Tag: Gospel

Sermon Download: We Are the Temple of the Living God

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Recently I had another opportunity to preach on a Sunday morning. I took the opportunity to preach again on the Temple theme in Scripture, using 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1 as my text. I had preached on the Temple before, but this time I wanted to flesh out what it means that the church is the Temple today.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire sermon (37 minutes), please do look over my notes. May God bless this sermon to all who hear it, for His glory and by His grace.

          Place: The Heights Church, St. Paul
          Date: Feb. 2, 2014
          Title: We Are the Temple of the Living God
          Text: 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1
          Notes: Download PDF
          Audio Link: Click to listen (right click to download)

“What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About: A Survey of Jesus’ Bible” edited by Jason DeRouchie

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared AboutBook Details:
  • Editor: Jason S. DeRouchie
  • Category: Biblical Theology
  • Book Publisher: Kregel Academic (2013)
  • Page Count: 490
  • Format: hardback
  • ISBN: 9780825425912
  • List Price: $45.99
  • Rating: Must Read

Blurbs:
“How could I not enjoy a book in which the editor says ‘is designed as a springboard for delight in God—the supreme Savior, Sovereign, and Satisfier of the world’? Jason DeRouchie has a sure hand when it comes to guiding a team of scholars. The aroma of his God-centered, Christ-exalting commitments permeate this survey…I would happily put this in the hand of every church member.”
—John Piper, former pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis; Founder and Teacher at DesiringGod.org

“Finally! An introduction to the only Bible Jesus had that tries to makes sense of each book by highlighting its life-giving message. This volume is invitingly organized and composed, and delightfully illustrated.”
—Daniel I. Block, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College

“No ordinary survey! This clear, concise, and easy-to-understand text will help church folks and serious students alike grasp the contribution of the Old Testament to the Bible as a single text with a unified plot structure that finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Beautiful pictures and helpful diagrams aid communication in a powerful way. I heartily recommend it!”
—Peter J. Gentry, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Overview:
In What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About: A Survey of Jesus’ Bible, Jason DeRouchie brings together 16 other evangelical OT scholars to produce a truly one-of-a-kind resource. Rather than being a work by scholars for scholars, this is a work for the Church. The Old Testament is expounded and analyzed from the perspective of the cross of Christ, and the result is an unpacking of the Gospel in the Old Testament. Today’s believers are provided a practical approach to reading and studying the Old Testament. And as the authors remind us, the Old Testament was the Bible of Jesus and the early Church.

The book surveys each of the 24 books of the Old Testament — 24 books according to the Hebrew numbering, that is. And the Hebrew order of the books of the Old Testament is the order the contributors to this volume follow. Each chapter gives a brief introduction as to the setting and author of that Hebrew book and then focuses on a discussion of the book’s major themes with particular regard to how it fits into the overall canonical structure. Jason DeRouchie provides introductions to each of the major sections of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah (or Law), the Prophets, and the Writings, as well as an overview of the entire Old Testament. Throughout the volume, there are beautiful, full-color photos of scenes from the Holy Land. Additionally, there are countless charts and tables on helpful subjects relating to the material covered. Memory verses and suggestions for additional reading round out each chapter. The KINGDOM Bible reading plan is also included as an appendix and will help readers in continuing to read through and appreciate the Hebrew Bible in the canonical order this book stresses.

Quotable:
The following excerpt from the chapter on Exodus gives a flavor of the particular approach of this work.

“God’s powerful deeds against Egypt are commonly called ‘plagues’ (cf. 8:2; 9:3, 14; 11:1). As a series, however, the acts are introduced as ‘miracles’ (4:21) and ‘signs and wonders’ (7:3) — terms used more frequently than ‘plagues’ (8:23; 10:1, 2; 11:9, 10; cf. 7:9). The broader designation ‘signs’ more appropriately highlights the intent of these acts: Yahweh was working for his own glory, which included judgement (connoted by ‘plagues’) but went beyond it. This also helps the Bible reader see the connections between the ‘signs’ of the exodus and the ‘signs’ of Jesus, particularly in the Gospel of John (cf. John 2:11, 18, 23; 3:2; 4:48, 54; 6:2, 14, 26, 30; 7:31; 9:16; 10:41; 11:47; 12:18, 37; 20:30)….

