The Dive: Going Deeper to Know God Greatly by joshwaltman

THE

DIVE Going Deeper to Know God Greatly

THE DIVE Going Deeper to Know God Greatly

JOSHUA C. WALTMAN

On Truth and Love ontruthandlove.com

Design and Layout: Ø (ohjoshtomlinson.com)

Printed in the United States of America

DEDICATION To my friends and co-laborers, may this stir you to love Jesus more.

CONTENTS Introduction

Theology Is...

The Head & Heart Dichotomy

Communion with God

Conclusion

Appendix A

Appendix B

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My point is that which must be primary in each of our lives is a fundamental grasp of who God is, a deep desire to know and understand Him greatly, and a burning sense of urgency to see others do the same.â&#x20AC;?

INTRODUCTION

There’s an absurd disharmony that can be heard playing as ambient background music in the heart song of many Christians. In the foreground is a beautiful, symphonic devotion to following Jesus, but this background noise threatens to sour the piece because it clashes so noticeably with the notes being played. At the foreground are people who earnestly want to follow, but the inconsistent background is that they say they want nothing to do with theology. Lunacy. Imagine the crazed scientist relentlessly enthralled with experimenting to find a breakthrough, but unwilling to adopt the scientific method. Imagine the brokenhearted widow tormented by the pain of loneliness but who is unwilling to be consoled by a real offer of new love. Imagine the lifelong athlete right at the cusp of a guaranteed championship but refusing to step up to begin the race. This is Christianity without theology. To desire Jesus, yet refuse to think theologically, is beyond counter-productive. It is the equivalent of committing your entire existence to an eternal purpose only to refuse the method, promised hope, and reward of that purpose. MISGUIDED GOOD INTENTIONS “My son goes to school all week, works hard, and does his homework; I want him to look forward to having fun at church on Sundays, not be bored with theology.”—This was the response of some parents to the beginning of our church-wide summer curricu-

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lum “The Dive.” On the face of it, their concerns were understandable. After all, they could take their teens to another church up the road and the students would get an hour of games with a ten minute devotional tagged on the end. The students’ interest in all things church-related had been holding on by a thread, some parents themselves found topics about theology and apologetics uninteresting and intimidating; so they wanted their church to keep the status quo in order that their students would have a positive church experience before they went off to college. The desire to keep their kids in church was truly admirable. The equation for “successful” youth groups had been modeled for them elsewhere and they wanted a similar experience at our church. After all, teens need to have church curriculums with flash and easily-digestible, surface-level lessons if the programming is to be relevant because that’s how youth groups get huge, right? So, why subject their kids to these lessons on theology and apologetics that wouldn’t even be interesting to them, much less their kids? Another church member remarked, “Can’t we just learn stuff about how to actually be a Christian? I believe in the Trinity. I got it. Why do we need to go on and on about it?” Again, this was a fair question. Surely someone can be a follower of Christ and live the Christian life without ever having to utter the phrase “hypostatic union” or posit a question about the logical coherence of three individual persons

Introduction

being one in essence. These things could be simply accepted, no questions asked. Was handling these sorts of issues—even in a basic sort of way—something that was all that important for our church? Perhaps we should have been spending the summer with more of a focus on “practical” things such as a study on marriage, parenting, or dating relationships? Or maybe we could have spent the summer with an all-out push for servant evangelism in the community. Church members already affirmed their belief in the Trinity and in the attributes of God, and they were perfectly content with a faith that was beyond reason. So why mess with it? In many ways, this short book is a response to these questions. I believe the answers are far more profound than you might think and the implications are far-reaching into the Christian life. My proposal is not that I have the secret, or even that I have a new idea at all. Rather, my proposal is an old idea and our spiritual history is rich with giants in the faith who have understood it. Let me say, moreover, that I am weary of self-proclaimed “movements,” stating that their one issue of emphasis is THE single issue that the church must reform if it wants to see revival. I am likewise weary of hasty generalizations made about the needs of all Christians when the individual writing the book or making the remark has only been exposed to Christianity in a certain context. My intent in this little work is to build up my brothers and sisters at Mission Community Church,

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in the context into which we have been called with all of our strengths, weaknesses, needs, and hearts. THE SHALLOW CHRISTIAN LIFE It is to my utter dismay that many churches in my Americanized Christian experience have embraced what seem to me to be a very shallow version of the Christian life. In shallow Christianity, spiritual formation has been reduced to a lifetime of force-fed Bible studies void of any hermeneutical (the art and science of Bible interpretation) skill. Preparation for evangelism has been reduced to three step methods without any real comprehension of defending the faith and explaining it with precision. Our prayer lives are unbalanced with a litany of requests, a few short expressions of praise, and little understanding of the power and moral character of the God to whom we speak. Our worldviews often appear to be more influenced by cultural ideals communicated in movies than an in-depth daily pursuit of truth. Worst of all, shallow, generic, overly-glamorized, “Home and Garden” Christianity doesn’t make any connection between a person’s affections and his all-out pursuit to know God in a deeper, fuller way. What I am talking about here that has pervaded many of the lives of those in my sphere of experience is, in part, a mentality of anti-intellectualism. The shallow Christian’s life allows the ebb and flow of the waves of culture, even the trendy Christian culture,

Introduction

to shape the shores of his thoughts and passions. His default perception of God is more worldly than it is biblical. He is not to be found in the public square as an agent of salt, preaching and explaining the Gospel in a way that engages those who think differently than him. This is because his faith is born out of preference, not doctrinal conviction. There is no time to be spent in deep contemplation of the mysteriousness and wonderment of the Lord because a fifteen minute devotional is the equivalent of spiritual victory in his day, even though he has been a Christian for twenty years. He will spend a lifetime going to church and he still will know far more about his hobby than he knows about interpreting his Bible. Sure, the words “Faith, Hope, Love” will be tattooed to the walls of her house. But she will have no idea how to communicate to visitors what they really mean and how that differs from the cultural ideas that are often disguised using our biblical terminology. She will unquestionably embrace the catchy so-called “Christian” song on the radio, “Christian” film with a clever title, and new best-selling “Christian” book. But not once in her whole life will she pick up anything more substantive and challenging, such as a work by Jonathan Edwards, C. S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, or R. C. Sproul.

