Monday, October 20, 2008
See our article on Youth Discipleship in The Alabama Baptist
The Alabama Baptist is doing a series of articles on Student Ministry this month and the most encouraging thing is that the focus has been on discipleship and family ministry. On October 2, Jenifer Martin Siemens wrote and article on Legacy Ministries and our new book Legacy Leadership: Principles for Leaving a Spiritual Legacy, titled 'Discipleship, not event-based ministry,' key to cultivating spirituality of teens. We are excited about the article and the emphasis the Alabama Baptist is placing on Youth and Family Ministry. Check out the article and let us know what you think!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
ApParent Privilege - A Review
ApParent Privilege, the second offering by Steve Wright, with Chris Graves, is a call for parents to rethink what it means to be a Christian parent that is every bit as impactful as their first offering, ReThink, was as a call to churches to rethink student ministry. Steve writes in a powerful, conversational style, as one parent to another, and in a professional, informed tone as a caring pastor to concerned parents.
Steve begins by sharing a little of his personal story as a parent and pastor to students and families. Using his unique ability to meld research and biblical precepts, he makes a strong case for parent’s apparent privilege as primary disciplers and daily mentors for their children. He says, “Our children need mothers and fathers to help them become adults. Childhood is temporary. One goal of parenting is to lay the groundwork to help children become godly adults. We must continually show our children what it means to be a biblical woman and a biblical man. We must teach responsibility, respect, work ethic, spiritual maturity, and life skills that adults must have.”(pg. 40)
What I found particularly refreshing was that the book did not just rest on statistics and antidotal evidence about good parenting. Steve takes the time and care to mark out for his readers what I think is possibly the most valuable information in the book, a theology of the family. I believe the lack of a solidly biblical theology of the family is the root cause of much of the family crisis in our churches today. If we but had a clear picture of who God is and how He has made himself known through the structure and relationships of the family, the attack by the world, the flesh and the devil on the family would have little success among the children of God.
The discussion on the theology of the family is limited to just one chapter in the book and therefore, Steve presents a concise overview in the form of “Seven Foundations of the Theology of the Family:”
1. God created man and woman in His image.
2. God blessed man and woman with the gifts of marriage, sex and family.
3. God gave parents the primary role of discipling their children.
4. God calls husbands to love their wives and calls wives to submit to their husbands.
5. God’s design is for marriage to be lifelong.
6. God seeks to use Christian families to unite and partner with the local church for the mutual purpose of discipleship.(52-57)
As a Pastor to Students, I used to always tell parents, “everyday, good parents have bad kids and bad parents have good kids, but it is the exception, not the rule.” I would say that in order to encourage a parent that just because their child may be in rebellion does not mean they are necessarily doing anything wrong, or just because they may have made mistakes, does not mean there is no hope. Steve gives the same encouragement in chapter 3 of the book, A Parent’s Difference, where he talks about the big picture of parenting with its goal of finishing well. He says, “Biblical parenting is more than keeping our kids from having sex, using drugs, or going to jail. It is about fostering an awe of God in our children. It is about showing our children their need for a Savior and introducing them to Jesus who alone can rescue their lives from sin and give life that lasts forever.”(pg. 62)
The focus is never on raising church kids, but on reaching both traditional and non-traditional families with the gospel, and having the hearts of both parents and children captivated by God. In that light, the book presents four distinctive marks of Christian parenting. He says that Christian parents, “seek to model the Gospel,” “value and protect the sanctity of marriage,” “see their children as blessings,” and “desire that Jesus captivate their children’s hearts,” which he says is the ultimate goal.(65-70)
Steve goes on to discuss how we as parents make time for what we value the most, and that value system is the difference between good parenting and godly parenting. To help us check those values, he gives eight principles from Scripture that must guide everything we do. Principle number seven, “Envision parenting as generational,” jumped out at me for obvious reasons. He says, “We don’t often think about generational parenting. We don’t think about a lasting legacy for Christ.”(92)
What makes the book helpful is that it not only reminds us of our biblical privilege and duty as parents, but it gives us some tools to use in the real life, day-to-day of our families. Steve give us seven of the most impacting habits he has seen in families during his more than 20 years in ministry. He and I agree the most basic and most profound of these is family worship. We also agree that there is a special call to fathers to be the spiritual leaders of their families. He gives six specific calls to fathers, and a job description that I will keep posted for a regular reminder.
ApParent Privilege is a must read for every minister wanting insight into how to talk to parents about their role as primary disciplers and for every parent who has a desire to fulfill that role.
Steve begins by sharing a little of his personal story as a parent and pastor to students and families. Using his unique ability to meld research and biblical precepts, he makes a strong case for parent’s apparent privilege as primary disciplers and daily mentors for their children. He says, “Our children need mothers and fathers to help them become adults. Childhood is temporary. One goal of parenting is to lay the groundwork to help children become godly adults. We must continually show our children what it means to be a biblical woman and a biblical man. We must teach responsibility, respect, work ethic, spiritual maturity, and life skills that adults must have.”(pg. 40)
What I found particularly refreshing was that the book did not just rest on statistics and antidotal evidence about good parenting. Steve takes the time and care to mark out for his readers what I think is possibly the most valuable information in the book, a theology of the family. I believe the lack of a solidly biblical theology of the family is the root cause of much of the family crisis in our churches today. If we but had a clear picture of who God is and how He has made himself known through the structure and relationships of the family, the attack by the world, the flesh and the devil on the family would have little success among the children of God.
