you most likely have better helps of this nature than I can offer you, nor is this something you’ve never heard before; yet I am hopeful, that coming from one whom you honor as a friend, it will be accepted by you in and in God’s providence prove useful to you. Forgive me for starting at a basic level of what is the authentic spiritual life, offering some of my thoughts and things helpful with you in mind.

Mistakes about Authentic Spirituality
I cannot speak about authentic spirituality without lamenting that there are so many who are just playing games at it, and so few understand what it means. Some place it in the intellect, in orthodox beliefs and opinions; and all the evidence of their spirituality is found in that they are of this or that school of thought, and have joined in one of the many off-shoots of a Christianity that is so tragically divided.

Others place it in the outward activities, and a constant display of external duties, and an exhibit of performances; so if they live at peace with their neighbors, keep a moderate diet, attend worship, go to church activities, observe their daily devotion, and give an occasional dollar to the poor, they think they have met the requirement.

Others again put their spiritual life in their emotions, with rapturous warm feelings and ecstatic devotion; and all they aim at is to pray with passion, to think of heaven with pleasure, and to be exuding those nice buttery expressions of love for their Savior, till they persuade themselves that they are truly in love with Him, and therefore assume the assurance of their salvation, which they value as the highest of all Christian gifts.

All these may have some aspect of a true spiritual life (they are really just a means of living it), but in of themselves should not be mistaken as the whole of the truth. Our wicked hearts can fabricate these things, and we can do better than pagans in consecrating our sinful habits, and sanctifying our corrupt emotions, and our hard opinions and pride, then pass them off as Christian devotion. So that a hard, unkind personality is then called a holy zeal and stubborn rebellious hearts be called courage and commitment.

We Dont' Need More Christians, We Need More Followers of Jesus

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:9-11 (NIV)

Several years ago I read Dallas Willard’s book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, where he looks at the call to follow Jesus Christ with a total commitment of one’s being. The Bible says we are to “love the Lord your God, with your whole heart, mind and strength.(Mark 11)” It was this kind of commitment that Jesus called his followers to live out. Most importantly, Jesus gives his followers the gift of the Holy Spirit so they are enabled to follow him with this kind of life. We don’t live as Christians in our own power.
After reading the book, I wrote in the jacket: “The world does not need more Christians; it needs more disciples of Jesus Christ.”


I am even more convinced of that fact today. More research by Barna and Gallop indicate the sorry state of the church in America and among those who even call themselves “born-again.” Even an article in the “Wall Street Journal”, indicated that secularists and Muslims have little to fear from the “conservative Christian.” For example, 50 % of them (born again Christians) believe a life of good works will get them to heaven. 35% don’t believe Jesus physically rose from the dead. And on moral issues we are wish-washy as ever. 39% believe it is morally acceptable for couples to “live-together before marriage.” And 32% accept same-sex unions. We are not “slouching towards Sodom”, as Judge Bork suggested, we are sprinting full throttle.

Why? How can this be? For one, Oprah Winfrey and the morality of TV sitcoms have become the gurus of our moral framework. We have stopped thinking biblically. We have made our culture and our feelings the source of authority for truth, rather than God’s Word. Fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same spring, once it mingles all that is left is a brackish swamp.

Secondly, we have not done a good job, generally speaking, in passing the biblical faith down to the next generation. Younger evangelical believers tend to be more “relativist” in their ethics saying things like, “That is ok for you, but I feel…” Yet, there are encouraging signs and I see them at our church, where men are wanting to be godly spiritual leaders and mothers are resisting the culture around them and a new generation coming along are not following their peers, but following Jesus. O Lord, increase their numbers!

May we see more people following Jesus and less of these “Christians” that are polled by Gallop and Barna. Then may the world take notice and take stock of what we say.

Music and the Brain

I just saw the movie, "The Music Never Stopped", which is based on a true story and comes from the same author of "The Awakenings", also made into a movie several years ago. The author is a neuroscientist who is doing research between the brain and music - all very facinating and beyond me. The movie shows the dramatic recovery a a young man who lost his memory due to a brain tumor. The human connection element between the father who seeks to delve into the son's world of music and radical 60's rock is a moving tribute of costly love and forgiveness. The fact that music can heal is clearly advocated in this film. That it is a vehical for emotions and for the thinking rational process, is just amazing. I still would rather listen to a Bach cantata, than the Grateful Dead! Then, again it depends on my mood.

Worship in the Bible - Why We Were Created

When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden, they had perfect fellowship with their Creator. We can’t imagine what that was like. The glory of God unmediated, unhindered, only the limits of the atmosphere and the canopy of stars, kept man in this theater of God’s presence in true awe and wonder. The question is why in such a state would Adam and Eve ever be distracted to sin, or find time for temptation? It is a timeless question, unanswerable for us.

But, when we think about the worship of God, it makes sense to see how God was always seeking to draw man back into the wonder and grandeur of worship. First, through the tabernacle, this highlighted the mystery of God’s holiness by heavy curtains and walled spaces, and expressed the need to repent, to turn things around. In other words, the tabernacle was a picture of our separation from God and the great need to deal with its cause. It kept the spiritual appetite whet for something else, something it truly longed for.

The temple, had both the dual role hiding the mystery of God’s holiness in the mercy seat of Ark of the Covenant, but also the openness of fellowship in the courts, where God’s people could join in corporate praise. The courts were open, with open air, pillars and majestic walls. Here the news of atonement was made by hands made red and people responded in thanksgiving with hands open and cleansed. God commanded that room was made even for the nations to come and hear this wonder of redemption. It had a foretaste of a greater glory, but the longing of the soul was not fully satisfied in Solomon’s temple.

This temple was to be destroyed not once, but twice. Israel would clutter the temple with their idols, and at times keep it to themselves as a national monument to their greatness. When the holiness of God was compromised, the temple lost its glory. Ichabod would be written on its portals. Worship became a show, a sham and an empty ritual. As it happens in every generation, we substitute pageantry for artistry. Outwardly, the best of worship that Israel ever produced was when God had left the premises. It was a show to behold, a feast in sensory delight. Inwardly, it was deadly to the soul. (Why don’t contemporary evangelical churches read the Minor Prophets?)

The glory of the true temple was God himself. He came once more, as in the Garden, walking along the same ground he had created; fellowshipping with men and women. This was God in the flesh, the man born of a woman, yet Son of God. At the temple built by man, Jesus showed what true worship was all about by yielding the heart in submission to truth and glorifying God once again amidst the wonder of His glory and Grace. Paradise was regained by the rule of this Second Adam.

That true and lasting temple was rejected by men. On the Cross, true holiness and horrible human sin came together in an unthinkable embrace. Justice and Mercy collided and the Son darkened the sky over all creation. But, on the third morning the world broke forth in the light of Christ’s resurrected glory. Called out sinners, now redeemed by the Savior, join every week on that day, to reflect on that grace and to be lost (or really found) in the timeless wonder about the grandeur of Christ’ glory. It is called the Church, not a temple, because the temple is Jesus. The church is people redeemed by the grace of Jesus. But, when the church really worships, the glory cannot be contained. It breaks forth, when not filled with show, sham and empty ritual. It breaks forth with submitted hearts and wills lost in the wonder of grace. In the glory of the Gospel of grace, unhindered by pageantry, show or sham of hubris, the Word is heard, and the beauty of its truth fills the soul and fills the place where saints gather and sing songs of Zion. The longing is satisfied, and joy is found as the true delight of fellowshipping with our Creator and Redeemer.