by Ryan Smith | Jun 27, 2019
“In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was
made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).
It is difficult
to imagine a more sweeping exaltation of anyone than John’s opening words
describing Jesus. Packed concisely in a matter of sentences, John displays Christ’s
infinitude, His omniscience, His power and His transcendence.
John’s point is
clear: There is no one like Jesus in knowledge, authority, power or prominence.
When we think of a
religious teacher, we may think of a guru at the top of a mountain to whom
followers trek through dangerous conditions to hear a piece of sage wisdom. We
may think of a charismatic prophet, holding an audience in the palm of their
hand as they declare, instruct and command. We are captivated by those from
whom wisdom flows like a stream to parched sojourners, looking for answers.
Jesus was
undoubtedly full of wisdom and truth. He held the captivated attention of
thousands as He preached. Many came and found great refreshment at the
ever-flowing fountain of knowledge and revelation that Jesus provided. Indeed, John’s
picture of Jesus requires us to concur with Peter as he exclaimed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life” (John 6:68-69).
Yet even here, we
find a peculiarity about Jesus. Peter spoke these words in response, not to a
command from Jesus, but a question.
Why would Jesus—the
One who knows every thought and word before it is uttered—ever ask a question?
What is amazing
about Jesus is that He asked many questions. In fact, questions were His
preferred method of interaction. The very first words of Jesus in the book of
John are indeed a simple question in response to two men who were following
Him:
“What are you seeking?”
Jesus asked over
100 questions in the Gospels. Consider these:
Why do you worry about clothes? (Matt. 6:28)
Why are you so afraid? (Matt. 8:26)
Do you believe that I am able to do this?
(Matt. 9:28)
Why did you doubt? (Matt. 14:31)
Who do people say the Son of Man is? Who do
you say I am? (Matt. 16:13, 15)
Why do you ask me about what is good? (Matt.
19:17)
What is it that you want? (Matt. 20:21)
Those are just a few
of the more than 40 questions that Jesus asked in the Book of Matthew alone.
This phenomenon leads us to understand something about Jesus. While Jesus has
every authority and answer, interacting with Jesus is not a one-sided monologue—often
the Christian life is one of questions.
There are many
times I am tempted to think of Jesus as a disengaged teacher or a genie in a
lamp. I go to Him when I have a question or need. Rarely, however, do I think
of Jesus asking me a question. Yet in the Scriptures, people seeking a sign or
a word from Jesus often received something unexpected—a conversation of
introspection.
I often want
exclamation points from God. I want big, bold, fast and awe-inspiring.
Yet I need to
remember, more often than not, Jesus interacts with His followers through
question marks.
Why? Because
questions provide answers that answers alone cannot. Questions cause us to open
parts of ourselves we would prefer to remain hidden. Questions expose our
motives and require our time, attention and thought.
If we come to a
season of confusion or doubt in which we look to the heavens and all we see are
question marks, this should not lead us to conclude God is distant or
disinterested. Instead, He may be engaging with us to walk down a road outside
of our own knowledge and comfort.
He may be asking
a question that will take us deeper than an answer ever could.
It is in these
times we cling to God’s Word and remember the surety of the Gospel.
Like Peter, we
come to Jesus proclaiming the He alone has the words of life. Yet we must be
content—even glad—when those words end in a question mark.
by Ryan Smith | Jun 4, 2019
A while ago, I
had the opportunity to observe a worship service in a Sikh temple. While
obviously the general focus, as well as the customs, were vastly different from
what I know in Christianity, the worship through song seemed almost… familiar.
Let me be clear, the Sikh worshipers were not worshiping the one true God through Jesus Christ as empowered by the Holy Spirit. The object of their worship was not what was familiar—it was the words they sang in worship to their god.
The Lord is always with us.
The Lord is faithful.
We love the Lord, who watches over his
people.
The words being
sung that day echoed many of the words one might hear on any modern worship
station or playlist. Yet they could not be farther from the true object of our
exaltation, Jesus Christ.
Why then does
worship through song in a Sikh temple sound much like worship through song in
many of our churches?
The answer says
more about our songs than theirs.
I’ve often heard
the question, what would our people know about God, themselves and the Gospel
if all they knew was our Sunday morning worship through song? It leads me to
consider what a Sikh tuning into Christian radio or observing a Christian
worship service might conclude about the God we worship.
While there are
many ways to evaluate worship songs, and we certainly don’t want to turn into
worship critics, there are three key ways to evaluate our worship through song
to discern not only if it is true and worthy to be sung, but also if it is
distinctly Christian.
Is this song more about God or me?
Many worship
songs declare the attributes of God but do so in a way that ultimately exalts
the benefits we receive from Him.