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THE ANTIDOTE My contention in answering these questions and in response to this spurious form of Christianity that seems to have sprung up in many of the churches I know is this: The antidote to a shallow Christian life is a change in desire. It is a dissatisfaction with one’s current lackluster awareness of our need for God. And it is an all-out pursuit for a more intimate knowledge of him and, more powerfully, it is his response to our pursuit. The pursuit is intimate because it recognizes that knowing the Lord is to know someone, not an abstract idea. It is to combat shallow faith by making daily connections between theology and practical living. It is to view the pursuit of God as the highest form of worship and the purpose of one’s existence. My point is that which must be primary in each of our lives is a fundamental grasp of who God is, a deep desire to know and understand Him greatly, and a burning sense of urgency to see others do the same. When we pursue this rightly, we live out the Christian life. We simply cannot be satisfied with mediocrity in this regard. There is a popular mission statement in many churches that accurately sums up what I’m getting at—“To know God and make Him known.” For me, this antidote is simply taking seriously the first aspect of that statement. When we say things like we need to “have a relationship with Christ” and we need “to know God,” we must continue to clarify what this

Introduction

means. Our meaning cannot be left to the devices of postmodern ambiguity and it can’t be left to the wanton redefinition of terms which is so prevalent in more liberal, and in many cases anti-biblical, brands of “Christianity.” This was the inspiration for “The Dive” curriculum that was created in the summer of 2013 at Mission Community Church in Chester, Virginia. We wanted to make sure that we did not throw around catch phrases like the need for a “relationship with Jesus” or “knowing God” or “making Him known” without explaining, thoroughly, what we meant. BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ILLITERACY In our curriculum, the leadership and I wanted a way to judge where our people were and where the growth needed to occur. So first we created a churchwide assessment with twenty questions about basic doctrinal issues that were phrased without any theological jargon. Our findings were as expected. The average score on the assessment was approximately 57%. We were both encouraged and discouraged by what we found. On the one hand, we were thrilled to see that the majority of those that took the assessment had a good working knowledge of the doctrine of justification, the basic definition of grace, the essential elements of the Gospel, and a basic sense of bibliology (the study of Scripture). On the other hand, we were frightened by the fact that the majority of

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folks had very little understanding of theology proper and had very little comprehensive grasp of the basics of Christology (the study of Christ and His work). The most jarring finding was that 63% had affirmed that in fact Jesus was a perfectly created being, made by God the Father. This was more in line with the beliefs of a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses than a church full of Baptists. TAKE THE DIVE If the antidote to shallow Christianity is a pursuit of depth in our knowledge of God, then we indeed find ourselves in an uphill battle. But it is a battle worth fighting. In a society that is increasingly hostile to the exclusive truth claims and so-called “intolerant” claims of biblical Christianity, it is for certain that the status quo will no longer suffice. We can no longer afford to have passively shallow thought lives that are indifferent to our doctrinal heritage. Shallow Christianity does not cut it. So, my intention here is not to repeat the theology and apologetics training of “The Dive” curriculum verbatim; there quite simply isn’t enough space to do so. The goal I want to accomplish, in the battle for demonstrating the desperate need for depth of theological knowledge, is to show why we must take the dive. We must combat the urge to live a shallow

Introduction

Christian life. I want to challenge some false presumptions— presumptions that have created unrealistic caricatures—that many make about theology. When we think about theology, many of us conjure up ideas of a medieval lecture hall where monks argue over unimportant issues with dry enthusiasm. Or some may find the jargon and abstract nature of theology, apologetics, and Christian philosophy to be a turn-off that cannot possibly have import to their daily lives. For them, it is the caviar of Christianity—it is a nice garnish that rich people may enjoy but is a far cry from the meat and potatoes we really need to survive. Still others are content living the life of blind faith and want to remain blissfully unburdened by something that challenges their comfortable and easy routine—a thought life. My goal is to explain how theology can be used to stir our affections for the Lord as we incorporate its study into our practice of the spiritual disciplines. I want to show that the life of blind faith is not a life of biblical faith. Finally, I hope to demonstrate that theological study is foundational to communion with the Lord. It is the very foundation by which we say that we want to have “relationship” with Him.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is for certain that if we want to be of no earthly good, then we will refuse to be heavenly minded.â&#x20AC;?

T H E O LO G Y I S â&#x20AC;¦

It was my third semester in seminary and I was eavesdropping on my fellow classmate’s conversation in the hall. He was probably in his late thirties, had a good five years of full-time pastoral ministry under his belt, looked the part (trimmed goatee and tucked-in polo to match), and he clearly had a passion for serving people. Even though I didn’t know him personally, I felt attracted to his zeal but also increasingly frustrated by his apathy for the coursework. You see, we had just gotten out of a theology class and the lecture addressed a few controversial Christological issues. In a nutshell, he was complaining about how the professor had spent so much time on these tedious issues. His claim was that the one thing he had learned from pastoral ministry was that the majority of theological issues that are argued and debated in seminary are irrelevant to actual pastoral work. “The average person in the pew could care less about the Calvinism/Arminianism debate,” he said with roaring vigor. “When a church member comes to you after their husband dies, they just want to be comforted in the assurance of his salvation, not blasted with theology. This won’t help you in ministry.” Unfortunately, many pastors I’ve come into contact with have this mentality- the mentality that the pastor’s job is just “to love on people.”

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WHAT IS THEOLOGY? The pastor had assumed that abstract ideas have no bearing on practical living or ministry. Despite the fact that his own statement concerning assurance of salvation was self-contradictory given its theological content, let us suppose momentarily that he is right. Let us suppose that the details of God’s existence as a triune being, for instance, have no implications for how the Christian life, on an operational level, is lived out. If this is the case, then is the study of theology in vain? Have we wasted our time trying to understand God when there is no way that finite beings such as ourselves could understand God fully anyway? As we continue our thought, let us put things into focus by defining “theology.” Of course, there are many sub-categories of theological study, including historical theology, systematic theology, biblical theology, and philosophical theology. But “theology” in its most basic definitional form is “the study of God.” Could there be a more grandiose subject for study? Sure, people marvel at the mechanical intricacies of His handiwork by studying biology, cosmology, and history. But theology itself seems to be greater than all of that! Somewhere there is a scientist that has spent his entire life trying to understand the life and ecological purpose of a certain kind of spur-throated grasshopper. He is meticulous in observing every movement so he can put his conclusions together. There are art

Theology Is…

lovers who are obsessed with studying the minute details of their favorite paintings because they find them so beautiful. There are music lovers who enshrine themselves in a room of posters of their favorite rock group and who memorize every lyric and guitar riff because the songs speak to their souls. There are husbands who know their wife’s every mannerism, have studied her likes and dislikes, and find great pleasure in knowing her better than any other. We understand why these people study their subjects. Their pursuit makes sense to us. Where, then, is the same passion, meticulous observation, attraction, obsession, and love for the triune God?! In God himself we find a subject of study that is the source of all artistic and creative splendors, the perfect model for relationship, and the hands from which the universe, in all its complexity, was constructed. We could spend a lifetime studying His existence and barely scratch the surface. In fact, we could spend an eternity trying to understand Him, and indeed we will if we are heaven bound. What could be more invigorating? What could be a more precious use of our time, even if there was not a single instance of “rubber meeting the road?” To reflect intensely upon all that is good, just, powerful, and loving—this is far from a waste of our time. Simply on an intellectual level, the complexity and significance of theology make it the most worthwhile discipline to which we can devote our time, if we really believe He is who we say He is!

