"There is no promise of a divine inspiration which can take the pain out of pulpit preparation. Even in revival situations in revival situations the Spirit-filled man will be distinguished not by presuming on divine assistance but by painstaking application." Donald Macleod in Pentecostal Outpourings, 128.
http://smile.amazon.com/Pentecostal-Outpourings-Revival-Reformed-Tradition/dp/1601784333?ie=UTF8&keywords=pentecostal%20outpourings&qid=1464646285&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
This is the blog of Rev. Dr. Peter A. Butler, Jr. It contains his sermons and other musings.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Review: "Penetcostal Outpourings"
Pentecostal
Outpourings: Revival and the Reformed
Tradition edited by Robert Davis Smart, Michael A. G. Haykin,
and Ian High Clary is a book I looked forward to reading, having been impressed
with the publication of Reformation Heritage Books, though the title threw me
off a bit – it didn’t sound like a book they would publish.
Having finished the book, I know that the
title was intended to provoke: the
editors explain that Reformed people have so backlashed against the abuses of
some Pentecostal groups, that they are suspicious of anything which indicates
the involvement of God the Holy Spirit – which is a horrible and wrong
reaction, as we believe in the Three Persons of the Trinity working together to
accomplish Their purpose (255).
The chapters – all authored by unique
authors – look at the Reformed/Calvinistic revivals in the UK and the US over
the past four hundred years.
The authors look at Welsh Calvinist
Methodists, Irish Presbyterians, Calvinistic Baptists, Scottish Presbyterians,
Jonathan Edwards, Congregationalists, American Baptists, and the Dutch
Reformed.
As a work of history, it is scholarly and
readable, with many footnotes which one can follow up to read additional period
and critical texts. But the primary hope
of the authors is, as they conclude: “We [] confess [] absolute dependence upon
the Lord for continual outpourings of the Spirit, but we also ask you to join
us in seeking God for revival today” (256).
To that end, several of the authors mention Jonathan Edwards’ book, An Humble Attempt…, which I have now
added to my reading list.
In reading these histories, the reader is
struck with the truth that God the Holy Spirit is Sovereign and moves as He
sees fit, and the reader is struck with the truth that God answers the prayers
of His people at are in accordance with His Will. May we be strong and passionate in praying
for revival that glorifies God and builds His Kingdom as we proclaim the
Gospel, and may God be pleased to grant revival in this day – for the joy of
His people. May it be so! Amen.
#PentecostalOutpourings
[This
review appears on my blog and Amazon.com.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.]
Monday, May 23, 2016
The Pastor is on Study Leave
The pastor is on study leave from May 23rd through May 30th. If you would like to call Elly, you may, but remember she doesn't have thumbs. If you are in need, please call a member of the consistory or the church office.
"Death for the Glory of God" Sermon: John 11:1-16
“Death for the Glory of God”
[John
11:1-16]
May 22, 2016 Second Reformed Church
Jesus had explained to the Jews that
He was the Christ – and, in fact, that He was God incarnate. And when Jesus explained again to them that
He is God in the flesh – that He and God the Father are the same One God, they
took up stones to kill Him, but Jesus escaped.
He went to the Jordan River and crossed over to the place where John had
first baptized, and while He was there, many people remembered the things John
said about Jesus, and they believed in Him.
As we begin to consider our text,
let us ask ourselves, why did God create humanity? Many people will say that God needed us – for
company, to praise Him, to care for the planet – but there is an enormous
problem there: if God needs anything,
God is not God.
If we are putting a puzzle together
and it is missing a piece – there is one piece we need for the puzzle to be
finished, perfect, whole, complete – it is less that the most it can be – if we
say that God needs humanity – if God needs us – then God is incomplete, unfinished,
lacking, imperfect, and so forth – and any being that is any of those things is
not God – God is Holy, complete, perfect, lacking in nothing. Before God created humanity, God was
perfectly happy with the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – God
needed nothing and needs nothing – and experiences perfect love with Himself.
So, why did God create
humanity? What is the purpose of
humanity? What is the primary reason you
and I exist?
The
Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God
and to enjoy Him forever.” The reason
God created us – the primary reason we exist – is that we would glorify God –
that we would show God to be God – that we would proclaim God to the whole
world – all of Creation – and that we would be filled with joy in Him forever.
In our Thursday night study, we have
been discussing how we can read the Scripture and see what God has done for US
– which is true – but the focus is off – or we can read the Scripture and see
what GOD has done for us – which is also true, but puts the emphasis where it
belongs first – on God. It a subtle
distinction, but a world-view altering one:
are we the center of the universe, or is God the center of the
universe? In either case, we are not
denying God or the great things He has done for us, but we are either being
God-centered – making much of God, or we are human-centered – making much of
us.
We are looking at the first part of
a very well-known story in the Scripture this morning.
Let us see, first, our lives and
deaths are for the Glory of God.
“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus
of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed
the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus,
was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’
But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is
for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’
We begin the history by identifying
the characters: there is a man who is
ill named Lazarus. He lives in Bethany,
which is back across the Jordan, near Jerusalem. And he has two sisters, Mary and Martha. This Mary was the Mary who anointed Jesus
with ointment, but not Mary Magdalene – we will see the history of this event
in chapter 12. And Lazarus, who was their
brother was ill.