Yes, God is always with us and will never leave us, but do we like that because
it means we are always covered, or because it shows God’s complete omnipotence
and gracious mercy toward sinners? Songs that distinctly sing of the attributes
of God Himself for His glory more
than our comfort will rightly tune our hearts to focus on God rather than our
circumstances.
Is this song filled with God’s Word?
If we don’t have
the content of the Word in our songs, we won’t have the power of the Word in
our worship. There is no better way to ensure we are singing truth about God in
a way that honors Him than by singing God’s Word back to Him. Songs that are
distinctly rooted in the Bible will always lead us back to the Bible as a
source of worship. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to equip the people
of God with the worship of God.
Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ expressed in
this song?
The Holy Spirit
works to exalt Christ. If our songs do not exalt Jesus, the Christ, God the
Son, then they are not Spirit-filled. The best worship songs not only express our
affection but set our affection distinctly and boldly on Jesus Christ and His
work in the Gospel to save sinners like us. If our hearts are to be stirred,
let them be stirred by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is stirred in us spills
out of us, and we want to be people overflowing with the Gospel – not just
vague generalities about God.
As the church, we
have such a great well of worship through song to draw from. Saints throughout
the ages have sung of Jesus and allowed their focus on Him to provide a
perspective that surpasses this shifting-sand world and fixes our hope securely
on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.
May we not become
critics of worship. Instead, may we choose and use music wisely for the glory
of God and the good of His church; not just on Sunday mornings, but in every
avenue of our lives.
by Ryan Smith | May 28, 2019
In the fall of
2009, the ABC Network introduced a new show called Modern Family. The show highlights multiple angles of family
dynamics. There is your traditional suburbanite family with three kids and a
dog whose mindless father is a continual source of comedic fodder set against a
controlling, authoritative and overbearing mother. There is the family with
previous marriages who balance the load of multiple family influences. There is
also a homosexual couple who personifies the “opposites attract”
formula. All of this is packaged in two loaded and important words:
Modern. Family.
The message is
clear. Despite God’s Genesis 1 and 2 design of one man and one woman married
for life, the idea is that distortions of this reality are not only prolific
and descriptive of the modern world, but they are prescriptive for what we should now consider a “family” to be.
Recently, the
children’s television show Arthur, which
debuted on CBS almost 25 years ago, gave its own introduction of the modern
family. In a recent episode, Arthur, the third-grade aardvark from Elwood City,
and his classmates learn their teacher is getting married. While the episode
centers around the children’s idea that their teacher, Mr. Ratburn, is marrying
a disagreeable woman named Patty, the show presents the children with the new
and modern concept that Mr. Ratburn is actually marrying a man. The show apexes
with Mr. Ratburn and his husband being married before a now-understanding and
supportive class and community.
Arthur is not the first (or last) show
to normalize the idea of the homosexual home for children. The new Amazon Prime
show Bug Diaries features a young
worm who has lesbian moms. Another Amazon original, Pete the Cat, featured a Christmas episode with gay parents. None
of this is necessarily new. Sesame Street
and Reading Rainbow have included
gay couples with children in family montages for decades. Nickelodeon and
Disney have also introduced new themes to children all indicating the same
message: the homosexual family is right and good.
So what should
Christians do about children’s programming and its effort to normalize the homosexual
home for our kids? Here are three ideas:
Get Informed
Gone are the days
when we should be surprised that secular ideologies are infiltrating
communication channels into our homes. It is the responsibility of parents to
know what our kids are taking in. Fortunately, there is a growing number of
resources available to parents. Websites such as pluggedin.com and commonsensemedia.org
provide parents with information and resources to make informed decisions about
children’s media.
Most children’s
programming is very positive and presents strong morality and values. However,
when the morality and values of those who make the shows differ from ours, as
parents, it can create problems. Just as you wouldn’t leave your kids with a
babysitter you don’t know, don’t set them in front of a show you don’t know.
Present Biblical Truth
When confronted
with questions about marital distortions and accommodations, Jesus did not bend
to the tide of cultural normalcy. He also didn’t go on an offensive against
every kind of distortion that did, or could, take place. What He did was hold
up the truth from Genesis 2 about God’s design and purpose for marriage.
Instead of
waiting for every new distortion to pop up like a parental game of whack-a-mole,
make sure your home is a place where Gospel-centered marriage is exalted.
Husbands and wives must model biblical relationships with each other, and
continual talk about God’s design for men and women, as well as marriage and
sexuality, should be a normative point of conversation in the home. Talk to
your kids about TV – both the role it should serve, the right things to be
embraced, and the dangerous pitfalls to be avoided. We shouldn’t shy away from
the realities our children will face as they encounter new pockets of the
world. Equip your kids with discernment. Hold up what is right and true, and
your kids will identify the counterfeits.
