Why Read the Old Testament? part 4

The New Testament assumes you know the Old Testament

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and all of a sudden you get that very puzzled look?  You ask a couple of questions and then hear those familiar words, “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” 

I wonder if the the Apostle John feels the same way when people read the book of Revelation.  He recounts his fantastic vision of seals, thunder, horsemen, locusts, swords, disasters, dragons, etc, only to see a very puzzled look on our face.  Then he asks, “You don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, do you?” 

Like many other books in the New Testament, when John wrote Revelation, he assumed that his readers would know that so many of his symbols, signs, characters, and events were drawn from the Old Testament.  Matthew has the same approach in his gospel.  From the very first words, he assumes that his readers will know the people listed in the geneaology of Jesus.  The unknown author of Hebrews follows suit.  He talks about angles, Melchizedek, Mount Sinai, and the Tabernacle, assuming that those who read the book know what those things are.

I dare say that the New Testament is so full of Old Testament quotes, allusions, references, symbols, and doctrines, that it is impossible to fully grasp the meaning of its words without a working knowledge of the Old Testament.

It is like trying to read The Chronicles of Narnia without knowing a little mythology.  Maybe it’s like listening to American Pie by Don McLean and not know a little musical history of the 60’s.  The authors just assume that you know Aslan is the Lion of Judah, the Joker on the sideline in a cast is Bob Dylan, and the quartet in the park is the Beatles.  John assumes that you know the four horsemen in Revelation 6 draw their meaning from Zecharaih 6.  Otherwise you might think the rider of the pale horse was Wyatt Earp, just like Johnny Ringo did in Tombstone.

Why Read the Old Testament? part 3

The Old Testament shows God being faithful to His promises.

Trust is a big deal, right?  When you really think about it, trust is the foundation of society.  I trust the mechanic when he says that my car is fixed.  I trust that the pilot isn’t drunk when we begin to fly.  I trust that my ride will show up on time.  I trust that my friends don’t say bad things about me when I’m not around.  I trust that the construction crew build the roof over my head correctly.  We trust a lot in this life.

Most of the time, we have a reason to trust.  Rarely do we trust without reason.  We may trust because we’ve seen a demonstration of positive results.  I trust the bridge will not collapse becuase I’ve driven over hundreds of bridges and none of them have failed.  We also my trust because we’ve seen a demonstration of character.  I trust my wife because I know her character and she always does what she promises.

The Old Testament is thousands of years worth of records of God demonstrating that He is faithful to His word.  Time and time again, the Bible records God fulfilling promises to bless and, unfortunately, promises to curse and punish.  Here’s just a short list…

• God promise to curse in Genesis 3.
• God’s promise to Noah in Genesis 9.
• God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12.
• God’s promise to Moses in Exodus 3.
• God’s promises to Israel in Deuteronomy 28.
• God’s promise to Joshua in Joshua 1.
• God’s covenant to David in 2 Samuel 7.
• God’s prophecy to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31.

God’s faithfulness to the promises He made in the Old Testament creates the foundation for our trust in Him under the New Covenant.

Why Read the Old Testament? part 2

The Old Testament sets the stage for the New Testament

Don’t you just hate it when you are watching a movie and about half-way through someone comes in and starts watching it too.  Then they start asking all kinds of questions.  “Who is that guy? Why is she running from the police?  Is that the bad guy?  How did they end up in Paris?  Did her husband die?”  You just want to scream, “If you wanted to know all this stuff, you should have been watching from the beginning!”

The same is true of reading the New Testament.  If you don’t know anything about the Old Testament, it is like starting a book on page 1823.  There is so much that you don’t know!  How can you possible understand what’s going on?  If you just begin reading in Matthew, you are missing out on 2/3 of the plot, characters, and doctrines of the Bible. 

I am a huge Star Wars fan.  When the original Star Wars movie came out in 1977 (which I saw on my 8th birthday!), the story started with Episode IV.  There were all kinds of reference to the back story that you just simply had to guess about.  What were the Clone Wars?  What happened to Anakin Skywalker?  Why is Obi-Wan living in the freakin’ desert?

