Category: Ecclesiology (The Study of the Church)

Ecclesiology is so named because of the two words from the Greek: ekklesia – “church, called out of” and logos – “study of.” The study of the church as a biblical and theological topic is referred to as Ecclesiology. The New Testament presents various images that the early church struggled with as it sought its self-understanding in light of the gospel and controversies.

Book Review COMMUNITY: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support by Brad House

An Exceptional Resource For Building and Sustaining Multiplying Missional Communities

Brad House is on staff at Mars Hill Church in Seattle – a church that is solid theologically, philosophically, and missionally. They are a church that is exceptional in theological depth and missional outreach in impacting their culture for the sake of Christ. The message of the gospel comes through loud and clear, and without compromise in both their corporate and communal contexts. In one of the least churched cities in America they have proven that what took place in the book of Acts, is still possible today – especially through the medium of the teaching of the Word and its balanced application within the context of community groups.

According to the author one study indicates that less than 18% of young evangelicals ages 18-23 participate in a small group, Bible study, or prayer group that is sponsored by their local churches. This book is not only written to combat this problem, but provides ample Biblical solutions and real life illustrations of how to build a solid foundation for building community groups that are healthy and result in personal, corporate, and communal life transformation via living out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I highly recommend this book for the following types of people:

1)    Senior Pastors – It will motivate you to launch community groups in your church and help you to be more strategic and missional in your ministries of in reach and outreach.

2)    Existing Small Group Leaders and Participants – It will help give you ideas, tools, and applications that you have never thought of – in order to have a more effective, strategic, and balanced community group.

3)    Church Planters – This book will give you a huge jump-start on what you need to launch a healthy church that provides ideas for training, equipping, and providing the infrastructure needed to have a healthy and growing gospel centered church.

Overall, I loved this book because it’s Biblical, practical, and comprehensive in scope. Any one who loves Christ and His church will benefit from the study and practical implementation of this excellent resource for building gospel communities that make a huge difference for the glory of Christ.

Book Review: What is The Mission of The Church? By Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert

Balanced Because It’s Biblical In What It Says About The Mission of the Church

As a pastor for over twenty years you see a lot of fads come and go in the way churches seek to make an impact in our communities and culture.  I have never met a pastor (worth his salt) who didn’t want to be pleasing to God and make a difference for the sake of Christ in his community and culture. However, I have become more and more concerned as I see pastors watering down the message of the gospel; focusing more on programs than on the message of the gospel; and being influenced more by the culture, than influencing culture with the message of the Bible. Therefore, I wholeheartedly endorse and applaud this latest offering on the “mission” of the church because I think it is an excellent treatment of the relevant biblical passages and how they bear on the issues we are facing in the 21st century on what the mission/purpose of the church should be. It is missional and Biblical; truthful and loving without compromise; theologically profound and culturally relevant.

Without giving away the mission of the church as defined and defended in this book, I can say that DeYoung and Gilbert do a fantastic job of discussing issues like helping the poor, economics and social justice, the Kingdom, the gospel, and how a church can make an impact on the world without sacrificing the truth and absolutes.

The strengths of this book lie in its simplicity and clarity, exposition and insightful interpretation of the Scriptures, and it’s very clear explanation and application of the gospel as revealed in the 66 books of the Bible. I recommend this book especially for pastor’s young and old, leadership teams of churches, missionaries, and Christians who want to know how they can be purposefully a part of the only organization of which the “gates of hell will not prevail.”

At the end of the day – this book is highly recommended because the author’s build a great case for how to be biblically focused, God-centered, and culturally penetrating without sacrificing the most important truths and main story line of the Bible – the centrality of Jesus Christ as Lord and King to whom is all praise, glory and honor forever.

Book Review: Preaching and Teaching the Last Things by Walter Kaiser

Walter Kaiser is a gifted Old Testament scholar who has the keen ability to be able to communicate well among lay people and scholars alike. In this new offering Dr. Kaiser does not disappoint. This book is especially geared toward pastors, but is also extremely helpful for all those who teach and desire to understand the Old Testament and it’s connections to the New Testament and the ultimate promise plan of God.

Dr. Kaiser lands somewhere between a “covenant” and “dispensational” theologian – in my opinion he is very balanced and makes an excellent case for each passage he exegetes. He definitely leans dispensational – taking passages and promises to Israel literally unless there is a textual indicator deeming otherwise.

