Cult?  What is that?  It is somewhat hard to define without pointing to particular examples.  The American Journal of Sociology defines it as a pejorative term which “refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are reasonably considered strange” (source).

But who’s doing the considering?  I suppose that in a similar way to how, as the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” determining what is a cult and what’s not is in the eye of the determiner.

Of course you would be hard-pressed to find anyone or any group that would readily admit, “Yes, we are in fact a cult.  Would you like to join our cult?”

So how do we decide?  How can we be honest and truthful with ourselves and others in discerning what is cultish and what is orthodox?  Here’s something that may help.

Lisa Robinson shares five signs of a cult-like ministry over at the popular theology blog, Parchment and Pen.  Excellent and succinct list of factors to consider when distinguishing between what is the true Christian Church and what is not:

1. Time Factor—how long has it been around?
2. Doctrine Factor—does it deny essential Christian truths?
3. Leadership Factor—is the leader/founder elevated to an unbiblical level of authority?
4. Biblical Authority Factor—is there another source of writing outside of the Bible?
5. Organization Factor—does it consider itself to be the only true Church?

Robinson’s list includes several paragraphs of easy-to-read commentary and explanation.  Make sure to click through the following link and peruse the entire thing: “Five Signs You Might Be in a Cult-Like Ministry,” by Lisa Robinson.

If you’re church or organization falls underneath a positive response to any of the factors on this list then you may have some serious thinking to do.  Can you think of any organizations or ‘churches’ that are guilty of one, a few, or all of the points on this list?

This is the fifth post in a series of discussions centered upon a devotional classic, The Bruised Reed, by puritan author, Richard Sibbes. I am participating in an online book club of sorts called “Reading Classics Together,” hosted by Christian blogger and author, Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV.

This week’s reading from chapter’s 8 and 9 is summarized by 3  D’s:

1. Duties (performance of the spiritual disciplines)
2. Discouragement (when we feel poor spiritually)
3. Deception (believing what is not true)

Sibbes deals with duties and discouragement in chapter 8 and deception in chapter 9.

Chapter 8

The question of whether one should perform Christian duties (i.e Bible study, prayer, evangelism, etc.) when they feel discouraged is addressed in this chapter.

Sibbes says a big “Yes, absolutely” to this question and does so with four responses.  I’ve paraphrased them to avoid excessive quotation.  He says to the discouraged Christian struggling with their duties:

1. Do what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.
2. Often we find God there in the duty and are encouraged.
3. Doing the duty even when we don’t feel like it reveals truest devotion.
4. Discouragement may well be lifted after we have performed our duties.

Regarding these points let me add this: I have never in all my life regretted performing a Christian duty.  Whether it was spending time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, sharing the gospel, its no matter.  The result has always been the same.  God blesses these things.  They put us into contact with his grace.  And we’d all be the better for practicing them more.

On a related note this week in the blogosphere, pastor and author, Kevin DeYoung,wrote a wonderfully helpful post titled, “Are Christians Meant to Feel Guilty All the Time?” He asks and provides four powerful answers to why Christians are so often discouraged in their walk with the Lord:

1. We don’t fully embrace the good news of the gospel.
2. Christians tend to motivate each other by guilt rather than grace.
3. Most of our low-level guilt falls under the category of “not doing enough.”
4. When we are truly guilty of sin it is imperative we repent and receive God’s mercy.

I include this nod to DeYoung’s entry because it deals perfectly with what Sibbes covers in chapter 8.

Sibbes also briefly speaks of discouragement that is caused by suffering and trial.  I could not help but to think of James 1:2-4.  Please see these three little thoughts on Christians and trials that I wrote several months ago.  Its one of my favorites posts I’ve ever written.

Chapter 8 was so rich with wisdom and grace that I chose not to include it all in one post.  You’ll just have to read some of the blogs I link to down below and hope that they cover the rest.

Chapter 9

I honestly did not gain much from this chapter.  Perhaps my mind was struggling to stay on track as I read.  What I did glean came from the opening paragraph.  Sibbes points out that Satan doesn’t mind letting us have Christ so long as we have a distorted and inaccurate view of him.

In this way Satan is revealed as the deceiver he is.  He longs to trick us into perceiving the Lord as anything other than what he truly is—a loving, gracious, sovereign King.

