Happy Reformation Day!

After 3 months of trying to regain my domain name, the blog is back! While many are celebrating Halloween today, this day is also Reformation Day, a time when we remember the Protestant Reformation that took place nearly 500 years ago when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church in Wittenburg. Today, in honor of Reformation Day, I would like to post a special sermon by the preaching elder at our church, Mitch Jolly. Mitch did a special message last Sunday on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in light of the upcoming All Saints Day on November 1st. I am including a link both to his sermon and his manuscript. I believe that  studying the lives of faithful Christians throughout church history gives us encouragement as we seek to be faithful to the gospel today. I hope this message inspires you to put feet to your faith by living out what you claim to believe. Few people personify the notion that "faith without works is dead" more than Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

You can listen to the sermon here.

You can follow along with Mitch's sermon notes here.

Happy Reformation Day!

God Reconciling All Nations Through Christians

GOD RECONCILING ALL NATIONS THROUGH CHRISTIANS

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Reconciled: Tuesday July 17, 2012

God blesses his people with extravagant grace so that they might extend his extravagant glory to all peoples on the earth. – David Platt

·         God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a radically global purpose.

o   The love of Christ compels us.

o   The Spirit of Christ empowers us.

o   The gospel of Christ motivates us.

·         The cross of Christ creates a new way of living. (v. 17)

·         God is the one who takes the initiative to reconcile us. It is his work, not ours. (v. 18)

o   The unreached globe should fuel gospel urgency.

o   God has called all believers to proclaim the gospel of reconciliation to others. (v. 18)

§  If we do not go, the lost will never hear. (Romans 10)

§  Without Christ, millions will perish without hope.

o   The Great Commission is not an option for believers. (Matthew 28:18-20)

§  It is not a special calling for a few Christians.

§  It is a divine command for all the saints.

·         God has reconciled the world through Christ by not counting our sins against us. (19)

o   The ultimate object of missions is a crucified savior.

o   The ultimate goal of missions is global worship.

o   The ultimate end of missions is God’s glory. (Rev. 5:8-13)

·         As ambassadors for Christ, we speak on behalf of God to the world. (v. 20)

o   An ambassador is a representative who speaks on behalf of a greater authority.

o   We are divine diplomats who are sent to offer peace to the nations.

§  The world has rebelled against the Sovereign King and deserves his wrath.

§  The King offers peace through the death of His Son and extends grace.

§  We must lovingly plead for others to be reconciled to God.

·         We are not responsible for the results.

·         We are only called to be faithful to preach.

·         When we preach the gospel, we speak with the authority of God Himself.

·         Why should we give our lives to missions for the sake of the gospel?

o   Because Jesus has commanded us to go. If we say we love Him, we will seek to obey Him.

o   We should seek to save others because God first sought to save us through Christ.

o   Because Christ has died to purchase the salvation of a great multitude of people.

o   We desire for God’s glory to be known throughout the entire world.

·         How should we respond to this great task?

o   Pray confidently for the spread of the gospel to all people groups.

o   Give sacrificially to support those who are serving in missions.

o   Go intentionally to share the gospel where Jesus is not known.

o   Die willingly. Be ready to risk your reputation and even your life for the sake of all nations.

God Reconciling Believers Through the Church

GOD RECONCILING BELIEVERS THROUGH THE CHURCH

Matthew 18:15-35

Reconciled: Monday July 16, 2012

Reconciled: To restore a broken relationship; to exchange hostility for a friendly relationship

For the sake of each of us he laid down his life--worth no less than the universe. He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other. St. Clement of Alexandria

·        Why Should we Seek Reconciliation?

o   If we do not seek peace, our worship is meaningless and empty. (Matt. 5:23-24)

o   By seeking peace, we glorify God through our unity.  (Eph. 4:3)

o   Because God first sought to be reconciled with us through the cross.

·        How to be Reconciled with those who Sin against You

o   Four Steps in Seeking Reconciliation

§  Seek the Offender privately.

§  Seek the Offender with 2 or 3 Witnesses.

§  Bring the Offender before the whole Church.

§  Remove the Offender if they refuse to repent.

