I saw on Twitter something which caught my eye. Along with a short video, Zach Ragan tweeted: “Hendon Hooker has gotta have some gospel music going before he runs out of the T.” Apparently U.T.’s senior quarterback gets ready for a game by enjoying what he calls “slow jams,” which include gospel music, prayer, meditation, and devotional reading with his teammate, Joe Milton.

I want to share with you Hendon’s exact quote about his pregame ritual from the video: “I gotta have the gospel music bumpin’.” I like that. I really like that. It sounds to me like a man who knows the source of his strength. The prophet Isaiah promised on behalf of our great God: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (40:29). And, quite unlike us, God does not grow weary.

You know me. I was intrigued by what might be Hendon’s favorite song for a pregame jam. It’s “Indescribable” by Kierra “Kiki” Sheard …

From the highest of heights to the depth of the sea
Creation revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming …

Indescribable, uncontainable
You place the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All-powerful, untamable
Awestruck we fall to our knees and we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God!

Who sees lightning bolts and tells them where they should go
Or sees heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gave source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom …

Incomparable, unchangeable
You’ve seen the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God!

As somebody who can barely wrap my mind around Hendon’s incredible athletic ability, I find it way cool that the man who helped his team soar to victory over Florida last weekend chooses, when he most needs to stand strong in the game, to focus on God’s strength instead of his own …

Awestruck we fall to our knees and we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God!

But don’t think of Hendon’s slow jams as an entirely private affair. I found another quote in which he describes what happens after the music and worship: “I kind of go through the locker room, dap up everyone, just make sure to let them know, ‘Hey, I’m ready to roll.'” That’s what I’m going to start doing around here on Sunday mornings. I’m going to make it my job to dap up everyone, at least as best I can. We all need a little, or a lot of, encouragement!

Friends, encouragement starts with Jesus. He’s our well of endless supply. We have no other. We tend to get so busy that we forget to go back to the source of every good and perfect gift. Christ is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. And He is the only Way. John 14:6. You may not need Him on the football field today, but you need Him. And so do I.

This is a season of great turmoil in the world, so you and I must be drawing near to God. And that’s the door which Christ has opened for us. Anytime. Anywhere. Pregame. Postgame. Game. Many centuries ago, St. Augustine issued a timeless warning: “Remember this. When people choose to withdraw from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold. When people choose to withdraw from the light, the light continues to be bright in itself, but they are in darkness. This is also the case when people withdraw from God.”

I think I need a slow jam.

Thus saith our gracious Lord: “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Like Hendon, you and I have been called to run, and to finish well. Maybe we ought to start making some time for some slow jams along the way.

Pastor Charles

I probably don’t have to tell you how important it is that we are able to distinguish the law from the gospel. Salvation comes to us by faith alone in Christ alone, and so it’s crucial that we never confuse our justification by faith with any form of earning God’s favor by self-improvement … or by our own righteous or religious works … or based upon our own intrinsic merit. It sounds simple enough, I suppose, but I never cease to be amazed at how much confusion surrounds what is perhaps the central tenet of evangelical doctrine.

Our works contribute in no way to our justification, which rests perfectly and solely on the righteousness and merits of Christ. There on Calvary’s cross, “It is finished” became the most hopeful judicial declaration ever uttered. And the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus, through no good work of his own, received the same free gift of grace which you and I have received so completely and gloriously in Christ.

The law is good, but we are not (Romans 7:7-12). We need the law, but we are powerless to obey it. The law uniquely and wonderfully reveals to us the holiness of God, while it reveals to us our personal depravity and sin. So we need it to drive us to the end of ourselves. We need it to show us a true and objective measure of morality. We need it, most of all, to drive us to Christ.

But the law, without the gospel, is powerless to save. And when we confuse the law and the gospel, we end up burdening people with a phony sense of self-righteousness, while at the same time leaving them plagued by a gnawing sense of guilt and shame, because they know (on some level) that they’re failing to meet God’s perfect standard.

You and I, and everyone else, need an alien righteousness, a goodness that doesn’t depend on us … so we need the good news of a perfect Savior and an empty tomb! Then, and only then, can we be set free: free from sin, free from the wrath we rightfully deserve, and free (truly) to live righteously for an audience of One.

But we must never confuse our righteous living, what the Bible calls our sanctification, with our justification. And our failure to keep that distinction clear in our minds and hearts leaves us confused and angry when the unbelievers around us behave like, well, unbelievers.

We don’t preach self-help. We don’t preach moralism. We don’t preach religious therapy. We preach Christ!