Taking Stock

We’ve come just over halfway in reading through Sibbes’ book, The Bruised Reed.  I’d just like to say how beneficial and gracious of a read it has been for me thus far.  The thought that there is no person more gentle and merciful with sinners than Jesus has truly impacted my life and ministry.  It has shown up in various ways in my preaching.  It has fleshed itself out in visits that I make.  It has been referred to as I counsel.  Thank God for writers and works such as this.

Have any of you been helped in ways like this?  I would love to hear of how God has used this book in your life and ministry as you’ve read through it. Encourage us all and drop a comment below.

Check Out My Friends

Over the course of this series of posts I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few new online kindred spirits. They too are reading and blogging their way through this book.  Make sure to click through to their sites and check out what they have to say about this week’s reading.  They are Audrey, Becky, Kevin, and Lisa.

Anyone Else?

If there’s anyone else who has somehow clicked their way here to deekdubberly.com, please make sure to drop a little note in the comments field below letting the rest of us know that you’re out there, most especially if you’re taking part with us in Tim Challies’ “Reading Classics Together.” Thanks.

Richard Sibbes

As a part of the online book club of sorts hosted by Tim Challies—Reading Classics Together—I’m currently reading Richard Sibbes’, The Bruised Reed.

I read the first chapter yesterday and came across these two little gems.  Sibbes speaks of the value of “bruising” in God’s plan for our lives—”bruising” referring to one’s awareness and confession of personal sin and the need for humility before God.

Sibbes employs this bruising in reference to the before and after of one’s conversion experience:

“The bruising is required before conversion that so the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature…”

“After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks.”

A good word from Sibbes.

I recently had some questions posed to me by a couple church members about baptism and church membership.  I’d already been feeling somewhat compelled to do a few topical studies on both subjects.  Their questions sealed the deal for me and Sunday night we did a topical sermon called, “On Biblical Baptism.”

Among other things I did in preparation for this sermon (like looking at this, this, this, this, and of course, this), I consulted a number of free online resources on the subject of baptism from the likes John MacArthur, John Piper, and Alistair Begg.

The most helpful was a sermon by Alistair Begg entitled, “Biblical Basis for Baptism.” You may click through to Begg’s site to download the sermon.  Or you can listen to it here:

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Begg explains helpfully that the reality of salvation is displayed in baptism, not dispensed—a very helpful and catchy distinction.  He covers the history, meaning, and practice of baptism.

I need your help:

I’m currently preparing for a sermon(s) on church membership.  I’m in the process of looking for helpful resources but I’m not having much success.

What resources (books, sermons, articles, etc.) have you found helpful on the subject of church membership?  Thanks in advance to any who respond.

I’m currently preaching through the book of I Timothy at my church.   A couple of Sundays ago we covered Paul’s initial charge to Timothy against false teachers.  Of the many things that he says the false teachers are getting wrong, perhaps the clearest is that they’re not using the law rightly (I Tim. 1:7).

But Paul says in I Tim. 1:8 that “we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.”  So how is the law to be used ‘lawfully?’  I suggest at least two ‘lawful’ functions of the law for us:

1. The law should show us our sin.
   →Paul says in Rom. 3:20 that “through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
2. The law should send us to the Savior.
   →The NASB says in Gal. 3:24 that “the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ.”

The complete sermon is available here for download.

Or you may listen through the player contained at the bottom of this post.  (This feature may not be available if you’re viewing this through an email subscription or on Facebook.  If that’s the case you’ll need to click-through to my site to use the media player.)

Listen here:

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Rembrandt's, The Return of the Prodigal Son

Last night I shared “Truths About Forgiveness” with my church.  It was a topical sermon wrapped up in the words and teachings of Christ.  Who better to teach us about forgiveness than He who is the Master of it.

I remember reading John Piper’s thoughts on this subject and he said that, “We do more dishonor to God in one day than everyone does to us in a lifetime.”  (Sorry, but I can’t remember the source.)

Here are five truths about forgiveness:

1. If anyone should be a pro at forgiveness it should be the Christian (Matt. 6:12).
2. An unforgiving attitude will absolutely devastate the spiritual life of a Christian (Matt. 6:14-15).
3. There is a very close relationship between judging someone and being unforgiving (Matt. 7:1-2).
4. There is no limit to how forgiving we should be (Matt. 18:21-22).
5. Great punishment awaits those who are unforgiving (Matt. 18:23-35).

As believers, these truths should move us.  They should prick our hearts at each and every point where we have an unforgiving attitude and they should cause us to bleed both conviction and repentance.