·         1 Cor. 5:1-2

·         2 Thess. 3:14-15

o   The Purpose of Church Discipline

§  To Restore the Believer who is going astray. (Galatians 6:1; James 5:20)

§  To Keep the Sin from Spreading to Others

·         Hebrews 12:15- “See that no root of bitterness springs up so that many become defiled.”

·         1 Cor. 5:6- “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

·         1 Tim. 5:20- Public rebuke causes the rest of the church to fear and take sin very seriously and know that it will not be tolerated.

§  To Protect the Purity of the Church and the Honor of Christ

·         The Church disciplines with Heaven’s authority. (Matt. 18:18)

·         The Church disciplines in the presence of Christ. (Matt. 18:19-20)

o   A Word about Church Membership

§  If there is no way for you to be excluded from the church, than you probably have never been included in the church.

§  “Local church membership is a question of biblical obedience, not personal preference.” – Matt Chandler

·        How to Treat those who Sin against you and Repent

o   Forgive freely and unceasingly. (v. 21-22)

o   You will never forgive anyone more than you have already been forgiven. (v. 23-33)

o   If we refuse to forgive others, we are disqualified from receiving God’s forgiveness. (v. 34-35)

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

God Reconciling Us Through the Cross

GOD RECONCILING US THROUGH THE CROSS

Romans 5:8-11

Reconciled: Sunday July 15, 2012

·        Because we are justified by his blood, we are safe from God’s wrath. (v. 9)

o   The blood of Christ fulfilled the OT imagery of sacrifice.

o   The blood of Christ satisfied the wrath of God against sin.

o   The blood of Christ paid our debt so that believers will be saved.

·        If God saved us while we were enemies, he will surely continue to save us as his children. (v. 10)

o   As enemies of God we were saved by Christ’s death.

§  Jesus’ death justified us through his finished work.

§  The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through his ongoing work.

o   As children of God we are saved by Christ’s life.

§  Jesus is our prophet who has given us his words of life.

§  Jesus is our priest who intercedes for us before God’s throne.

§  Jesus is our king who reigns over us as our loving Lord.

·        We should rejoice in God because he has reconciled us to himself. (v. 11)

o   “Reconciliation” is the removal of hostility and the restoration of fellowship.

o   God reconciled us back to him through the work of Jesus.

o   Reconciliation is the source of our peace with God.

§  Our reconciliation is the basis for our mission. (See 2 Cor. 5:18-20)

·        We are God’s ambassadors as we represent God.

·        We are God’s messengers as we carry the gospel.

§  Our reconciliation should ultimately lead to worship. “We Rejoice!”

Palm Sunday: Past, Present, and Future

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, a day in which the Christian Church celebrates one week before Easter by emphasizing the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem only days before He was crucified. If you were like me, you may have grown up in a church that celebrated Palm Sunday each year, yet the true meaning of the celebration was lost to you. Hopefully this post can help put this important day in perspective for you as we approach this important day in Church history. While I cannot possibly explain everything about this day (It would be take far too long and few of you would take time to read the whole thing), I will try to point out some important truths that should help you worship this Sunday in a more meaningful way.

Palm Sunday Past - The Messiah is Coming


Over 500 years before Jesus rode into the crowded streets of Jerusalem, the prophet Daniel was praying and seeking God's will in the midst of Babylonian captivity. In Daniel 9, this godly man was busy interceding and praying for his people who had sinned greatly against the Lord. He appealed to God's grace and mercy by asking the Lord to restore His people from their rebellion and idolatry. You can read this incredible prayer in Daniel 9:1-19.

In the middle of Daniel's prayer for national reconciliation and restoration, the angel Gabriel arrived with a message from God. The prophecy Daniel received was a prediction that a Messiah, or a Deliverer, would come to rescue God's people from their sin and establish the Kingdom of God. Daniel was given a timetable for God's future plan of redemption through his promised Messiah. This timetable consisted of seventy "weeks," in which one week was equivalent to seven years (literally "seventy sevens"). Here is what God promised would take place during this "seventy week" period:

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
(Daniel 9:24-26 ESV)

Although scholars differ on how to interpret prophetic passages such as this one, there are some indisputable points about the coming Messiah that we shouldn't miss. God promises that six things will be accomplished when Messiah returns:

1. To Finish the Transgression- Only the coming kingdom of Christ will put an end to mankind's sin and rebellion.

2. To Put An End to Sin- The word used here can mean a "sin offering," implying that when Messiah comes the final sacrifice for sin will have been made, and no other sacrifices will be necessary.