As well we should. He is our only hope. And He is the only hope of this fallen world. In a day of widespread turning away from the simple hope of the gospel, I’m asking you to recommit with me to making the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ front-and-center in all that we do. We are gospel people. We are free!

John Bunyan (1628-1688) expressed it like this …

“‘Run, John, run,’ the law commands,
But gives me neither feet nor hands.
Far better news the gospel brings;
It bids me fly, and gives me wings.”

I absolutely love that incredible and hopeful and liberating truth.

Fly!

Pastor Charles

I was a huge fan of Queen Elizabeth II, and I was a fan on four different personal levels. As a British history junkie, I was always fascinated by her willingness to assume so much responsibility at such a young age, and to remain steadfast in her duties for over seven decades. As a pastor, I was always impressed by her unrelenting commitment to what she perceived to be the divine calling upon her life, and by her execution of that calling with excellence and grace. As an undershepherd, I was always moved by her unwavering example of true servant-leadership, nearly unparalleled in the public eye in my opinion. And, as a follower of Christ, I continued to marvel at her humble and sincere devotion to our Lord.

A couple of days before the queen’s funeral, I posted a prayer request on Facebook: that others would join me in asking God to bless Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in a special way as he prepared to preach the gospel to a global audience. I trust that those prayers were answered. The one true Sovereign has promised us that He never sends His Word without accomplishing His intended purposes through that Word (Isaiah 55:11).

There are many moments that could be recounted, but I’ll focus on just one. In your mind’s eye, travel with me to Westminster Abbey and let’s perch for a moment under those magnificent gothic arches. Imagine a congregation gathered for worship, and imagine 5.1 billion people watching and listening, many having never before witnessed a Christian funeral service.

Imagine the words of resurrection hope that were shared with conviction, and imagine the gospel truths which were communicated in the historic and majestic liturgy of the Church of England. Imagine.

Now, picture this! The congregation, comprised of the most powerful leaders of the free world, breaks out in song …

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart …
Finish then Thy new creation;
True and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
‘Til in heav’n we take our place,
‘Til we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

It blows my mind. Worldly power on display, in living color, and yet an undeniable testimony that the grandest and brightest crowns of this earth will one day be strewn at the feet of Jesus. Soon and very soon in fact.

Many may have missed the message, but I suspect that many did not. This is my hope for this war-torn, pandemic-weary, and morally bankrupt world: the matchless Word of the living God. We have no other.

Shining light into the darkness. Speaking truth into the deception. Sparking hope among the hopeless. It’s simply what God does. We don’t even have to imagine. Said Welby, “The pattern for all who serve God … famous or obscure, respected or ignored … is that death is the door to glory.”

Even the 1662 Book of Common Prayer can pierce the modern heart, because its words are not its own. God’s words shake heaven and earth. In the lyrics of Martin Luther, “God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.”

Forever indeed, friends. And here’s the good news: Christ’s tomb is empty! Elizabeth’s King lives! He reigns! He reigns! He reigns!

So you and I do not lose hope.

Pastor Charles

My friend David Gagel is refreshing my love for the psalms. Each morning he sends me a verse or two to contemplate, and with which to start my day, and I’ve decided that God’s songbook is the best one on the market. In fact, last time I checked, you could enjoy everything in it for free!

Today I’m thinking about Psalms 51, 52, and 53. Psalm 51 is my go-to when I’ve sinned. Psalm 52 is my wake-up call – among many others – when I’m afraid of my enemies, or when I’ve been overcome by own pride and confusion. (God’s Word can cut both ways like that. Some days I relate to the “green olive tree in the house of God,” but other days I know all too well that the antagonist in the story is none other than me.) And Psalm 53 puts me in my place when I’ve become caught up in my own religious pride. I’d love to be able to tell you that I never need any of those psalms, but the truth is that I need all three of them far more often than I consult any one of them. I suppose you could say that I can be a slow learner.

David, Israel’s king, pours out his heart in all three songs. They’re like the best love songs in the entire universe! I like the thought of pouring out my own heart before the Lord, but sometimes I’m really good at making excuses … “I don’t have time for that” … “I really don’t need to repent of that” … “If I get real with God about all the junk in my heart right now, there’s no telling what He’s doing to make me deal with in there!” I repeat: I can be a slow learner.

But, if you’re interested, here are some things that I’m finding to be true of God – and they’re right out of His own hymnal. Beloved friend, I hope they encourage your heart today …

God doesn’t have to be impressed with how well I’m doing. The achievements of Pastor Charles, meh. But the achievements of Jesus, now we’re talking! (And I’m clothed with Him.) So I don’t need to impress God. On the cross, Christ provided all the validation that I will ever need. Despite my best efforts, or my worst days, I am loved. I. Am. Loved.