“The exodus is to the Old Testament what the cross-resurrection event is to the New Testament. In each case, the great redemptive act (exodus/cross) produces the covenant community of God’s people (Israel/church) who are called to serve God and his universal mission. The importance of the exodus is signaled by its constant reference throughout the Old Testament, to motivate covenant fidelity (Exod. 19:4; 20:1), to establish national identity and self-consciousness (e.g. Josh. 2:9-11; Judg. 6:8-13; 1 Sam. 12:6-8; 1 Kings 8:51; Neh. 9:9; 2 Chon. 7:22), to inspire prophetic judgment and hope (e.g., Jer. 7:21-24; 11:1-18; 16:14-21; 34:13; Ezek. 37:24-28; Hos. 11:1), and to produce personal praise and confession (e.g., Pss. 77:14-20; 78:12-55; 80:8; 106:7-14; 114; 136:10–22). In short, the rest of the Old Testament can only be understood in light of the significance of the exodus.” (p. 87, 89)

See also this excerpt from Kregel.com.

Evaluation:
This is a very readable and engaging work. The full-color illustrations, charts, maps and graphs will engross the reader. The material presented is merely a survey and so it would make for a great resource for an adult Sunday School class or a Bible Institute course. The Hebrew terms are transliterated and the discussion for the most part stays at a high level. That being said, the discussion focuses on the Messianic nature of the Hebrew Bible and how it all points to Christ. Pastors and teachers will detect a non-dispensational approach that doesn’t overtly teach any one system of eschatology (it leans to a new covenant theology approach, specifically recommending Kingdom through Covenant by Wellum and Gentry a few times). It could be used with prudence by churches from a wide spectrum of positions, yet is firmly evangelical and unflinching in its stance for biblical inerrancy. Some of the discussions about authorship and date will open the reader to some of the challenges of OT scholarship, but much is not said that could be. The balance it achieves is probably right for the purposes the book aims to serve.

The Christological focus of the book and its emphasis on how the Old Testament fits together to point to Christ, makes it most helpful for average readers, and yet it manages to avoid an allegorizing approach to the OT. The authors clearly care about the OT in its own right, and yet make the connections where textually warranted, between the themes and types in the Old Testament and the anti-types and fulfillment in the New Testament. I was disappointed to see a Christ-centered interpretive approach to the Song of Songs was not followed, and that stands as proof that this book is not a free-for-all when it comes to interpretive approach. The book is text-grounded and yet gospel-saturated. The sidebars and graphs are quite useful and the pointers for additional study will help the busy pastor.

Recommendation:
Having met Jason DeRouchie and sat in his adult Sunday School class I could feel his passion for the gospel in the Old Testament oozing out of this volume. I am eager to find ways to use it in adult SS settings in my church too. I highly recommend this work, it will reignite a love for the Old Testament and a fuller appreciation for the beauty of the suffering servant and prophesied King, Jesus the Christ.

About the Editor:
Jason S. DeRouchie (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of Old Testament at Bethlehem College and Seminary. He is passionate about helping Christians exalt Christ and treasure the hope of the gospel from the Old Testament. He is the author of numerous publications, including A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (coauthored with Duane A. Garrett). Learn more about Jason on his faculty page here.

Where to Buy:
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Amazon
  • Christianbook.com
  • Direct from Kregel

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Kregel Academic. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Quotes to Note 36: The Ultimate End of Reading Scripture

~ Bob Hayton

Having just moved to a new house, there is a lot besides blogging and book reviews on my mind! That being said, I am working my way through God in My Everything by Ken Shigematsu (Zondervan, 2013) for an overdue review. I came across a section worth quoting and sharing with my readership (what few of you are left). I hope it encourages you as it did me.

A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God says, “The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men [and women] to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”5 Jesus said to the religious elite of his day, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40, emphasis added). The ultimate end of Scripture is not the text itself but an intimate, joyful, nourishing friendship with the living God. The written Word helps us encounter and unite with the living God.

5 A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1982), 10. Editor’s note: I took the liberty to correct a typo in the quote as found in the Zondervan title.

[p. 71, bold emphasis added]

Marriage, Meaning and Minnesota: How to React to the News that Gay Marriage is Now Legal

~ Bob Hayton ~ 8 Comments

We came back from family wedding this past weekend to realize that Minnesota (our state) passed legislation legalizing gay marriage. Gov. Dayton signed it into law last night, to be put into effect on August 1! My how times change. This new legal reality is coming to a state or municipality near you – and soon.

How is a Christian to respond? There are obviously a lot of Christian pastors and leaders with great things to say, so I’m just chiming in from my own angle – I don’t claim this is advice that will rock the world, just what might be a few helpful thoughts.