The discussion on the theology of the family is limited to just one chapter in the book and therefore, Steve presents a concise overview in the form of “Seven Foundations of the Theology of the Family:”
1. God created man and woman in His image.
2. God blessed man and woman with the gifts of marriage, sex and family.
3. God gave parents the primary role of discipling their children.
4. God calls husbands to love their wives and calls wives to submit to their husbands.
5. God’s design is for marriage to be lifelong.
6. God seeks to use Christian families to unite and partner with the local church for the mutual purpose of discipleship.(52-57)
As a Pastor to Students, I used to always tell parents, “everyday, good parents have bad kids and bad parents have good kids, but it is the exception, not the rule.” I would say that in order to encourage a parent that just because their child may be in rebellion does not mean they are necessarily doing anything wrong, or just because they may have made mistakes, does not mean there is no hope. Steve gives the same encouragement in chapter 3 of the book, A Parent’s Difference, where he talks about the big picture of parenting with its goal of finishing well. He says, “Biblical parenting is more than keeping our kids from having sex, using drugs, or going to jail. It is about fostering an awe of God in our children. It is about showing our children their need for a Savior and introducing them to Jesus who alone can rescue their lives from sin and give life that lasts forever.”(pg. 62)
The focus is never on raising church kids, but on reaching both traditional and non-traditional families with the gospel, and having the hearts of both parents and children captivated by God. In that light, the book presents four distinctive marks of Christian parenting. He says that Christian parents, “seek to model the Gospel,” “value and protect the sanctity of marriage,” “see their children as blessings,” and “desire that Jesus captivate their children’s hearts,” which he says is the ultimate goal.(65-70)
Steve goes on to discuss how we as parents make time for what we value the most, and that value system is the difference between good parenting and godly parenting. To help us check those values, he gives eight principles from Scripture that must guide everything we do. Principle number seven, “Envision parenting as generational,” jumped out at me for obvious reasons. He says, “We don’t often think about generational parenting. We don’t think about a lasting legacy for Christ.”(92)
What makes the book helpful is that it not only reminds us of our biblical privilege and duty as parents, but it gives us some tools to use in the real life, day-to-day of our families. Steve give us seven of the most impacting habits he has seen in families during his more than 20 years in ministry. He and I agree the most basic and most profound of these is family worship. We also agree that there is a special call to fathers to be the spiritual leaders of their families. He gives six specific calls to fathers, and a job description that I will keep posted for a regular reminder.
ApParent Privilege is a must read for every minister wanting insight into how to talk to parents about their role as primary disciplers and for every parent who has a desire to fulfill that role.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Children of God: Leading to Maturity, Multiplication, and Glory
Moses spent the last third of his life fulfilling God's purpose. In what we would consider his retirement years, Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land. During that time, God used him to deliver His law, to appoint judges over the nation, to purify the nation and to appoint the next generation leader. During this time, we see Moses use all that God had taught him throughout his life to lead his people in a way that would lead them to maturity, lead them to lead themselves, and lead them to glorify God. There are several principles that become obvious during this phase in Moses' life that we can apply in helping us become Legacy Leaders.
The first principle that we see displayed during this period of Moses' life is God-centeredness. That is what Christ as the standard in our lives is all about. God empowers us to lead when He calls us to lead. We do not have to be the best speakers, we do not have to have a position or title, and we do not even have to be perfect people. We just have to depend on the grace of God and the strength of His might. We have to wait patiently for Him and not move out before He sends us. We must also be so ready to move that when He calls our name we are instant. Again, Blackaby says in his book Spiritual Leadership, "He (God) ask leaders to walk with Him so intimately that, when He reveals what is on His agenda, they will immediately adjust their lives to His will and the results will bring glory to God." Legacy is not about me, but God doing great things through me. God told Moses, "I will be with you." At every step of the journey, God gave Moses supernatural influence because Moses was completely dependant on God. Because Moses had established God as the center of his life, Israel heard him when He spoke in God's name, Pharaoh heard him when he acted in God's name, and the Red Sea even heard him when he moved in God's name.
Second, we see the principle of influence displayed in the life of Moses. We have already seen how God gave Moses supernatural influence because He was centered on God. However, we also see Moses use that influence to challenge Israel's old way of life. To lead implies a new direction. The people of God could not stay tethered to Egypt. They could not become free men and women without making the journey through the wilderness. Only then would they have the souls of free men and dwell in the Promised Land. Leaders must challenge the old and anticipate resistance. The journey would not be easy. There would be plagues and elemental barriers. There would be Pharaoh's army and a desert. There would be idols and giants. However, through the leadership of Moses, God would provide gold and miracles, victory and manna, a covenant and a Promised Land.
Third, we see the principle of integrity. Leadership holds people and organizations accountable to the godly standard. Moses ascended to receive the law, and the people quickly forgot the vision and regressed to their old way, corrupting themselves. When God became angry and was set to destroy the people, Moses took responsibility for the people he was leading. Then, Moses went to the people and held God's truth up before their delusion. He showed the people that they must be faithful to the one true God. Moses was responsible to impose fidelity to the original. When the people revert back and corrupt themselves, the leader must intercede, destroy the graven idols and refocus the people on the purpose of the journey—the Promised Land. As a result, God made a covenant with His people.
The fourth essential element we see displayed in the life of Moses is vision. The Hebrews prayed for liberation for hundreds of years, but it was not until God decided to initiate it that the change became a reality. Moses questioned his selection by God as a change agent, his ability to confront the old establishment and his credibility to lead the people—just like all of us do. However, God revealed to Moses what He had purposed to do. The vision, "the land of milk and honey," is the responsibility of the leadership. God showed Moses the vision, and it was up to Moses to keep the vision ever in front of the people. When they were afraid, he had to remind them of the vision. When they were tired, he had to remind them of the vision. When they fell into sin, Moses had to keep the picture God had planned for their future in front of them. By staff, by pillar of fire, by stone tablet, or by temple tent, Moses kept the picture of what God had promised in plain view. Fifth, we see the principle of imitation, as Moses demonstrates an attitude of hope, built on the promises of God. Even after many years, when they've almost achieved their vision, the children of Israel still did not have the heart of free people. The Lord told Moses to send in spies to the Promised Land. When they returned, ten among the leaders of the children of Israel had lost the vision and gave a fearful report. The people of God murmured. Spiritual leadership is always optimistic. Only Joshua and Caleb were optimist. Upon hearing the negative reports of the others, they tore their clothes. The congregation begged to stone them with stones, but God protected them. Of the founding fathers, only Joshua and Caleb ever entered the Promised Land. While the murmuring of the people kept them wandering in the wilderness and their lack of faith in God kept all but the two optimists from seeing the vision with their eyes, the future leaders of the nation were not deterred by giants and were able to savor the reality of the vision in the Promised Land.