God wants to redeem the most broken pieces of my soul. “He restores my soul,” if I may borrow from another psalm. Will this restoration always be a fun journey? Well, certainly not every step. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. That’s a hard moment of surrender for me, but it’s also my lifeline – and Christ’s tender mercy in disguise.

God longs to hang out with the real me, even when the real me doesn’t have his act together (at all). “Adam – I mean Charles – where are you?” Where. Are. YOU. (And it’s not like He’s seeking any new information for Himself.) You and I are the wayward rebels, but our gracious God is the relentless pursuer. He is the hound of heaven!

God already knows that I’m worse than I think I am. He knows that I judge others more strictly than I judge myself. He knows how severely my tongue can bite, and my heart betray. Only He can usher me into the presence of the godly … but that is the door that Jesus has opened wide for me. I can come right on in, and meet with my Father, anytime. His door is open and His light is on.

God doesn’t fool around with lying or with liars. I can be either or both. Just put me in the right (wrong?) circumstances. I can flipflop like the flipflopper of all flipfloppers! I am human to the core. I am flawed to the bone. I am a restless idolater. I need a Savior.

God will set the record straight. He doesn’t even need my help. I keep forgetting this one, but the songbook keeps singing me gentle reminders. I can rest. Even now, I can rest.

God knows what’s going on when no one else has a clue. (He never has to Google a thing.) He’s the Master. He’s the Potter. He’s the Alpha and Omega.

God isn’t depending on any one of us in order to accomplish His sovereign purposes. His kingdom isn’t propped up by my goodness. Were the kingdom of Christ dependent upon my own faithfulness, it would be in perpetual peril. No! The kingdom of God rests upon a firm foundation, and “It is finished.”

God wants to show me the connections between my faith struggles and my favorite sins. Ouch. Do I want to know the truth? No! No. Well, maybe. Yes. Yes! Yes! Yes! I need His living water. Maybe you do too.

I wish I could show you, by means of my own life, a pastor who always has his act together – a spiritual hero or a theological giant – but I simply can’t. I’m a wayward traveler. Your fellow struggler. A beggar who’s found some bread. But I can show you a real Hero who’s recorded some awesome songs. He used David. He used Moses. He used Solomon. He used the family of Korah. But, make no mistake about it, these songs are God’s living and life-giving songs. And as we sing His songs along our journey, He writes the song of our lives.

Shall we sing?

Pastor Charles

Most of us remember that line from the classic hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness: “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow …” Now “hope for tomorrow” sounds like an awesome thing – I’ll give you that – but I’m beginning to conclude that most people could use a little “bright hope” about right now!

I’m not sure exactly why most spirits don’t seem to be soaring at present, but let’s assume for a minute or two that my suspicions are correct. Let’s assume that a spiritual boost is in order, and let’s glance at a passage of Scripture where an event is recorded that really is quite unparalleled in the Word of God: the Transfiguration. If you have a Bible nearby, grab it and join me in Mark 9:1-13.

You and I are so much like these disciples. We get it, but not really. We understand, but not really. We’re on board, but not really. Can I get a witness? We really want to believe with gusto the things we believe, but we’re so darn tied down to the things of this world that it’s hard to see beyond the morning fog. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself, but I’m hoping that at least some of you will be able to relate.

Jesus has told these guys some great things. But He’s also told them some hard things. Like, for example, that He will suffer and die. That was a hard pill for the disciples to swallow. In fact it didn’t make much sense to them at all! In fact, even their belief in Christ’s resurrection hinged upon their belief in His suffering and death – so we can understand why they had such a hard time with so many of these “doctrinal” matters.

Here’s my premise: so do we.

If you’re familiar with the history of the earliest church, you know that – from the perspective of Mark 9 – the Day of Pentecost is on the way. It will be a game-changer in terms of bringing about a robust and widespread conviction that the risen Jesus Christ is Lord! But, even prior to Pentecost, God is so gracious to give Peter, James, and John – and through them, us– a jolt of much-needed hope.

And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus … And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Other than that it was an ordinary day. 

So how does this magnificent and factual account encourage us?

We are reminded that God meets us at our point of deepest need. These half-hearted followers were just that –half-hearted. But that didn’t stop the Lord from doing even the ultra-extraordinary to remind them of His grace toward them. The Bible records that all three men were “terrified” and that even self-assured Peter “did not know what to say.” But that became the perfect opportunity for the sovereignty and goodness of Almighty God to shine, quite literally.

