Gospel-Centered Leadership

No Civilian Pursuits

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:33:00 +0000

2 TIMOTHY 2:3 - Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him

While the above verse is part of the letter he wrote to the young Timothy, his son in faith and mentee, the letter was read to everyone at the church of Ephesus. Hence, what Paul has in mind when he referred to as a soldier was not only a full-time, ordained minister (Timothy wasn't), but everyone one from all walks of life. Today, that includes university students, professionals, business-owners, artists, stay-at-home moms, retirees, etc. That includes you and I. Therefore, soldiers of the cross, the question for us is what type of civilian pursuits distract us from our one and only aim to please our Commander-in-Chief? Indeed since we march under the banner of Jesus Christ, we are bound to win the war against the world, flesh, and the devil, just like Joshua of Nun and his army of the past. No doubt about it. The question is, which of the world's niceties, heart desires, and devil's temptations often take our eyes off our holy ambition to please him?

First thing first

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:38:00 +0000

"I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished ...

I saw, that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, whilst meditating, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord. I began therefore, to meditate on the New Testament, from the beginning, early in the morning."

Source: Autobiography of George Mueller, compiled by Fred Bergen, (London: J. Nisbet Co., 1906) pp. 152-4.

Seek First, then Understand

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:04:00 +0000

PROVERBS 2:4-5 - If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Even a cursory reading of the above verse tells us something rather odd with the sequence. The rigor and intensity with which we seek the knowledge of God is a prerequisite of finding and understanding it. Often people think the other way. They want to understand it first, then assign a value to it in proportion to their understanding. But that's not the case here. Pursue God, then you will be glad to be found by and in him. The Bible uses lots of 'appetite language' (CS Lewis) or emotive words to describe this orientation: Long, thirst, faint, delight, love. The bottom line: Seek him earnestly, then you will be satisfied in him.

Sharing Lives and the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:38:00 +0000

1 THESSALONIANS 2:7 - But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

What comes across as the maternal side of leadership the Apostle Paul highlights above, as opposed to the authoritative side, is indeed critical for effective Christian leadership at church. Children are like sponges, and they absorb the examples of their parents, primarily mothers while they are still young. Here Paul says that sharing lives that are in line with the Gospel is almost as important as the Gospel itself. What an insight for leaders!

A Tamed Conscience

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:36:00 +0000

ROMANS 2:15-16 - They show that the work of the law is ywritten on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, aaccording to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

What we call conscience is not a reliable guide. They can both accuse or excuse us depending on what we feed it daily. When someone tells us "just listen what your heart tells you", we are taking a huge risk heading that advice. For as intelligent being, we can slowly but surely tame our conscience to become our defence attorney rather than prosecutor. In longer-term, categories of sin no longer exist in our mind. Sinners become oblivious of sins. Folks, conscience is flaky. Go to Christ, the Incarnate Flesh, instead. Everything will be laid openly before the judgement seat of Christ one day.

A God Talk with My Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:47:00 +0000

For some reason, my 9-yr old daughter Tiffany likes to ask deep questions at night. To be precise 15 minutes before she falls asleep. Here is what went on a few hours earlier, which started with a question around the story of Ananias and Saphira, on which my sermon this morning was based. We saw a YouTube cartoon on the story the night before, then talked about it in the car briefly on the way home from church. Little did I know it led to a deep theological chat after she finished her prayer (don't get me wrong, it's not every night the conversation goes to doctrinal channel, sometimes it's more mundane, earthly, girly, or just plain kids talk).

Tiffany: Dad, did Ananias and Sapphira actually drop dead?

Me: Yes, they did.

Tiffany: Why?

Me: Because they lied to God. They sold the house for, say, 10, 000...

Tiffany: What? That's so cheap. Even cars are more expensive!

Me: Okay... let's make it 100,000. They then gave some of the money to the church and keep the rest for themselves - all is well. But their sin was they told everyone at church they gave all the money because they want to be praised. They lied to God.

