Seeker Sensitive:

One of the phenomena that has developed within the American evangelical church during my lifetime is that of the "seeker sensitive movement." The key idea in this movement is that the church should be accommodating its services to those who would be considered "seekers" of God. The assumption is that there are many who are seeking after God and that the church should be sensitive to this reality and adjust its worship to enable the "seekers" to feel comfortable when and if they come to church.

There is a valid point that I believe we must acknowledge from the "seeker sensitive" movement. There are those who are seeking after God. Beyond agreeing with that point though there is very little, if any, agreement with the "seeker sensitive" movement. There, indeed are seekers after God but the whole reason for the seeking is due to God's infinite grace and mercy.

The truth of the matter is God seeks us. After Adam and Eve sinned it was God who sought them out. (Gn. 3:8 - 9) In response to Cain's disobedience and unjustified anger for God's rejection of his sacrifice it was God who sought out Cain, not Cain who sought out God. (Gn. 4:6,9) Jesus declared during His earthly ministry "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The fact that God seeks after us and not we after Him is further affirmed by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans. Paul, in describing the nature of the human soul, says this about all men. "There are none who understand, there are none who seeks after God." Rm. 3:11 God is the seeker sensitive One. He seeks after men. If God did not seek us we would never, never seek Him. It is not in our nature to do so. We seek God because He first seeks us.

It is to this same disposition of heart to which we are called. In Mt. 28:18 - 20 Jesus said to His disciples "as you are going, make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them all things whatsoever I have commanded." The process begins with making disciples, seeing people come to Christ as Lord and Savior. But, notice that our Lord says, "as you are going." As we go through the path of life to which our Lord leads every one of us we are to be engaged in seeking men, offering them the gift of salvation through the proclamation of the gospel.

The Potter's Freedom

Dr. John White wrote a book entitled, "The Potter's Freedom" in 2000 as a refutation of Norm Geisler's book "Chosen But Free." I will not be discussing the issue addressed in these two books. I cite them because I was struck by the clear implication of the title of White's book.

Humans and especially those who live in countries and cultures that historically have some level of democracy often focus on freedoms and rights. In the context of a discussion dealing with the will of man and the will of God I was struck by the title of White's book. We often speak of the free will of man but do not stop to consider that there is One Who has a totally free will. There is but One who is accountable to no one else. That one person is the living God. God has the freedom to truly do as He pleases and as He determines to do. No other living being has that freedom.

God, the Potter, is free to do with His clay as He wishes, and He does exactly that. The clay is not only human beings but all which He created, which is everything. Paul highlights this truth in Romans 9:19 - 24. Paul makes it very clear that God had the prerogative to do as He wishes and purposes with His clay since He is the Potter. "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Does not the Potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?"

God, man's Creator, has endowed us with with great freedom, capabilities and responsibilities. Since God, however, is the Creator His freedom trumps any level of freedom with which He created man. God is free to so with us as He wishes. He owes us nothing and no explanation for what He does. The fact that God has given such an extensive revelation of Himself, His ways, plans and purposes is a statement of His great mercy and grace.

The first three entries into this blog have focused on God and His sovereignty. It is important for us to remember that there is but one God Who exists in three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that He is sovereign over all. He is the Potter, everything else is but His clay. Let us be thankful that the One Who is sovereign is good, merciful, gracious, loving and so much more. Let us humble ourselves before Him, as Job did, and honor God for Who He is.

If I Were God

David Lewis and Philip Kitcher wrote an article in Harper’s Magazine titled, “And Lead Us Not,” which contained the following question. “Are Christians Evil?” The authors wondered if “Christians [who] accept a God who inflicts infinite torment on those who do not accept Him……are those who worship the perpetrator of divine evil [God] themselves evil?”

It seems rather obvious that unregenerate humanity wrestles with allowing God to be Who He has revealed himself to be, namely God. In the previous quote I am not so much concerned in this blog entry with a perception that Christians are evil. Rather, I am more concerned with the overt implication that God is evil. The implication is that God is evil if He eternally punishes those who refuse or fail to accept Him.

A very real tendency humanity has had, since Adam and Eve’s sin, is to reduce God down by means of human analysis. Mankind tends to look at life and reason that “if I were God I would act this way or that or prevent this or that.” The next step is to make a god after man’s own perceptions and liking. Thus, a real danger is seek to press God into our [man’s] mold of thinking, rather than accepting God for Who He has revealed himself to be.