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THEOLOGY IS…A CATALYST FOR ACTION Of course, we were thinking hypothetically about a study of God that was divorced from the Christian life and practical application. Now, let’s toss down the hypotheticals and speak to reality. Theology is not some static abstract discipline that is best suited in the walls of academia. Okay, yes, we aren’t so naïve to think that some people don’t treat it this way. There is a Theology 101 course at a state school somewhere. In that class the professor is not a Christian, the course content has been reduced to the droning sounds of a Ben Stein lecture, and there is no spiritual fire burning in those discussing it. It is a purely intellectual exercise. Yes, that course exists and there are numerous Christians that treat it that way too. However, these people are not our standard for the Christian life. They’ve missed the boat as well. Those that make the mistake of seeking God with all head and no heart have an imbalance in the same way that the shallow Christian seeks God with all heart and no head. Theology cannot be done correctly unless the theologian realizes that one cannot truly know God without seeing His life changed as He obeys God in light of who God is. To study God as a Christian is to be called to action. To want to know Him—really want to know Him—is synonymous with wanting to serve Him. The greater degree to which the believer is exposed to the intricacies of the Gospel and the

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God of the Gospel ought to be the greater degree to which he is spurred to submit himself as a living sacrifice unto the Lord. To see with clear and spiritual eyes the reality of theological truths is to recognize that submitting in obedience to God’s instruction is the only rational response to those truths. Doctrine, if believed and understood, becomes the catalyst for action: • The Christian husband changes his tone in speaking to his wife as he is reminded of studying Christ’s relationship to His church. • The missionary battles more effectively in spiritual warfare after studying Satanology. • The struggling believer rests in the assured victory over sin after studying the doctrine of glorification. • The discerning Christian refutes the false gospel being given by a TV prosperity teacher after studying the doctrine of salvation. • The prayer warrior invokes God’s promises and sovereignty in prayer after studying the attributes of God. • The Christian employee commits to reaching her friends at work with the Gospel after studying the theology of mission. • The believer switches to a church that believes in biblical authority after studying Bibliology.

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• The high school Christian refuses to laugh at a perverted joke after studying about God’s holiness. • The older Christian models constancy in the life of her granddaughter after studying about God’s immutability (His unchangeable-ness). • The Christian lawmaker and businessman creates policy and law with a knowledge that man is depraved, a knowledge gleaned after studying biblical Anthropology. The list could go on and on. There is a theological foundation undergirding each of these decisions to act, even though many Christians have not thought through their motivations in quite these terms. Some may say that in each of these instances, the Christian is responding to Scripture’s instruction, not a theological precept. I hope you can see where this is erroneous. Consider the following: • How do you come to know the instructions of God? • What makes them the authority for your life? • Are these instructions consistent with each other? • What is the Holy Spirit’s role in interpreting and applying these instructions? • Why don’t unbelievers follow these instructions?

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• Does the church have the authority to tell you how to apply these? • Are God’s instructions essentially good? • Does God follow through with His promises? • What is the Gospel and how does it play into our following these instructions? Do you see my point? All of these questions that have to be answered in order for someone to submit to Scripture’s instructions are fundamentally theological in nature. The process of being obedient to Scripture, therefore, from start to stern, is a thoroughly theological enterprise. All Christians must, to a greater or lesser degree, be theologians if indeed they are going to act upon the teachings of Jesus. THEOLOGY IS…WORSHIPFUL One of the most impactful spiritual breakthroughs I’ve ever experienced was the day I finally understood that my prayers ought not be merely a recitation of the many requests that I had accumulated during my day. You see, I had learned how to pray from the prayer meetings I had been to at church that really only ever amounted to a reading of the prayer list requesting prayer for peoples’ sicknesses and other similar requests that had been published in the bulletin. Granted, those prayer meetings were usually appropriately solemn and reverent, but imbalanced all the same.

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After reading a book on prayer by Leonard Ravenhill I was captivated by a new idea. My prayer life could first and foremost be a time of worship. In the best of times prayer for me has since become a time of candid proclamation of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth in my life in which I end up in equal parts convicted, thankful, inspired, awestruck, and humbled. I have found myself moving from being prostrate before the Lord in silent focus on Him to wanting to burst in excitement for the contentment I find in knowing that despite all the lies that could have claimed my soul, the Lord showed me the truth. Prayer became all the more special when I discovered the impact of making my prayer a time of worship. I bring this up because I think a similar type of epiphany needs to occur in our minds and hearts when we begin to study theology. How can we trace the doctrines of justification, sanctification, and glorification through the book of Romans, for example, without likewise finding ourselves either prostrate before the Lord or bursting with excitement and praise?! Stop and consider these doctrines for a moment: Whether Jew or Gentile, we all stand guilty before the Lord whose moral perfection is exemplified in the Lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unreachable standards. Who can stand in the cosmic courtroom of God Almighty and be deemed innocent? None of us! Yet, through the

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atoning work of Jesus we are declared righteous and under His headship we are no longer slaves to sin but to righteousness as we are made progressively (over the course of our lives) into the men and women He wants us to be. All of this, despite our guilt, culminates in a life that presses on, no matter the present hardship, into future glory with Him, a future that is assured. As we break these soteriological truths down in the study of theology, it baffles me to think how easily we blow it by studying these things with dry hearts. Perhaps in our weakness we lose sight of the weight of these truths because of the monotony of reading and studying them so much. Perhaps in our skewed priorities we fail to assemble the appropriate amount of time, energy, and focus that are required to dive deeper in our comprehension of these things. Or perhaps we find ourselves in a spiritual dry spell in need of the Holy Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refreshment. In any case, there is something amiss if we do not find ourselves in a posture of worship when we dive into these enormous truths. There are two popular misconceptions about worship that might be exposed at this point. The first is the belief that worship occurs during that part of the church service where the worship leader leads the congregation in song. Certainly, there is something about music that is mysteriously used of God to help

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us channel our words in praise to Him. However, worship, as many reading this know, is much more than praising the Lord in song. It is in the daily and coherent decision to elevate the Lord to the status He already upholds. Namely, He is the primary and ultimate in our lives and we worship through extreme and affectionate submission to Him with the intent of the magnification of His being in glorious exaltation. To put it biblically, we submit ourselves as living sacrifices unto the Lord. If indeed this is the proper understanding of worship, then worship encompasses the entire church service, especially the preaching, and also the rest of our daily actions. Some people may take the above as proof that the Christian ought to be mostly concerned with the practical and less concerned with the theological. This mentality has given rise to the second misconception. There is a saying out there that gets thrown around from the pulpit (and on social media) that goes something like this: “Preach the Gospel always and use words if necessary.” Sure, the sentiment here is that believers need to practice what they preach and, by all accounts, that is wise advice. The problem is that the Gospel has content. There are propositions (truths) that someone has to be told, understand, and believe in order for them to be saved. You can’t just watch someone live a good life and then imitate them, hoping to be saved by mimicking their actions. This is likewise true with worship. There is content to worship. As the angels proclaim “Holy, holy,

