Song of the Drunkards

JESUS FACED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION FOR HIS HARD WORDS AND UNFLINCHING DEVOTION TO YAHWEH. NO SURPRISE THEN IF WE FIND OUR NAME FESTOONED IN BARROOM BALLADS (CF. PS 69:12).

Pushing Against “Pride”

June 14, 2023 in Uncategorized

One of the businesses I support recently sent out an email advertising their product and advocating for so-called “Pride” Month. I was deeply disappointed by their decision and wrote to them. I thought I would post the interchange we had to give others an idea how they might respond to businesses in their own sphere of influence.

Dear ——,

Greetings! I have been a happy —– customer for several years now, even participating in one of your capital campaigns to expand the reach of the business. As a customer, an investor, and a Christian pastor, I was extremely disappointed to receive a recent mailing advocating so-called Pride Month and the sexual revolution. I’m not sure if you were aware of this advertising campaign or not; I debated whether or not to address the matter; however, again, as a customer, investor, and pastor, I felt it my duty to do so.

I certainly think that we are all concerned for those suffering from sexual confusion. However, the solution to these problems is not encouraging them in their delusion or self-destructive behavior. Rather, the solution will be found in building strong and faithful families that will nurture bold, confident, courageous children who rejoice in their God-given biological identity. That is why I would encourage you to consider supporting Fidelity Month, the initiative of Dr. Robert George. This initiative is using the month of June to encourage folks to rededicate themselves to fidelity to God, family, and community. This is not primarily a political initiative but a cultural one. Regardless whether you choose to support this initiative, I would urge you to avoid pushing the Pride agenda which is destroying the lives of myriad children with its misguided counsel. If you would find it helpful, I would be happy to discuss this matter in more detail – at this point, I simply wanted to register my deep disappointment with this decision.

Blessings,

Pastor Stuart Bryan

Dear Stuart,

Thank you very much for your heartfelt response. We always value the feedback from our customers (and, of course, investors) and we always enjoy the opportunity to have a dialogue.

We have chosen to support our friends, family members, winemakers and co-workers who are in the LGTBQ community by supporting the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is dedicated to suicide prevention efforts in at-risk youth, particularly in the LGTBQ community. I was, indeed, aware of this promotion and was definitely part of our planning process.

This cause is extremely important to us and The Trevor Project joins the like of the Wounded Warrior Project, a child in need of a life-saving organ transplant and others as causes that we’ve publicly supported with promotional offers. We choose to support these organizations because we believe in their mission and firmly believe that what they do is the right thing.

I would be happy to have further discussions on our philosophy in selecting our charitable partners and our work going forward.

Sincerely,

—–

Dear —–,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate the desire to help those struggling with suicidal ideation. My concern is that the organization you have affiliated with affirms a lifestyle choice and behavior that is itself the underlying cause of the suicidal patterns. I have some close friends in ministry here in Coeur d’Alene who minister to those with substance abuse issues. But the way they help them is not by counseling them to dive deeper into drugs – the drugs are the destructive agent themselves. So, too, purporting to help those struggling with sexual confusion by convincing them to deny their God-given biological sex and the loving design of our Creator for their bodies is only going to intensify their long-term suffering. This is not loving behavior any more than providing drug-addicts with additional drugs and drug paraphernalia is loving. I hope and pray that you will reconsider. If you are interested in exploring this issue in more detail, I would encourage you to listen to the following Breakpoint commentary and explore the associated links.

https://breakpoint.org/the-real-harm-of-transgender-ideology/

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.

Blessings,

Pastor Stuart Bryan

Dear Stuart,

Thank you very much for your response and feedback. I always appreciate hearing from our customers and having a dialogue, especially in the civil and respectful manner which was present in this exchange.

Thanks,

—–

The Work of Ministry

June 11, 2023 in Bible - NT - Ephesians, Ecclesiology, Meditations

Ephesians 4:11–13 (NKJV) 

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

Today is one of incredible significance for the life of our congregation. Not only is this our last Sunday in this temporary facility at the Red Lion, it is also our last Sunday worshiping in company with those who will be planting King’s Church in the valley. Later in the service we will have opportunity to commission those folks for that ministry. At this point, I want to remind all of us how to think about our call to ministry.

Paul reminds us in our text today that the risen Christ has given officers to the Church in order that all the saints might be equipped “for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” Thus, the officers do not do all the ministry but equip the saints to do it. Elders minister to the saints in word and prayer so that we all come “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (4:13) lest we “be carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men” (4:14). And deacons minister to the saints in deed and service so that we all might learn to meet the physical needs of our brethren, “according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (4:16). Elders and deacons together work to equip the body for ministry.