3. To Atone for Iniquity- Similar to the last point, the death of Christ would atone for sin, removing God's wrath and reconciling God's people back to a right relationship with the Lord. The death of Christ is the foundation for the fulfillment of all God's other promises.

4. To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness- This has not happened yet, and will not be completely fulfilled until the Second Coming of Christ, when he will establish an order of righteousness that has never been seen by the world. (See Psalm 45 for a detailed explanation of the Messiah's new kingdom.)

5. To Seal Prophetic Visions- Although many prophetic visions are still unfulfilled, Christ's return and established kingdom will bring an end to all prophecies, since Jesus will ultimately fulfill all things in Scripture.

6. To Anoint a Most Holy Place- This does not refer to an anointing of Jesus, but a "Most Holy Place." It refers to a Millenial Temple from which Messiah will rule, and is described in Ezekiel 40-48 and Revelation 20, 21.

One final point here is that Daniel prophesies that from the time of the decree to rebuild to Jerusalem to the time of the Anointed One (Messiah) is cut off, sixty-nine weeks (483 years) will have passed. On March 4/5 of 444 B.C., King Artaxerxes made a decree that the city of Jerusalem should be rebuilt (See Nehemiah 2:1-8). By using the lunar calendar and looking ahead 483 years (173,880 days), we arrive at March 30, 33 A.D., which on the Jewish calendar was the Nisan 10, 33 A.D., the exact day that Jesus rode into the streets of Jerusalem as the celebrated Messiah.

Daniel's prophecy is so incredibly accurate that it should astound us and bring incredible comfort to believing Christians: God has appointed the amount of time before Messiah returns, and we should not lose heart, but confidently await the return of our Messiah. This brings us to the first ever Palm Sunday, when Jesus arrived.

Palm Sunday Present- The Messiah Arrives

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem is one of the few stories of Jesus that is mentioned in all four of the gospels. Each account of the story differs slightly in details to purposefully emphasize certain aspects of the story. For instance, all of the Synoptic Gospels (Matt, Mark, & Luke) give details about Jesus sending his disciples into town to find a donkey for him to ride. However, only Matthew quotes Zechariah 9:9 to remind his Jewish audience that their Messiah would humbly arrive in their city by riding a donkey. In John's gospel, we are told that Jesus arrived shortly after raising Lazarus from the dead, which is how Jesus' fame spread so quickly throughout the city. Everyone wanted to see the man who had power even over life and death! John also notes that the Pharisees stood by with disdain as they watched the crowd flock to Jesus. Their jealousy is evident when they say, "The whole world has gone after Him!" This only fuels their hatred and incites them to plot how to kill Him.

Despite some subtle differences between the stories, one glorious truth emerges each account: Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah-King who will bring salvation to His people. The crowd obviously believes this, as evidenced by them laying their cloaks down and waving palm branches as a sign of nationalistic pride and celebration of the Messiah. They begin to quote Psalm 118:25-26, which is a messianic Psalm anticipating the coming reign and blessings of the Messiah:

"Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!"

(John 12:13)

 The word "Hosanna" is a transliterated Hebrew word which means "Save us now!" The Jewish people had high expectations for the Messiah, especially since they were constantly being oppressed by the Roman Empire. It seems that the people's hopes for Jesus were not much unlike the expectations of many today: Many wrongly believe that Jesus has come to fix our social issues, political problems, and establish a dominant, prosperous kingdom that is free from the tyranny of another nation. Unfortunately, Jesus did not originally come to earth to solve politico/social issues like drugs, human trafficking, poverty, slavery, world hunger, suffering, and a myriad of other issues. While these are all worthwhile endeavors for the Church to engage and fight, we must never forget that Jesus ultimately came to earth to die for our sins. Period. Every other issue is secondary, and is only the consequence of a deeper, root issue, namely our sin. The Jews of Jesus' day expected an earthly king to sit on their temple throne, not a Savior to die on a Roman cross naked and alone. (Ha! I rhymed!) 