Tiffany: How did Peter know that?

Me: The Holy Spirit told him

Tiffany: Is this the same Peter who healed the man from birth?

Me: Yes, the apostle Peter. Do you know why people today didn't drop die even though many lie to God?

Tiffany: I don't know.

Me: Because God is patient with us since Christ has died in our place.

Tiffany: O, of course, I understand that. But why did't God make us love Him?

Me: Because God doesn't want us to program us like robots who love Him

Tiffany: Huh, robots?

Me: Yeah, if have Tamagochi or a robot that you program to love you, then it does have to love you.

Tiffany: O I see. That's why He creates heaven, for people who love Him.

Me: Yeah, but not everyone wants to be in heaven.

Tiffany: What??? Not everyone. I always picture heaven like that nice place in Bali. Why wouldn't they?

Me: They want heaven, but they don't want Christ Jesus.

Tiffany: That's crazy! It's Christ Jesus who created heaven.

Me: Yeah.

Tiffany: Is there any bad people in heaven?

Me: Heaven is not for nice people. But for people who believes in Jesus Christ, even though they used to be bad or nice.

Tiffany: What do you consider 'believe'?

Me: You admit you are a sinner, and need Jesus to save you, then you give your life completely to Him to be changed.

Tiffany: Now I know why we need the church ... To tell people about God, Christ, heaven, and the likes.

Me: Yup!

Tiffany: But my friend ________ who is Buddhist said that Buddhism is better than God. What should I say to her?

Me: It's not that Buddhism is better, but salvation is only found in Jesus, the God who came to earth and lived among us.

Tiffany: Hmmm.... I am afraid she won't listen to me.

Me: Well, you need to pray for her, Tif. It's late now. Why don't we stop there, and you close your eyes...

Tiffany: Ok, nite dad. I'll tell you about the book fair at school on the way there tomorrow.

Tripp on The Grace of Confession

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:36:00 +0000

I found these wise words provide profound insights primarily for married couples. They are taken from Chapter 5 of Paul Tripp's "What did you expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage" page 73-80. Personally, I found these quotes directly relevant to me and my marriage.

The chapter is part of what he called "COMMITMENT 1: We will give ourselves to a regular lifestyle of confession and forgiveness", in which it talks about the grace of confession in 8 points:

1. It is a grace to know right from wrong
"The Bible is God's ultimate measuring instrument. It is meant to function in each of our lives as a spiritual tape measure. We can place ourselves and our marriage next to it and see if we measure up to God's standard"

2. It is a grace to understand the concept of indwelling sin
"One of the most tempting fallacties for us - and for every human being in this fallen world - is to believe that our greatest problems exist outside us rather than inside us . . . We live with flawed people, and our lives will be complicated by their brokenness. Despite this, the Bible calls us to humbly confess that the greatest, deepest, most abiding problem each of us faces is inside, not outside, of us. The Bible names that problem - sin. Because sin is self-focused and self-serving, it is antisocial and destructive to our relationships. Here's where this goes: it requires each of us to say that our greatest marital problem exists inside us, not outside us."

3. It is a grace to have a properly functioning conscience
"It is a sign of God's grace when our consciences are sensitive and our hearts are grieved, not at what the other person is doing, but at what we have become. That sensitivity is the doorway to real and lasting change."

4. It is only grace that protects us from self-righteousness
"The deception of personal righteousness is huge wall in the way of marital change. Here's how it works: the husband views himself as righteous and views his wife as a sinner in need of help, and the wive views herself as righteous and views her husband as a sinner in need of help. So neither feels the need for personal change . . .But there is hope! Grace decimates our self-righteousness . . . When a husband and wife quit arguing about who is the more righteous and begin to be grieved over their respective sin, you can know for sure that grace had visited their marriage."