The book is composed of six parts – covering different aspects of the end times. Each of these parts contains two or three passages of Scripture, and is broken down in this way:

1)   A discussion of the topic.

2)   Specific exegetical and sermonic helps for the specific passage being taught including: the text; title; focal point; homiletical key word; interrogative question; and teaching aim.

3)   A teaching outline for the passage.

4)   An exegetical discussion of the passage.

5)   Practical conclusions based on a thorough exegesis of the passage.

Here are the topics that Kaiser addresses in the book with thorough exegetical and insightful precision:

Part 1: The Individual and General Eschatology of the Old Testament

  1. Life and Death in the Old Testament (Psalm 49:1-20)
  2. The resurrection of Mortals in the Old Testament (Job 19:21-27)

Part 2: The Nation of Israel in Old Testament Eschatology

  1. The Everlasting Promises made to Israel (Jeremiah 32:27-44)
  2. The Future Resurrection and Reunification of the Nation (Ezekiel 37:1-28)
  3. The Future Return of Israel to the Land of Promise (Zechariah 10:2-12)

Part 3: The New Davidic King and the City of the great King in the Old Testament

  1. The Branch of the Lord and the New Zion (Isaiah 2:2-5; 4:2-6)
  2. The Extent of Messiah’s Rule and Reign (Psalm 72:1-17)

Part 4: The Day of the Lord and the Beginning of the Nations’ Struggle with Israel

  1. The Arrival of the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-3:21)
  2. God and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39)

Part 5: The Events of the Last Seven Years and the Arrival of the Western Confederacy

10. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27)

11. The New Coming Third Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40:1-41:26; 43:1-11)

12. The Coming Antichrist (Daniel 11:36-45)

13. The Battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-21)

Part 6: The Coming Millennial Rule of Christ and the Arrival of the Eternal State

14. The Millennial Rule and Reign of God (Isaiah 24:1-23)

15. The New Creation (Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:18-24)

I think this book is a welcome addition to any Bible student’s collection – especially due to the neglect of roughly 20-25% of the Bible being of a prophetic nature. Those of us who teach and preach God’s Word are required to teach the “whole counsel of God.” My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen him draw more parallels in the passages to Christ and how the gospel applies to believers in the here and now – and not solely in the past or future (read Tim Keller or Paul Tripp for excellence in this matter). Overall, I think it’s an excellent resource with wise insights into God’s Word and how His promise plan will ultimately be fulfilled.

*Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is the distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching; A History of Israel; The Messiah in the Old Testament; Recovering the Unity of the Bible; The Promise-Plan of God; Preaching and Teaching The Last Things; and coauthored (with Moises Silva) An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics. Dr. Kaiser and his wife, Marge, currently reside at Kerith Farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Dr. Kaiser’s website: www.walterckaiserjr.com

Book Review – For The City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel By Darrin Patrick & Matt Carter

How The Gospel Impacts and Transforms Culture for Christ

Darrin Patrick (Pastor of The Journey in St. Louis, MO) and Matt Carter (Pastor of Austin Stone Community Church in Texas) both tell the stories of their calling to plant churches – specifically in the city. The two pastors’ inspire existing churches to think through how we proclaim and live out the gospel, and extend a call to the masses to influence our cities with and for the gospel.

I love Carter’s description of his “church model” taken largely from His reflections on reading about Charles Spurgeon’s amazingly effective ministry in London, England in the mid-1800’s:

“Imagine an urban church so influenced by the power of the gospel that it seized every opportunity to proclaim and live out the gospel for the good of the city. Imagine that this church physically and spiritually served the poorest of the poor, but also lovingly rebuked the wealthy. Imagine this church as the epicenter of straight-up, God-fearing, Spirit-filled, revival, leading thousands of people to eternal life in Christ in just a few years. Imagine a church that built elderly housing, housed all the orphans in the city, and taught wealthy business people to have a ‘double bottom line’ so they could run a profitable business in order to support the work of the church and meet the needs of the city. In other words, imagine a church that boldly preached the gospel and lived out the values of the kingdom. Don’t you want to be a part of a church like that?”

My answer is “yes” I do! Along the way the authors show what a gospel centered ministry looks like from their perspectives of planting and pasturing in Mid America and in the South. The subjects they address are how the gospel relates to contextualization, building community, serving in the city, equipping the saints, suffering, and sharing their weaknesses, failures, and by God’s grace – their successes too.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to grow in their understanding and application of the gospel and how to penetrate the culture with the gospel through the ministry of the local church.