So, Mary and Martha went to find Jesus,
and they said “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
What do we understand from this?
We see that Jesus had friends. And Mary and Martha and Lazarus were friends
of Jesus. They were close friends – friends
who could go to Him and get access to Him quickly and expect that He would
respond to their message. Very close
friends – that they could mention the one Jesus’ loved – without saying his
name – knowing that Jesus would know who they meant. Also, the wording of the request indicates
that this is a dire situation – though they don’t say what, specifically, is
wrong with Lazarus.
The very close friends had come with
news that Jesus’ very close friend was seriously ill, and we feel an
expectation that Jesus will drop everything and go to be with him and, perhaps
even heal him –
But.
“But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This
illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of
God may be glorified through it.’”
But.
Jesus did not do what they expected.
He told them that Lazarus’ illness did not
lead to death. But we know the
story. We know that Lazarus dies. How can Jesus say that this illness does not
lead to death?
They didn’t know it then, but we can look
back now and say, that this death is not death.
This death is not the final act.
This death would not be the death that keeps him until the last
day. This death was temporary. This death was so something greater could
happen.
The death of Lazarus was for the Glory of
God; it was for the Glory of the Son of God!
What about your life? What about my life?
Paul wrote, “In [Jesus] we have obtained
an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who
works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV).
We have been predestined to the life and
death we have by the One Who does everything – the One Who causes all things – to
occur according to His Will.
Your life and death – my life and death – have
been set according to the wise and eternal plan of God to glorify God – to
glorify the Father – to glorify the Son – to glorify the Holy Spirit – and as
we glorify God through all God has for us – as those who have been saved
through Jesus – we have joy in Him.
Paul wrote, “And we know that for those
who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called
according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).
In other words, everything that occurs to
us and with us and through us and for us – for all of us who believe savingly
in Jesus – all of these things – good, evil, and neutral – all work together
for our ultimate good – our joy in Jesus.
So, God created us to glorify God the
Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and as we do so – as we make much of God – as
we proclaim the Gospel – ultimately – through our lives and deaths – according
to the Will of God – all things will work together for our joy in Jesus.
“But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This
illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of
God may be glorified through it.’”
What did they understand? What did the disciples and Mary and Martha
understand? It seems as we read the rest
of the text that they thought that Jesus was saying that Lazarus’ illness was
not as serious as they thought and he would not die.
What we understand – knowing more than
they did at this point – is that the life and now the death of Lazarus was for
the Glory of God.
Second, we see that God will accomplish
the work He has for us.
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her
sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days
longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let
us go to Judea again.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just
now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are
there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not
stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the
night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’”
If someone you loved was ill – if
you just got word that he was seriously ill – what would you do? You would go to him or call him or try to
find out what was going on – wouldn’t you?
But, then, we don’t have the Omniscient
Mind of God.
We are told that the first thing
Jesus did in response to this news about His very close friend – whom He loved
– was to stay where He was for two days.
And our reaction tends to be to ask,
“What’s wrong with you, Jesus? This is a
very close friend whom You love. How can
you hear how ill he is and not do something and even not go to see him for two
days? Don’t you understand that he might
not have two days to live? (And it was a
two-day journey on top of that.)”
The only biblical answer to this is
to say that it was more glorifying to God for Jesus to wait two days, and it
was to bring greater joy at the end that Jesus waited two days.
Why do I have sarcoidosis –
currently an incurable disease? One
reason, certainly, is that it is more glorifying to God that I have sarcoidosis
than if I did not. And, in the end, my
having sarcoidosis will bring me greater joy that if I did not have it.
Is that easy to believe? Not every day. But I believe it is the truth. And I know God has used my illness for my
good and the good of the Gospel and the good of the people He has given me.
Now, it is good to seek to be well
in every way – and God has blessed us with doctors and God heals as well. But, in the end, whatever God has for us, we
are called to trust Him: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not
lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs
3:5-6, ESV).
For the glory of God and for the joy
of God’s people, Jesus waited two days, and then He said to the disciples,
“Now, let’s go to Judea.” And the
disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, You do remember that when we were there just a few
days ago, the Jews condemned you for blasphemy and tried to stone You to death,
right? Are You sure that’s where You
what to go right now?”
Of course it was. Bethany was in Judea. Jesus had forgotten nothing. But Jesus had a schedule to keep. We remember that Jesus often said, “It is not
time,” because His life and the plan of salvation was set. There was a plan and set times and dates,
just as there is for all of our lives and all of history. God is sovereignly in control of everything
that happens every moment. God is not
surprised and God does not lose control.
So, Jesus told the disciples –
speaking in rough generalities – there are twelve hours of day and twelve hours
of night. If you walk in the day when
you see the light, you won’t stumble. If
you walk in the dark, and the light is not in you, you will stumble.
What was Jesus saying?
We may remember back in chapter nine
of John: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’”
(John 8:12, ESV).
