The Gospel According to Joseph: Teaching Christ from the Old Testament

Back at the beginning of the summer, when I started this preaching series on The Gospel According to Joseph, one of the things I also set out to do was to teach how we can see Jesus in the Old Testament (OT), i.e. how to see what the Holy Spirit was showing the original audience and is showing us about God's redeeming nature and work in Christ. Jesus Himself told us in passages like Lk. 24:27, 44 and Jn. 5:46 that the OT is about Him, but seeing exactly how it teaches us about Him is not quite so easy. My senior pastor, Chris Hutchinson, has written a couple of great articles on preaching/teaching Christ from the OT that can be found here and here, and there are several of good books written on this subject like David Murray's Jesus on Every Page. But, in the interest of ease and practical use, I have attempted to boil it down to some basic questions that we can ask of any OT passage to help us to see how Jesus may be in that passage. Throughout the series, I presented four questions that we can ask of any OT to help us to do just that, and here I want to recap those questions.

Now, all these questions do not always apply to every OT passage, but we can ask these of any passage and one or more of them will help us to see Jesus on that page of Scripture:

1. What does this passage reveal about the sinful nature of man who needs redemption? When we see an aspect of man's sinful nature and need of redemption in an OT passage, we can see Jesus there, for He is the ultimate solution to man's need.
2. What does this passage reveal about the redeeming nature of God? When we see an aspect of God's redeeming nature in an OT passage, we can see Jesus there, for He brings together all those aspects in His person (i.e. who He is) and in His work of redemption.
3. How does this passage reflect upon or prepare us for the person or work of Christ—i.e. who He is to us (His person) and what He does for us (His work)? For example: An OT story might point us to the lordship that God exercises over His people, in which we can see Jesus' person, for He is the lord of the Church. An OT story might present a hero as a representative of the people, in which we can see Jesus' person, for He is our representative before God. Or, an OT passage may describe a sacrifice or priestly duty under the ceremonial law, in which we can see Jesus' work for us as our ultimate sacrifice and priest, satisfying God's wrath and interceding for us. An OT passage may describe a king ruling and defending his people well, in which we can see Jesus' work for us as our ultimate king, ruling and defending His Church. An OT passage may describe God teaching His people about Himself, His salvation, or this world, in which we can see Jesus work for us our ultimate prophet, revealing to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will and mind of God. 
4. How is the text calling us to respond to the grace of God and follow after Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit? This is the part of preaching and teaching from OT stories where it's appropriate to see some instances as examples to be followed, but these examples are still Christ-centered. They are OT illustrations of what Paul says in 1 Co. 11:1 "Be imitators of me [i.e. follow my example], as I am of Christ."

Certainly much more can be said about seeing Jesus in the OT, but I believe these four questions boil it down for us in a holistic, practical way. What do you think? Am I missing anything? 

B. B. Warfield once said that the OT is a room "fully furnished but dimly lit," and when we use Christ as the interpretive tool, the lights come on and we see everything clearly. I pray that these questions will help turn on the lights for you as you read through inspired Word of the OT. 

By His Grace,

Taylor

The Gospel According to Joseph: The Gospel and Sin

In the previous post, I talked about the summer series I am presently preaching at GCPC called "The Gospel According to Joseph," and I also posted a short prequel to the story of Joseph, Jacob, and Judah, briefly summarizing the first 36 chapters of Genesis. Well, the first sermon in this series comes from Ge. 37: 2-8, 18-28, 36, and it is entitled "The Gospel and Sin."

Now, our culture doesn't like to talk about sin and doesn't want us to talk about it. And, honestly, you'd be a strange person indeed if you actually enjoyed talking about sin, but to be faithful to God's Word and truly Christ-centered people, we have to talk about it. The good news of the gospel isn't really good and doesn't really affect our lives until the bad news of our sin first drives us to Christ. Well, that's where Moses begins in the story of Joseph, Jacob, and Judah, and it's where we begin in the first sermon—clearing seeing our sin, so that we're driven to our Savior. You can listen to the sermon here or read it here.