Palm Sunday should increase our excitement and anticipation of Easter, when Christ, our Passover Lamb, willingly laid down his life to satisfy God's wrath, pay the penalty of our sin, and conquer death by being raised from the dead. We wave our palm branches this coming Sunday as an act of worship and adoration for the true King who would gladly lay down his life to save his people from the just wrath of God poured out in Hell.

There may be some of you who might say, "But what about all those other issues? Aren't we called as Christians to serve the poor, fight human slavery, and feed the hungry?" Of course, the answer is Yes! But as we work to serve others who are suffering from the injustices of the cruel world, do not neglect to preach the gospel. I would even go as far to say that we should preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use actions. No matter how much you feed the hungry, give to the poor, and visit the sick, you will never save them from their sin. Only Jesus can save them, and that is why they need the gospel more than anything else. Yes, feed the hungry, but don't forget to tell them the Bread of Life! Give your money to help the poor, but please don't withhold from them the Pearl of Great Price and the great Treasure that is worth selling everything to acquire. By all means, visit the sick, but make sure to introduce them to the Great Physician who cures sin-sick souls.

The truth is that all of the social problems in our world today will not truly be solved until Christ comes again, which brings us to our final point about Palm Sunday. 

Palm Sunday Future- The Messiah Will Return

Until this week, I never realized that the most exciting thing about Palm Sunday hasn't even happened yet. Just as the people in Jesus' day waved palm branches to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah, all believers from every time period, past, present, and future, will join in the celebration with palm branches of our own to celebrate the eternal reign of Jesus. Let these words from Revelation 7 stir your soul:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which o one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen." 

(Revelation 7:9-11)

Did you notice what all the saints will be waving in their hands to worship the salvation of the Lamb? Palm branches. The great celebration of the ages will involve saints from every tribe and nation, dressed in white robes of Christ's righteousness, and waving palm branches in worship and adoration of Christ, the Lamb, who took away all of our sin. This will be the worship service to end all worship services, the climax of eternity, and the great goal of God in his eternal plan: That all the saints will praise the glory of the grace of God displayed in the saving, redeeming work of Jesus Christ. There will be no more pain, earthly suffering will be removed, and we will enter into the eternal joy of knowing Christ. 

So one question remains: How should we prepare for that great coronation day? This Palm Sunday we not only celebrate the arrival of our Messiah and King, but we also anxiously anticipate our King's return. This Sunday, worship Christ with the same joy as if you are already with Him in Heaven. Meditate and cling to the good news that Jesus came to die for sinners, and everyone who trusts in Him will be saved. Rejoice that Jesus is no longer dead, but he is alive. Seek justice in our world by not only serving others, but help spread the good news that there is salvation to be found in Christ alone. This Sunday, we do not wave our palm branches in vain... we will be saved, and our King is coming soon.

 

 

The Pilgrim's Progress March 2012

It has been a busy month for the Pilgrims! It has been difficult to post any blogs recently, but I wanted to update everyone on how you can pray for us as we minister together in the coming weeks. 

Where We Have Been

Jenny and I have just recently returned with over 50 college students from a mission trip to Arlington, TX. We worked with an organization called Mission Arlington, which helps to meet the needs of the poor, as well as plant churches within the surrounding apartment complexes in the city. Currently, there are over 270 apartment churches that have been planted, and over 5,000 people who attend an apartment church service each week! God has richly blessed this ministry, and we were grateful to help them as they continue to minister to the people of Arlington. During our time there, we visited un-churched apartments and started Rainbow Express, a VBS-style children's ministry which will allow Mission Arlington to follow up and begin planting a church. We taught many children the story of the gospel and the life of Jesus, and a few of them made professions of faith. Please pray for these children that they would understand and cling to the saving truth of the gospel.

The following Sunday after returning from Texas, I (Josh) preached at Shorter Avenue Baptist Church in Rome, GA. The people there were very kind, and I was thankful for the opportunity to preach God's word to them. They heard the Word with gladness, and we had a wonderful time.
 

Where We Are Going

Tomorrow, Jenny and I leave to spend a week and a half in Florida. We are first headed to Orlando to attend the Ligonier Conference hosted by R.C. Sproul. Major thanks to Michael Shuman for getting us tickets! Also, Jenny's grandparents live in Orlando, and we will be able to spend some quality time with Jenny's family during the weekend. Jenny has not seen her family since our wedding, so she is very excited. 