We are reminded that God is always ahead of us on our journey, and that He is always preparing us for what lies ahead. And, by the way, it is only God who knows what lies ahead for any one of us. He has called us to a life of faith, Beloved, but our flesh – this side of glory – will keep trying to attach itself to something (anything) here which will give us the illusion of security.

We are reminded that God must capture our attention before we can grasp the wonder of this present moment. Only Jesus could explain all of this! Only Jesus could make sense of any of this! Only Jesus could set the record straight! These disciples would still have their questions (some of them really good ones), but they would also have the needed courage to put the next foot forward.

What I’m challenging you to do today, friends, is to submit your unknowns to the Lord Jesus. His Second Coming is at hand, but sometimes that’s a little hard to grasp in a world of – among many other strange things –demoniccartoons. So go ahead and tell Him where you’re hurting. Tell Him where you’re struggling. Tell Him where you’re not so sure what you really believe. (He already knows.)

Our half-heartedness never surprises Him, and He always meets us so much more than halfway.

Pastor Charles

The older I get, the more I miss some of the more stabilizing influences of my past. Perhaps you can relate. When there’s no running water in the hospital in Jackson, Mississippi … and when Russia’s being Russia and China’s being China … and when political turmoil in America seems more normative than back-to-school photos … even I can recognize that I’m in need of a firm foundation. A long cup of coffee with Elisabeth Elliot sounds nice about right now.

Once in Orlando, Eileen and I were privileged to hear Elisabeth address a roomful of people who were interested in the connections between theology and culture. Then married to Lars Gren, Elisabeth Gren met our expectations and more. She was simply full of light! Have you known some people like that? Elisabeth walked so closely with Jesus that His light seemed simply to bubble out and bubble over every time she opened her mouth. At least that was my take on it. Not to mention the fact that Elisabeth evidenced this marvelous command of the English language that is highly admirable from the vantage point of an amateur wordsmith like me.

But you may remember her as Elisabeth Elliot. So do I. That will always be her name in my heart. That’s because Elisabeth’s first husband, Jim Elliot, was ambushed and killed in 1956 while he was attempting a Christian mission to the Auca/Quichua people (now you will often see them referred to as the “Huaorani”) of remote eastern Ecuador. Jim left behind Elisabeth and their 10-month-old daughter, Valerie. But the most remarkable part of the story is that Elisabeth was so committed to the cause of Christ that she – after her husband’s murder by the Auca – went back to live among and serve the members of the same tribe who had speared her husband to death. Anytime you hear of love like that, it never leaves you. You know it must be God’s love. Supernatural love. Love beyond measure. And Elisabeth’s story has never left me. She went on to write widely, and to serve for a season as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts.

There are so many nuggets of wisdom from Elisabeth Elliot which I could share with you. I could paste large sections from Through Gates of Splendor … or reproduce some of her highly practical insight into the faithful perseverance which the gospel call requires. But this morning I’m choosing just one simple quote from Elisabeth Elliot: “God never did anything to me that wasn’t for me.” Just let that sink in for a second …

We can barely keep up with this world and all its messes. Add to that the messes that we make. Sometimes we want to pull the covers over our head and go back to bed. But – then we remember– the Lord still reigns on high! It’s no accident that we’re alive, here and now. And, regardless of today’s headlines, we are never alone. You and I can trust God with the breaking news.

And then we experience yet another personal disappointment. “Lord, have You forgotten me?” No, we remember, He has not. He’s right here. Right now. Fully in charge. Fully capable. Full of love for you and for me. And He’s full of a love that we never deserved. Even when there are waves of sadness in our lives, He loves us. Waves of turmoil. Waves of grief. He still loves us. He may be refining us by fire, but “God never did anything to me that wasn’t for me.” You and I can trust God with the breaking waves.

Sometimes we feel like we’re sinking. “I just can’t take it anymore!” And it’s as if we hear a whisper so soft but yet so strong: “No, you can’t take it, but I can. Trust Me.” And we remember the storms of yesterday, and we recall His remarkable deliverance. Over and over again. Let’s face it: we’ve been rescued from Egypt more than once. You and I can trust God at our breaking point.