5. It is a grace to see ourselves with accuracy
"To see ourselves with accuracy is the opposite of self-righteousness . . . I have been amazed to watch an angry husband angrily declare that he is not angry! I have watched a bitter spouse bitterly refuse the thought that she might be bitter . . . Many married people are like the Pharisee in the temple who thanked God that he was not like the other sinners around him. They need the grace of an accurate self-assessment."

6. It is a grace to be willing to listen and consider criticism and rebuke
"All of carry inside ourselves an inner lawyer who is easily activated and quickly rises to our defense . . . Healthy relationships have two essential character qualities. First is the humility of approachability. When both people step out from behind protective walls and open up to the perspectives and help of others, each individual - and their relationship - will be given an opportunity to grow and change. The second is the courage of living honesty. Not only do we defend ourselves from the opinion of others, but we avoid uncomfortable moments by failing to say what needs to be said. In the fear of disagreement, tension, and rejection, we choose to be silent about things that, if addressed in love, could be used to bring new insights to one another and a fresh start to the relationship."

7. It is a grace not to be paralyzed with regret
"I am persuaded that fear of regret is something that keeps us from facing things in ourselves that we need to face. Confession not only calls us to loo at ourselves in the present, but it also calls us to access the past."

8. It is a grace to know that we can face our wrongs because Christ has carried our guilt and shame
"You see, confession shouldn't be this scary thing we do our best to avoid; and sin, weakness, failure should not be the constant elephant in the room that husbands and wives know is there but cannot talk about. . . Because of what Jesus has done for us, we do not have to hide or excuse our wrongs. We are freed from posing as if we are perfect, when in our heart of hearts we know we are not."

You Shall be My Witnesses

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:25:00 +0000

Last Sunday I started a new sermon series on the Book of Acts, after nearly 2 years of waiting for this moment. I am excited at the prospect of learning about how God moved in the past using a tiny group of largely uneducated peasants to bring profound transformation to the world as we knew it then.

Granted Acts is a history book written by a human author, but unlike other history books, the divine Author of the book continues to work until this very day bringing the same kind of revival in many places. Imagine reading the New Testament without the book of Acts, and we will be confused as the critical bridge that bring the Gospel from Jerusalem to the world is absent.

Chapter 1 of the book summarizes the sequence of God's plan of salvation (a Lucan theme) into fruition. There are four main strands that emerge: Jesus returned to heaven (ASCENSION) – The Holy Spirit came (PENTECOST) – The Church goes out to witness (MISSION) – Jesus will come back (PAROUSIA).

The book of Acts started with the Ascension but its theme never ends until Parousia. In the opening chapter of his commentary on this book, Derek Thomas suggested that we should compare the first and last chapter of the book. In Chapter 1 we will find a small ragtag band of disciples anxiously waited for the Lord, not knowing what to do with the message of the kingdom of God that they have heard in the last three years when Jesus was still living and walking among them. But in Chapter 28, we find quite a different scene. The Apostle Paul was waiting for the verdict of his imprisonment in Rome (yes, Rome in Italy) to proclaim the exact same message, the kingdom of God, the truth of Jesus Christ, the Gospel.

The Church of Jesus should know that Acts does not end in Chapter 28, so to speak. But every church should be an Acts 29 church, carrying on the continuing words and deeds of Christ who by his Spirit working through his redeemed communities.

That's why the book, wrote John Stott, should not be named Acts of the Apostles (too human-oriented) nor Acts of the Holy Spirit (too divine), but Acts of Jesus Christ who continues to teach and work by his Spirit through the Apostles and every post-apostolic church thereafter.