Also in this series, one of the things I am trying to do is teach how to study these Old Testament (OT) stories and how to see what the Holy Spirit was showing the original audience and is showing us about God's redeeming work in Jesus. For Jesus Himself told us in passages like Lk. 24:27, 44 and Jn. 5:46 that the OT is about Him, but seeing exactly how it teaches us about Him is not quite so easy. My senior pastor, Chris Hutchinson, has written a couple of great articles on preaching/teaching Christ from the OT that can be found here and here, and there are several of good books written on this subject like David Murray's Jesus on Every Page. But, in the interest of ease for this series of sermons, I will be teaching some basic questions that we can ask of any OT passage to help us to see how Jesus may be in that passage. Now, all these questions do not always apply to each OT passage, but we can ask these of any passage and one or more of them will help us to see Jesus on that page of Scripture. In this sermon, there are two that come up:

• What does this passage reveal about the sinful nature of man who needs redemption? And, when we see an aspect of man's sinful nature and need of redemption, we can see Jesus there, for He is the ultimate solution to man's need. 
• What does this passage reveal about the redeeming nature of God? And, when we see an aspect of God's redeeming nature, we can see Jesus there, for He brings together all those aspects in His work of redemption. 

If you want to learn how to apply those questions and see it done with Ge. 37, you can listen to the sermon here or read it here.

I pray that this sermon will show you Jesus clearly and Him only and that it will be a blessing to your soul.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Politics From the Pulpit?

"Should pastors speak about in the pulpit about contemporary issues? [sic] Yes, but only when the texts of Scripture clearly articulate it. They shouldn't bow to any party's talking points. They shouldn't slant their sermons to fit a political profile. They shouldn't become wannabee pundits in the pulpit. They should preach the Word and let it do it's work in the hearts of the people, who will then go influence their communities." ~ Daniel Darling, "Three Reasons Not to Preach Politics in the Pulpit"

I really like this article (shared by a friend of mine on Facebook) and the above quote. Very few things bug me more than the pulpit being used as a political soap box or puppet. In summary, his three reasons to not preach politics from the pulpit are:

• Our text must be the Word of God
• The Bible cuts both ways
• We must never dilute the message of the gospel

These are all good points, and I recommend going to Christianity.com and reading Daniel's article. Go read it and then I would like to add what I think is an important fourth point.

Now that you have read Daniel's excellent article, I would like to add one more that I think is very important. It is the issue of conscience. I follow the Reformed tradition and am a preacher in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In our tradition, we have a statement of faith called the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). It is an excellent document from the seventeenth century that summarizes biblical doctrine well. It is not infallible and is no way to be held on the same level (or even close to it) as Scripture, but it is wise and I think very biblical for the most part. In it, there is a great statement that addresses the issue of conscience, "God alone is Lord of the conscience (Js. 4:12; Ro. 14:4), and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to His Word; or beside it, in matters of faith or worship (Mt. 15:9; 23:8-10; Ac. 4:19; 5:29; 1 Co. 7:23; 2 Co. 1:24)." (WCF 20.2) God alone is Lord of the conscience. Pastors should preach on the issues of contemporary culture that Scripture addresses, but how we apply that truth in our individual social-political lives is a matter of conscience. No Christian has the right to say to another Christian that they have the "Christian way" of doing something unless it is prescribed in the Bible or may be deduced from it by good and necessary consequence. I believe voting and candidate choice falls in the category of conscience. If we say, "Christians must support Mr. So-in-So in the election," we have bound the consciences of Christians in a way Scripture has not commanded and that is wrong. We have no right to say it is "un-Christian" to vote a certain way unless Scripture tells us that Christians must always vote Republican or Democrat, and I am pretty sure it does not say that anywhere.

