Yesterday my sermon text was Mark 4:21-34. I spoke about the means by which the word of life is given to dead souls, namely the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In my text Mark records the following words of Christ,
“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
I wrestled for a long time about why Mark led by the Spirit would put this with the parable of the seed and the soil. What does judging have to do with people hearing and believing the gospel? And why is it followed by the words of the one who has nothing even what he has will be taken away? To help me articulate to my hearers on Sunday what I think Christ is talking about, I used the example of the ELCA’s recent decision about homosexuals in ministry and church work. Before I share the way I spoke about the ELCA’s decision and the text in Mark, let me catch you up on Mark chapter 4.
It is interesting that Mark seems very selective about what he puts in his account of the gospel in regards to the teachings of Christ. As I taught the week before, and continued yesterday, it seems clear to me that Mark is driving home the fact of those who “have ears to hear, let them hear”. Four times in chapter four, the command is given to listen, hear, and understand. Then Mark closes the parables of Jesus by saying, “With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.”
So it is with us as we share the gospel of Christ. Some (1 type of soil out of 4) will hear the gospel, and the Holy Spirit will breathe life into their dead souls awaking faith in Christ. Many (3 types of soil out of 4) will hear and the Holy Spirit will not breathe life into their dead souls awaking faith in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that causes the soil to receive the word of life by the hearing of the gospel. This is sobering and wonderful at the same time. It is humbling and encouraging at the same time. This speaks of the reality that the believer's responsibility is not to save men, but to call men to repentance and faith through the proclamation of the gospel. Men are saved by God, not men. Yet, God uses the means of sharing the gospel. I began the sermon yesterday by quoting Richard Baxter, “God is the Arbitrary Absolute Lord of all means. Therefore, he can use and dispose of them as he sees fit. Yet, he acts by them.”
Now to the verses I mentioned and the ELCA.
When we understand the reality that we do not save men, but God does, and that he does this through the proclamation of his gospel, we will not stand in judgment over any sinner that is still under the wrath of God. We will not hold ourselves up as the standard by which salvation is merited or achieved. We will appeal to the word of God, namely the gospel of Christ! How many times have you heard it said that “Christians pick on homosexuality, but not greed, or divorce, or etc…” and “Do not judge homosexuals, for what measure you use it will be measured to you”?
This is why it is important to understand that salvation is 100% wrought by God. For if we know that our experience, or knowledge of the word, or depth of insight into the glory of God, is not the standard, but Christ and his word, we will appeal to the Word of God as the standard not ourselves, or some achieved salvation. And when we don’t understand that salvation is 100% wrought by God through the proclamation of the gospel, we will hold something (knowledge, culture, circumstance, sexual biological determinism, etc…) up next to God as the standard by which we judge a sinner and their sins.
I fear this is what the ELCA has done. The Word of God is not the standard alone for them. I fear the words of Christ in Mark for them, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away”. We should not judge the ELCA, we should hold the Word of God up as the judge by pleading with them to hear and understand the Word.
ELCA, are you like the rocky soil? Are you falling away with no root because of persecutionon account of the Word? ELCA, are like the thorny soil? Are the desires for something worldly (inclusivity) choking out the Word? Oh, please ELCA, hear and understand the gospel!
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4253
“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
I wrestled for a long time about why Mark led by the Spirit would put this with the parable of the seed and the soil. What does judging have to do with people hearing and believing the gospel? And why is it followed by the words of the one who has nothing even what he has will be taken away? To help me articulate to my hearers on Sunday what I think Christ is talking about, I used the example of the ELCA’s recent decision about homosexuals in ministry and church work. Before I share the way I spoke about the ELCA’s decision and the text in Mark, let me catch you up on Mark chapter 4.
It is interesting that Mark seems very selective about what he puts in his account of the gospel in regards to the teachings of Christ. As I taught the week before, and continued yesterday, it seems clear to me that Mark is driving home the fact of those who “have ears to hear, let them hear”. Four times in chapter four, the command is given to listen, hear, and understand. Then Mark closes the parables of Jesus by saying, “With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.”
So it is with us as we share the gospel of Christ. Some (1 type of soil out of 4) will hear the gospel, and the Holy Spirit will breathe life into their dead souls awaking faith in Christ. Many (3 types of soil out of 4) will hear and the Holy Spirit will not breathe life into their dead souls awaking faith in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that causes the soil to receive the word of life by the hearing of the gospel. This is sobering and wonderful at the same time. It is humbling and encouraging at the same time. This speaks of the reality that the believer's responsibility is not to save men, but to call men to repentance and faith through the proclamation of the gospel. Men are saved by God, not men. Yet, God uses the means of sharing the gospel. I began the sermon yesterday by quoting Richard Baxter, “God is the Arbitrary Absolute Lord of all means. Therefore, he can use and dispose of them as he sees fit. Yet, he acts by them.”
Now to the verses I mentioned and the ELCA.
When we understand the reality that we do not save men, but God does, and that he does this through the proclamation of his gospel, we will not stand in judgment over any sinner that is still under the wrath of God. We will not hold ourselves up as the standard by which salvation is merited or achieved. We will appeal to the word of God, namely the gospel of Christ! How many times have you heard it said that “Christians pick on homosexuality, but not greed, or divorce, or etc…” and “Do not judge homosexuals, for what measure you use it will be measured to you”?
This is why it is important to understand that salvation is 100% wrought by God. For if we know that our experience, or knowledge of the word, or depth of insight into the glory of God, is not the standard, but Christ and his word, we will appeal to the Word of God as the standard not ourselves, or some achieved salvation. And when we don’t understand that salvation is 100% wrought by God through the proclamation of the gospel, we will hold something (knowledge, culture, circumstance, sexual biological determinism, etc…) up next to God as the standard by which we judge a sinner and their sins.
I fear this is what the ELCA has done. The Word of God is not the standard alone for them. I fear the words of Christ in Mark for them, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away”. We should not judge the ELCA, we should hold the Word of God up as the judge by pleading with them to hear and understand the Word.
ELCA, are you like the rocky soil? Are you falling away with no root because of persecutionon account of the Word? ELCA, are like the thorny soil? Are the desires for something worldly (inclusivity) choking out the Word? Oh, please ELCA, hear and understand the gospel!
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4253
Well done. Good post.
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