Can you think of any other truths about forgiveness that would be helpful to add to this list?

I recently picked up a copy of Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck’s recently published work, Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion (July, 2009).  I’ve only read the first few chapters, but so far I’ve enjoyed and agreed with pretty much everything.  You can learn more about the book from its website.  Also, you may want to check out Tim Challies’ review of it over at Discerning Reader.

On pages 32-36 DeYoung elucidates the necessity of the gospel to the life of the Church by way of positing several questions that churches need to ask themselves concerning how they handle the gospel.

Here are those questions:

1. Are we getting in the way of the gospel?
2. Are we believing the gospel?
3. Are we relying on the power of the gospel?
4. Are we getting the gospel out?
5. Are we getting the gospel right?
6. Are we adorning the gospel with good works?
7. Are we praying for the work of the gospel?
8. Are we training up our children in the gospel?
9. Are we trusting God’s sovereignty in the gospel?

These are questions we all need to be asking of ourselves as well as of our churches.  (Just in case there’s any uncertainty as to what the gospel is, I ‘d suggest checking out this “Gospel Definitions” resource from Trevin Wax’s, Kingdom People blog.)

The first half of the book has proven very beneficial.  I’d recommend it to anyone, but most especially to younger people or anyone who ministers to younger people (”younger” = teens to mid-thirties).

The books only $10.  You can get your own copy through the link below.

In the “Introduction and Apology” to his Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon writes,

“Many men of earnest spirit and established Christian character are hindered in their efforts to do good by the slenderness of their knowledge.”

He goes on to affirm that,

“No work can possibly confer a greater blessing upon mankind than the training of minister whom God has chosen, for around them spring up churches, schools, and all the agencies of religion and philanthropy.”

Interestingly, though, he adds this insightful qualification:

“If a student should learn a thousand things, and yet fail to preach the gospel acceptably, his College course will have missed its true design.”

This tension between the value of theological education and the awareness of its dangers toward impious scholasticism is in my estimation a much needed mindset in the Church today.

Thanks to Spurgeon for his treasuries of “quote-worthiness,” and thanks to my sweet wife for buying me this book as an early birthday present!

Martin Luther

While searching for some pithy quotes on justification in Martin Luther’s, Table Talk, I came across this little gem about productivity and righteous indignation:

I never work better than when I am inspired by anger.  When I am angry, I can write, pray, and preach well, for then my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened, and all mundane vexations and temptations depart.

I can’t say that I relate necessarily, but I am amused that things worked this way for him.

J. I. Packer

J. I. Packer’s got some excellent thoughts On the Incarnation.  In the fifth chapter of his book, Knowing God, he takes up this subject in the most illuminating terms.

Here’s a couple of great one-liner’s:

• “Here are two great mysteries for the price of one—the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of the Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus” (p. 53).
• “The Incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery, but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains” (p. 54).

He goes on to employ that wonderful prologue of  the Gospel of John (John 1:1-18) in order to understand seven characteristics about the divine Word of God, Jesus Christ—God Incarnate.  He presents the following along with some additional commentary which I’ve left out for the sake of brevity.

1. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1).
   —Here is the Word’s eternity.
2. “And the Word was with God” (John 1:1).
   —Here is the Word’s personality.
3. “And the Word was God” (John 1:1).
   —Here is the Word’s deity.
4. “Through him all things were made” (John 1:3).
   —Here is the Word creating.
5. “In him was life” (John 1:4).
   —Here is the Word animating.
6. “And that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
   —Here is the Word revealing.
7. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).
   —Here is the Word incarnate.

J. I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, has been treating me very nicely this week.  I’m reading a chapter a day and it is proving to be an excellent and timely work.

In this little quip—which makes for one heck of a sentence—he outlines what is involved in the endeavor of knowing God.

“Knowing God involves, first, listening to God’s Word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself; second, noting God’s nature and character, as His Word and works reveal it; third, accepting his invitations and doing what he commands; fourth, recognizing and rejoicing in the love that he has shown in thus approaching you and drawing you into his divine fellowship.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.  I doubt many could.

In commenting on Ps. 8:3-4, which speaks of the humility impressed upon the psalmist when he observes the vastness and grandeur of God’s marvelous creation, Thomas Chalmers says the following:

We gave you but a feeble image of our comparative insignificance, when we said that the glories of an extended forest would suffer no more from the fall of a single leaf, than the glories of this extended universe would suffer though the globe we tread upon, and all that it inherits, should dissolve.