Leaders often must challenge the realistic, or pessimistic, majority and offer an unpopular divine perspective. It took forty years for the old generation to die. It took forty years for the next generation to develop, a courageous generation with holy and free souls, men and women who honored God. Then, they were a nation of people who imitated the nature and character of God.
The sixth characteristic of Legacy Leadership we see in the life of Moses is intensity. The people of God cried out to the Lord, and cried out to Moses saying, "We should have stayed in Egypt!" In the heat of battle, the people crumbled under the intensity. They were not always equipped to deal with where God was leading them, but God's chosen leader was. Moses quieted the people, admonished them to have faith and told them the Lord would lead the way. The Lord empowered Moses to part the waters. The children of Israel did not want to let go of the old. Although they wanted to be free, it was too difficult to let go. At the first sign of difficulty, Israel began to complain—better to die in the old familiar world than in pressing on to take hold of a future hope. Of course they took the knowledge of the old with them, and reverted back to it as soon as Moses was out of sight, so Moses had to destroy the old completely.
The people of Israel so lacked an understanding of intensity, that they were willing to be slaves for a few onions and a pepper. Moses understood what was at stake and that God had burned the old bridges back to insure that the people of God would not step in the same river twice. Unless those Hebrews could walk on water, they would not return to the old. They had been led through a parted sea, and they would either receive the promise of God or die in the wilderness.
Seventh, Moses displayed maturity. He had learned the idea of wholeness. What he learned about himself and about life while tending the sheep gave him a unity of purpose in his spirit. He was a strong leader and exercised judgment over the people with great wisdom. Most of all, we see that in the end, Moses was at peace with God.
Moses also displays for us multiplication, though, like most of us, he needed a little help with this one. Moses overburdened himself with the demands of leadership, and had to be instructed to empower those around him. In Exodus 18:13–26, we see a perfect picture of why spiritual leadership is to always be engaged in delegating out both authority and responsibility to the leaders we lead.
Moses had become overwhelmed by the task of serving the people, and he needed someone else to help him see that it was not good for him or the people. His father-in-law helped him see that just because it needed to be done and he could do it, did not mean that he had to or should do it by himself. You do what God has called you to do, what only you can do, and you appoint others to handle the rest. Make them accountable to you, give them both authority and responsibility, and then set them free to serve God and grow in their maturity.
Again, Moses not only shows the value of multiplication, but also the fruit of maturity and wisdom. He shows us a humble and teachable spirit, respect of his father-in-law, and trust in God. In Numbers 11, God orders Moses to appoint elders over the people because Moses could no longer bear the burden of leadership alone. A true leader is more a teacher than a judge. The leader must select those he empowers carefully, but leaders must exist at every level. For Moses, they existed over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens.
Finally, Moses shows us spiritual magnification. We see this in his understanding that it was never about him. Moses knew he would not live to enter the Promised Land and asked God for his replacement. Good leadership recognizes the importance of constancy of leadership and bridges his leadership with an effective succession strategy, finding a successor early and passing the mantle over time in the sight of the followers. It is often the new leader, anointed in the wilderness, who leads the people into the new vision.
Change is never easy! Transformational change is the most difficult, and great change requires great leadership. However, the glory of God for generation after generation is a great legacy to leave. As spiritual leaders, we have a unique opportunity to provide some necessary and valuable gifts for the next generation. We are at a sacred moment for transformation—urgency. God desires to do a great and mighty work in the next generation. We must provide great leadership.
Moses mentored Joshua and worked to prepare him to lead the nation into the Promised Land. He understood the folly of leaving our work to untrained hands. Moses understood that the journey was never the purpose, nor was his great leadership. The purpose was moving God's people from where they were to where He wanted them to be. The purpose of God was to move Israel from slavery to freedom, from oppression to promise, from Egypt to the Promised Land.
If our lives are to be about God's purposes and the glory of God displayed for generations to come, we must use our influence to challenge the old, impact our people by providing guidance through the process, and leave a legacy of people in our place who are better than us, born in the wilderness, who will enter the Promised Land and be leaders for the next generation.
The first principle that we see displayed during this period of Moses' life is God-centeredness. That is what Christ as the standard in our lives is all about. God empowers us to lead when He calls us to lead. We do not have to be the best speakers, we do not have to have a position or title, and we do not even have to be perfect people. We just have to depend on the grace of God and the strength of His might. We have to wait patiently for Him and not move out before He sends us. We must also be so ready to move that when He calls our name we are instant. Again, Blackaby says in his book Spiritual Leadership, "He (God) ask leaders to walk with Him so intimately that, when He reveals what is on His agenda, they will immediately adjust their lives to His will and the results will bring glory to God." Legacy is not about me, but God doing great things through me. God told Moses, "I will be with you." At every step of the journey, God gave Moses supernatural influence because Moses was completely dependant on God. Because Moses had established God as the center of his life, Israel heard him when He spoke in God's name, Pharaoh heard him when he acted in God's name, and the Red Sea even heard him when he moved in God's name.
Second, we see the principle of influence displayed in the life of Moses. We have already seen how God gave Moses supernatural influence because He was centered on God. However, we also see Moses use that influence to challenge Israel's old way of life. To lead implies a new direction. The people of God could not stay tethered to Egypt. They could not become free men and women without making the journey through the wilderness. Only then would they have the souls of free men and dwell in the Promised Land. Leaders must challenge the old and anticipate resistance. The journey would not be easy. There would be plagues and elemental barriers. There would be Pharaoh's army and a desert. There would be idols and giants. However, through the leadership of Moses, God would provide gold and miracles, victory and manna, a covenant and a Promised Land.