We unfinished business to do. Stop gazing at the sky, withdrawing from the world to be close to God. That is an unbiblical posture. The Christ who has ascended to heaven has given us a mission for us to do, and He will be with us in His Spirit until He returns to earth. The mission is to be His witnesses to those in our neighborhood (Jerusalem), city (Judea), and to those who are of different backgrounds and orientations (Samaria), and those who live far far away from us (ends of the earth). The words of the prophet Isaiah popped up in my mind:

It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
but I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
Isaiah 49:6

Baxter on Pleasing God vs Men

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:22:00 +0000

Around this time last year, I stumbled across a classic work written by Puritan giant, Richard Baxter, who is well known by most as the author of the Reformed Pastor. The title of his book is "Directions against Inordinate Man-pleasing", which is a remarkable reading. What I found most valuable is a section called "The Advantages of Pleasing God rather than Men", in which he listed 12 points. As I went through each point, it dawned on me that it would take for me to be able to tick off all points. As I've got to the final point, I was convinced that it would take me a lifetime to (even) try to accomplish it given the presence of indwelling sins within me. The difference of those who are in Christ is that we are no longer enslaved to please men.

Here are the 12 advantages of why we should aim to please God rather than men.

1. If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein, you have but one to please instead of multitudes; and a multitude of masters are hardlier pleased than one.  
2. And it is one that putteth upon you nothing that is unreasonable, for quantity or quality.  
3. And one that is perfectly wise and good, not liable to misunderstand your case and actions.  
4. And one that is most holy, and is not pleased in iniquity or dishonesty.  
5. And he is one that is impartial and most just, and is no respecter of persons, Acts 10:34.  
6. And he is one that is a competent judge, that hath fitness and authority, and is acquainted with your hearts, and every circumstance and reason of your actions.  
7. And he is one that perfectly agreeth with himself, and putteth you not upon contradictions or impossibilities.  
8. And he is one that is constant and unchangeable; and is not pleased with one thing to-day, and another contrary to-morrow; nor with one person this year, whom he will be weary of the next.  
9. And he is one that is merciful, and requireth you not to hurt yourselves to please him: nay, he is pleased with nothing of thine but that which tendeth to thy happiness, and displeased with nothing but that which hurts thyself or others, as a father that is displeased with his children when they defile or hurt themselves.  
10. He is gentle, though just, in his censures of thee; judging truly, but not with unjust rigour, nor making your actions worse than they are.  
11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men, which blind their minds, and carry them to injustice.  
12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers, whisperers, or false accusers, nor can be perverted by any misinformation.

Customized, not mass produced

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Disciples cannot be mass produced.
We cannot drop people into a “program”
and see disciples emerge at the end of a production line.

It takes time to make disciples.
It takes individual, personal attention.
It takes hours of prayer for them.
It takes patience and understanding to teach them
how to get into the Word of God for themselves,
how to feed and nourish their souls,
and by the power of the Holy Spirit how to apply the Word to their lives.
And it takes being an example to them of all of the above.

LeRoy Eims, The Lost Art of Discipleship Making

Run away from the sin and to the Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:36:00 +0000

“Let the sorrows of your Saviour on the cross move you. Imagine his cries and groans on your behalf, till your heart breaks. Daydream about how much love he showed you as he hung naked in your place. And see if the baits and lures of the flesh don’t grow ugly and repulsive. Will you give your hours to fantasizing about and dwelling on and longing for the vile things that nailed the Lover your soul to the cursed tree? . . . Fill your affections with the cross of Christ, and there will be no room for sin. Then, when the flesh fishes for your affections, you’ll spit on its pretty lures.”

Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within, P&R, 1998, p. 97

Not Just a Door to Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:57:00 +0000

“Why do so many believers, including those deeply serious about their Christian commitment, live lives of quiet desperation? One answer is that we have a truncated view of the Gospel, tending to see it only as a door we walk through to become a Christian. In this view, the Gospel is only for unbelievers. Once you become a Christian, you don’t need it anymore except to share with people who are still outside the door. What you need to hear instead are the challenges and how-tos of discipleship…We fail to see the Gospel as the solution to our greatest problem – our guilt, condemnation and alienation from God. Beyond that, we fail to see it as the basis of our day-to-day acceptance with Him. As a result, many believers live in spiritual poverty.”