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holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” (NET©, Isaiah 6:3b). In just this one line of angelic exaltation the holiness, sovereignty, authority, and omnipresence of God is proclaimed. In the same way, a contemporary praise chorus must communicate good theology—or at least be consistent with good theology—if it is to effectively fulfill its purpose. Worshipful expressions intended to magnify the Lord take seriously who that Lord is and what pleases Him, and these notions lay at the heart of the study of theology. THEOLOGY IS…PERSONAL If we want to know the truth about any area of life, we must learn how to see things objectively, inasmuch as such a thing is possible, if we are to come to conclusions that are not utterly skewed by our biases. For example, the failing restaurateur will continue to fail if he does not take a step back, and see the real reasons for his business’s failure. He must see his employees’ work ethics, critique his management style, and be honest about his food. When his personal relationships, feelings, or pride get in the way, he will not be able to see objectively what is making his restaurant fail. Objectivity, or a valiant attempt at objectivity, is so very important in the pursuit of truth. Even in determining the truth about God, objectivity is important. Imagine with me for a moment that you are an agnostic who has two friends, one

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who is a Christian and one who is a Muslim. The Christian sits you down one day and asks if he can share his testimony with you. Of course, you want to hear what your friend has to say and in fact find the testimony very convincing and powerful. Your Muslim friend does the same thing by sitting down with you and sharing his life-changing experience with his faith. It is equally convincing and powerful and you’ve noticed a change in lifestyle and moral direction in both friends since their conversions. “Who has it right?,” you might ask. Both friends have had a powerful experience and both claim that experience was from God. Would you, as an agnostic, be inclined to conclude that both were wrong, both were right, or some other middle ground? How would you deliberate in determining the reality about God given these experiences? Well, I would submit that we need to make conclusions about theological positions, beliefs, and experiences on the basis of an attempt to objectively evaluate propositions using our God-given ability to reason and the Holy Spirit’s direction. The agnostic needs to evaluate the statement “God exists” using the evidence that he can gather both for and against. Of course, we know that it is Holy Spirit who must also give the agnostic eyes to see the truth. In the same way, as we study our Bibles our conclusions about how to understand passages cannot be determined so much by subjective experiences but rather by an attempt to objectively determine the meanings

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of the authors, with the understanding that the Holy Spirit helps to give us eyes to see and apply the truth. My point is that studying theology is not divorced from rationality or objective study and I do not want to communicate otherwise. However, this is not to take away from the fact that, for the Christian, studying theology is deeply personal. We spend our time trying to understand the movement and relationships of Yahweh in the Old Testament because He is the one we are speaking to when we close our bedroom doors and whisper our prayers in secret. He’s not some distant abstract idea. The one we are studying is the one we are speaking to in prayer! When we draw conclusions about Moses removing his sandals in the presence of the Lord, we are drawing conclusions about the God who we will stand before face-to-face. Nothing gets more personal than preparing for what happens after we die. When we study the concepts of atonement and priesthood, we are building a theological basis by which we claim the blood of Christ for (insert a sin you committed today) as we come before God as New Testament believers who are priests according to Christ’s teachings. This enterprise of theology answers the questions of mankind’s purpose, value, and fate. What could subject could be more personal than these?

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THEOLOGY IS…A MATTER OF AFFECTION Imagine for a moment you are newly married and a couple of weeks into your new life as a spouse your sweetheart takes the time to write out some things about himself or herself that you should know. The list includes all sorts of insightful information about your spouse’s personality, aspirations, relationship details, expectations from your new marriage, and even a statement of an enduring commitment to love you. As those who are married will hopefully agree, such a list would be a treasured artifact in your marriage that is studied time and time again, probably over the course of your lifetime. You wouldn’t study that information as if it were a mathematical formula that was needed to be regurgitated on the next exam. You also wouldn’t hand the letter back to your spouse saying, “I already know you enough.” I’m sure you see my point here. When we study the particulars of God, our redeemer, we have to attempt to study them with affection for Him. The details about your true love’s personality and relationships and expectations for you are all part of the study of theology. We are lovingly discovering our God so we can please Him in every way. We are not satisfied with our present understanding of Him. It’s not that we want more so we can lord our theological knowledge over others, but because we are stirred by Him. In Him we live and move and have our very being. We are not satisfied with the status quo because the sta-

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tus quo has not tasted of the goodness of feasting on God’s Word and discovering anew some truth about who our Lord is and what He has done. We certainly don’t tell Him we know enough and don’t want to go deeper. How could we say that if we really knew what we are declining?! Do we always approach these things with the affection we should? Sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes a sustained reflection or study on anything is challenging after a long day at work, a million other things lobbying for our time, and countless other distractions that enter into our world. Without being overly blunt, let me just say now that our priorities very often reveal where our affections lie. Sometimes, then, the first stop on our busy days needs to be our bedroom floor as we ask the Lord to help us find our affection in Him. Perhaps then all persons in the church, no matter lay or clergy, will be more inclined toward some theological study during their day. THEOLOGY IS…NECESSARY FOR MINISTRY As a high school senior, I was a newly-saved, “ready-to-defend-the-truth” kind of kid, wanting to take on the secular world with the Gospel I had finally come to know, and wanting to do it with guns ablazin’. I had grown up in a church, said the prayer, walked the aisle, and tried to be a steady member in my youth group, just like a lot of my friends. The only problem was I can’t say I had any more than a very minimal

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grasp of Scripture and, for me, Jesus wasn’t ultimately much more than a role model. When I finally came to see the truth of the Gospel, and the implications of really following Christ, I knew it was time to take drastic measures. Just as I had been struck by the reality of Jesus’ lordship, I wanted everyone else to see it too. All of a sudden I felt like I had been given new eyes to see. It seemed clear to me how many people were playing the “church game” and thought about church as if it were some leftover moral club from the 50’s that their parents had taught them they needed to be a part of if they were going to be good people. At the time, it felt like I was fighting a cultural war that only I knew about. It felt like I was part of a secret spiritual battle spanning throughout history. We read about the world wars and the political wars in class, but the greatest war was on a spiritual dimension and for whatever reason it seemed like I was the only one concerned about it. I think back on that time fondly because, for me, the feeling of being isolated in my convictions (though surely I wasn’t) really helped to forge a certain sensitivity to spiritual warfare that has served me well in ministry. I give you that context in order to tell the following story. As a senior, I started an after school Bible study that was driven by a desire to reach out to my peers. At these studies we essentially opened up Scripture to a previously chosen passage by me and began to talk about what it means according to each

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of our opinions. The Lord graciously used those studies to bring fruit in spite of this terrible Bible study practice, the dangers of which I was ignorant of at the time. At the same time, however, I also taught many students to believe particulars about God that were not developed, precise, or accurate. In some evangelistic conversations, I very well could have unwittingly led a few students into a false sense of salvation. There were simply too many theological distinctions about salvation which I needed to be able to make and didn’t. My zeal, my passion, and my desire to “love on these people” did not stop me from playing a part in what is most probably their false sense of salvation. How many churches in your city and on your TV have a conflicting perspective about the Gospel, interpreting Scripture, and fundamental elements of Christianity? If you answer honestly, you must admit there are many. How can they all be right? The answer is they can’t. There are many so-called ministers masquerading as experts in all things relating to God and who honestly haven’t the first clue. They don’t have a clue because they are theological midgets who either have intentionally attempted to fool us or who have not taken the appropriate time to ensure that their teaching is in line with solid biblical theology. How then, with all of these varied voices from others claiming to be ministers, can a person expect to be effective in ministry without first dedicating himself to theological study?