I recently read an excellent book on Christians and culture. It is Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture by David VanDrunen. I do not agree with everything in it, but it is overall an excellent work and I do not mind recommending it. (I plan to write a review of it soon, when I get the time.) In it, he has an excellent statement on this issue of conscience:

In my judgment, the general rule is that the church must teach—and Christians may hold one another accountable for believing—all that Scripture says about such topics as moral issues but should be silent about such topics as concrete political or public policy issues. The biblical teaching on these topics clearly has political ramifications. In nearly every case when a moral issue becomes a concrete political or public policy issue, however, believers must make discretionary judgments in order to decide how to apply the clear biblical teaching to the particular situation. And whenever the application of biblical teaching is a matter of discretion and not specified by Scripture itself, the church must be silent and Christians may not impose their own discretionary judgments upon the consciences of other Christians. (pp. 199-200)

For example, let's look at one of the more relevant issues: abortion. It is clear that Scripture is against abortion. I think that Scripture is pretty clear that life begins at the earliest days of pregnancy. (It may be debatable whether or not life begins at conception or implantation, though I think the arguments for the former are strong than those for the latter, but I believe it is not debatable, from a biblical perspective, any later in pregnancy.) However, does Scripture say how we should apply this in our social-political lives? No, and to say otherwise is to bind the conscience of a fellow Christian, which is wrong. Christians find themselves in a fallen world in which many people (with whom we might otherwise agree) advocate abortion rights, the issue is social and political, candidates and judges hold a variety of stances on it, and in which a black market would probably be formed if it were made illegal. The application of our stance on the issue is thus very complicated. There are some who could never vote for a pro-choice candidate because of their consciences, and I completely understand that. Others may weigh all the views of a pro-choice candidate and find those other views tip the scale in a political environment where all candidates are imperfect. Some may look at the possibilities of affecting abortion policy in a particular political environment and find it is unlikely that it will affected one way or another. Others might choose to fight abortion by a strategy that is more "grass roots" and write pieces for local news outlets, picket clinics, serve at crisis pregnancy centers, or raise awareness in some other local way. The point is that two Christians with equal commitment to the biblical teaching on abortion may evaluate the political landscape differently and make different decisions about what will serve the long-term good of American society and the world at large. We may debate with each other about the "best" or "wisest" way to fight abortion, but no Christian can look at another Christian and say they have the "Christian way" of doing it. God has left the Christian's conscience free from the doctrines and commandments of men.

So, let's preach on the issues from the pulpit when the Bible addresses them, and then let's trust the Holy Spirit (remember all believers have Him too!) to guide each believer to vote in the way their consciences believe is most wise. Let's not violate the Word of God by adding to it, let's not dilute the gospel by saying more than Scripture allows, and let's not bind the consciences of other believers by commanding what God has not commanded. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Ga. 5:1) Praise Jesus for our freedom!

By His Grace,
Taylor

How Should We Worship?

"[It is the] tension between the need to remain faithful to the gospel and the Christian tradition while at the same time faithfully communicating that Evangel [good news] in a changing and complex cultural milieu that presents mammoth challenges to the continued witness of the Christian church." ~ J. Matthew Pinson, Perspectives on Christian Worship: Five Views

How we should worship God, especially in public worship, is an important question for the Church. It is one of the more important questions because worship is one of the main ways we glorify God before an unbelieving world, and it is what we will be doing for all eternity in the new heavens and new earth. I would like to pose a list of fifteen things that I think are essential for public worship. Now, this list is a work-in-progress and I am in no way claiming that it is exhaustive. I welcome any comments on how to biblically refine these points.

Here we go: public worship should...