On Saturday night, we will drive to Gainseville, where I will be preaching Sunday through Thursday at the United Youth Event, which is a week long youth-led revival that will feature a different youth band each night from the surrounding area. Please pray for these meetings, that many students will believe the gospel for the first time, and others will be strengthened in the knowledge of Christ. This event will take place March 18-22 from 7pm-9pm at the KHHS Cafeteria in Keystone Heights, FL. The address is 900 Orchid St., and if you are in the area, admission is free, and we would love to see you there. 

Finally, Jenny and I will leave on Friday to visit her parents in Fort Meade, FL. It will be nice to spend the weekend with Jenny's immediate family. Jenny and I will attend church with her parents on Sunday, and then make the long drive back to Rome, GA. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we travel and minister during these next few days. 

Rapping and Refuting the Prosperity Gospel

The preaching of the prosperity gospel (also known as the "health and wealth" gospel) has become rampant in the modern church. Truly, there are many faithful pastors who boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel every Sunday from pulpits all over the world. However, millions of people around the world are continuing to be influenced by those who preach prosperity instead of repentance, and wealth instead of faith in Christ. For some strange reason, all of these men and women seem to make it onto television. (I'm not quite sure if they go looking for TV or if TV goes looking for them.)  

In case you are not familiar with prosperity teaching, it may be summarized as an "over-realized eschatology." In other words, prosperity preachers over-emphasize future eternal blessings by promising these blessings in the present life. They wrongly exalt God's gifts (things we receive from God) above God's glory (the treasure we have in God). Often this doctrine teaches that faith, positive thinking/speaking, and donating money to one's Christian ministry will increase one's material wealth and protect them from suffering and disease. Clearly, this is far from the truth, as many faithful Christians around the world are presently suffering for their faith in Christ and are feeling the effects of economic recessions. As David Platt said, "We do not come to Jesus to get health, wealth and prosperity. We come to Jesus to get Jesus." Unfortunately, this false doctrine has been used to to take advantage of the poor, especially in the nations of Africa. At the expense and exploitation of the poor, the rich get richer from their deceitful schemes and unbiblical promises. This should rightly lead Christians to outrage and righteous indignation. Few men have spoken more adamantly and clearly in response to the prosperity gospel than John Piper:

Many of you have probably already seen the previous video. However, a new video has recently emerged that uses rhyme and rap to refute this false teaching and warn those who are caught up in these preachers' deception. Pass this on to those you may know who are in bondage to such false teaching.

The gospel of God's kingdom is not that Jesus will heal all your sicknesses today, but that he will forgive your sins forever. Let us continue to faithfully proclaim the truth with boldness and reverence in the face of false doctrine.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh P.

The Pilgrims' Progress - February 2012

We are quickly approaching Valentine's Day, and Jenny and I will have been married for 6 weeks! Here is an update of some things that have been going on with us since our wedding day.

I (Josh) have been continuing my Bible study through the book of Romans (affectionately called "Pow Wow"), and last week we finished studying Romans 10. Many college students cram into our living room each Wednesday night to hang out, eat, and study Scripture. It has been amazing to watch the development of spiritual maturity among these college students, many of whom are preparing to spend their entire summer breaks on mission trips. In fact, one young lady has been accepted into the Journeyman program! Jenny has been a fabulous host, and the Pow-Wow studies would simply not be the same without her hospitality. She is constantly working to prepare food, clean the house, and minister to the students, and I am very grateful to have her by my side. She has made me a better minister, and her interior decorating skills have made our home a welcomed place to be.

Tomorrow, Jenny and I are leaving for the weekend to travel to South Carolina for a True Love Waits Ceremony at Immanuel Baptist Church in North Augusta. I have been invited to preach that Sunday morning, which will be followed by a ceremony in which several students will commit themselves to sexual purity before marriage. Please pray for us during this time as we travel and minister together. This will be the first time that I will be taking my wife with me on a ministry trip, and I'm pretty pumped that it is happening on Valentine's weekend. We will also be showing our proposal video from this past summer in hopes that students will be encouraged to remain pure until marriage. In case you missed it, here is our proposal video:

Jenny has been very busy as well since we arrived home from our honeymoon. After going through the painstaking process of changing her name and insurance information, she has worked tirelessly to clean, arrange, and decorate our house in order to make it a welcoming home. I am constantly amazed at her resourcefulness and artistic touch, and I am so proud of the way she has served by working all day at home while also supporting my own ministry to college students.