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Moreover, those who follow a minister—whether a minister within the local church or a minister to his family—cannot expect those he is shepherding to surpass the spiritual development that he has already attained. To my pastoral friends reading this—you may say that your people are not interested in anything of theological depth and perhaps that’s true. But what if they’re not interested because their low view of God is reflective of your low view of God? It’s true that the majority of sermons in American churches are not given on a very deep level, but it is likely that your people will never advance past that level if you are not pushing them. They will not see the need to take the dive if you keep the status quo. And if they don’t take the dive, then what’s to keep them from being another casualty of postmodernity?! It is for certain that if we want to be of no earthly good, then we will refuse to be heavenly minded.

“The way a person loves is sculpted by what he believes.”

THE HEAD & H E A RT D I C H OT O M Y

If you were asked to describe who you are as a person, what would you say? Obviously, the Christian’s overarching and most important answer entails his identity in Christ. His identity in Christ pervades all else… But what are the details that make you who you are? You might answer with specifics like: • Your focus in ministry • Your values • The family you’ve been given • The career to which the Lord has called you • The hobbies you think about each day • Your aspirations and motivations • Your past and the various ways you have been shaped into who you are today Now, if I took one of those “pieces” of your life and told you this one thing defines you and nothing else matters, you would likely object. You are more than a single “piece.” You are complex. You are multi-faceted. You are a unique creature. It is all of these things which make up who you are. All of the pieces make up the whole and they are interconnected. It is commonly believed, though, that spiritual development must mean the maturing of one’s “heart,” and not one’s head. The two are often thought of as being exclusive of the other. But biblical faith is not divorced from head knowledge. Our spirituality is connected to the whole person—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Likewise, our spiritual growth occurs in each of these areas. Indeed, it must. Our entire

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being—as a whole and in every piece—is in need of sanctification (to be made like Jesus). We are complex, and we need to be made like Jesus in every area of our complexity. Moreover, when we grow in one area, the other “pieces” are impacted. For instance, we recognize that becoming more like Jesus in our service to others also affects how we think through our faith. It gives us perspective in an experiential way as it also gives feet to our doctrinal convictions. On the flip side, as we make theological connections in our understanding of God, our service to others is impacted. Like we saw in the previous section, this cannot help but happen if theology is practiced correctly. It is quite possible that our objectives and our practices in serving others within our community and church may be completely altered as we grow in our intellectual comprehension of the Gospel. One example of this can be found in the common misunderstanding and misapplication of the acceptance and love of God. Here’s a statement you might hear from someone who doesn’t want to be told that some area of their lifestyle is sinful—“God accepts me just as I am. I was born this way and God loves me enough to let me be me.” This person has just misapplied the doctrine of God’s love. Jesus accepts us as the sinners we are by dying for us, but there is also the need to recognize that we are just that—sinners in need of a complete overhaul. A clearer picture of God is necessary for the person who refuses to conform to

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a righteous lifestyle, certainly. But also the one who confronts this person (with a loving heart) does so because they recognize serving and loving people is defined not by the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception of tolerance, but rather by a more complete picture of the person and love of God. Calling someone out on their sin can be one of the most loving things a person can do for another because he loved the other person enough to make him aware of the offense he is committing against God, in spite of the fact that it is often an uncomfortable and counter-cultural conversation. The way a person loves is sculpted by what he believes. The head and heart must both be engaged as we live the Christian life. To neglect one in favor of the other is to invite an imbalance which renders us much less effective in carrying out our purpose. If we are going to take the dive and move beyond a shallow faith, we will need to commit to cultivating a deeper thought life, which will in return deepen our love for God and people. Let me now make a few connections between our thought lives and our Christian walk. CRITICAL THINKING, NOT A CRITICAL SPIRIT The idea of critical thinking is not a new one, though maybe it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get used in Christian circles enough. It is using skills of thought to evaluate infor-

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mation in order to clarify what is true and what is not, and then applying conclusions in an appropriate way. These skills of thought include analyzing arguments, determining whether evidence is sufficient, weighing opposing perspectives fairly, admitting biases, and investigating ideas for consistency and accuracy. In short, critical thinking means you can decide for yourself what you believe. It means you realize not everyone who tells you something is correct about everything, in every way, and at all times. It means you don’t drink the cool-aid just because someone tells you too. You can decide, intelligently, for yourself (with reliance on the Spirit) about your own beliefs. You might believe critical thinking belongs more in a college-level course curriculum than a Sunday school class. However, critical thinking is arguably all the more important when treating matters related to our faith. It is in matters of eternal significance which we need the most amount of discernment. Wouldn’t it be incredibly irresponsible, if not altogether reckless, to base your beliefs about your entire life’s purpose and your soul’s fate on your pastor’s beliefs, and not on your own examination of the issues? Please don’t misunderstand me—your pastor may hold five doctorates and be the wisest person you know, but we still need to evaluate the truthfulness of the Gospel for ourselves, given the gravity of what is at stake. What’s more is we need a healthy mind to answer all kinds of questions about our faith. Questions like what do we believe about tithing, what does Scripture instruct us

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to do with evangelism, are charismatic gifts for today, how should church government operate, and what is the most biblical approach to parenting all require the Christian to evaluate a variety of opinions, perspectives, and arguments. Let’s apply a little critical thinking to a commonly held objection raised by some who want nothing to do with Christianity. The objection goes like this: “Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. So why would I believe in Christianity?” Clearly, those who make this statement have not thought critically about what they are saying. A popular (and correct) response to this objection is that the gauge of the truthfulness of the Christian worldview is certainly not individual Christians. Every Christian in the world could be a hypocrite, but that neither proves nor disproves the Christian worldview. Additionally, however, we could reply by explaining that this position is a hasty generalization. This person is judging all Christians from all places and all periods of history to be hypocrites on the basis of his exposure to what is surely a very small percentage of Christians on the whole. So, my point is the critic in this case would do well to think critically about his objection to the faith, and the evangelist would do well to do the same if he is to be effective in explaining his case for Christianity. On the other hand, there must be a balance. We need to have critical thinking, not critical spirits. There’s a certain stereotype that some seminary students fall into when interacting within the body of