If we witnessed a dear friend or relative suffer incredible tragedies in his or her life we might think, “If I were God I would.” Job had this experience. He wrestled with what God was doing as he experienced levels of suffering, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually that few, if any of us, have ever experienced.

Job had three friends who believed they had a very good grasp on who God was and how He operated. They were increasingly convinced, as they talked with Job, that Job’s sufferings were due to his own sin. Job did not embrace their analysis but he wrestled with why and for what purpose God was allowing the incredible suffering into his life.

Job believed that if he could approach God that he would plead his case and question God and verify his, [Job’s] righteousness. (Job 23:1 – 7)While none of these men accused God of evil, they readily conceded that God had allowed much evil into Job’s life.

God’s response to Job and ultimately to all four of these men was to come to Job and begin to ask Job a series of questions.(Job 38:1 – 41:34) These questions all dealt with the works and ways of God. God told Job to answer them if he could. When God finished asking Job a long list of questions all Job could do was to repent and humble himself before God. God never did tell Job why all the tragedies had come into his life. By the time God finished with His questions that concern was immaterial. Job discovered more fully what it meant that God is God. Job’s three friends were sharply rebuked by the Lord for they had grossly misrepresented the character and ways of God. Finite, limited, weak and frail human beings are unable to appreciate what it means for God to be God.

Let us not be intimidated when men foolishly seek to reduce God down to their frail, weak and limited ways. Rather, let us trust in the Lord who “laid the foundations of the earth” (Job 38:4) and thus the foundations for all of life, including our own. His ways and thoughts are indeed far greater than our own. Our only reasonable and legitimate response is to humble ourselves before the Lord, our God, our Maker.

The Wilderness Syndrome:

This is my first posting on the Bible Church Blog. I intend to post weekly and hopefully share some thoughts and ask some questions that will stimulate our minds to think more clearly and accurately about God, ourselves and how we should understand our lives in this present world.
This first posting focuses on what I refer to as, "The Wilderness Syndrome."

The Wilderness Syndrome is the attitude and disposition that puts one's self at the center of life rather than God. This is precisely what the children of Israel did. God intentionally led them through the wilderness on their way to Canaan, the land that God promised to them.

At every hardship it seemed that the children of Israel questioned God's purposes and care for them. Their common refrain indicated that they would rather be back in Egypt than to die in the wilderness. They never grasped the bigger picture of what God was doing. They were so focused on themselves that they never realized that they were part of God's plan, an important part, but a part, rather than the center. God was at the center.

Years earlier one of their ancestors experienced much hurt, betrayal, disappointment and hatred but kept God at the center of his thoughts. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, who hated him, was thrown into prison as the result of a lying and cheating woman, was forgotten by one who personally profited from his ministry and service, with the result that he had every right, it seemed, to greatly question God's purposes and plan.

But, Joseph kept in view that God was doing something that was much bigger. Joseph did not seek to make his relationship with the living God a test, but a trust. He realized that what men meant for evil God was using for good. The evil that Joseph experienced was very real and very personal. He did not roam in the wilderness of fleshly attitudes and thoughts, but rather prospered in freedom in the land of God's purposes and plans.

I really think we must learn some profound truths from these two scenarios. We must learn, among other things, that God infinitely loves us, cares for us, has only our good in mind, and He may, and often does, lead us into difficulties because He is accomplishing something bigger. He is working His plan and we are a glorious part of that plan. We often follow a line of thinking that goes something like this; "How could God really love me, care about me and desire my good and allow or bring this hurt, disappointment and pain into my life?" The children of Israel responded this way in the wilderness. Joseph responded in an entirely different manner. Joseph recognized that God's purposes were not primarily about him and his comfort. He realized that he was a part of a much bigger work that God was doing. In reality, that is true for each of us.

Let us not reduce our relationship with God down to what He does and does not permit in our lives and question His goodness and purposes when He brings the difficulties into our lives.
At Jeffersontown Bible Church we believe and teach the greater purposes of God as revealed in the scriptures. We seek to build an authentically biblical perspective into our lives which helps to build genuine stability which we all desperately need.