“But they hurt me again! They stabbed me in the back all over again!” Sometimes that sting never stops stinging, does it? Some rejections never cease to hurt. Some personal wounds never cease to make us feel more alone than pre-Eve Adam. Even in the body of Christ, sometimes the Lord allows us to walk through valleys in which it seems that nobody really understands what we’re going through. But – please hear me out – we are in fact deeply understood by the only one whose understanding matters most. You and I can trust God with our breaking heart.

When Elisabeth was in her late seventies, dementia struck with a vengeance. She had to cling to so many of the same unshakable promises of God in which she had helped others find hope throughout her lifetime. When she died at the age of 88, Steve Saint (the son of Nate Saint, another missionary who had been killed alongside Jim) testified of Elisabeth’s ultimate victory over “the disease which robbed her of her greatest gift.” While she could still remember, I wonder how many times Elisabeth had to recall and apply that one quote which I shared here with you.

I’ve already told you, Green Hills Family, that I have an “I don’t understand” file. It’s a file deep in my soul in which I place things that I simply can’t square with what I know to be true of God. When I get to heaven, one of two things will happen. I’ll either sit down with Jesus and open my file so that He can straighten me out (I’m sure I’ll need it), or I’ll realize instantaneously that my file doesn’t matter anymore. In all honesty, I more suspect the latter. But, in any event, Elisabeth’s battle with dementia is in my file – at least for now.

But I remember Elisabeth, and I am abundantly grateful for her life and ministry.

What’s in your “I don’t understand” file, friends? Maybe it’s getting fuller by the day. I certainly can’t help you with all of the answers, but I can point you to the One whose sovereignty and grace never fail.

I’ll close with a line which some of you will remember: “You are loved with an everlasting love – that’s what the Bible says – and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Pastor Charles

I just read a rather startling statistic from Lifeway Research: 27% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. report that they’ve observed church members or attendees “methodically deconstruct” their Christian faith within the last two years. This may explain, at least in part, America’s overall decline in church attendance: many among us no longer believe. I understand full well that a true Christ follower can’t undo their own salvation (Philippians 1:6), but I think you get my point. There are lots of people who, just a few years ago, would have assented to the primary claims of Christianity, but who now simply do not.

Just putting a few of those stats together for my own study has led me to another conclusion: the younger and the more educated are the most likely to “deconstruct.” This is really happening.

I’m going to offer a few reasons here why this may be happening, and I’m open to your thoughts and additions …

1. We live in such technology-driven culture that new ideas are always at our fingertips, leaving little room for what feels historic and orthodox.

2. People are more and more distrustful of every institution, so this would include a growing distrust for the church, and for leaders in the church.

3. Postmodernism, and particularly the stream of it in which we’ve been swimming for some time now, naturally lends itself to widespread skepticism.

4. Older church members, after years of taxing service to their local congregations, are so exhausted that they’re not adequately discipling successive generations.

5. The modern evangelical church has all too often settled for a spiritual diet of moralism instead of insisting upon the good news of Christ’s gospel.

6. The celebrity-church culture has promoted rampant spiritual idolatry, while failing to hold church leaders accountable for wildly inappropriate behavior.

7. We have not done a good job at fostering genuine Biblical unity in the church, but we didn’t notice because we were so focused on uniformity.

Quite sadly, I fear that I’ve only scratched the surface. And you’ll notice that three items on my list correlate with what we might label “external pressures,” while at least four items we would have to admit should be numbered among our “internal failures.” This trend toward deconstruction is nothing short of tragic, friends, and we bear some of the responsibility.

Business leaders often quip: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” (I think Peter Drucker coined that phrase.) And, though the church is not primarily a business, you and I would have to admit that there’s a whole lot of wisdom in that observation – even in the church.

But let me pause just to be super clear here: a Christian can’t “lose” his or her salvation. But the Bible warns of spiritual apostasy, which is a real threat. The Scriptures (for example, Hebrews 5:11 – 6:20) directly address the reality that many will profess Christ but then “fall away” from that profession. I would also urge you to go back and read (and reread) the Parable of the Soils/Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). I believe that these passages are meant to keep us sober-minded in regard to our own relationship to Christ, and in regard to our own trust and faith: in whom are we really believing? Persecution tends to reveal our true colors. So does an honest look at our obsession (or lack thereof) over material possessions.

So back to the issue of culture, and particularly church culture … what we do always speaks louder than what we say … so how can we help reverse some of these unhealthy trends?

Let’s make sure that we’re all doing our part in the task of disciple-making. Don’t leave it up to the “professional” ministers – there’s really no such thing. We’re all ministers. Ask the Lord who you should be taking under your wing in modeling the Christian life (remembering that nobody but Jesus models it even close to perfectly). You’ll find that people will enjoy doing life with you, and learning from the things you’ve learned the hard way. So you don’t have to worry about being anybody you’re not – just be who you are and watch God work!