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believers in the local church. To many, some theology students are known as intelligent but hyper-critical, nitpicking about every tiny nuance of error in the pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sermon and constantly harping on tedious theological distinctions that are likely brushed off as irrelevant by the rest of the congregation. This brand of arrogance and snootiness is misguided. A slight disagreement here or there with the pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message or a somewhat mis-phrased comment that is deemed theologically incorrect is not cause for disregarding the rest of the sermon as inapplicable. Nor is it cause for disrespecting our fellow brothers or sisters by calling them out on each and every mistake. At this point we call upon our heart to keep our heads in check. This means extending to one another a certain degree of grace and charity, especially as we interact with those that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t progressed in their theological understanding to the extent that we have. It means recognizing that any intellectual gifts you have come from the Lord (not yourself), and ought to be used in the genuine edification of the body. While this certainly may involve correction, rebuke, discussion, and use of critical thinking in ensuring proper doctrine is taught, it does not involve intellectual snobbery or disrespect. It also means any real understanding of the things of God carries with it a hefty dose of humility.

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RENEWING THE MIND AND SIN COMBAT The head and heart are married in the Christian’s determination to combat sin. While our salvation is assured in Christ and God sees us through the lens of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are still on a journey in our faith. We have been declared righteous on the basis of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, and we are being made righteous progressively over the course of lives. Still, this journey is not without its foes. One of them, to use Scripture’s terminology, is the “flesh.” We are at war with the flesh, our propensity to sin, even after we become Christians. We are given the power through the Holy Spirit to defeat sin but are expected to fight the good fight against it. We do not sit back passively and let the Lord transform us. No, the Lord transforms us through the battle! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are at war. It is impossible to sit on the sidelines. You are not excluded. Another enemy we face in our fight to live holy lives is Satan. This enemy has much more influence than our secularized culture would dare admit. He is called the tempter, god of this world, and the adversary in Scripture and he is notoriously tactical in his deception. In spiritual warfare, we are at war with our own desires to sin, but we are also at war with an external influence that is well-practiced in deception.

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So, here’s my point—What military general refuses to learn all he can to defeat his enemy? He does not close his eyes to the battle at hand simply because his circumstances are difficult. If he is going to defeat the enemy, he needs to be present in his faculties. He needs to use his God-given mind to plan his attack. He needs to take careful inventory of his resources. He needs to study battlefield tactics. He needs to gather intel about his enemy. To be absent in mind is tantamount to losing the war. When Christians do not commit to being transformed from the inside out by the renewing of their minds, they will most surely remain conformed to the world’s patterns. The world is influenced by the enemy and will keep us from putting sin to death. Let me say it another way—A worldly Christian who turns his mind off when he walks into a church service will not walk out any more transformed. To do so is like the general with his head in the sand. We need to know the weapons at our disposal. We need to strive to understand the extent of the might of the King for which we fight. We need to know what the role of the Spirit is in the fight. We need to formulate strategies in combating the sin in our lives. This means applying what we know from Scripture in a systematic way to accomplish our task. With enemies with this much power, our mind needs to be all the more sharp and our grasp of the truth all the more piercing.

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How can a man show Jesus that he loves Him?...He can keep His commands and do His will. How does a man know how to do His will?...He uses a mind that is renewed. STRATEGIZING OUR MISSION The motto “To know God and make Him known” is a concise way of summarizing the goals to which the church’s eyes are set. However, the expanded details and fullness of what this means and how this is done makes this mission magnificently rich and humbling. The Lord uses the Church to usher in His Kingdom here on earth. He doesn’t have to use us, but He gives purpose to our lives by using us as we carry out the Great Commission. How, then, do we use our minds when we carry out this mission? First, we use our mind in contextualizing and explaining the Gospel in a way people need in order to understand it. The shocking truth many of my brothers and sisters reading this need to hear is that not everyone on this planet has had the same experiences they have and understand things in the same way. People hear the Gospel in different ways and respond to it from different places in their life.

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Consider a few ways people respond to the ideas in the Gospel story: • The meaning of the word “peace” will have an altogether different flavor for a seasoned soldier than it does for a child of 60’s. • The idea of being rejected by His own people may be a harder concept for a teenage suburban preteen than it is for a college-age hipster. • The thought of God being “Father” will carry a different set of concerns for a lady who was abused by her father than it does for someone who grew up without a father. • The notion of grace may be a difficult concept to grasp for someone who grew up in a hard core disciplinarian family. • An American who believes all religions are equally valid is much less likely to agree with the exclusive claims Jesus makes about salvation. If we are going to reach these people, would it not follow that we must have sharp minds that can understand how to present Jesus’ teachings in a clear way? Sure, we can continue to use our clever (and sometimes lame?) 1-2-3 step evangelism presentation we learned in Sunday School, but at some point do we not need to recognize that people are more likely to respond to those who have the desire and ability to really know them and where they’re coming from. We love them enough to share the Gospel, but let’s also love them enough to seek to be smart enough to

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explain it how they need it. Secondly, we need a mind that can stand up to the scrutiny of our culture concerning our faith. The information age has brought an almost unlimited amount of resources to the fingertips of anyone with a smartphone. A person who wants to criticize Christianity can find fifty reasons to do so in an instant by merely searching for “arguments for atheism.” This becomes even more challenging since the ideas of secularism and naturalism (the idea that there is no supernatural) has been force-fed to the millennial generation through the educational system. These challenges have made the Christian’s responsibility for being prepared to give a response to the objection of the skeptic all the more important in our day. Objections from the average critic and questions from the average agnostic are much more likely to be nuanced because of the access to information. So, too, must our responses. THE MIND AND THE DISCIPLINES Spiritual disciplines are exercises the Christian does to mature in his faith and to abide in Christ. One of the most practiced disciples is prayer. It is a powerful weapon of the Christian. A Christian speaks to God through prayer. From his bedroom, a Christian can have spiritual impact all over the world through his prayer life. Prayer, however, is a thoughtful exercise. We do not babble along like the pagans hoping

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to impress God with a bunch of words. Instead, we express ourselves after we think through our prayer needs, the prayer needs of others, the expression of thanks for the Lord’s works, and our adoration for God. If we were to stand before the president of the United States, would we not care about having a thoughtful conversation? If you were speaking to your father about important family matters, would you not care about being thoughtful in what you said? If you were writing a thank you card or a love poem to your spouse, would you not think carefully about what you wrote? The sharpness of mind in prayer is all the more worthwhile in speaking to the Creator. A second spiritual discipline is Bible study. You can make the Bible say anything…if you read it out of context and without careful study. Everyone reading this book has been exposed to someone who misinterpreted the Bible with severe consequences. It takes a keen and disciplined mind to interpret the Bible. Surely the average Joe can do it and do it well. But, it’s not as simple as pulling it out to the first page you flip to and picking out a verse to apply. Interpreting the Bible means getting resources to help you understand the background, reading the context to understand what the author was getting at, and making applications in ways that take into account the fact that the reader is not the original reader. A good Bible student doesn’t need to be a scholar, but he does need to use his mind.