Speaking of college students, Jenny has also applied to Shorter University as an incoming student for the fall semester. Last week she applied and was interviewed for competitive academic scholarships which can possibly pay full tuition. We should be hearing back from the school in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully we will receive good news! Not only has Jenny applied for school, but she is also working during the week as a nanny and cleaning houses. Please pray that she will find extra work to help provide some extra income for our family. The Lord has graciously provided everything that we have needed, and we look forward to how He will continue to take care of us in the future.

Lastly, Jenny has been using her artistic skills to make homemade cards for the home bound from our church. She has treated this as a ministry, and hopefully these cards will be a source of encouragement for those who are unable to leave their homes and rarely have visitors. Here is a sample of some of the cards Jenny has finished:

We are grateful for all the encouragement we have received from our many friends and family, and by God's grace we hope to post many more updates in the future.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh & Jenny P.

Pastors: Tend My Sheep

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:1-4 ESV)


Most of the time, I enjoy reading Scripture because it feeds my soul. However, sometimes reading the Bible scares me... a lot, especially when God begins by saying, "Woe to you!" This phrase is often used at the beginning of a judgment passage. In other words, when God says "woe," you better say "whoa." In the passage above, God spoke through Jeremiah to warn the spiritual leaders of Israel about their mistreatment and abuse of God's people. Rather than lovingly attending to their needs, the shepherds had scattered God's flock and driven them away. While God promises to restore his people and appoint new shepherds to pastor his people, God also vows to deal with these ungodly, wicked shepherds. God spoke a similar message through the prophet Ezekiel:


Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
(Ezekiel 34:2-4 ESV)

Later, Ezekiel prophesied the Lord's judgment on these wicked shepherds:


Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. (Ezekiel 34:10 ESV)


The reason these passages scare me is because I spend much of my time preaching and teaching the Scriptures to God's people. There is a great responsibility to anyone who claims to speak God's word with God's authority. In fact, James 3:1 says that not many should aspire to become teachers, since those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. In other words, pastors and teachers should take their jobs very seriously since the Lord is very concerned with his flock.

However, all too often the pulpit is treated as a platform for entertainment and irrelevant stories rather than the exposition of Scripture. Many sermons are nothing more than a preacher's opinionated soap-boxes that fail to paint the proper portrait of the glory of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of preaching about the finished work of Christ on the cross, pastors preach moralistic legalism that only piles up more things for Christians to do before they can be right with God. Often there is only preaching of the Law to the exclusion of the gospel, or their messages are all about grace with no mention of repentance. This places unnecessary weight on the shoulders of the sheep which they were never meant to bear.

It is very sad to hear Christians tell me, "I am hungry to know what the Bible teaches, but I am not getting fed." This is an indictment against ministers who fail to preach the whole counsel of God. I include myself when I say, "We must do better." As ministers of the Word, we have a responsibility to not only teach the sheep, but tend the sheep. Sermons are not enough. Sheep need to be cared for by their shepherds. Pastoral care cannot be separated from gospel proclamation. This is suggested in Jesus' conversation with Peter on the beach in John 21:15-19. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Each time Peter, being reminded of his thrice denial of Christ before the crucifixion, excruciatingly replies, "Yes Lord, you know I love you." The interesting thing here is Jesus' admonition to Peter. Twice Jesus says, "Peter, feed my lambs." The other time, Jesus says something different. "Peter, tend my sheep." Feeding the flock cannot be separated from tending the flock. Pastors, are you doing both? Obviously each minister is gifted in different ways, but sermons should never suffer at the expense of pastoral care, and vice versa... we must do both.

The good news is that we are not alone. Every shepherd needs a shepherd, and God has provided a Good Shepherd in his Son, Jesus Christ (Psalm 23). We also have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to give us strength for our God-given task. God never meant to leave us alone in our work. After condemning the wicked shepherds of Jeremiah's day, God prophesied that a greater shepherd would arise from the seed of David who would ultimately save his people from all danger, including their own sin.