Let’s make sure that we’re preaching the gospel to ourselves on a regular basis. There’s a Pharisee living in each one of us, and he loves to get us thinking that we’re earning God’s approval by our stellar performance. Nonsense! Keep the focus of your own heart on Christ. If you want to be impressed, be impressed with Christ’s righteousness –that’s the only righteousness that counts. Work with me to make sure that the doctrine of the church keeps Jesus front-and-center, and that we’re never settling for the cheap stuff like legalism. Works never works! Let’s keep our eyes on our only true hero.

Let’s make sure that we allow – and even actively promote– a healthy diversity in the church. We don’t need cookie-cutter Christians anyway. The more diversity – the more we get stretched by the rich tapestry of people whom God has created – the better! Let’s keep all secondary issues secondary. Let’s keep Jesus and His glorious gospel as the one common denominator which unites us, and let’s try not to build unhealthy walls between us. (And, when we notice some inadvertent ones, let’s humbly work together to bring them down.)

The authority doesn’t ultimately rest on our shoulders – we can breathe deeply – but perhaps God will give us the grace to light up our little corner of the world. Together. For His glory.

Shine!

Pastor Charles

Critical Race Theory. Is it just a trending intellectual fad? A helpful tool for understanding race relations? A harmless philosophy unlikely to leave any lasting imprint?

Regrettably, my answers are no, no, and no.

It would be so much more fun if I could just get on board. It really would. After all, racism is an awful evil. Awful. It would be great if CRT played a helpful role in ending racism, but I fear from it the exact opposite result. What I’d like to do today is explain why.

So let’s start with a simple definition. It’s my own definition, so it’s not particularly academic, but I think that it captures the main thrust: Critical Race Theory seeks to understand and correct how our culture supports racial inequities. That doesn’t sound too dangerous – in fact it sounds admirable. And therein lies the problem.

You and I ought to think of CRT as an ideological framework and a revolutionary movement which has tentacles reaching into history (how do we understand the past, and particularly the power struggles of the past?), politics (how do we divide the structures of power?), law (how do we correct imbalances of power?), and faith (to what extent does our religious dialogue promote justice or injustice?). Again, I’m not an academician, but this is my take on it, and I hope you find it helpful on some level. Interestingly, I don’t think that the CRT movement started out with the intent to be “religious” in nature, but I’m making the case today that the CRT train has traveled well into the land of faith. Personally, I’m intrigued by all of these tentacles, but it’s CRT’s underlying and anti-biblical philosophy of “faith” which is fueling my gravest concern. And I’m using the word “faith” today in this sense: what I see happening widely, when it comes to CRT, is a demand for absolute adherence to its tenets. And those tenets include matters which are essential to our understanding of human personhood and human relationships – matters of deep, soul-level conviction which the Bible also clearly addresses.

For starters, please allow me to underline here what ought to be – for those of us who follow the Lord Jesus Christ – our unabashed commitment to the inherent dignity of every person (Genesis 1:26-27). At first glance, you might think that CRT shares that same commitment, but nothing could be further from the truth. I’ll elaborate.

CRT fails because it’s FLAWED. Its prominent adherents reject the scientific method. They reject rational argumentation, which is essential to healthy public discourse. They reject other analytical tools which carry with them as much or more credibility as their own. As it stands right now, many of the elites in academia, the media, and the arts have bought into a social construct with no foundation in the Word of God. That can’t possibly end up in a noble place.

CRT fails because it’s FALLEN. Any teaching not rooted in Scripture runs the risk of leading many people astray, particularly when its cultural weightiness reaches a fever pitch. And that’s where I fear we are right now. It is driving our nation to make decisions based upon skin pigmentation, and without respect for shared dignity, and without regard for individual talent or contribution, and without appreciation even for America’s historic gains in social justice. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

CRT fails because it’s FIXATED. It is myopic, narrow, and dangerously obsessed. It views everything through the lens of racial oppression. It is a faulty view of humankind in the sense that it presents the “problem” as a subset of the population. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that we’re facing a whole lot of problems right now that are a whole lot more complicated than what we used to call skin-deep. Honestly, the fixation betrays the lack of honesty, in my humble opinion.

CRT fails because it’s FALLACIOUS. Blinded by its own false sense of enlightenment – “wokeness” –it writes off the legitimate voices of racial and ethnic minorities who display any lack of support for the theory or its implications. Those under its spell routinely display their own versions of ethnocentrism and racism. I’ll quote Ibram Kendi: “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination.” Friends, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then we have to be honest and bold enough to call it a duck.