Book Review: Why Small Groups? Together Toward Maturity by C. J. Mahaney

Excellent Introduction Into “Why?” Any Church Should Have Small Groups

I don’t know of a better study guide than this one to begin the process of training facilitators of small groups in the local church. I have used this little guide many times over the years and find that it lends itself to the great dynamics of what it takes to build a healthy. It contains 7 lessons written by pastors with over 100 years of experience in serving the local church in the context of small groups. Their ultimate goal is to help your church be a church of small groups, rather than just with small groups.

The Eight Chapters are divided as follows:

1)    C. J. Mahaney writes the opening chapter and delineates the fact that healthy small groups result in a community of believers that grows in their sanctification, mutually cares for one another, shares intimate fellowship, and experiences and expresses various out workings of the spiritual gifts.

2)    James Loftness addresses what biblical fellowship really looks like, as well as what it doesn’t look like.

3)    Greg Somerville writes about the many ways that the members of the small group may commit themselves to the group using their gifts, talents, abilities, and passion to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit to build up the Christian community.

4)    Mark Mullery builds a case for the complementarian characteristics of a great leader – committed, of proven character, submitted, having a love, in a commendable marriage (if applicable), trained, consistent in the spiritual disciplines, able to lead, a tither, and male.

5)    Mickey Connolly deals with the “art of care and correction. He provides some great insights into resolving conflicts, confronting sin in others, and confessing our own sins – in order to create a community of repentance and restoration.

6)    John Butler looks at how to challenge your group toward outreach and assimilation – to never be comfortable – but missional.

7)    Dave Harvey writes an excellent chapter on the different “viruses” that can attack a group and how we can build up the local church body as a community that works together for the common good of the church.

8)    Walt Russell pens the appendix, which should not be overlooked. He writes an excellent article addressing how to properly interpret the Scriptures, and then apply them. In essence he says, “The meaning of a text never changes. Our first goal is to discover this fixed thing. In contrast, the significance of the text to me and to others is very fluid and flexible.”

All the sessions are based on Biblical passages, and approximately 10 questions per chapter for group discussion based on the reading, and Scripture references discussed by each author. Each chapter contains sidebars, which contain quotes, verses, passages for further study, and helpful suggestions and ideas for further discussion. I recommend this resource highly for anyone who is interested in “Why” you should have small groups in your church – it will motivate you to begin right away!

Study Guide Review: Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

This is a Workbook is an in depth course on the Biblical Gospel is to be lived out in all of your life—internally, and externally (in your community and in the world). It is specifically designed for use in a small group that is working through the companion DVD called “Gospel in Life.” If you want to have a better understanding of how the gospel applies to your life not in the past, and not in the future, but NOW – then look no further than this book.

Anything Tim Keller writes is theologically deep, contains biblically sound teaching, and is penetratingly Christ-centered. This study guide is no exception – as a matter of fact, I almost wish it wasn’t a study guide – so more people would read it, and work through it as a workbook. In my opinion he is the finest communicator of the gospel in America today.

There are 8 Studies in the Guide that are designed for use with the Gospel in Life DVD:

1)    The City – The World That Is

2)    The Heart – Three Ways To Live

3)    Idolatry – The Sin Beneath The Sin

4)    Community – The Context For Change

5)    Witness – An Alternate City

6)    Work – Cultivating The Garden

7)    Justice – A People For Others

8)    Eternity – The World That Is To Come

Each session contains an inductive Bible study on the theme, discussion questions based on the DVD, and home studies consisting of exercises, projects, readings, questions, and quotations to help you dig deeper into the topic at hand. A very helpful extensive section of notes is included for those who lead the small group through this study.

I can’t recommend this DVD and Study Guide highly enough – I think it’s a Top 5 (along with His study on “The Prodigal God” and “The Reason for God”) resource to be used in any church that is serious about the Gospel, being missional, church planting, living in community, and fulfilling the great commission.

Sent To Me By a Close Catholic Friend

Catholic Heart Attack

A man suffered a serious heart attack while shopping in a store. The store clerks called 911 when they saw him collapse to the floor.  The paramedics rushed the man to the nearest hospital where he had emergency open-heart bypass surgery.

He awakened from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at the Catholic Hospital he was taken to.  A nun was seated next to his bed holding a clipboard loaded with several forms, and a pen.  She asked him how he was going to pay for his treatment.