1) Don’t freak out. God is not surprised. He’s still on the throne.

The worldly state (think “city of man”) has long embraced what God has forbidden. In Paul’s day, the vice that was legal in places like Corinth and Rome would make your skin crawl. Open sex in temples full of paid prostitute-priestesses (and priests) – all in the name of mystery religion. The slave trade, women captured in war with the victor using them as he wishes. Roman senators with love-boys and lewd public banquets. Oh and Christians were the ones rescuing unwanted infants left “exposed” to die on street corners. They were also the ones who couldn’t participate openly in commerce since that required obligatory offerings to the pagan gods. Christians were the ones who accepted people of all socioeconomic statuses and lived as brothers and sisters. They took care of one another – even when huddled together in the arena facing lions or death by any number of other more gruesome means. So don’t be surprised when the world hates us. Read John 15:18-21 along with Matt. 5:10-12.

2) Remember the State has never defined marriage, God created it and He defines it.

Now worldly cultures and states have developed different traditions and laws governing marriage. In many African tribes, polygamy is normal with either the women or the men in a position of dominance. In ancient times the king could sleep with the bride on her wedding night by right. Whole religions still maintain a priestly class that is forbidden to marry but who nevertheless engages in illicit sex. The world’s structures are broken and always have been. It wasn’t too long ago when Christians were denouncing the government for allowing divorce for unbiblical reasons. Now just about anything goes. The state will let a man marry seven times to seven different women. So if the same state lets a man marry a man, why should we be alarmed? Christians should be defending marriage of one woman and one man for life – the biblical ideal. The exceptions allowing divorce should be rare and not jumped to at any possible opportunity by those who name Christ’s name. See my post pleading against frivolous divorce here.

3) Take heart in the true meaning of marriage.

Marriage is more than a ticket to government benefits. If that is all marriage is — and in our culture of long-standing, live-in relationships, this seems more and more what marriage is — then no wonder everyone should have the same “right.” But this isn’t about tax benefits — it is about what marriage means. Marriage is a picture of God’s covenant relationship with us. And it is for this reason that divorce should be rare among Christians. Our marriages should be pictures of the ultimate marriage of Christ and the Church. See Eph. 5:25-32 for more on this. I would also encourage you to seek out a copy of Tim Keller’s masterful book on the subject: The Meaning of Marriage. Ultimately, marriage isn’t about us, it’s about God. And God can defend it in our culture better than we can. Rather than being devastated by the abuse of marriage in the public arena let us be busy living out our lives as the “salt of the earth” letting our marriages shine before the watching world so they can see the true purpose of marriage and glory in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (see Matt. 5:13-16).

4) Be careful in our reaction to this news.

As most Christians undoubtedly will express dismay at this turn of events, we must be especially careful as to how we react publicly. We must be careful as to how our words and actions will be perceived too, because we care about giving a faithful and clear witness to a watching world. Too often, we have allowed our opposition to the homosexual agenda, to come across as a mean-spirit against homosexual people. And while we are right to be concerned at loose definitions of homophobia and the desire of some to classify orthodox Christian teaching as hate speech, there nonetheless has been homophobia and hate speech in some sectors of Christianity. Furthermore, our strong opposition to homosexual marriage can be misunderstood to convey that the Church really is all about controlling others and seeking to gain and keep onto political power in its desire to impose morality on others. Rather than evincing compassion and understanding toward those struggling with homosexual desires, our actions and sometimes our attitudes say that we are better than them. We are normal, they are not. And if they just quit misbehaving they could be like the rest of us decent heterosexual beings. But isn’t this the opposite of the gospel’s fundamental truth that you can’t save yourself, and that only by God’s grace can we overcome our innate desires (present in everyone’s fallen heart) toward evil? Christianity is not about external morality and do-it-yourself reform; it begins and ends with Christ on the cross and a gospel of grace. As we interact with those in the workplace and our communities who consider themselves homosexuals, let us ponder anew how we can call them to a life of self-denial that is ultimately worth it because of the glory of our Savior and the glorious gospel of His grace for sinners. For more posts on homosexuality from a biblical perspective, see these earlier posts. I would also highly recommend Wesley Hill’s book, Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality.