CRT fails because it’s FOOLED. It is steeped in Marxism and in evolutionary theory. I’ll share just one small example. Claiming to promote the value of family, it gets so caught up in overthrowing familial and societal “power structures” that it ends up dismantling the family unit, and depleting our culture of any real opportunity to encourage families to be healthy and whole. Just like other forms of Marxism which have failed miserably in every part of the world where they’ve been tried, and have resulted in widespread misery and death, CRT is built on shifting sand.

CRT fails because it’s FATALISTIC. It views racism as normative and inevitable. In sharp contrast, you and I have been given the hope of the gospel (e.g., Galatians 3:28): There is neither Jew nor Greek … for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus! If the Bible is true, then there really is only one race: the human race.

Racism is a real sin, and you and I should be the first to denounce any form of racial superiority. In fact, if the good news of Christ hasn’t humbled us to our very core, then we have very little evidence that His grace has taken root in us at all. But we can’t get there by flawed philosophies which hide the truth about human nature: we are all sinners in radical need of a Savior. You’ll hear me say it many times: we can’t get the good news ’til we get the bad news.

As always, Jesus is our only yes, yes, and yes!

Pastor Charles

I’m not exactly sure why I’m taking up this subject today, so if it happens to hit you where you’re living, please let me know – sometimes a little confirmation that I “heard well” goes a long way.

I get the distinct impression that there are lots of folks out there on the street who think that reasonable science and any notion of God are incompatible – perhaps even at war with each other. And I’m hearing the phrase “follow the science” used by both sides of several different ideological debates that are swirling around out there – as if we could all be right even though our fundamental truth claims directly compete with each other. Welcome to 2022, when things don’t have to make sense!

Now I’m certainly no career apologist, and I don’t even pretend to be an expert on these matters, but I would like to share with you today a few of my thoughts. As always, I’m open to you showing me where I got a few things wrong. Bring it on, in fact, as long as you buy the coffee.

First of all, science doesn’t disprove God. It never has. In fact it can’t. There is nothing in established science which contradicts the existence of God. I’ll quote the National Academy of Sciences: “Science doesn’t have the processes to prove or disprove the existence of God.” Don’t ever concede that science is the only method available to learn things about the world. If you love your mother, for example, there’s no way to prove that scientifically. Science has its own severe limitations. And I’ll add here that, the more politicized science becomes (which seems to be happening at warp speed), the more of its limitations can be seen even by the casual observer.

Let’s tell the truth from history. Sir Isaac Newton was an influential scientist, and he claimed no contradiction between God and science. I think the same would be true for Johannes Kepler and lots of others. By contrast, Richard Dawkins contends that nature reveals the illusion of design, but that the universe is actually unguided and aimless. But I would contend that there are some big holes – even scientifically speaking – in that theory. My point is that even intelligent scientists can make claims that are beyond the reach of science. We have to understand that when Carl Sagan says “the Cosmos is all that is, or was, or ever will be,” he’s actually speculating more in the world of philosophy or theology than in the world of science.

I think it’s also worth noting that, when it comes to the origin of the universe, theories without an “ultimate cause” generally fail at plausibility on multiple levels. Said simply: if “nothing” ever existed, what would there be now? In my opinion, some of the atheistic theories out there require more intellectual leaps than a belief in the gracious God of the Bible.

As a pastor, here’s my personal observation: oftentimes people perceive that they have intellectual struggles with believing in a personal God (theism) when in fact a deeper conversation reveals that their key struggles are those of pride … or morality … or pain and suffering. I’m not claiming that there are no legitimate intellectual struggles, but I am saying that the issues are usually far more complex than an isolated intellectual roadblock. Romans 1 offers a sobering but essential diagnosis.

And we can’t forget that some scientists are simply offended by any notion of a sovereign God, just like some bankers and some teachers and some ice cream vendors are offended by any notion of a sovereign God. Humans are proud and generally don’t warm up to the idea of being ruled over by anyone. Maybe we think we have a problem with science when we actually have a problem with God. Craig Lounsbrough frames it like this: “If there is any evidence that points to the existence of God, it is found in man’s incessant desire to be ‘god’ and his repeated failure to be anything but men who wish to be what they are not.” Ouch.

The truth is that there is quite a bit of compelling evidence for God. Notice that I did not say “proof” in the scientific sense. But I did say evidence. I believe that the psalmist was correct (19:1): The heavens declare the glory of God. Just look around. Look into a telescope. Look into a microscope. Look at DNA. Just look.