Just imagine the questions you have if you don’t know the Old Testament?  Why is Jesus important?  Who is this David guy?  What is the Law?  Where is Judea?  Stuff like that.

Reading the Old Testament is like getting to see the prequel–only it starts from the very beginning.

Why Read the Old Testament? part 1 of 10

The Old Testament is the original Bible.

Phillip Yancey certainly had the concept correct when he called the Old Testament “The Bible Jesus Read.”  The first reason that we should study the Old Testament is because it was the original Bible.

We have a tendency to think that history always begins with us.  As Americans, history began in 1776, right?  As a person, everything important began in 1969 when I was born.  As silly as that sounds, it is true much of the time.  As the church, we egotistically think that God’s work began on that sacred night when the angels announced the birth of Jesus.  The first page of Matthew’s gospel might as well be page one of the Bible.

While Jesus certainly is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan and the church is the representative of God on earth, that redemptive plan began with Creation.  God worked through people such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and so on.  God formed the nation of Israel in order to bring the Messiah into the world and bless the world.  God was working in the world long before the church came into existence, and the history of that work is recorded in the pages of the Old Testament. 

The Old Testament was indeed the Bible that Jesus, Paul, Peter and Timothy read.  They knew the value of reading, studying, and learning from the original Bible.

Starting Point or Finish Line?

In his very though provoking book The Disciple-Making Pastor, Bill Hull makes the following observation…

“The American gospel understands faith as an agreement, so saying the prayer or walking down the aisle is the finish line rather than the starting point.”

That quote really has me thinking about why so many people make a commitment to Jesus and then disappear.  It also explains why the church is packed with people who only show up once a week. 

Our goal, then should be to help people understand, even before they walk down the aisle, that the conversion experience is the beginning of their life with Christ, not the conclusion.  Have we created this mindset because we only stress the “saved” part of becoming a Christian and neglected the “life change” aspect?

Life on the Trail

This past week I had the opportunity to engage in one of my favorite activities: hiking.  For me, hiking is one of the few times when I get to be completely alone by myself for more than a few minutes.  I seem to spend a lot of time alone in the car, but that really isn’t the same (mainly because I usually have the music up really loud in the car.)  Every time I go, I have to resist the temptation to take my iPod, and I am always glad I do.  Just walking alone by myself for a couple of hours provides time to really delve deep into my heart and mind.  By the end of the hike, I usually have worked through some complicated or difficult things.

As I was on the trail this past week, I started thinking about how a hiking trail is a lot like life–particularly life with God.  Allow me to share a few of these with you.

The Lewis & Clark trails are located beside Hwy 94, which is a major road in the county.  Hundreds of cars drive by the trail head every day, but there are never more than three or four cars in the parking lot at a time (except for the weekends, when there tend to be as many as a dozen.)  My first thought was, “I wonder how many people drive by this little gravel parking lot and don’t know that it is the beginning of a really fantastic hiking trail?”  People just zoom by and are completely oblivious to what is literally next to them.  Of course, the same could be said of the physical and spiritual components of life.  So many people just go about their busy lives and never realize that right beside them is a spiritual world.  We can become completely oblivious to what lies beyond our field of vision.  It reminds me of the time when Elisha prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened and then he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6).

As I began walking on the trail, the very first thing I noticed was that I had forgotten one very important item: bug spray.  I thought that because it was a cool day that the bugs wouldn’t be that bad.  Was I ever wrong!  The mosquitoes were so bad that if I stopped walking at a very brisk pace, I would immediately be overwhelmed with hundreds of them on my whole body.  When I would get a little tired and slow down, those tiny bugs provided serious motivation to keep moving.  I had forgotten that hiking in the woods along the river isn’t like sitting my back yard or walking in the park.  That made me think that many people begin their journey with God completely ill prepared for what may lie ahead.  They think that it is just as easy as walking in the park when it really isn’t.  While following God certainly has it’s share of mountain top experiences, getting to those mountain tops can be difficult.  In fact, it can be so difficult that if you’re ill-prepared for it, you can easily become discouraged and turn around.