Unplug as Necessary
No episode of Arthur or Bug Diaries can replace real one-on-one time with a parent. Build
trust through time. That may mean you as a parent need to put down the phone,
remote or cut back on Netflix. If we show that entertainment plays a dominant
role in our lives, it will play a dominant role in our children’s lives as
well. If we show them we are willing to bend to what media tells us, they will
consider the screen a trusted voice as well. Remember, what we allow in
moderation, our children will embrace in excess.
May our children
see that the best form of the modern family is one that adheres to the timeless
truths of God’s Word and purposeful design. Modern families may be changing,
but biblical families stand the test of time.
by Ryan Smith | May 7, 2019
“Beware of false prophets,” Jesus said, “who come to you in sheep’s
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15)
The imagery must have been
startling to Jesus’ hearers. People widely acquainted with agrarian society
would vividly understand the metaphor. Perhaps they had lost sheep to predatory
wolves. Late in the evening, they may have been awakened by the prowling wolf
seeking to dodge their protective notice. They may have seen the carnage a wolf
can leave in its wake.
Beware, my sheep, Jesus
said… there are wolves in your midst.
The desire to protect the
flock against wolves is noble. As the church, we must be aware of the voices we
are hearing and the motives behind even the most disarming approaches. We must
continually place right doctrine through God’s Word before our eyes and ears.
The Bible instructs us to
evaluate each other’s fruit – to consider the fit of the wool, so to speak, to
ensure we do not give a foothold to any who would seek to knowingly or
unknowingly create division in the church and take others down a false path.
However, in our social media
age, when one’s entire worldview and experience is weighed in the balance of 280-character
tweets and 30-second soundbites, we have become masters of detective intrigue.
We have been given a call to protect, signs to watch for and digital weapons to
fire at will.
Unfortunately, we are often
not trained on how to use those weapons. We are quick to dismiss those with
whom we disagree and can always find an audience for our righteous indignation.
Throwing grenades at the enemy is easy. It’s harder to love that enemy. Harder
still to help that enemy.
Absolutely, there is an
essential place for evaluating doctrine—especially among those with a
vulnerable audience—but how quick is too quick to pull the trigger? At what
point do we cry wolf! And at what
point do we risk shooting merely immature sheep? A sharp-toothed sheep is not
desirable, but it’s also not a wolf.
I am reminded of the young
man from Alexandria who was incredibly gifted with charisma and the ability to
hold an audience with his eloquence. He knew the Scriptures. He had his
training. He was excited to share his message. Yet he did not fully understand
the things of Jesus. He was a sheep with sharp teeth.
Upon hearing him, I likely
would have backed away. I would have checked his associates, who endorsed his
books, what theological “tribe” he was linked with. I might even have fired a
warning tweet into the air.
Fortunately for Apollos,
there were two in his audience who heard his message, noticed where he was
misguided, and took him into their lives so that they might “explain to him the way of God more
accurately” (Acts 18:27).
What if Priscilla and Aquila
had been more concerned with wolf-shooting than sheep raising? Where would
Apollos have been?
Discernment, grace, truth
and doctrine create many tensions in the Christian life that are necessary. We
should all be equipped with the Truth—ready to defend it and lead others in it
as we live life together as the church.
But we also must not be so
quick to speak. We must be quick to listen.
Obviously, this goes both
ways. Apollos was teachable. He was leadable. He was willing to admit that he
did not know it all and was open to the discipleship opportunity from this
older Christian couple.
Understand, when the wolf
starts to howl and our flock is in danger, we must be resolute in following the
steps of discipline. We must not humor wolves.
But when we hear error (or
possible error) in our Christian circles, let us be those who are quick to
listen and slow to speak. Let us reach with a gentle hand and go in private (if
possible) rather than publicly defaming one who may not fully yet know the way
of Jesus.
Remember, our sheep (as well
as ourselves) are always a work in progress. Had Jesus immediately dismissed us
when we took a misstep, none of us would be safe beneath His staff. There is a
time and a place to call a wolf a wolf, but may we have exhausted every avenue
of grace at our disposal before we do.
Beware of false prophets.
Remove the wolves. Protect the flock. But don’t shoot the sheep.
by Ryan Smith | Apr 4, 2019
There are
thousands of books, strategies and ideas about how churches grow. Many
church-growth models focus on numbers, ministries, events, and other means of building
up the body. These things aren’t bad, but when I think about church growth, I
can’t help but think of Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus: “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow
up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
“Speaking the truth in love”—this is an often-neglected
paradigm for church growth.
This is the last
of three articles in a series on the church and transgenderism. In the first
article, “The
Church and the Transgender Moment,” we explored definitions
regarding transgenderism and why the church should neither ignore this cultural
movement, nor those within its circles. The second article, “How
the Church Can Engage Our Transgender Neighbors,” focused on seeing
our transgender neighbors as real people, in real circumstances, with real prayers,
who desperately need the Gospel of Jesus Christ just as much as you and I.