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Two other disciplines are journaling and meditation. In these disciplines the believer is reflecting upon the Lord Himself, the Word, God’s leading in life, answered prayer, and a host of other things. In journaling a man’s thoughts are directed toward the specifics of the will of God in a person’s life and these recorded thoughts are then analyzed over time to reveal larger patterns in God’s movement in our lives. The Christian meditates, on the other hand, on God’s being with a spirit of worship, praise, and adoration, and in internalizing and applying Scripture. Needless to say, a Christian who practices these disciplines is forced to develop a robust thought life. I’m not sure how many people would disagree, in principal, with my reflections in this chapter. You may be reading this and thinking to yourself “Sure, we need to use our minds and our hearts as Christians. Got it.” If that’s the case, great! Let me ask you a question, though. If you agree with me that the Christian needs a rich thought life that is not divorced from the heart, are you developing it? How do you spend your free time during the day? Are you more concerned about television, social media, or remaining free from intellectual burden than you are with this essential need in our spiritual development? For some, developing this area of our lives comes natural, for others it is much easier to remain on the surface. In any case, we must accept that the two are not divorced from our lives.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Communion with God is the difference between intellectually affirming truth and allowing an affirmation of truth to be internalized and, subsequently, to invigorate us in our relationship with God.â&#x20AC;?

COMMUNION WITH GOD

I want you to stop for a moment and think. Consider with me the many layers of creation of which our God is overseeing (presently). If you took the Scanning Transmission Electron Holography Microscope, the most powerful microscope in existence at present, and used it to survey the world from a molecular level, you find an arena that does not escape the sovereign hand of God. If you were somehow able to view your life from an iPad and, using two fingers, you expanded your geographical position out beyond our world, galaxy, and universe to the very ends of creation, you would not find an inkling of space that inches past the territory labeled “God’s”. If you were to cross the threshold of every dimension and captured every immaterial thought, you would not find a place or an idea that is out of bounds for God’s reach. He sees creation from every and all angles and not a sub-sub-sub particle nor a galaxy riddled with planets escape His omnipresent vision. When our perspective is limited, His is all-encompassing. The earth spins underneath our feet and the electrons spin around the nuclei, and yet we live our lives without being fully aware of either one. And, yet, He holds it all together. Amen. You can read the above paragraph matter-of-factly, accepting these truths without any sense of passion or weight. You can read it, affirming its truthfulness, and miss the penetrating reality of God’s enormity and our smallness. Or you can read with ears that yearn to soak up the truth into your very being. When

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I think about these things, and meditate on them, I find a wonderful sense of closeness with our God. I feel small, oh so small, and yet I feel I have gained the proper perspective. I can speak to this God and He hears me. I can cry and He knows why. I can laugh and He laughs too. My experiences do not escape His plan. My very being, in all its intricacies, is known by Him. There is an unmistakable communion that can occur when we take time to reflect on theological truths. Sometimes taking an extra minute to reflect on a theological truth is enough to give us a fresh encounter with Him. WHAT IS COMMUNION? A glance in the dictionary will likely yield a number of definitions for the word “communion.” You might even find a number of connotations for the word in Christian circles. No doubt the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper comes to mind when we mention this word in church. That’s not quite how I’m using it here, though certainly partaking of the Lord’s Supper is a way to have communion with God. Here, I am referring to the communication of love between God and the believer which has a unifying effect founded on our position in Christ and that

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entails a posture of loving submission to the Lord on the part of the believer. We experience communion, as believers, in heightened ways in those instances where we posture ourselves such that we can sense this fellowship. What does this mean? • It means there are times in which we feel the presence of God in our lives. Though we are not to be driven by our feelings, they ought not to be neglected either. Sometimes the presence of God can be known through our feelings and awareness of His presence as we commune with Him. • It means communion with God occurs when God’s revelation is taken to heart. That is, communion with God occurs when His people really listen to what He has said in His Word. They aren’t just reading as though it were a novel. They read it with a reverence, and with an expectation that God has spoken and is speaking to them. • It means that we sense this fellowship, this special communication of God’s love for us, when we are keenly focused on our reliance upon Him. He is ministering to us as we are honoring Him in our focus upon Him and submission to Him. Communion with God is the difference between intellectually affirming truth and allowing an affirmation of truth to be internalized and, subsequently, to invigorate us in our relationship with God. Herein lies a large piece of what it means to live out relationship with Him.

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COMMUNION AND MYSTERY Theology sits at the crossroads between prayer, worship, action, and thankfulness. We use good theology when we do or express each of these. To be honest, however, I think the experience is a bit of a mystery. We can do our best to explain the closeness we feel to the Lord as we experience His presence, but we cannot do so adequately. In the same way, there is room in theology itself, for a certain degree of mystery by virtue of the fact that we are human and cannot know but so much, relatively speaking, about the God of the universe. I want to be careful not to step over any lines. I’m not saying our faith is completely and totally a mystery. Rather, there are aspects to our Christian life that are mysterious. For instance, I am unified “in Christ” and this is a spiritual connection which I don’t fully understand. I am “one flesh” with my wife. She can be in an entirely different place geographically, and yet, we still maintain this deep and spiritual union. I can speak words to her that will change her entire countenance, and the same words spoken to another would fall flat. These are the types of connections in our lives that cross over into the realm of communion, and it can sometimes be mysterious. What I do know, and I commend to those reading this book, is that it is the reflection, meditation, and prayer related to the things of God that bring about this communion. For many, it is reading, with open

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mind and heart, the Word which instigates communion with the Lord. It may be fervent prayer that brings us to the place where we experience communion with Him. It may be a sustained worship chorus where a corporate gathering of God’s people declare “Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” that gives us an occasion for communion with God. In each instance, though reality of God is at hand—a good theology is necessary!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Show me a church that cares about their study of God and who has learned to harness that focus to commune with God, and I will show you a church that is experiencing revival!â&#x20AC;?

C O N C LU S I O N

THE STARTING LINE Perhaps you have read this and are convinced you need to take the dive away from a shallow Christian life, but you aren’t quite sure where to begin. You may ask yourself “How do I change my desire for God (or lack thereof)?” Well, here are a few steps you can take: • Start with prayer. You need God to change your desire for God. Start a regiment of prayer that might include praying on the hour every hour, spend time fasting for a meal every week, or get up early to pray for an hour each morning. And when you don’t feel like praying, start praying for help to pray. • Read with mind and heart engaged. Who reads these days? Who has the time? You do…if you care about your spiritual growth. Maybe something needs to come off your plate and maybe the TV needs to be turned off, but you need time in the Word as well as supplementary reading. I would highly suggest the books listed at the end of this chapter as good starting points. • Use the dead time in your day. When you’re driving in the car or doing chores, find a good podcast that will help engage your mind throughout the day and keep it focused on the things of the Lord. See the list of suggested podcasts at the end of this chapter for ideas.