1. ...be God-exalting, Christ-centered, and Spirit-filled: The second commandment, the Psalter (e.g. Ps. 134), and the rest of the Scriptures declare of the glory of the Triune God and that He is to be worshiped and only Him. Other Scriptures (cf. Jn. 4:21-23; 5:23; Php. 2:9) tell us that worship in spirit and in truth is Christ-centered worship for He is the glory of the Father and the one whom God has exalted to the highest place. Finally, passages like 1 Co. 12:3 tell us that no one can worship God unless indwelt by the Spirit, for a renewed heart is essential to the right worship of God. 
2. ...put the amazing back into grace. The grace of God to us in Christ Jesus is more than we can fathom and we can never the exhaust the depths of this grace. Every worship service must amaze us and shock us by the grace of God, for we are a people prone to wander and we need constantly to be reminded of the magnitude of what He has done for us. 
3. ...be founded on the fact that we are created to worship God and enjoy Him. The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) asks, "What is the chief end of man?" It then biblically answers, "Man's chief end is to glorify God (cf. Ps. 86; Is. 43:7; 60:21; Ro. 11:36; Re. 4:11), and to enjoy Him forever (cf. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Is. 12:2; Php. 4:4; Re. 21:3-4)." It is important to note that this is one end with two aspects—when we truly glorify God, we also enjoy Him. This means that public worship (and private too) should always be an overflow from our very purpose of existence. It should also be enjoyable because glorifying God and enjoying Him are inseparable. 
4. ...be on the Lord's Day. The Sabbath was not just part of the 10 Commandments (though that is no trivial thing) but was part of the creation ordinance. Even before man fell, he was to rest and worship one day in seven. In the OT, the Lord's Day was the seventh day of the week. Now that Christ has come, He is making a people for Himself, and grace abounds, the first day of the week is the Lord's Day (Re. 1:10; cf. Mt. 28:1; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1, 19-23; Ac. 20:7; 1 Co. 16:2) for it mirrors grace—we rest in grace and then we work—and it is the day in which our Lord was raised from the dead. Though not foundational, it is also practical, for God's people need a Lord's Day to have a common day to gather for worship (cf. He. 10:25). 
5. ...be corporate. On the Lord's Day (see above), God's people gather for corporate worship. While private worship is absolutely essential, one can and should distinguish between corporate and private worship. There are few explicit commands in the NT that tell us to gather together to worship (He. 10:25 being one) but that is not because the NT does not expect there to be corporate worship. That is because the teaching of the NT apostles rests firmly on the OT view of public worship and the assumption that the NT saints gather together in a public, definable worship service. Indeed, many of the NT commands about worship are unintelligible if there is not a distinct, corporate worship service for God's people (cf. Mt. 18:20; Ro. 14; Ac. 20:17-38; 1 Co. 7-11; 14; 16:2; 1 Ti. 2; 4:6-13; 2 Ti. 4; Tt; 2; He. 4:9; Re. 1:10). 
6. ...be governed by the Regulative Principle (RP) of worship. This principle is thrown around a lot these days and sometimes quite incorrectly, so let me attempt to define it for you. The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) 21.1 states it well, "But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture (Dt. 12:32; Mt. 15:9; Ac. 17:35)." Why does it say this? It's justification is stated in WCF 20.2, "God alone is Lord of the conscience (Js. 4:12; Ro. 14:4), and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to His Word; or beside it, in matters of faith or worship (Mt. 15:9; 23:8-10; Ac. 4:19; 5:29; 1 Co. 7:23; 2 Co. 1:24)." In short, the RP tells us that pastors, sessions, worship leaders, or anyone else directing worship can only prescribe in public worship that which God Himself has prescribed. Because God alone is Lord of the conscience, man has no right to insist another man do anything in matters of faith and worship unless God Himself has commanded it. No man has a right to make another man feel guilty about anything unless it comes from God's command in Scripture (cf. Mt. 15:1-9; Ro. 14; 1 Co. 8-10). This frees man's conscience from the tyranny of man and places it under the only Sovereign who can rule the conscience without damaging it—God. It is helpful, when discussing the RP, to distinguish between elements (those things prescribed as essential to gathered, public worship), forms (the way the element is expressed in public worship), and circumstances (those considerations regarding how, when, where, and in what manner or amount the elements are to be performed, i.e. bulletins, length of prayers, number of songs, times of services, etc.). The RP tells us the elements of public worship but leaves the forms and circumstances open. The forms and circumstances are those things that are, as WCF 1.6 states, "common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word." (In the case of forms, they are open but only to things which do not detract from the element itself, and some forms can detract from the element, which is why the WCF says, "ordered by... Christian prudence." E.g. reading Scripture in Latin to a people who do not understand Latin, as the Roman Catholic church did and still does at times, is a form which detracts from the element and therefore unacceptable.)
