Making and Maturing

Disciples of Jesus

about

Ryan serves as the Lead Pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey. He is married with four children.

Exodus and Christmas

December 21, 2016

The story of the Exodus is the Christmas story. You might be thinking, “There are no Christmas prophecies in Exodus.” Read on, dear friend, read on.

The apostle John launches his gospel with 18 verses of majestic theological revelation about Jesus as the Word. John 1:14 brings this discussion to its focal point:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.-John 1:14

These bold words, inspired by the Spirit of God, hit the Christmas nail right on the head. They are rightly infused into our advent worship songs, and rightly preached on during the Christmas season. But there’s more to the story. At this point we might expect John to quote or allude to a well known prophesy about the Savior’s coming from the Old Testament. And why not? There are many to choose from. Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 come to mind, or perhaps Micah 5:2?

But John doesn’t go there, he goes to Exodus. That’s right, Exodus. In John 1:14-18 he alludes to Exodus directly or indirectly at least five times. He probably refers to the Tabernacle (Ex. 25-30, 36-40) and God’s glory filling it (Ex. 40:34), to God’s continuing grace (Ex. 33:13), to Moses giving the Law (Ex. 19-40), and to God’s character being full of grace and truth (Ex. 34:6-7).

Why Exodus? If we think about the big of picture of Exodus, we find some interesting Christmas implications. Think of it this way: Exodus is the story of God redeeming the nation of Israel from slavery, speaking the Law to them through a mediator, revealing his grace and glory to them, and instructing them on how to live in fellowship with him through offering sacrifices.

John says this is what Jesus does for us as the Word who became flesh. He lived among us as our mediator, revealing to us the glory of God, full of grace and truth. He makes it possible for us to live in fellowship with God by offering himself as a sacrifice in our place, thereby fulfilling the Law and redeeming us from slavery to sin.

The story of the Exodus is the Christmas story. As we worship this Christmas, let’s praise Jesus for being the fulfillment of the Exodus story:

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.-John 1:17
Thanksgiving for the Supernatural

November 24, 2016

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

-2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Happy Thanksgiving! This year we are enjoying this unique holiday with our family in Georgia. That means last night we regrettably missed our GPBC/HBC Thanksgiving Eve service. That has to be one of my favorite services of the year, because of the testimonies of the church about how God has been working in our lives. I love hearing the stories of God’s faithfulness to us in spiritual growth!

Spiritual growth is naturally impossible. No person can simply decide to grow spiritually. The Spirit of God must be at work for our faith to grow. This is one reason why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 that we should give thanks for faith that is growing and love that is increasing.

Spiritual growth starts when the Holy Spirit resurrects a person to spiritual life. It continues as the Spirit teaches, instructs, convicts of sin, and guides the believer through God’s word and through the community of the church. Any growth of faith is supernatural, and a primary reason to give thanks to God.

Growing Faith

I have seen faith growing in our church body as we learn more about who God is and what he is doing. The Bible is our resource here, and the better we know our great God, the better we are able to believe him rather than the world around us. It’s not just about learning, it’s about increasing in our love for God because we know him better. I thank God because he is graciously growing our faith!

Increasing Love

I have seen love increasing in our church body as we relate to one another and to people in our community. Whether it’s a prayer of encouragement or meeting a practical need, our church’s love for others is visibly increasing. The testimonies of those who have experienced this love is humbling. I thank God because he is increasing our love for others.

Even in Trial

Supernatural spiritual growth is validated as we face tough times. Paul recognizes that the Thessalonians’ faith was steadfast through persecutions and afflictions. This testimony through times of trial was another reason to give thanks for their growing faith. Many in our church have faced/are facing significant trials. I thank God because their faith has been steadfast through these turbulent times.

I thank God that our church is filled with growing followers of Jesus. I can think of so many specific names and faces who bring joy to my heart because of their spiritual growth, some who have been Christians for longer than I’ve been alive and some who are brand new believers. God is doing a supernatural work in our midst: we are growing in faith and increasing in love. It is only appropriate that we thank the source of that growth. Happy Thanksgiving!
So That You May Believe

November 16, 2016

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

-John 20:30-31

We are headed at full speed into the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us, and between Starbucks cups and black Friday advertising, we can’t escape it. As is our custom at GPBC/HBC, we will be starting a new sermon series that focuses on passages from the Bible that relate to the first advent of Jesus. This year our text will be the gospel of John 1:1-18.

John wrote his gospel with one clear, unambiguous purpose:

…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

-John 20:31.

Every syllable in his gospel is aimed at the mark of faith. Every story contributes to this purpose, including the first eighteen verses which describe Jesus’ arrival on earth.

John doesn’t launch his gospel with the earthly details of Jesus’ birth, but rather with the theological details. Who is this Jesus who was born? As he addresses this question in John 1:1-18, he challenges the reader to not only understand, but to believe.

This year, as you and your family celebrate Christmas with all of your traditions, don’t miss the point. We remember that Jesus was born so that we may believe that he is the Messiah, the very Son of God, and by faith in Jesus, we receive life in his name.

As a bonus, after Christmas we will be continuing in the gospel of John. What did Jesus do after he arrived on earth? Why does it matter to us? What does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God?