Third, we see the principle of integrity. Leadership holds people and organizations accountable to the godly standard. Moses ascended to receive the law, and the people quickly forgot the vision and regressed to their old way, corrupting themselves. When God became angry and was set to destroy the people, Moses took responsibility for the people he was leading. Then, Moses went to the people and held God's truth up before their delusion. He showed the people that they must be faithful to the one true God. Moses was responsible to impose fidelity to the original. When the people revert back and corrupt themselves, the leader must intercede, destroy the graven idols and refocus the people on the purpose of the journey—the Promised Land. As a result, God made a covenant with His people.
The fourth essential element we see displayed in the life of Moses is vision. The Hebrews prayed for liberation for hundreds of years, but it was not until God decided to initiate it that the change became a reality. Moses questioned his selection by God as a change agent, his ability to confront the old establishment and his credibility to lead the people—just like all of us do. However, God revealed to Moses what He had purposed to do. The vision, "the land of milk and honey," is the responsibility of the leadership. God showed Moses the vision, and it was up to Moses to keep the vision ever in front of the people. When they were afraid, he had to remind them of the vision. When they were tired, he had to remind them of the vision. When they fell into sin, Moses had to keep the picture God had planned for their future in front of them. By staff, by pillar of fire, by stone tablet, or by temple tent, Moses kept the picture of what God had promised in plain view. Fifth, we see the principle of imitation, as Moses demonstrates an attitude of hope, built on the promises of God. Even after many years, when they've almost achieved their vision, the children of Israel still did not have the heart of free people. The Lord told Moses to send in spies to the Promised Land. When they returned, ten among the leaders of the children of Israel had lost the vision and gave a fearful report. The people of God murmured. Spiritual leadership is always optimistic. Only Joshua and Caleb were optimist. Upon hearing the negative reports of the others, they tore their clothes. The congregation begged to stone them with stones, but God protected them. Of the founding fathers, only Joshua and Caleb ever entered the Promised Land. While the murmuring of the people kept them wandering in the wilderness and their lack of faith in God kept all but the two optimists from seeing the vision with their eyes, the future leaders of the nation were not deterred by giants and were able to savor the reality of the vision in the Promised Land.
Leaders often must challenge the realistic, or pessimistic, majority and offer an unpopular divine perspective. It took forty years for the old generation to die. It took forty years for the next generation to develop, a courageous generation with holy and free souls, men and women who honored God. Then, they were a nation of people who imitated the nature and character of God.
The sixth characteristic of Legacy Leadership we see in the life of Moses is intensity. The people of God cried out to the Lord, and cried out to Moses saying, "We should have stayed in Egypt!" In the heat of battle, the people crumbled under the intensity. They were not always equipped to deal with where God was leading them, but God's chosen leader was. Moses quieted the people, admonished them to have faith and told them the Lord would lead the way. The Lord empowered Moses to part the waters. The children of Israel did not want to let go of the old. Although they wanted to be free, it was too difficult to let go. At the first sign of difficulty, Israel began to complain—better to die in the old familiar world than in pressing on to take hold of a future hope. Of course they took the knowledge of the old with them, and reverted back to it as soon as Moses was out of sight, so Moses had to destroy the old completely.
The people of Israel so lacked an understanding of intensity, that they were willing to be slaves for a few onions and a pepper. Moses understood what was at stake and that God had burned the old bridges back to insure that the people of God would not step in the same river twice. Unless those Hebrews could walk on water, they would not return to the old. They had been led through a parted sea, and they would either receive the promise of God or die in the wilderness.
Seventh, Moses displayed maturity. He had learned the idea of wholeness. What he learned about himself and about life while tending the sheep gave him a unity of purpose in his spirit. He was a strong leader and exercised judgment over the people with great wisdom. Most of all, we see that in the end, Moses was at peace with God.
Moses also displays for us multiplication, though, like most of us, he needed a little help with this one. Moses overburdened himself with the demands of leadership, and had to be instructed to empower those around him. In Exodus 18:13–26, we see a perfect picture of why spiritual leadership is to always be engaged in delegating out both authority and responsibility to the leaders we lead.
Moses had become overwhelmed by the task of serving the people, and he needed someone else to help him see that it was not good for him or the people. His father-in-law helped him see that just because it needed to be done and he could do it, did not mean that he had to or should do it by himself. You do what God has called you to do, what only you can do, and you appoint others to handle the rest. Make them accountable to you, give them both authority and responsibility, and then set them free to serve God and grow in their maturity.
Again, Moses not only shows the value of multiplication, but also the fruit of maturity and wisdom. He shows us a humble and teachable spirit, respect of his father-in-law, and trust in God. In Numbers 11, God orders Moses to appoint elders over the people because Moses could no longer bear the burden of leadership alone. A true leader is more a teacher than a judge. The leader must select those he empowers carefully, but leaders must exist at every level. For Moses, they existed over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens.
Finally, Moses shows us spiritual magnification. We see this in his understanding that it was never about him. Moses knew he would not live to enter the Promised Land and asked God for his replacement. Good leadership recognizes the importance of constancy of leadership and bridges his leadership with an effective succession strategy, finding a successor early and passing the mantle over time in the sight of the followers. It is often the new leader, anointed in the wilderness, who leads the people into the new vision.
Change is never easy! Transformational change is the most difficult, and great change requires great leadership. However, the glory of God for generation after generation is a great legacy to leave. As spiritual leaders, we have a unique opportunity to provide some necessary and valuable gifts for the next generation. We are at a sacred moment for transformation—urgency. God desires to do a great and mighty work in the next generation. We must provide great leadership.