7. ...contain the following elements: reading the Bible (1 Ti. 4:13), preaching the Bible (Ro. 10:14, 17; 1 Ti. 4:6-13; 2 Ti. 4:2), praying the Bible (Ac. 2:42; 1 Ti. 2:1-4), singing the Bible (Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16), and "seeing" the Bible, i.e. the sacraments (Mt. 28:19; Lk. 22:14-20; Ac. 2:38-39; 1 Co. 11:23-26; Col. 2:11-12). Why is it that we read, preach, etc. the Bible? Because God’s Word is central to our knowledge of Him, His works, His will, and our salvation. With its content and its content alone can we be assured that we are worshiping Him properly. Therefore, as the elements of worship are derived from Scripture, so should those elements be saturated with Scripture. 
8. ...be following the one, true worship leader—Jesus Christ Himself. Everyone else who directs a worship service is merely a minister, Jesus is the one who leads us into worship (Mt. 18:20; Jn. 4:21-23; He. 2:5ff). Jesus gathers us together in Him and brings us before God as our great High Priest. If we really remembered that Jesus is our worship leader (not the man or woman with a piano or guitar), would we not worship differently? 
9. ...be the whole thing—every activity between the call to worship and the benediction. Worship is not just singing. Worship is reading God's Word, praying, preaching, singing, and participating in the sacraments. Every act between from the beginning to the end is part of public worship. When we hear God's Word read or listen to a sermon, we should be cognizant that the hearing, actively listening, and contemplating of it are acts of worship and should lift our affections toward Him. 
10. ...have music that aids in the worship of God but never gets in the way of the worship of God. I do not think it is biblical to quibble over style of music in general, yet there are things that need to be considered when we choose our style. Music is a great way to involve our affections in worship, but it can also manipulate those affections and lead us away from worship, when not used properly. Being moved emotionally is not the same thing as being spiritually changed. Music should engage the affections but always in a way that is spiritually edifying, not just emotionally charged. 
11. ...be orderly. This is a simple but very important aspect of public worship that Paul pounds into the Corinthian people in 1 Co. 14. Paul builds an argument for order in worship and then closes it by saying, "But all things should be done decently and in order." How else is it going to edify God’s people and be a witness to the lost? 
12. ...be edifying. Like the previous point, in 1 Co. 13-14, Paul tells the Corinthian people that gifts and actions in worship are to be done "so that the church may be built up." What good does it do to speak in a tongue, prophesy, or have all knowledge if it is not used in love for the edification of the body? Paul answers in 1 Co. 13:3 we "gain nothing."
13. ...be covenantal. WCF 7.1 states, "The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which He has been pleased to express by way of covenant." God's people should come before God to praise Him for what He has done, hear His Word preached, understand the new covenant in Christ, learn about His commitment to them, learn about their commitment to Him, give Him thanks for His covenant, and receive the sign and seal the covenant and be nourished by Christ in the Lord's Supper. All these are aspects of a covenant renewal ceremony, which is at the heart of public worship.
14. ...engage the affections. Jonathan Edwards, in his excellent work Religious Affections, states, "True religion consists so much in the affections, that there can no true religion without them." One can have sound doctrine and not be a Christian, but one cannot be a true Christian and not have true affections. Now, it is important to note that affections are not just emotions, they are the response of the whole person. Affections are not emotions as distinct from the other faculties but the whole lot of emotions, will, and mind. They involve the will, the intellect, and the full range of emotions (not just the happy emotions). It is only through the engagement of the affections for God that we can glorify and enjoy Him. 
15. ...be simple, transferable, and flexible. Worship should not require any elaborate ritual or prescribed book of liturgy/prayer. Since it is based on the principles of God's Word, it is simple, not complicated. Worship, if guided by the RP, is also transferable. The elements are defined (and uncomplicated) but the forms and circumstances can be adapted to every culture (when guided by Christian prudence and the light of nature, according to the general rules of the Word). Finally, worship should be flexible. Like its transferability, it is flexible because biblical worship does not and cannot produce a "cookie-cutter" pattern that everyone church must fit into. The flexibility of worship guided by the RP encourages diversity and cultural expressions. 