So as some of us prepare to return to our church home and minister there and as others set out upon a new ministry in the valley, Paul reminds all of us that every part is to do its share. We are not to conceive of the ministry of the church as “their” task but as “our” task which we complete together. We all of us have a task to perform, a service to render, a word of encouragement to speak for the edifying of the body of Christ. The love of God that has been poured out in your heart through the Holy Spirit who has been given to you, is training you to look outward to others that you might build up the body. He has done this that you might take up Christ’s call of discipleship. Christ Himself did not consider His own interests, but sacrificed His personal comforts for the salvation of His people. He calls us to do likewise.

So what of you? Are you looking for opportunities to serve and when you see them or hear of them, jumping at the opportunity? After all, how do we build up the body as a whole? We do so by ministering to some member of the body in particular. We cook a meal, clean a home, watch a child, lead in prayer, gather another for prayer, or even pray by ourselves at home; we read the Bible or a book with a brother, hold a brother accountable to pursue sexual purity, serve a neighbor together; we look for ways to serve specific saints so that the whole body may be built up in love. There is no 80/20 rule in the kingdom, where 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. No. We all labor together to fulfill the one another’s of Scripture. 

In this vein, as we return to our building, the elders have asked the deacons to speak to all various households in the church to develop a list of folks to do setup and cleanup. Rather than remind us all of this need generally, we have asked them to speak to each household individually and develop a list of those willing to help once or twice a year. We would encourage you, unless you have some extenuating circumstance, to participate in this opportunity to serve; don’t do it because it’s an obligation; do it because it’s an opportunity to build up the body in love, to contribute to the effective working by which every part does its share.

So reminded that we are all called to the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, let us acknowledge that we often dwindle into self-centeredness and think only of what comforts us rather than what blesses the body. And as we confess our sin to the Lord, let us kneel as we are able. 

The Wise Son

May 14, 2023 in Bible - OT - Proverbs, Meditations, Wisdom

Proverbs 13:1 (NKJV) 

1A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:29 that God has predestined His people to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Proverbs assist us in that process, directing us in the way of wisdom and teaching us what it is to imitate our Lord’s character. Today we are instructed to heed our father’s instruction.

Solomon contrasts the wise son with the scoffer. The wise son heeds – listens to and follows – his father’s instruction – his commands, admonitions, and exhortations. A scoffer, however, does not listen to rebuke – he believes that he knows better than his father and so casts his father’s counsel aside.

So, children, especially teens, how are you doing? Are you a wise son, a wise daughter, or are you a scoffer? Does your heart incline to honor your father and so to heed his instruction? Not just to listen without interrupting while he speaks to you, but to listen attentively, striving to understand and appropriate the command or instruction that is being offered? Do you heed your father’s instruction? Do you say to yourself, “I want to be a wise man, a wise woman, and God tells me that the pathway to wisdom is listening to my father, so I want to listen.” Or do you scoff? Do you close your ears, roll your eyes? Oh, you may sit there and hear your father’s voice. But to you is sounds like, “Waw, waw, waw…” Or perhaps you cut your father short, “I know, I know, I don’t need to hear what you have to say.” If that describes you, then beware. “Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools” (Pr 19:29).

But the words today apply not only to children but to adults. For Paul writes to the Corinthians:

14I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you, imitate me. (1 Cor 4:14–16) 

Paul was a father to the Corinthian congregation – and pastors and elders serve in a similar role. So do you give heed to the instruction of your spiritual fathers? Are you listening now? Or are my words just thrumming in your head while you are thinking about all those projects at home or that movie you watched this week or that problem at work? Are you heeding instruction or are you rejecting rebuke? If you’re doing the latter, then it’s no wonder your children are imitating you.

Finally, if you are in Christ, then you are a son and God is your Heavenly Father. So are you giving heed to His instruction? Do you devote yourself to reading His Word and praying that He would help you understand it? Do you incline Your heart to His ways, or do you harden your heart to rebuke? Do you cast His word aside like our first parents and like Israel, God’s disobedient son? Or are you a wise son?

Reminded that we are called to listen to our father’s instruction in order that we might be wise sons and daughters, let us confess that we are often scoffers instead, that we often fail to listen to rebuke. And as we confess our sin to the Lord, let us kneel as we are able.