Our gospel of John series starts December 4th at both the Green Pond and Highlands campuses. Join us as we take a much needed look at the glory of Jesus Christ through the lens of the gospel of John, so that we may believe.
On the Eve of the Worst Election Ever

November 6, 2016

We are on the eve of what feels like the worst election ever. Yay kingdom of democracy. We will wake up on Wednesday to one of two pretty terrible options. As hard as this election has been, how we respond to the results is the next great challenge.

Two Kingdom Living

This election has tested the faith of Christians in ways we could not have anticipated. On a daily basis we balance the reality of living in one kingdom while our priority is another. This is not a new struggle. While Israel was in exile they faced this very dilemma. The prophet Daniel was given a vision of wild beasts representing different earthly kingdoms. One replaced the other, then as now, in a seemingly endless see-saw of godless rulers. In the middle of this vision, however, God gives Daniel a glimpse of a better king and kingdom:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13 -14

What Now?

After we cast our vote, the only thing we can do is respond to the results. As Christians, our response must be a two kingdom response. I think there are four primary ways we will be tempted to respond sinfully to the election results, but by maintaining our focus on Jesus, the Son of Man, and his kingdom, we can avoid each.

1.  Fear/Anxiety- Some will be tempted to wander down paths of speculation: what will happen to our nation? To the supreme court? To our economy (read: our jobs)? To our religious freedom? Rather than fret, we can look to our Sovereign God in faith. Jesus’ kingdom will not pass away.

2.  Despair/Apathy- Some will be tempted to crawl into the dark cave of hopelessness. We will want to throw up our hands, move to Canada, and declare that the world is lost. Well, the world is lost, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is still our hope. As long as we proclaim this good news, there will always be light in this dark world.

3.  Anger- Some will be tempted to lash out in anger against those who disagree with us or those who identify with the winner of the election. We may use our words as weapons rather than build up others and offer true hope. The Son of Man is not only our Savior, but also the eternal Judge. He will make wrongs right in the end; vengeance is his.

4.  Arrogance- Some will be tempted to triumphant claims of glory. We may mistakenly believe that the solution to life’s greatest problems can be solved by a certain leader or even a political process. We must remember that only God’s kingdom will endure, and thus we should conduct ourselves with humility and grace.

Your Kingdom Come

As of Wednesday, Jesus will still have died for our sins and have risen from the dead. The gospel message of repentance and faith is just as needed and relevant as it has ever been. On the eve of this worst of elections I’ve got good news: the kingdom of the Son of Man will last much longer than four years. May his kingdom come!
Voting & God’s Purposes for Government

September 27, 2016

Every election year there’s drama. This year is no exception! What has been unexpected is the evangelical polarization over how to approach elections. Here’s my take on the two main approaches:

1. Elections are holy (character and issue absolutism). This group is in severe mourning over the lack of Christian character in both parties’ candidates. Their voting strategy is to vote for the most Christian candidate and if our political parties don’t nominate one then write one in or don’t vote in protest of immorality. The candidate analysis equation here multiplies character by issues, and no doubt this year despair is the only conclusion. (Check out Al Mohler for a sample of this perspective).

The problem with this view is that elections aren’t holy. Our government, although founded on freedom of worship and a broadly Christian worldview, is not explicitly Christ centered and does not exist to make and mature disciples of Jesus. As Kevin DeYoung said,

…we should realize that if we vote at all we are voting for less than our ideal candidate. As long as Jesus isn’t on the ballot every Christian is voting for someone less than our perfect candidate.

In every single election we could write in a candidate with better character than the given options.

2. Elections are unholy (functionalism or pragmatism). This group says, essentially, we shouldn’t expect a Christian candidate, so we should vote for the lesser of two evils. It has been accused of being pragmatic and de-emphasizing character. Nonetheless, some theological heavyweights have landed here (check out Wayne Grudem’s post).

The problem with this view is that elections are holy. Our Christian faith should influence how we vote. Character does matter.

Perhaps we’re missing another set of Biblical truths to help us wade through this moral crisis. In the Bible we find not only the character requirements for followers of Christ, but also God’s purposes for government. The New Testament passages that touch on government assume that said government will be filled with rulers who do not have faith in Jesus. Yet such a government can still fulfill God’s purposes for government in general.

When we understand God’s purposes for government, we can ask the most important question of a candidate: will they effectively lead our government in fulfilling these purposes? It is possible that the candidate best capable to lead our government to this ends is not a Christian.

From the Bible, we learn that government exists to:

1. Foster Good for Society (Romans 13:3-4a)

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good.

2. Enable Worship (1Tim. 2:1-2)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, or kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

3. Punish the Wicked (Romans 13:4)

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

4. Uphold Justice (Micah 3:1)

Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?

5. Protect the Weak (Ps. 82:3-4)

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

I would be thrilled if the best candidate was a legit, born again disciple of Jesus. I would love for our president to be a person of high integrity, and a role model for our children. Would a Spirit filled Christian be ideal to lead a government in fulfilling those purposes? Absolutely. Yet, as you know, most of the time those candidates aren’t nominated.

Nonetheless, every election is an opportunity to nudge our government, by small degrees, towards God’s purposes. So, rather than take my ballot and go home, I choose to cast my vote for the candidate I believe will best lead our country’s government in fulfilling God’s purposes for government.

In the end, elections are both holy and unholy. As we vote, we must remember to trust our sovereign God with regard to his plan for the universe and these United States:

Dan. 2:20-22

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things,

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.