Moses mentored Joshua and worked to prepare him to lead the nation into the Promised Land. He understood the folly of leaving our work to untrained hands. Moses understood that the journey was never the purpose, nor was his great leadership. The purpose was moving God's people from where they were to where He wanted them to be. The purpose of God was to move Israel from slavery to freedom, from oppression to promise, from Egypt to the Promised Land.
If our lives are to be about God's purposes and the glory of God displayed for generations to come, we must use our influence to challenge the old, impact our people by providing guidance through the process, and leave a legacy of people in our place who are better than us, born in the wilderness, who will enter the Promised Land and be leaders for the next generation.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Response to "The Iconic Family"
On Wednesday night, Reid gave the Scriptural explanation for Satan’s attack on the family unit. Nothing is more fundamental to the governance of a free and God-fearing society than the integrity of the family. This email is to point out important implications of that teaching.
The integrity of the family:
By undermining the integrity of the family, Satan attempts to destroy the primary institution for the propagation of godly teaching. It is not in the school, or in the media, or in the public arena that a child is first exposed to godly teaching. It is in the home. During the early days of the church, all teaching occurred in homes, as there were no places of public assembly for believers. So, it is not enough for Satan to destroy the place of public assembly. He must also destroy the family.
The integrity of education:
Related to this are a number of important implications. The first of which is the fact that the destruction of the family requires the corruption of numerous other institutions. The most important tool in the destruction of the family is education. Since children spend as much time in school as they do in the home, and since the schools represent an opportunity to indoctrinate children without parental supervision. Satan’s first attack is upon the educational system. This has already occurred. School prayer has been banned, religion is ridiculed, and homosexual indoctrination has begun.
The integrity of the media:
Next comes the corruption of the media. After education (or perhaps even before education), the media exerts the strongest non-parental influence on children. The complicity of the media gives Satan additional cover for his attack upon the family. Never before in the history of the United States has the mainstream media shown such a flagrant disregard for journalistic principles as they have in this election cycle. Never before have they shown such violent opposition to a political candidate (Sarah Palin); and never before have their attacks been so openly directed to her family (to her children, in particular), as opposed to her political beliefs.The integrity of the vote:In spite of the legislative efforts of non-elected judges, the American family has steadfasty maintained is right to participate in public life through the power of the ballot box. But even that right is under attack. In this election cycle we can expect massive voter fraud in the state of Ohio and other states.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/buckeye-state-or-banana-republic/2/
The integrity of the language:
The final stage in the destruction of a society is the Orwellian destruction of its very language. The prime example is the concept of “gay marriage.” It is not enough for Satan to legitimize gay relationships, or even to legitimize the concept of same-sex “partnerships.” Rather, it is essential that such partnerships be seen as “marriage,” so that there remains no trace of the traditional, scriptural, or linguistic foundations of the family. It is well established that “marriage” has been universally defined in over 80 languages, and that the universal concept of “marriage” derives from traditions that go back thousands of years. In the end, it is Satan’s plan that the concept “family” be taken out of the hands of pastors and Biblical teachers and placed into the hands of politically correct lexicographers who will extinguish any trace of the traditional meaning. When this occurs, “family,” as we know it, will indeed have ceased to exist.
Dr. Larry Fogelberg
Troy, AL
The integrity of the family:
By undermining the integrity of the family, Satan attempts to destroy the primary institution for the propagation of godly teaching. It is not in the school, or in the media, or in the public arena that a child is first exposed to godly teaching. It is in the home. During the early days of the church, all teaching occurred in homes, as there were no places of public assembly for believers. So, it is not enough for Satan to destroy the place of public assembly. He must also destroy the family.
The integrity of education:
Related to this are a number of important implications. The first of which is the fact that the destruction of the family requires the corruption of numerous other institutions. The most important tool in the destruction of the family is education. Since children spend as much time in school as they do in the home, and since the schools represent an opportunity to indoctrinate children without parental supervision. Satan’s first attack is upon the educational system. This has already occurred. School prayer has been banned, religion is ridiculed, and homosexual indoctrination has begun.
The integrity of the media:
Next comes the corruption of the media. After education (or perhaps even before education), the media exerts the strongest non-parental influence on children. The complicity of the media gives Satan additional cover for his attack upon the family. Never before in the history of the United States has the mainstream media shown such a flagrant disregard for journalistic principles as they have in this election cycle. Never before have they shown such violent opposition to a political candidate (Sarah Palin); and never before have their attacks been so openly directed to her family (to her children, in particular), as opposed to her political beliefs.The integrity of the vote:In spite of the legislative efforts of non-elected judges, the American family has steadfasty maintained is right to participate in public life through the power of the ballot box. But even that right is under attack. In this election cycle we can expect massive voter fraud in the state of Ohio and other states.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/buckeye-state-or-banana-republic/2/
The integrity of the language:
The final stage in the destruction of a society is the Orwellian destruction of its very language. The prime example is the concept of “gay marriage.” It is not enough for Satan to legitimize gay relationships, or even to legitimize the concept of same-sex “partnerships.” Rather, it is essential that such partnerships be seen as “marriage,” so that there remains no trace of the traditional, scriptural, or linguistic foundations of the family. It is well established that “marriage” has been universally defined in over 80 languages, and that the universal concept of “marriage” derives from traditions that go back thousands of years. In the end, it is Satan’s plan that the concept “family” be taken out of the hands of pastors and Biblical teachers and placed into the hands of politically correct lexicographers who will extinguish any trace of the traditional meaning. When this occurs, “family,” as we know it, will indeed have ceased to exist.
Dr. Larry Fogelberg
Troy, AL
The Iconic Family - Ephesians 5:15-6:4
Love and Respect
We spent last weekend at the Love and Respect Conference, where we heard some great teaching on marriage. It got me thinking about how far our so called convictions and teachings (as believers in general) are from our practice. Scripture calls us to a counter-cultural life, as we live out the Word of God and stand for truth where culture violates it.