About half way through, the trail splits in two.  One way is the regular 5 mile loop, but the other way is an extra 3 miles.  Nearly everyone stays on the short trail.  Normally I do as well.  This day, though, I had all the time in the world to hike for as long as I wanted.  I stood at the split in the trail and debated.  The short loop is well used and much shorter.  The long loop is rarely used, much more rugged, and at times overgrown.  As I turned left onto the long loop, the trail became much more narrow and at time I had to really focus to actually follow it.  I began to think of all the people who had walked along this trail to mark it and create it.  While it is easy to stay on the wide path, at some point someone wasn’t satisfied with it and began to go deeper into the forest.  They wanted a much more intense experience, which is exactly what God calls us to.  He doesn’t ask us to follow him and have a nice little life.  He says, “Pick up your cross and follow me.”  God calls us to leave the safety of the known and trust Him to lead us into the unknown.

Eventually, the trail leads from the creek bottoms to the cliff tops overlooking the Missouri River.  The view from the top of the cliffs is absolutely amazing.  Hawks soar on the winds.  Ships float on the river.  The eye can see for miles.  Such a view is not possible, though, without walking through the depths of the forest.  I began to think about how walking with God is so much like hiking on the trail.  There will be steep climbs, humid creek bottoms, stinging mosquitoes, and plenty of leg cramps.  There will also be views from the cliff that will take your breath away which are not possible from the parking lot.

Rethinking the Church

I first became acquainted with the writings of James Emery White several years ago when I received one of his books by accident from my IVP book club.  The book was Serious Times and I almost sent it back.  It sat on my desk for probably a year before I picked it up and started thumbing through it.  I’m glad I did, as it was one of the best books I’ve read in the last 10 years.

Rethinking Church is an earlier work of his (originally 1997 and revised in 2003) and it came highly by several people I respect.  Going in to the book, I had several fears of what a book on “doing church” might be like.  Usually, these types of books fall into two groups.  The first group simply points out how horrible a job the church is doing.  Statistics abound to show why the church is ineffectual in our modern society.  This group is long on criticism and negativity while short on constructive ideas.  The second group of books focus primarily on the “how to” of church.  They peddle the latest and greatest programs and many times are written by the newest megachurch celebrity pastor.  This group offers lots of advice on what to do, but rarely addresses the deeper theological issues or takes into account the differences in geography, personality, or background of churches.

It is at this point that Rethinking Church diverges from the pack.  White does an admirable job of bridging the two needs of a book on leading a church: theory and practice.  Specifically, the author addresses eight areas that need to be evaluated in the church: Foundational Questions, Evangelism, Discipleship, Ministry, Worship, Structure, Community, and Change.  Each of these chapters deal with the need for change and offers both biblical and practical ideas for rethinking them.  In each area, White does a very good job of not only challenging long held assumptions, but offering constructive ideas for moving forward.

The book has two primary strengths.  First, it is short and simple (barely over 160 pages.)  It can be read in a short time and is not overly difficult.  Through concise illustrations and statistics, White drives home his point without being negative or critical.  At the end, the reader thinks, “Hey, this is a very doable thing that God has called us to.”

The second strength is that there is a distinct lack of programming suggestions.  There is no lack of books espousing the latest ideas on programming.  White freely admits that “Why and what” we do are foundational to “how” we do it.  I appreciate that he allows the specific implementation of the biblical principles to the individual.  He respects the church enough to know that one size, copy-cat programs do not work.

I highly recommend this book to every church leader, whether on staff or volunteer.  It is not the deepest or the latest book on how to do church, but it is a very accessible and useful launching pad for those who take seriously the Great Commission.

Up

The release of a new Pixar movie is always much anticipated around our house.  Even though our kids are a little older now (middle school & junior high), they still count down the days.  To be honest, I like Pixar movies as well.  I love their creativity, animation, and the positive messages that lie underneath the scripts.