The focus of this
article is how the church can address issues regarding sexuality and
transgenderism in a way that stands by the truth of God’s Word, while doing so
in a way that is loving to all of its hearers created in the image of God.
In large part,
the church finds itself woefully behind in conversations regarding human
sexuality. Many in the church understand God’s biblical design for male/female
genders and the relationships between the two. We want to model biblical
manhood and womanhood. We want to uphold God’s design and purpose for gender,
sex and sexuality. Unfortunately, as we have been carrying on a (discreet)
conversation within the church about Godly sexuality, a much louder and
multi-layered conversation has grown outside our doors.
While the church
has assumed the transgender conversation is a minority voice, we are
recognizing more and more that the heralds of the transgender movement, and
their message, are becoming a woven part of the fabric from which our cultural
systems are derived.
If our churches
are to grow both in biblical fidelity and gospel-effectiveness, we are going to
have to address some difficult topics. We must speak the truth of the Gospel
but also do so in a way that loves the church, equips our families and spreads
the hope of Jesus Christ to our transgender neighbors.
Speaking About Transgenderism…
.…In The Church
The first rule
for any church desiring to speak the truth about transgenderism in love is
simply to do it. The Bible has a lot to say about sex, gender and sexuality.
God has clearly defined His beautiful purpose and plan for men, women and their
relationships. The Bible is unapologetic about our broken nature and how it
works itself out in every aspect of our lives. The Word of God is active in its
reach (particularly in the Epistles) to address communities and people ravaged
by sexual ambiguity and perversion.
Preach hard texts
and uphold the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Make the ground level at the foot of the
cross and champion Jesus as our only hope in life and death. As the Word is
preached and topics about sexuality, brokenness, confusion or idolatry are
presented, we shouldn’t think examples from the modern gender conversation are
taboo. As we address examples of gender dysphoria, we must also remember we are
talking about real people in real circumstances with real prayers. How would we
want someone to talk about or share the Gospel with us if we were in their
shoes?
If we’re not
talking about gender and sexuality in the church, the only voices our people
are hearing regarding these topics are from those un-influenced by the Word of
God. If the church is to join the conversation about sexuality in our modern
era, we must be proactive. We must also be courteous and respectful to those
who are personally struggling, or know someone who is struggling, with
sexuality or gender identity. We must remind our churches that there is room at
the cross for the sexually broken.
…With Our Kids and Teens
This is a
difficult one. For parents or leaders of emerging generations, conversations about
sexuality can be difficult to approach. Let us remember, however, that the
discussion has already started. Our kids are growing up in a world sloped
toward gender fluidity. We are only now recognizing how sharply slanted that
slope is.
When it comes to
the transgender conversation with our kids, the best place to start is by simply
asking questions. Have you heard anything
about being a boy or a girl that you have questions about? Do you think a boy
can become a girl? What are the differences between girls and boys? What makes
those differences and why do you think they are there? What do you think the
Bible says about gender?
Having
conversations with our kids or teens at their level is essential. However, we
must actually know what their level is. Parents are often surprised at what
their kids have seen or heard regarding gender and sexuality. They are also
surprised to know how open our kids and teenagers may be to discussing the
issue. As mentioned earlier, this is a conversation our kids are growing up
with. It’s not as unapproachable to them as it may seem to us. As parents and
ministry leaders, we must continually reinforce to our kids that we are safe
people to come to with difficult questions and that the Bible has answers.
There is much
more to say regarding the church and transgenderism. At this point, one of the
most significant hurdles for the church to overcome in speaking the truth in
love about transgenderism is the double-edged assumption in our society that
there is no truth and the church does not love. We will need to show our neighbors that we are
not enemies that must be debated with, but broken people adopted by an amazing
God who want others to know the life-altering salvation available only through
the cross of Jesus Christ.
Rather than
gearing up for a debate, the most effective tool we can utilize in talking
about, and with, our transgender neighbors is the Bible. Reading through books
of the Bible together allows Scripture itself to address tough topics in
context and enables us to prayerfully walk alongside those with questions. The
Bible should also afford us the humility to not approach anyone else from the
standpoint of derision. Aside from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are all dead
in our sin.
As we speak the
truth, let us do so with the love of Christ that led Him to the sexually broken
woman at the well and called her to worship God in Spirit and truth. Let us be honest with one another in the way
David was approached about (and repented of) his sexual brokenness. Let us be
filled with the Spirit who guided Philip to the sexually-altered eunuch and led
Paul to speak openly with the church of Corinth about the sexual confusion and
distortions of their age.
May we speak the
truth in love, and in so doing, strengthen and grow the church under the
authority and headship of the One who is making all things new in Christ –
including us.