As I stated above, this list is not exhaustive and I welcome any comments that may help me biblically refine what is said above.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Book Review: "Preaching Christ from the Old Testament"

"[W]e can define 'preaching Christ' as preaching sermons which authentically integrate the message of the text with the climax of God's revelation in the person, work, and/or teaching of Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament." ~ Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

 In 2 Ti. 4:2, Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word, in season and out. Of course, right before this verse in 3:16-17, almost in the same breath, Paul has told Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” So, we know that the Word Timothy is to preach is Scripture. Many years earlier, recorded in Lk. 24:27, we see Christ Himself showing His disciples how “all the Scriptures” witness to Him. What conclusion are we to draw? That we must preach the Word and to preach the Word, whether Old or New Testament, means to preach Christ. The question is, then, how do we preach Christ from Scripture? This question is much more acute when it comes to preaching Christ from the Old Testament (OT), where Christ is not mentioned by name. Some have simply rejected the idea of preaching Christ from the OT, but that cannot be valid since Jesus Himself showed that the OT is about Him. How do we properly, faithfully preach Christ from the OT? That is the question that Sidney Greidanus has set out to answer in his book, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. In it, Greidanus examines the necessity of preaching Christ, the history of preaching Christ, and the method for preaching Christ from the OT.

I have written a review of this work. I highly recommend this book for pastors or seminary students, so hopefully the review will inspire you to read the book.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Preaching and a Preacher's Growth

"I give you the motto, 'Go forward.' Go forward in personal attainments, forward in gifts and in grace, forward in fitness for the work, and forward in conformity to the image of Jesus...If there be any brother here who thinks he can preach as well as he should, I would advise him to leave off altogether." ~ Charles Spurgeon

I am in a preaching lab class at my seminary, RTS Atlanta, and my professor sent a great blog post out to the class about how preachers should evaluate their preaching. It is a great article that I would recommend anyone reading, even those who have no plans of ever preaching. If you are reading this and you are not a preacher, nor do you have any plans to become one, I do not write this here to give you a means by which to criticize your pastor but quite the contrary. I write this so you can know how to pray for your pastor and his preaching and so you can know what he pours into it when he does it in a godly, biblical manor. No preacher gets all this right all the time (I preached at my church this past Sunday and found this article both encouraging and quite convicting), which is why he needs your prayer for his preaching.

The article's major points are the following:

• Did I preach as God's servant? The author summarizes, "Evaluate your sermons for any hint that you stood in the pulpit as a lord and savior instead of a humble servant and messenger whose authority comes solely from God."
• Did I preach to build God's Church? The author summarizes, "When evaluating your preaching, ask yourself whether you preached with a burning love for God which made you long to see His church built up on earth. God loves His church with an everlasting love. If you love God, your preaching must be full of love for God’s church."
• Did I preach Christ as the only foundation? The author states, "Christ is everything to the believer: our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). Christ is not only the door into salvation; He is the entire road on which we must travel to glory."
• Did I build my sermon with the precious materials of Reformed experiential preaching? He, again, summarizes, "The wisdom of the Scriptures is the only material worthy of use in God’s holy temple. Therefore, do not build your sermons with the materials of man which will perish in God’s flaming glory."
• Did I preach for the Master's reward? He states, "Though you and your hearers may have long forgotten the specifics of what you preached, the Lord will judge every sermon. Every sermon will have one of two outcomes on Judgment Day: it may be found precious in God’s sight and receive His approbation, or it will be judged unworthy and the fire of God’s glory will consume it."

Those are the major points of this blog post but there is some great content in between them. I recommend reading the whole thing. And, remember, read with the heart wanting to know how to pray for your pastor, not judge his sermons for all of the above questions are attitudes of the heart that only he and God can know fully.

By His Grace,

Taylor