The question is, where does this attack from culture come from, and how do we face it as believers? If we are to really create a counter-culture that preserves the biblical definition of the family, we must first recognize that culture has not changed in this area as much as we think, and that we have changed more than we would like to admit. We need to be careful not to see the family crisis as a completely new development, or as the result of blind cultural trends.
A Fundamental Attack
Scripture presents a picture of the family as constantly under attack. Family crisis did not begin with cable TV and the culture wars that surround the family are not chiefly the result of Hollywood or Capitol Hill. We need to see through the symptoms to the cause in order to find its antidote.
What we find in the larger context of Scripture is not simply a cultural shift, but an exposure of our own timidity and cultural accommodation. We see why the family is extremely significant as an iconic representations of Christ, His Church, and His Gospel.
In order to rightly understand the family chaos, we must distinguish between what is “from the beginning” and thus created good, and what is the result of the fall. The fall did not just result in individual sin and separation from God, but a disruption in the fabric of creation - including the family relationships established in the garden. In fact, the most immediate disruption in the peace of the garden was the alienation of the one-flesh union of man and woman, as they experienced nakedness and shame in one another’s presence (even before God came an announced the curse). The curse that comes upends every aspect of the calling on humankind.
Adam denies his leadership role and blames God and Eve for his sin.
The woman’s vocation as mother of all now includes pain and anguish in childbirth.
The man’s vocation as the tiller of the ground to bring forth bread for his family now includes toil and sorrow.
The marriage union now includes disharmony and rivalry - resulting in insecurity, guilt and suspicion.
The fruitful and multiply command results not just in new life, but fratricide (brother killing brother in Gen. 4:1-16).
The family chaos is traced by the biblical account East of Eden, through polygamy, rape, violence, blackmail, reproductive transgression to the dishonoring of Noah, the patriarch of the new creation by his own son in Gen. 9:18-27. We see a repeated cycle of family deceit, sibling rivalry, inheritance skirmishes and it becomes clear that the peace of the divine union has been utterly compromised by the fall.
The Christ Perspective
When the Pharisees seek to trap Jesus with a question about divorce, He indicts them for failing to understand the Alpha-point of the story. They start with the consequences of the fall, the Mosaic provisions for divorce, missing that it was not so “in the beginning.” (Matt. 9:1-12)
When the Sadducces seek to trap Jesus with a question about marriage, He indicts them for failing to understand the Omega-point of the story. They start with the consequences of the fall, death and the law that a man should marry his brother’s widow if she has no children, missing the reality of what it will be when human existence reaches its resurrection goal of a new creation. (Mark 12-18-27)
They are veiled to the reality of Christ and so they are veiled to the mystery of Christ in the family order. The gospel of Christ is the key to understanding the meaning of all reality, as we have seen so vividly in the Truth Project. Paul announces in Ephesians that God “in all wisdom and insight” has made known the “mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth,” and that God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Christ is the prototype of unity and submission.
Husband and Wife
One key aspect of understanding this created good mystery is that the family structure is not an arbitrary expression of the will of God. It is an archetype, an icon of God’s purpose for the universe in Christ. Our text from Ephesians on marriage makes no sense if it is presented as self-help advice for a happier, healthier marriage. It is part of a larger argument regarding the mystery of Christ that was not revealed to the generations before, that the Genesis 2 mandate to leave and cleave is a mystery that “refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:31-32)
The husband/wife union is a visible icon of the Christ/church union; a union in which, as a head with his body, Jesus is inseparable from His bride, a bride He protects, provides for, leads, disciples, and sanctifies. Male headship is not indicative of hierarchy or value, but is iconic, pointing to the purpose of the creation. It is not raw sovereignty, but covenantal love that reflects the love of Christ for His bride. The Ephesians text says that the husband loves, “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” (5:25)
Female respect is not indicative of hierarchy or value, but is likewise iconic, pointing to the purpose of the creation. The headship she honors is not raw sovereignty, but covenantal love. She does so not because she is somehow less dignified than he, but precisely because she is a model, a picture of an assembly that is pursued, protected, led by a spirit-honoring King. Thus, “as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should honor their husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:24)
Children
The children of the husband/wife union and the interplay between parents and children are also archetypal and Christological. The command to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth, is an icon fulfilled in Christ in the Omega-point of the story when He stands triumphant before His Father and announces, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” (Heb. 2:13)
The love between the Father and the Son is incarnated. The universe is built around the Father’s joy in bestowing upon His Son and inheritance (Ps.2 :7-8), a great name (Phil. 2:9-11), and the glory of the firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8;29).
The command for fathers to lead, protect, provide for and discipline their children, again, is not arbitrary. It is because the human fatherhood is an icon of the divine fatherhood. (Heb. 12:5-11) Human fathers are to train their children to trust and obey precisely because that is what our heavenly Father does. (Matt. 6:10) Humans fathers are to bring forth bread from the land for their families because God does so. (Matt. 6:11) Human fathers guard their children from evil threats because God does so. (Matt. 6:13) The divine Father/Son relationship is a paradigm of the family structure and the family structure is an iconic archetype of the divine relationship.
This is why the command to honor father and mother is included in the Law of God, and why obedience is tied to inheritance. It is why disobedience to parents is included as among the horrors of a universe in rebellion against God. (Rom. 1:30) This is why a man who will not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever. These are not mere social controls of a patriarchal society. The breakdown of the iconic family honor is indicative of a larger revolt against the archetypal nature and character of God. Disharmony between parents and children is not simply a cultural problem; it implicitly pictures a false gospel of a Father who does not hear His Son, and a Son who does not honor His Father.