    “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ (Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV)

Let me conclude with some words of encouragement for all of you who are standing as faithful ministers of the Word. Preach the Word and love God's people. Teach the sheep. Tend the Sheep. Trust the Good Shepherd, and you will never be brought to shame.

Tend My Sheep

Do you love me son of John? Jesus asked the Apostolic Rock
If you say that you still love me, there are issues with My flock.

I am your Good Shepherd, and this commandment you shall keep
Not only must you feed My lambs, but you must also tend My sheep.

There are many in My sheepfold who have wandered here and there
They do not need your education, only tender love and care.

I realize you are busy with your ministries divine
Yet true ministry begins when you leave the ninety-nine.

You may impress us with your knowledge, your theology on display
But what good are all your sermons when your sheep have gone astray?

Your sermons are important, but please understand
If you don’t live past Sunday morning, you have only fed the lambs.

You should love them all the same; your compassion must run deep
I still demand you feed My lambs, but you must also tend My sheep.

Will your rod and staff bring comfort? Will your words restore their soul?
Will you lead them by still waters and green pastures to console?

Will you seat them at your table, with favor good and loyal?
Will your goodness and mercy follow them? Will you anoint their heads with oil?

This is your true calling, it is My gift and not your choice
These sheep belong to me, and they all will hear My Voice.

And though they may mistreat you, not knowing what they do
Always forgive them freely as I have forgiven you.

And when your life has ended, and for your soul they weep
The tears of the lambs will truly mourn for their tender of the sheep.

Why We Love Jesus but Reject Islam

A few months ago, Jefferson Bethke's video entitled "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus" went viral over the Internet. His poem caused quite a stir among evangelicals, and many Christians began to discuss the relationship between false religion and true religion which relishes obedience to Christ. If you are interested in reading more about the critique of Bethke's video, you can find one of many articles here.

However, the hype from this video has not only caused a stir among Christian evangelicals, but in the Islamic world as well. Soon after Bethke's video went viral on Youtube and Facebook, a young Muslim produced another video in response. The video is certainly produced very well. The problem is that he sadly, like many Muslims, completely misunderstands the basic teachings of Christianity, primarily regarding the nature of the Trinity and the hypostatic union of Christ (that's a fancy phrase that teaches that Jesus was both fully God and fully man). Here is the video for those who have not seen it.

The uninformed Christian may at first be confused or have questions concerning this young man's arguments, which may seem rather convincing. However, upon further examination, his claims are built upon a basic misunderstanding of Christianity which results in many of his straw-man arguments. (A straw-man is when someone misrepresents another person's position in order to create a false caricature which is easily refuted without ever addressing the actual position.)

This video's claims require a biblical response. For those of you who are looking for an in-depth response to the video above, you should go here and here. However, in today's technological world, arguments are rarely made in books, podcasts, or articles (arguments are made, but fewer people are reading them.) So instead of a book response, in the spirit of this blog post, I will post another "rapping, rhyming, video response." This video was developed by Ivey Conerly under the direction, inspiration, and writing of apologist James White. I hope this video will be shared with all our Muslim friends who need to know the truth about Jesus Christ and his gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh P.

When Marriage and Work Collide

Nearly one month ago, on New Year’s Eve, I married the love of my life, Jenny “Derrick” Pilgrim. I can still remember what it felt like as my heart beat out of my chest as I watched her walk down the aisle to become my bride. She was beautiful. The wedding was wonderful. Everyone cried (except me, I had some dirt in my eye). The reception was a wonderful celebration, and our honeymoon cruise was an unforgettable trip. As we headed home to begin our new life together, I was so excited that I had finally left behind the unrestrained freedoms of singleness and bachelorhood to finally enjoy the ecstasies of marital bliss. But then it hit me, like a train colliding into a brick wall, that one dreaded thing that everyone who has ever been married has experienced… Reality.

Yes, I know, you married folks already saw it coming, but I did not. Suddenly I was no longer an unmarried campus minister who lived by myself with no restrictions. No, I had a roommate now, but not just any roommate. I was now living with a girl. It is a massive understatement to say my life immediately changed. I had to adjust, and I am quickly finding out that life is not all about me. I have a new obligation to love my wife as Jesus loves his Church, and although it is a great joy, it is really hard. I am learning to balance my life at home with my work at Shorter. Whether you are married or single, you have probably struggled between the tensions of the daily grind of work and the challenges of home, all the while trying to figure out what it means to follow Christ as a faithful and obedient disciple. While I admit to being a rookie in marriage, let me offer some practical ways that may help you merge your spiritual walk with Jesus into your secular work.