Eustace, the Gospel and the Power of Story

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

If you’ve read the Chronicles of Narnia, you’ll remember the character, Eustace. He’s a weasel of a boy who enjoys being a brat to his cousins. He is transported to Narnia and there meets Aslan, and becomes a different person altogether. His story is clearly analogous to the Christian life. He is confronted with the gospel and then is progressively transformed into the image of who Aslan desires him to be.

This post will try to bring together two ideas surrounding this. First, the incredible power of story to convey the realities of the gospel. Second, I want us to think closely about Lewis’ account of Eustace’s “conversion” and appreciate anew the beauty of sanctification and the gospel of grace.

To illustrate the power of story, consider this quote from Michael Flaherty, president of Walden Media. In this interview, he comments about the making of the movie for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I found this section of the interview fascinating. It reveals how counter-cultural grace truly is – and the power of story to bring it home to people in a powerful way.

You Patrick Henry [College] students have all read Dawn Treader, and you know that in it God’s grace is a strong theme. You know that Eustace becomes a dragon because, Lewis writes, he gave in to his own dragonish thoughts. So we’re talking with the screenwriter and director and someone says, “Before Eustace gets un-dragoned, let’s have him fight another dragon, and as a reward for him fighting that other dragon and beating him, Aslan will un-dragon him.” I knew there was no way we could talk these guys out of having another dragon in the movie, so I said, “Why don’t we do it another way? Why don’t we have that fight and have Eustace do something incredibly cowardly—retreat, leave everyone in danger—and then Aslan will un-dragon him.” They looked at me as if I had said the craziest thing in the world, and they asked, “Why would anybody give somebody something they didn’t deserve? And that’s when I realized the opportunity for stories and how much work we have ahead of us as believers—to explain grace and to explain that undeserved favor that we get from the Lord.

For how exactly we see the gospel and sanctification in Eustace’s story, I turn to G.K. Beale. Beale’s massive biblical theology of the NT is not where you’d expect to find a treatment of Eustace and his “un-dragoning,” but again the power of story allows Beale to illustrate Paul’s teaching about the Christian life perfectly by this.

The true believer is someone who is no longer an unbelieving “old man” but instead is a believing “new man.”…

C.S. Lewis pictures this theological reality in his Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The character Eustace was a very spoiled boy who had become so enamored with a dragon’s treasure that he became the dragon itself. Lewis’s point is that Eustace’s transformation into a dragon represented his dragon-like heart. In a subsequent scene, Lewis depicts Aslan, the messianic lion, leading Eustace up to a mountain, at the top of which is a garden (echoing the garden of Eden) and a big pool of water with marble steps leading down into it (reflecting a baptismal scene). Aslan tells Eustace to undress himself by shedding his dragon skin and go into the water. Eustace realizes that he has no clothes, except for his dragon skin. So he begins to scratch off a layer like a snake sloughs off its old skin. But after doing so, he still looks like a dragon, with dragon skin. So he scratches off the next layer, but he still appears as a dragon; so he scratches off yet a third layer of scales, but he cannot change the fact that he is still a dragon. No matter how hard he tries, Eustace has no ability to change his dragon-like nature.

Finally, Aslan tells Eustace to lay down, and he will remove his dragon skin once for all:

The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt…. Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off — just as I thought I’d done… — and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thinker, and darker, and more knobbly looking that the others had been…. Then he caught hold of me and… threw me into the water…. After that… I’d turned into a boy again. After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me. [C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Harper Trophy, 1994), 115-116]

Afterward, Eustace rejoins his friends, and he apologizes for his bad, spoiled behavior: “I’m afraid I’ve been pretty beastly.” [Lewis, 117] With regard to Eustace’s subsequent behavior, Lewis concludes,

It would be nice, fairly nearly true, to say that “from that time forth Eustace was a different boy.” To be strictly accurate, he began to be a different boy. He had relapses. There were still many days when he could be very tiresome. But most of those I shall not notice. The cure had begun. [Lewis, 119-120]

Lewis’s description is clearly his attempt to represent the biblical portrayal of the reality that people, on the basis of their own innate ability, cannot do anything to take out their old, fallen, sinful heart and create a new heart for themselves. Only God can bring people back to Eden and create them anew in the last Adam, and when he does, the bent of one’s desires and behavior begins to change and to reflect the image of the God who has re-created them into a new creation. Immediate perfection does not come about, but a progressive growth in doing those things that please God does occur. [G.K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology (Baker, 2011), 847-849]

This is food for thought, and may be cause for you to consider reading through the Chronicles of Narnia, again. (And if you haven’t read through them, shame on you! But now’s your chance!)