“Do you have health insurance?” she asked.

He replied in a raspy voice, “No health insurance.”

The nun asked, “Do you have money in the bank?”

He replied, “No money in the bank.”

“Do you have a relative who could help you with the payments?” asked the irritated nun.

He said, “I only have a spinster sister, and she is a nun.”

The nun became agitated and announced loudly, “Nuns are not spinsters!  Nuns are married to God.”

The patient replied, “Perfect.  Send the bill to my brother-in-law.”

Funny Story: Pastor On Salary By Faith

I heard about a pastor who candidated at a church and was called, provided that he lived by faith. He asked the six men on the committee what they meant by living by faith. What it meant was that he would have no stated salary but that he would simply trust God for his needs. The candidate made a suggestion that cost him the church: “Each of you men has a salary, so why don’t we put all of our salaries together, divide the total by seven and all of us can live by faith.” (God Isn’t In a Hurry, by Warren Wiersbe, p. 23)

A Great Visual of The Power of Making Multiplying Disciples

 The Power of Multiplication

(adapted from Keith Philips, The Making of a Disciple, p. 23)

Year                Evangelist                   Discipler

1                      365                              2

2                      730                              4

3                      1095                            8

4                      1460                            16

5                      1825                            32

6                      2190                            64

7                      2555                            128

8                      2920                            256

9                      3285                            512

10                    3650                            1,024

11                    4015                            2,048

12                    4380                            4,096

13                    4745                            8,192

14                    5110                            16,384

15                    5475                            32,768

16                    5840                            65,536

 

*Keith’s chart compares the numeric difference between one person coming to Christ a day and one person a year being discipled to maturity. Catch the vision and start making disciples now!

Book Review: Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation by Kenneth Boa

Excellent Resource to Help You in Your Pursuit of Becoming More LIke Jesus

 According to the apostle Paul the goal of the Christian life is that we would be “conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29).” I have used this book several times now in classes at my church on developing in the spiritual disciplines in the context of community. This book has it all – good theology; historical theology; and excellent study questions and applications throughout. I have used this book along with Grudem’s Systematic Theology, Allison’s Historical Theology, and Ogden’s books on discipleship to try to balance the mentoring and discipleship process of making theologically culturally penetrating disciples of Christ.

Kenneth Boa’s prayer in is that a result of reading this book you will:

–    develop a greater appreciation for the unique way God has made you;

–    become aware of a wider array of options for your spiritual journey;

–    get out of a possible spiritual rut;

–    desire to experiment with other facets of the faith

–    appreciate the manifold legacy that has been bequeathed to us by those who have gone before us;

–    expand your horizons and be encouraged to move out of your comfort zone

–    have instilled in you a greater passion for Christ and a greater desire to participate in his loving purposes for your life.

Does Boa succeed in the above? A resounding “yes.” I have used this book one on one; in small groups of 7-14 people; and larger groups of 20-40 people. In every case the book has proven to be effective in helping all involved to grow in Christ like qualities, and behavior. Boa has masterfully written a very practical theology of the spiritual disciplines by comparing these disciplines to facets of the gem that we are ultimately becoming in Christ:

Facet #1 – Relational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others Compassionately.

Facet#2 – Paradigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective

Facet #3 – Disciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical Disciplines

Facet #4 – Exchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in Christ

Facet #5 – Motivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical Incentives

Facet #6 – Devotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with God

Facet #7 – Holistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ

Facet #8 – Process Spirituality: Process versus Product, Being versus Doing

Facet #9 – Spirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the Spirit

Facet #10 – Warfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

Facet #11 – Nurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Evangelism and Discipleship

Facet #12 – Corporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship

This book is written as a textbook – it is well organized with outlines, introductions, charts, and each chapter closes with questions for discussion and personal application. I think it is one of the most helpful books out there in bridging the typical gaps between books that consider the multi-dimensional aspects of what it means to be human and made and conformed to the image of Christ. Boa weaves biblical theology, human personalities, psychology, etc., to help us see our blind spots and how we can keep chiseling away at what is not like Christ, so we can become the multi-faceted gems that God is working in us to become – through His working and our responsibly working to become like Jesus (Eph. 2:10 and Philippians 2:12-13). I Highly recommend this book – it’s definitely a resource you will use for the rest of your life – individually and corporately.