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• Ready your mind and heart for church. Take a few minutes before Sunday School, Sunday service, or community group to gather your thoughts and prepare yourself to focus on the material. Ask questions, be engaged, and be active in trying to apply what you’re learning. Ask your Sunday School teacher for homework assignments if you have to. • Filter your intake of truth. As you watch the news, follow some form of entertainment, and have conversations, reflect on how the information you are receiving is either consistent or inconsistent with the theology you have learned. This will help you be a better critical thinker. • Ask to be discipled. Come to your pastor with a desire for accountability and help. If you are at Mission Community, you are being disciple corporately. But if you want more, your pastors will come running. Ask for more. SUGGESTED PODCASTS “The Briefing” by Dr. Albert Mohler “The Line of Fire” by Dr. Michael Brown “The Dividing Line” by Dr. James White “Let My People Think” by Dr. Ravi Zacharias “Renewing Your Mind” by Dr. R. C. Sproul “Stand to Reason” by Greg Koukl “Unbelievable” by Justin Brierley

Conclusion

SUGGESTED BOOKS Packer, J. I. Knowing God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973. Stott, John R. W. The Cross of Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986. Bounds, Edward M. The Essentials of Prayer. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979. Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York, NY: Macmillan, 1959. Akin, Daniel L., Timothy George, Russell Moore, Paige Patterson, Albert Mohler, and Mark Dever. A Theology for the Church. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2014. Galli, Mark, and Ted Olsen. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2000. YOU SAY YOU WANT REVIVAL At Mission Community Church the leadership has prayed for a revival. We have prayed for revival and, in the process, asked ourselves what a revival is and how does one go about seeking it. I think we’ve gone through the gambit of answers to these questions. Our conclusion has been that a revival is a time when God’s presence is known in a new and fresh way, as

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the Spirit is present, as people take their sin seriously, as repentance takes place, and as people become consumed with a new sense of urgency for Christian missions. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also concluded that this does not occur as people sit back passively and wait for it to happen. It occurs as we pray for it, as we move toward it, as preach for it, and as we seek it in action. I speak now to the people of Mission Community, but also to anyone reading this with a desire for revival: How will we see revival in our church when people arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t excited about the identity of the God who brings revival?! Does the idea of a revival not then become an idol (something we place above God)? If we are more driven by an event, however good the event is, than we are about knowing God, are we not in trouble? Perhaps this is why revival tarries? Show me a church that cares about their study of God and who has learned to harness that focus to commune with God, and I will show you a church that is experiencing revival! They will have the focus necessary to pray fervently and in accordance with the will of God. They will know how to strategize their missions efforts effectively and biblically. They will engage culture with sharp minds that are not divorced from their hearts. They will not feed the shallow Christian machine!

APPENDIX A Church Pre-Test Given Prior to “The Dive”

MULTIPLE CHOICE Please choose all the answers that apply (there could be more than one answer to each question). 1. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that: a. The Holy Spirit is the same as the Father but only appears in a different way. b. The Son is equal to the Father in His power. c. God is one person. d. The Holy Spirit and the Father are distinct from one another. 2. Which of the following does Scripture indicate as the work of the Holy Spirit: a. Bestowing of spiritual gifts b. Providing atonement for our sins c. Serving as a prophet to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people d. Praying for the believer 3. Which of the following can we know about God without using the Bible? a. Nothing b. His perfect goodness c. His self-existence d. His plan of salvation

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4. How many natures does Jesus have? a. One b. Two c. Three d. Four 5. What is grace? a. The unmerited favor of God b. Something demonstrated by the Gospel c. Something given by God d. Something earned by the believer 6. Which of the following best explains what we believe about the atonement (Choose only one for this question): a. Man has dishonored God because of sin, and Jesus’ death restores His honor. b. The death of Christ was God’s statement to us about the severity of sin. c. Christ died in the sinner’s place and appeased the wrath of God. d. Christ’s death was a ransom paid to Satan to release us from the power of sin. 7. We are justified (declared righteous) by: a. Being a part of a Bible believing church b. Faith c. Works d. Sacrificing our lives for the Great Commission

Appendix A

8. Which of the following refers to the supernatural act of God whereby the spiritual and eternal life of Jesus is imparted to the believer: a. Redemption b. Regeneration c. Reconciliation 9. If you are sharing your faith with someone, which of the following MUST be included in the Gospel message: a. The resurrection of Jesus b. The need for repentance of the sinner c. The sinfulness of man d. The death of Jesus 10. When someone experiences “peace with God,” they have experienced: a. Sanctification b. Propitiation c. Reconciliation 11. If you were speaking with someone who doesn’t believe in Christianity, do you believe you could generally explain why you believe what you believe and also answer the objections that this skeptic might have? (Please answer honestly) a. Yes b. No

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TRUE OR FALSE 12. The only ordinance of the church is baptism. 13. People are born with a clean slate but because of their decisions throughout their lives, they become sinful in the eyes of God. 14. No other books ever written should have been included in the Bible. 15. The disciplines of science and philosophy are not at odds with Christianity. 16. According to the Bible, a Christian should try to have “blind faith” (unquestioning and complete trust in God even when you don’t have good reason to do so). 17. The most important differences between Baptists and Catholics are the way we conduct church services and the type of leadership that our churches choose. (For example, Catholics have Priests and a Pope while Baptists have pastors.)

Appendix A

18. As New Testament believers, we believe that the New Testament is more accurate in its teaching than the Old Testament. 19. God the Father created Jesus and made Him the most perfect human who ever walked the earth. 20. Jesus Christ had two natures and two wills.

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ANSWERS 1. B, D 2. A, D 3. B, C 4. B 5. A, B, C 6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A, B, C, D 10. C 11. A 12. False 13. False 14. True 15. True 16. False 17. False 18. False 19. False 20. True

APPENDIX B “The Dive” Schedule

PHASE 1 Week 1: Theology Proper – The Nature and Attributes of God Week 2: Theology Proper – Trinity: Definition and Biblical Passages Week 3: Apologetics – Existence of God: The Moral Argument Week 4: Apologetics – Existence of God: The Cosmological Argument Week 5: Apologetics – Existence of God: The Problem of Evil

PHASE 2 Week 6: Bibliology – Infallibility, Inspiration, Inerrancy Week 7: Bibliology – The Reliability of the New Testament

PHASE 3 Week 8: Christology – Deity, Humanity, Hypostatic Union Week 9: Christology – The Offices of Christ Week 10: The Resurrection

PHASE 4 Week 11: Hamartiology – The Law and the Fall Week 12: Soteriology – Grace, Justification, Sanctification, and Regeneration Week 13: Defending the Exclusivity of the Gospel