—Quoted in Charles Spurgeon’s, The Treasury of David.

James 1:2-4 commands us to know and rejoice in the fact that God sovereignly allows trials and difficulties in our lives to mold us, strengthen us, and refine us into the holy people that He’s called us to be.

Here are three little thoughts I observed present in this text from the letter of James:

• There’s a big difference between looking for the good in the bad and looking for God in the bad.
• There’s also a big difference between trials and temptations that we meet versus trials and temptations that we make.
• There’s a big difference between wanting to be happy and wanting to be holy.

St. Phoebe

St. Phoebe’s Day

Today is St. Phoebe’s Day.  September 3rd is the day that Roman Catholics celebrate the life, ministry, and devotion of Phoebe, a woman they believe served as a deacon of the 1st century Church of Cenchreae, the port of Corinth.

Romans 16:1

The Bible mentions Phoebe in Rom. 16:1, “I commend to you  our sister Phoebe, a servant (or deaconess) of the church at Cenchreae.”  Many believe that Paul entrusted his epistle to the Romans to Phoebe to hand deliver to the Christians at Rome.  Some also believe that the word for “servant” in this verse indicates that Phoebe was an official deaconess of the Church of Cenchreae.

The ESV Study Bible (which I super highly recommend and which you can get a copy of here) offers these comments on Rom. 16:1:

Phoebe probably brought this epistle to the Romans.  Scholars debate whether Phoebe is a servant in a general sense, or whether she served as a deacon, since the Greek word for diakonos can mean either “servant” (Rom. 13:4; Rom. 15:8; I Cor. 3:5; I Tim. 4:6) or “deacon” (referring to a church offive; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:8, 12).  Cenchreae was a port town just 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of Corinth (see note on Acts 18:18).

Whether Phoebe was an official “deacon” of her church is a matter of great dispute.  If she was, then the Bible clearly supports women as deaconesses.  If she wasn’t, however, and the term “servant” only meant that she was helping, then the matter gets a little more complicated.

Tim Keller and Ligon Duncan

At this year’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America Tim Keller and Ligon Duncan debated this issue: Keller for women deacons; Duncan against.  I have a deep respect and appreciation for both of these men’s ministries.  Here is the audio for that debate.

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Also, here’s a link to Keller’s position in written form.  And here’s one to Duncan’s.

In case anyone’s interested, and in order to give credit where credit is due, I found the audio link at In Marks of Indelible Grace and the article links at Feeding on Christ.

What Do You Think?

I’m interested to know what readers think regarding this issue.  To be honest, I’m not completely sure where I stand.  Help me out and choose your position in the poll below.

I’d be happy to hear your reasons in the comments section.  If you’ve got any helpful links or resource recommendations, I’d appreciate those as well.

During what came to be known as the Downgrade Controversy, the Baptist Union of late 19th century England sought to draw up confessional language that would cater to the theological pinings of two opposing groups of British Baptists.  Particular emphasis was given to their views concerning the inspiration of Scripture and the implications this wrought on one’s practical theology (brief explanation).

Numbing qualifications were found in great supply in the Baptist Union’s watered-down and diplomatic attempts at outlining official statements of belief.  Charles Spurgeon voiced his opinion on the matter in his characteristic straight-forward and conservative style:

Whatever the Council does, let it above all things avoid the use of language which could legitimately have two meanings contrary to each other.  Let us be plain and outspoken. These are grave differences—let them be avowed honestly.  Why should any man be ashamed to do so?  Policy must not be our guide, nor the wish to retain this party or that.  Right is safe, and compromise by the use of double meanings can never in the long run be wise.

—Quoted by Iain Murray in, The Forgotten Spurgeon

I’ve been reading through Iain Murray’s bio-sketch on the three major controversies of Spurgeon’s life, The Forgotten Spurgeon.  It’s a great little book.  Yesterday I came across this little gem.

It’s part of  a review Spurgeon did of Charles Hodge’s, Systematic Theology:

“Systematic theology is to the Bible what science is to nature.  To suppose that all the other works of God are orderly and systematic, and the greater the work the more perfect the system; and that the greatest of all His works, in which all His perfections are transcendently displayed, should have no plan or system, is altogether absurd.  If faith in the Scriptures is to be positive, if consistent with itself, if operative, if abiding, it must have a fixed and well-defined creed.  No one can say that the Bible is his creed, unless he can express it in words of his own.”