So, with much pomp and circumstance, we made our way to the theater to witness the latest Pixar offering–UP.  This one was a little different, though, as it was in 3D.  The movie tells the story of a grumpy old widower who’s world has disappeared.  His wife has passed away and his house is being surrounded by a building project.  Faced with the inevitable relocation to a retirement home, Carl Fredrickson decided to fulfill his lifelong dream (and a promise he made to his wife) and launches his house into the air via thousands of balloons to Paradise Falls in South America.  Little does he know that a young Wilderness Explorer name Russell has stowed away. 

After arriving, Carl and Russell must pull the house to the other side of the falls.  Along the way, they encounter an evil hunter who tries to kill them.  While I won’t spoil the ending, eventually things work out (like you thought that they wouldn’t!)

As far as the animation goes, UP certainly measures up to the high standards of Disney and Pixar.  The animation doesn’t seem to break any new ground except for the 3D effects (which are very good.)  I think that 3D movies will become more and more popular as the technology advances (of course, a 3D animated movie doesn’t measure up to U23D.)

I believe what sets UP apart from most animated movies is the story and symbolism.  The beginning of the movie is actually kind of sad, as Carl loses his wife and his purpose in life.  Finally he meets up with Russell, who doesn’t have a dad or anyone to help him earn his badges.  As Carl pulls his house through the jungle, he lives with the burden of fulfilling his promise to his wife to visit Paradise Falls.  Eventually, Carl must choose between sitting in his house on the edge of the falls or saving Russell from the villain.  It is only when Carl leaves the past behind (symbolized by his house) does he find a new purpose in life.  At the end, Carl and Russell become great friends as they both fill the missing pieces of each others life.  Every adult will completely identify with the struggles that Carl faces.

Overall, UP is an absolutely fantastic way to spend a couple hours, both for kids and adults. 

Rating: 4 Stars

Leading on Empty

This past year has been one of the most difficult for me in ministry.  Many circumstances collided into the “perfect storm” of being over committed, over worked, over eating, under rested, and generally operating beyond healthy boundaries in most areas of my life.  In the back of my mind, I knew that June was coming.  Every five years, the ministers on staff at HCC are blessed to take a one month sabbatical from ministry at the church.  I knew that I needed something to guide my time off.

As I began preparations for my sabbatical, this book came highly recommended.  In this brutally honest account of his own journey through severe ministry burnout, Wayne Cordeiro details his descent into depression and the steps he took to ascend out of it.  Sometimes meandering narrative and sometimes self help manual, the book is a very engaging read and very insightful.  I’m not sure that I could have written such brutally honest things about myself, but I’m thankful that Cordeiro did and shared it with the rest of us. 

While I’ve not hit the lows that the author describes, I’ve had periods of tremendous challenges to my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical state.  Some of the book, therefore, was more theoretical to me personally, but I imagine to others it would be like reading their own personal diary.  While the books tries not to be a “takes these 7 easy steps and you’ll be fine” kind of self-help guide, the final several chapters do provide some very useful and insighful lessons. 

For those who are not in full-time church ministry, you probably won’t understand the difficulties that Cordeiro describes.  He makes a great point that ministry is just simply different from any other occupation.  Because of that difference, the toll that it takes on the person and family of the minister is unique.  Without the proper boundaries in life, the longevity of the ministry and quality of life will be greatly diminished.  For those in ministry, you will completely identify with the situation and shake your head in agreement. 

This is a must read for anyone in ministry–if not as a path through the storm as a map around it.

2010 Missouri Christian Convention

This your official invitation to attend the 2010 Missouri Christian Convention.  Mark your calendars for March 19-20 at the St. Charles Convention Center.  Our theme will be “What God Can Do!”  Our featured speakers will be…

• Phil Alspaw from Libby Christian Church in Libby, Montana.
• Paul Wingfield from South Telegraph Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Dr. Mike Pabarcus from St. Louis Christian College in Florissant, Missouri.
• Doyle Roth from Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri.

It is going to be a great time of encouragement, learning, and fellowship.  Hope to see you there.  For more information see www.mcconvention.org.