I have been asked to take over an Adult Bible Fellowship at my church, and my preparations are in earnest for the first series in January. The overall series will be entitled "Big Things Come in Little Packages." In a sense, I will take some of the smaller books of the Old and New Testament to show how mighty those minute books are -- Haggai, Habakkuk, Obadiah, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, and Philemon. The problem is that we neglect the time and effort in those small writings. The doctrine is there, but American Christians are lazy (self-included).
2nd John is just such a book. Reading through it should take no more than 5 minutes; but as you read through this epistle, notice the focus on truth and love. You can subdivide the book into three sections: Welcome (v1-3), Walk (v4-6), and Warning (v7-13). Clearly, John is hammering the point that truth is of absolute importance as a foundation for love and fellowship. Sometimes, scholars will debate the truth and love in a similar fashion about which came first -- the chicken or the egg?
The answer is simple: truth.
Truth underscores love. Five times in the first four verses, we see that powerful focus on truth. The author says truth is alive, available, and always. We know that Christ is the truth (John 14:6), and since He is alive, truth lives too. We know that truth is available because Jesus stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20). Finally, we know that God's Word is always (Psalm 119 and John 1).
Admittedly, I struggle with love and mercy because I often get hung up on truth. However, we must balance our stance upon truth with love. This does NOT mean that we compromise doctrine for fellowship, but it does indicate that truth has a loving side. How do I know? Look at what John said in this introduction. He offers salutations of grace, mercy and peace. I like these acronyms to explain these terms:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
Messiah's
Extraordinary
Redemption that
Changes
You
Providence
Exemplified
As
Contentment
Ensues
Grace puts us in a restored relationship with our Creator God. Mercy is backed by tremendous love that, once understood, produces a change in our daily lives. Those two items -- grace and mercy -- produce peace that the world cannot understand. We see the truth of those terms, but God enacts them because of his love.
Truth is the foundation of love, but love is behind all truth.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Does the Church Matter Today?
Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris is a clear and concise book that deals with some of the questions many ask in pondering church membership. Having read several of his other works, this one pales in comparison to them because the depth and insight that are normally in Harris’ manuscripts were lacking. Granted, I have been in church my entire life; so, my perspective quite possibly clouds my judgment in that regard. If I were, in his words, a “church dater,” this book may have been a perfect fit.
His progression is logical in that he cites the prominence of uncommitted “church daters.” He then discusses the symbolism of the Church as the bride of Christ. Finally, he shifts into a description of the need for a church, how to choose one, and why there is a need to join. Without a doubt, chapter 6 – “Rescuing Sunday” – was the best part of this little book. Harris provides solid steps for Christians to maximize the most of their time at Church. We are all guilty of simply going through the motions; so he offers suggestions on how to be more purposeful in church attendance.
If you are looking to continue a similar study, get a copy of David Jeremiah’s latest book I Never Thought I’d See the Day. He has a chapter about the irrelevance of the church in our modern world. Jeremiah’s intent is somewhat different, but a comparison of their thoughts is rather enlightening. While the books are written seven years apart, they do offer the same conclusion -- yes, in this world of heartache and pain, the Church does matter while, sometimes, the churches do not.
My biggest gripe for Harris rests upon the lacking style of his scholarship. I am not challenging his intellectual basis; however, I am questioning his attention to detail. I discovered several wonderful quotes that I wanted to explore further; yet, Harris denied me (and other readers) that opportunity. Instead of providing clear citations from other books, personal emails, or sermons, Harris merely stated the quote with the author’s name.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
His progression is logical in that he cites the prominence of uncommitted “church daters.” He then discusses the symbolism of the Church as the bride of Christ. Finally, he shifts into a description of the need for a church, how to choose one, and why there is a need to join. Without a doubt, chapter 6 – “Rescuing Sunday” – was the best part of this little book. Harris provides solid steps for Christians to maximize the most of their time at Church. We are all guilty of simply going through the motions; so he offers suggestions on how to be more purposeful in church attendance.
If you are looking to continue a similar study, get a copy of David Jeremiah’s latest book I Never Thought I’d See the Day. He has a chapter about the irrelevance of the church in our modern world. Jeremiah’s intent is somewhat different, but a comparison of their thoughts is rather enlightening. While the books are written seven years apart, they do offer the same conclusion -- yes, in this world of heartache and pain, the Church does matter while, sometimes, the churches do not.
My biggest gripe for Harris rests upon the lacking style of his scholarship. I am not challenging his intellectual basis; however, I am questioning his attention to detail. I discovered several wonderful quotes that I wanted to explore further; yet, Harris denied me (and other readers) that opportunity. Instead of providing clear citations from other books, personal emails, or sermons, Harris merely stated the quote with the author’s name.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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