First, cultivate a grace-filled, gospel centered home. One thing you quickly realize in marriage is that you are married to a sinner, and your spouse will be quick to remind you that he or she married to a sinner too. The Scripture is clear that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). It’s not just that we aren’t perfect… we are sinful, which means that even your closest friends and family will eventually let you down. So when something goes wrong at home and you are left disappointed by your spouse’s shortcomings, be quick to forgive. Be kindhearted and gracious, as God has been gracious to you (Eph. 4:32). This will only be possible if everyone in your home understands the gospel and their own need for forgiveness which can only be found in Christ.

Second, feed your soul with spiritual food. It is well documented that people who eat breakfast in the morning tend to be healthier than those who do not. The same applies in the spiritual realm. Make a practice of reading Scripture daily, meditating on it, and praying that the Lord would help you understand and obey His word. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up, just start again the next day. I knew a man who once said that he would never take a bite of physical food until he had first spent time reading his Bible. The Psalmist said, “I rise before the dawn of the morning and cry for help. I hope in Your word.” We would all do well to do likewise.

Finally, work hard at your job as if Jesus is your boss.  True Christians cannot separate their secular job from their spiritual life. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as if you are working for the Lord and not for men.” You will never find balance in your life as long as you try to compartmentalize your spiritual walk with Jesus from your daily work. Your relationship with Christ should affect every aspect of your life. My entire life changed when I met Jesus, and my life has certainly changed since I married Jenny. If I love Christ, it will show in my love for Jenny and how I do my job at Shorter. I pray that you will join me and my wife as we serve Christ together in our jobs and at home for the glory of God.  

The Valley of Vision

It is certainly true that our clearest sense of God's presence is most clearly perceived in our darkest moments of suffering. Clearly, light shines brightest against the backdrop of immense darkness. In other words, the stars are always present in the sky, but you can't see them clearly until the sky is as dark as night.

The same may be said in reference to the gospel. We will never fully appreciate God's grace until we are overwhelmingly aware of our sin. The Law must precede the gospel just as night is necessary to see the glory of the stars. Until we become conscious and convicted of our sinful rebellion against God through the Law, we will never see our need for Christ's redemptive work on the cross through the gospel.

Psalm 23 is a wonderful passage that describes God's relationship to us as a Shepherd to his sheep. The Shepherd leads us "beside still waters" and "in the paths of righteousness" for His own namesake. However, sheep inevitably wander, and even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, our Shepherd is always with us. Regardless of how perilous and hopeless our situation in life, Jesus walks with us. By taking sin and death upon himself at the Cross, death has only become a shadow that has lost its sting and no longer holds us in fear. We fear no evil because our Shepherd has conquered evil. We are surrounded by goodness and mercy... forever.

But let's be honest. Did you really see your need for Christ while everything in your life was calm? Were you tightly gripping God's hand while you strolled through green pastures and still waters? Probably not. But what happened the day one of your parents died, or when you lost your job, or you found out someone you loved had cancer, or you fell into a horrible sin that has left you guilty and in despair? What happened when your green pastures because a dry desert and your still waters became a raging river? More than likely, you ran to God. You realized you needed help. You had reached the valley... the valley of the shadow of death... the valley of vision. If you were like me, you realized just how far you had drifted from God during the times of peace... and you hopefully saw that your time of darkness was a gracious intervention of God to bring you back to the light.

Often it is in the deepest valley that we catch our clearest glimpse of Almighty God. And so I conclude with a Puritan prayer which bears the same name as the book from which it was taken, The Valley of Vision. I highly recommend this book, and you may purchase it here.

THE VALLEY OF VISION

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision, 

  where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;

  hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

   that the way down is the way up,

   that to be low is to be high,

   that the broken heart is the healed heart,

   that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

   that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

   that to have nothing is to possess all,

   that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

   that to give is to receive,

   that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

   and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

   thy life in my death,

   thy joy in my sorrow,

   thy grace in my sin,

   thy riches in my poverty,

   thy glory in my valley.