Sometimes this “war” between science and God is exacerbated because people who profess to be Christians make preposterous claims about what the Bible says. Expressed another way, we make matters worse when we argue as if undeniably true points or soundbites that are unsupported by Scripture – but this is all too common. Sometimes people insist that the Bible in some passage is making a scientific claim – when in fact that is not the point of the passage at all. You and I must try really hard to “rightly divide” the Word – to get the Bible right. Here’s how I think through the matter … God’s Word, when properly understood, validates God’s world. And God’s world, when properly understood, validates God’s Word. In our observations and conclusions, we may get one or both wrong – but that’s no fault of either. Our job is to seek to understand both as best we can. In the Bible, faith is contrasted with sight, but not with science.

I believe, with all my heart, that God and science are friends.

What say you?

Pastor Charles

It wasn’t the Great Flood of the Bible, but it might have felt something like it if you were a resident of Eastern Kentucky. Governor Beshear called it “one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky’s history.” The death toll has reached thirty, including children, and that number is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue. Thousands of homes in the Bluegrass State are still without power, and even more are left without running water. “Boil water advisories” are widespread from Floyd to Pike Counties.

The dangerous waters rose while most people were sleeping. That means that most flood victims awakened to a whole new world of devastation, chaos, and loss. Strangely, all of this torrential rain fell during what has been nothing short of a prolonged season of drought.

God created the universe and what we generally term “the laws of nature,” and the Lord Jesus Christ holds all of it – the entire world – together (Colossians 1:16-17). Sometimes what we call “natural disasters” are used by God as judgment against sin or for other holy purposes (e.g., Numbers 16:28-35, Deuteronomy 11:13-17, and James 5:17-18), but you and I must be extremely careful not to presume to know the specific intentions of God in moments like these. Let’s face it, friends, we’re in way over our heads when we start trying to explain Asian tsunamis which kill nearly a quarter million people. But I do think it’s safe to say that most natural disasters are simply evidence of the fallenness of Planet Earth (Romans 8:20-22). As I said in my sermon a couple of weeks ago: “We long for heaven, where everything is perfect, but we’re here on earth – where nothing is.”

Dr. Erwin Lutzer calls natural disasters “a megaphone from God.” I think he’s right on. You and I need constant reminders of the brevity and uncertainty of this life. Without those reminders, it takes us about five minutes to get all proud and self-sufficient. We are bent toward the humanistic. We are attracted to the most unreliable idols of protection and safety. We seem to be perpetual inventors of shortsighted values and selfish living. Earthquakes and famines and raging fires remind us of our need to trust God for all of the things that we can’t possibly control. You’d think we’d have that lesson under our belt by now, but we don’t. We simply don’t. You and I need wake-up calls.

In 2010 I flew to Haiti after the earthquake which killed nearly 300,000 people (not even the U.N. is certain of the exact number of fatalities). Landing at Port-au-Prince was an experience I’ll never forget. The utter desperation was eerily evident the moment we touched down. Making sense of the chaos was impossible – in fact it wasn’t even our goal. We were there to love and to bless … to work and to serve … to pray and to worship. For we realized in an instant that the God who shakes the earth is Haiti’s only hope! And He is ours as well. We have no other.

Regrettably, the fear of God has fallen on hard times in our day and in our land. Perhaps you and I can recover the truth: our God should be regarded with a sense of awe and respect unlike that we owe anyone else. When it comes to our worship of God, and even our thoughts of God, there is no room for flippancy. If I understand it at all, the fear of God is a mixture of profound admiration and intense love. He is our Lord and Master, and He is our Abba, Father! Sometimes it takes a tornado to sober us into the reality surrounding who God really is.

So, instead of lecturing the suffering with pointed fingers, we ought to love them with open arms. This is the posture of Jesus. I would submit that we can’t properly fear until we properly love – and I think that works the other way around as well.

The song was never immensely popular, but I remember well when Steven Curtis Chapman released it in 1988:

The skeptics are watching to see who will fall,
While those disillusioned search for the Truth in it all;
Maybe today we’ll cross their paths unaware,
And they’ll stop and look at us. What will be there?
Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me.
Can he see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all he really needs to see.

And, long before that, William Cowper penned these famous words in 1774: “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.”

While flags fly at half-staff in Kentucky, we ought to thank our Sovereign God that the day is coming when the brokenness of this creation will be liberated from the curse and free at last!

Pastor Charles