Family Conflict as Spiritual Conflict
Only when we step back and get a view of the big picture of the mystery of Christ behind the family do we understand something of why family disorder is always with us, in every age. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:10 that the mystery of the Christ/church union is a sign of the “manifold wisdom of God” that is now made known to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” It is no accident that Paul writes of marriage in Eph. 5 and children in Eph. 6 in the context of an ongoing discussion of spiritual warfare. (4:14-6:20)
It is no accident that the Serpent’s strategies turn to disrupting the peace of the marital covenant, the integrity of the sexual union, of the parent/child bond, and of the church as the household of God. These are icons of the mystery of Christ, visible images of the gospel. The spiritual conflict aspect of the family is also why the Scripture places such a close tie between family breakdown and idolatry and occultism. This warfare again and again involves the slaughter of children in an attempt to snuff out the line of the messiah and destroy His iconic image. This cosmic rage against the family order is decidedly personal. Proverbs speaks of the pull toward a man who destroys his family through adultery as one who is lead as an animal to the slaughter. (5-7) In forbidding an “unequal yoke” relationship, Paul does not refer to the implications of such a union, first of all, for a couple’s intimacy or the difficulties in childrearing. He ask instead, “What accord has Christ with Belial?” (2 Cor. 6:15) I could go on and on, but the point is that the battle over the family is a battle over the very image of God.
Conflict Resolution
The good news is, like every other aspect of the fall, the curse that tears asunder the family order is absorbed by Jesus, who reconciles the universe “by the blood of His cross.” (Col. 1:20) After absorbing in His body the full measure of the curse against our sin, Jesus raised to announce to the women at his tomb, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and Your God.” (John 21:17) He establishes a community, a household, a family. And as the gospel goes forward through the ages and the nations, He and His bride are fruitful and multiply, and the icon of the mystery of Christ is brought to fullness.
And so we are not surprised when the fallen creation is repulsed by the family order. It pictures Christ for them. They will ask us to deify sex and reject gender, but we will not give up on a culture because they have twisted the family order. The darkness does not overcome the light. (John 1:5)
If the family is under attack by spiritual forces, then the ultimate antidote for hurting families is for churches to offer what frightens and depresses those forces the most: Jesus Christ. We must live the gospel, not as though it were for unbelievers only, but as a comprehensive storyline for life. We must ask if the divorce culture and adultery crisis in our churches is the result if the false image of God in our own lives. This means that family issues must be seen not only as moral issues but as gospel issues - because they have everything to do with God’s pronouncement of Christ and they present a picture of the very Godhead. This means our evangelism and discipleship must be extended to include instruction on how to proclaim the gospel through kept wedding vows and discipled children. This, I believe will mean intentional one-on-one discipleship. Men in our congregation must take responsibility for the discipleship of our boys and young men. Women in our congregation must take responsibility for the discipleship of our girls and young women. Parents taking up their role as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their children.
Again, I could go on and on, but let our hearts be challenged and encouraged that our families serve as iconic pictures of the nature and character of God.
We spent last weekend at the Love and Respect Conference, where we heard some great teaching on marriage. It got me thinking about how far our so called convictions and teachings (as believers in general) are from our practice. Scripture calls us to a counter-cultural life, as we live out the Word of God and stand for truth where culture violates it.
The question is, where does this attack from culture come from, and how do we face it as believers? If we are to really create a counter-culture that preserves the biblical definition of the family, we must first recognize that culture has not changed in this area as much as we think, and that we have changed more than we would like to admit. We need to be careful not to see the family crisis as a completely new development, or as the result of blind cultural trends.
A Fundamental Attack
Scripture presents a picture of the family as constantly under attack. Family crisis did not begin with cable TV and the culture wars that surround the family are not chiefly the result of Hollywood or Capitol Hill. We need to see through the symptoms to the cause in order to find its antidote.
What we find in the larger context of Scripture is not simply a cultural shift, but an exposure of our own timidity and cultural accommodation. We see why the family is extremely significant as an iconic representations of Christ, His Church, and His Gospel.
In order to rightly understand the family chaos, we must distinguish between what is “from the beginning” and thus created good, and what is the result of the fall. The fall did not just result in individual sin and separation from God, but a disruption in the fabric of creation - including the family relationships established in the garden. In fact, the most immediate disruption in the peace of the garden was the alienation of the one-flesh union of man and woman, as they experienced nakedness and shame in one another’s presence (even before God came an announced the curse). The curse that comes upends every aspect of the calling on humankind.
Adam denies his leadership role and blames God and Eve for his sin.
The woman’s vocation as mother of all now includes pain and anguish in childbirth.
The man’s vocation as the tiller of the ground to bring forth bread for his family now includes toil and sorrow.
The marriage union now includes disharmony and rivalry - resulting in insecurity, guilt and suspicion.
The fruitful and multiply command results not just in new life, but fratricide (brother killing brother in Gen. 4:1-16).
The family chaos is traced by the biblical account East of Eden, through polygamy, rape, violence, blackmail, reproductive transgression to the dishonoring of Noah, the patriarch of the new creation by his own son in Gen. 9:18-27. We see a repeated cycle of family deceit, sibling rivalry, inheritance skirmishes and it becomes clear that the peace of the divine union has been utterly compromised by the fall.
The Christ Perspective
When the Pharisees seek to trap Jesus with a question about divorce, He indicts them for failing to understand the Alpha-point of the story. They start with the consequences of the fall, the Mosaic provisions for divorce, missing that it was not so “in the beginning.” (Matt. 9:1-12)
When the Sadducces seek to trap Jesus with a question about marriage, He indicts them for failing to understand the Omega-point of the story. They start with the consequences of the fall, death and the law that a man should marry his brother’s widow if she has no children, missing the reality of what it will be when human existence reaches its resurrection goal of a new creation. (Mark 12-18-27)
They are veiled to the reality of Christ and so they are veiled to the mystery of Christ in the family order. The gospel of Christ is the key to understanding the meaning of all reality, as we have seen so vividly in the Truth Project. Paul announces in Ephesians that God “in all wisdom and insight” has made known the “mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth,” and that God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Christ is the prototype of unity and submission.