And back in the first chapter: “In [the
Word] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5, ESV).
Jesus was using imagery to tell the
disciples – and this is true for us as well – if we walk according to the Will
of Jesus, we will accomplish what God has for us. Just as the light dispels the darkness and
makes it possible to walk rightly on the path, so if we follow the Will of God,
we will accomplish what God has for us.
Now, that does not mean everything
with be butterscotch and roses – Jesus followed the Will of God to the cross
and we are called to our own crosses.
Yet, we have the promise that all things will work together for the
people of God who love God – who belong to God.
So, it is always the best plan to follow God’s plan, because that is
what will happen and that is the best road for us – whatever it may be.
And remember, even though we are
able to sin against God, that sin is part of God’s plan. God commands us not to sin, but God knows
everything that will ever happen, and God, before anything was created, put all
these things – even our sin – into the plan that would unfold between Creation
and the end of the age.
Paul wrote to the Christians in the
church at Philippi, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in
you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6,
ESV). Those whom God has called to faith
alone through Jesus Christ alone are being sanctified – being made holy – being
prepared for the last day when we are received into the Kingdom – and Paul said
that since salvation is God’s work, we don’t need to worry, but be certain that
God will accomplish the work He began in us.
The time of Jesus’ ministry was
fixed. What He would accomplish was
fixed. The time of His death and Resurrection
were fixed, just as daylight is fixed.
We are to follow the Light and turn to submit to Him, and then we will
have nothing to worry about.
God is sovereign over all
things. God is carrying out His
plan. Jesus had a schedule to keep, and
God will bring all those who believe to the end He intends for us – even joyful
entrance into His Kingdom on earth.
God allows people to suffer and die
for His Glory and our benefit.
“After saying these things, he said
to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.’ The
disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.’ Now
Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in
sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am
glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ So
Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we
may die with him.’”
Again, Jesus used an expression that
was very often used and very common in the Word of God, saying that Lazarus had
fallen asleep, but the disciples didn’t get it.
They thought He had divinely known that Lazarus was napping.
Jesus did have divine knowledge, but
it was that Lazarus had died. And Jesus
told them that He was glad He wasn’t there for the sake of the disciples – that
they might believe. Jesus had waited –
and then had to journey to Bethany, so they would arrive four days after
Lazarus died. And there was a purpose to
that. Jesus could have healed Lazarus,
but it was the will and the plan to God that Lazarus be dead for four days
before they arrived – that they would believe.
It was for the good of the disciples – and we see later – for the Glory of God – that Jesus waited to
make sure that he was dead for four days before they got there.
Lazarus had to be dead – really,
really dead – for God to get the maximum glory and those believers to get the
most benefit.
Now, let us understand, death and
sickness are a result of the Fall – of our first parents’ sin. Death and sickness are punishments given to
humanity. We should not desire them or
delight in them in others; we shouldn’t want others to die or to become
ill. We ought to pray for health and
healing. We ought to seek out medical
help.
However, God can and does use
sickness and death for our good and to His Glory – as we see in the full
history of Lazarus – and elsewhere in the Scripture.
I believe that God is glorifying
Himself through my illness – and I believe I am a better person, Christian, and
pastor for having it. I seek to be well
– even healed – but for now, I strive to submit to God and seek the good God is
doing with and through me as someone with this illness. After all, it is my loving Father Who gave it
to me – Who planned for me to have it – and God gives good gifts to His
children. If God takes it away one day,
that will be good. But for now, this is
good.
It may be many years after a death
or a sickness that we have some understanding of how God has been glorified and
used these things to our benefit. It may
be that we never understand in this life.
But if we believe that our God is Sovereign and loves His children,
shall we not strive to seek after Him and trust Him?
So, Jesus told the disciples that it
was time to go to Bethany – it’s time to go, now that Lazarus is dead – for
what reason, they don’t know at this point – especially as they’re heading back
into danger.
But Thomas, the Eeyore of the
disciples (if you are familiar with the “Winnie the Pooh” characters, you will
understand), said, “Oh, well, we might as well go with Him and die, too.” (Even after the Resurrection, it Thomas who
says, “Oh, well, I won’t’ believe unless I can put my fingers in His wounds.”)
And so they were off. Not a happy bunch, but followers of Jesus who
trusted what He was doing as the right thing to do – whatever the outcome might
be.
And so, we live our lives.
Do we believe that God is Sovereign
over all things?
Do we believe that God is carrying
out His eternal plan?
Do we believe that God loves us and
is working all things to the joy of believers?
If so, in life and death, in health,
and in sickness, let us make much of God.
Let us glorify Him at all times.
Let us in our rejoicing and in our mourning, life up the Name of our God
and Savior and proclaim Him to be worthy of all glory – forever and ever.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, it is easy for us to
be self-centered. It is easy for us to
think that everything is about us – and that we ought to be first and always
happy, healthy, and wealthy. Help us to
see You rightly, to trust You for all that You have for us, to submit to Your
Will and Plan and to glorify You because You are always worthy, no matter what
we may be experiencing. For it is in Jesus’
Name we pray, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)