Husband and Wife
One key aspect of understanding this created good mystery is that the family structure is not an arbitrary expression of the will of God. It is an archetype, an icon of God’s purpose for the universe in Christ. Our text from Ephesians on marriage makes no sense if it is presented as self-help advice for a happier, healthier marriage. It is part of a larger argument regarding the mystery of Christ that was not revealed to the generations before, that the Genesis 2 mandate to leave and cleave is a mystery that “refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:31-32)
The husband/wife union is a visible icon of the Christ/church union; a union in which, as a head with his body, Jesus is inseparable from His bride, a bride He protects, provides for, leads, disciples, and sanctifies. Male headship is not indicative of hierarchy or value, but is iconic, pointing to the purpose of the creation. It is not raw sovereignty, but covenantal love that reflects the love of Christ for His bride. The Ephesians text says that the husband loves, “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” (5:25)
Female respect is not indicative of hierarchy or value, but is likewise iconic, pointing to the purpose of the creation. The headship she honors is not raw sovereignty, but covenantal love. She does so not because she is somehow less dignified than he, but precisely because she is a model, a picture of an assembly that is pursued, protected, led by a spirit-honoring King. Thus, “as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should honor their husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:24)
Children
The children of the husband/wife union and the interplay between parents and children are also archetypal and Christological. The command to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth, is an icon fulfilled in Christ in the Omega-point of the story when He stands triumphant before His Father and announces, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” (Heb. 2:13)
The love between the Father and the Son is incarnated. The universe is built around the Father’s joy in bestowing upon His Son and inheritance (Ps.2 :7-8), a great name (Phil. 2:9-11), and the glory of the firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8;29).
The command for fathers to lead, protect, provide for and discipline their children, again, is not arbitrary. It is because the human fatherhood is an icon of the divine fatherhood. (Heb. 12:5-11) Human fathers are to train their children to trust and obey precisely because that is what our heavenly Father does. (Matt. 6:10) Humans fathers are to bring forth bread from the land for their families because God does so. (Matt. 6:11) Human fathers guard their children from evil threats because God does so. (Matt. 6:13) The divine Father/Son relationship is a paradigm of the family structure and the family structure is an iconic archetype of the divine relationship.
This is why the command to honor father and mother is included in the Law of God, and why obedience is tied to inheritance. It is why disobedience to parents is included as among the horrors of a universe in rebellion against God. (Rom. 1:30) This is why a man who will not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever. These are not mere social controls of a patriarchal society. The breakdown of the iconic family honor is indicative of a larger revolt against the archetypal nature and character of God. Disharmony between parents and children is not simply a cultural problem; it implicitly pictures a false gospel of a Father who does not hear His Son, and a Son who does not honor His Father.
Family Conflict as Spiritual Conflict
Only when we step back and get a view of the big picture of the mystery of Christ behind the family do we understand something of why family disorder is always with us, in every age. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:10 that the mystery of the Christ/church union is a sign of the “manifold wisdom of God” that is now made known to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” It is no accident that Paul writes of marriage in Eph. 5 and children in Eph. 6 in the context of an ongoing discussion of spiritual warfare. (4:14-6:20)
It is no accident that the Serpent’s strategies turn to disrupting the peace of the marital covenant, the integrity of the sexual union, of the parent/child bond, and of the church as the household of God. These are icons of the mystery of Christ, visible images of the gospel. The spiritual conflict aspect of the family is also why the Scripture places such a close tie between family breakdown and idolatry and occultism. This warfare again and again involves the slaughter of children in an attempt to snuff out the line of the messiah and destroy His iconic image. This cosmic rage against the family order is decidedly personal. Proverbs speaks of the pull toward a man who destroys his family through adultery as one who is lead as an animal to the slaughter. (5-7) In forbidding an “unequal yoke” relationship, Paul does not refer to the implications of such a union, first of all, for a couple’s intimacy or the difficulties in childrearing. He ask instead, “What accord has Christ with Belial?” (2 Cor. 6:15) I could go on and on, but the point is that the battle over the family is a battle over the very image of God.
Conflict Resolution
The good news is, like every other aspect of the fall, the curse that tears asunder the family order is absorbed by Jesus, who reconciles the universe “by the blood of His cross.” (Col. 1:20) After absorbing in His body the full measure of the curse against our sin, Jesus raised to announce to the women at his tomb, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and Your God.” (John 21:17) He establishes a community, a household, a family. And as the gospel goes forward through the ages and the nations, He and His bride are fruitful and multiply, and the icon of the mystery of Christ is brought to fullness.
And so we are not surprised when the fallen creation is repulsed by the family order. It pictures Christ for them. They will ask us to deify sex and reject gender, but we will not give up on a culture because they have twisted the family order. The darkness does not overcome the light. (John 1:5)
If the family is under attack by spiritual forces, then the ultimate antidote for hurting families is for churches to offer what frightens and depresses those forces the most: Jesus Christ. We must live the gospel, not as though it were for unbelievers only, but as a comprehensive storyline for life. We must ask if the divorce culture and adultery crisis in our churches is the result if the false image of God in our own lives. This means that family issues must be seen not only as moral issues but as gospel issues - because they have everything to do with God’s pronouncement of Christ and they present a picture of the very Godhead. This means our evangelism and discipleship must be extended to include instruction on how to proclaim the gospel through kept wedding vows and discipled children. This, I believe will mean intentional one-on-one discipleship. Men in our congregation must take responsibility for the discipleship of our boys and young men. Women in our congregation must take responsibility for the discipleship of our girls and young women. Parents taking up their role as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their children.
Again, I could go on and on, but let our hearts be challenged and encouraged that our families serve as iconic pictures of the nature and character of God.
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