Jerry Bridges, The Gospel for Real Life (NavPress, 2003, pp. 14-15)

CMA Melbourne Breakfast Seminar on Servant Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:11:00 +0000

Theology of Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:52:00 +0000

From CJ Mahaney's book entitled Humility:

"The fact is, God could have created us without a need for sleep. But He chose to build this need within us, and there’s a spiritual purpose for it. Each night, as I confront my need again for sleep, I’m reminded that I’m a dependent creature. I am not self-sufficient. I am not the Creator. There is only One who will ‘neither slumber nor sleep’ (Ps 121:4), and I am not that One.

Sleep is a gift, but it’s a humbling one. It’s a matter of only hours, at most, before you’re ready to again receive God’s gift of sleep. When that time comes, let me encourage you to pray something like this: ‘Lord, thank You for this gift. The fact that I’m so tired is a reminder that I am the creature and only You are the Creator. Only You neither slumber nor sleep, while for me, sleep is something I cannot go without. Thank You for this gracious, humbling, refreshing gift.’"

The Lord is my chosen portion

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:31:00 +0000

Calvin's commentary on Psalm 16:5-6. The full-text of the entire Psalm 16 can be found here:

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;  you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).

David, by calling God the portion of his lot, and his inheritance, and his cup, protests that he is so fully satisfied with him alone, as neither to covet any thing besides him, nor to be excited by any depraved desires. Let us therefore learn, when God offers himself to us, to embrace him with the whole heart, and to seek in him only all the ingredients and the fullness of our happiness.

All the superstitions which have ever prevailed in the world have undoubtedly proceeded from this source, that superstitious men have not been contented with possessing God alone. But we do not actually possess him unless “he is the portion of our inheritance;” in other words, unless we are wholly devoted to him, so as no longer to have any desire unfaithfully to depart from him.

For this reason, God, when he upbraids the Jews who had wandered from him as apostates, with having run about after idols, addresses them thus, “Let them be thine inheritance, and thy portion.” By these words he shows, that if we do not reckon him alone an all-sufficient portion for us, and if we will have idols along with him, he gives place entirely to them, and lets them have the full possession of our hearts.

David here employs three metaphors; he first compares God to an inheritance; secondly, to a cup; and, thirdly, he represents him as He who defends and keeps him in possession of his inheritance. By the first metaphor he alludes to the heritages of the land of Canaan, which we know were divided among the Jews by divine appointment, and the law commanded every one to be content with the portion which had fallen to him. By the word cup is denoted either the revenue of his own proper inheritance, or by synecdoche, ordinary food by which life is sustained, seeing drink is a part of our nourishment. It is as if David had said, God is mine both in respect of property and enjoyment.

Nor is the third comparison superfluous. It often happens that rightful owners are put out of their possession because no one defends them. But while God has given himself to us for an inheritance, he has engaged to exercise his power in maintaining us in the safe enjoyment of a good so inconceivably great. It would be of little advantage to us to have once obtained him as ours, if he did not secure our possession of him against the assaults which Satan daily makes upon us.

$3 Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:25:00 +0000

"I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please.
Not too much – just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted.
I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust.
I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture.
I want ecstasy, not repentance;
I want transcendence, not transformation.
I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races – especially if they smell.
I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged.
I would like about three dollars worth of the gospel, please.

(D. A. Carson, Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, pp. 12-13)

Re-blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:02:00 +0000

Today has been more than a month since I last blogged. Many has taken place between then and now, some of which I might share in this blog in the condensed form. But first here is a summary:

1. Our church service has moved from evening to morning service time. It's now Sunday 10:30am in the newly refurbished Werner Brodbeck Hall in 156 Collins Street, Melbourne.
2. I have recently finished the sermon series on the book of Revelation chapter 17-25. Great book. Great lessons.
3. Had two major speaking engagements recently: A leadership presentation at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and a leadership seminar in GKY Mangga Besar organized by Perkantas.
4. The kids are on school holiday and I am on annual leave and on study leave (yay!). We are getting ready for our long-expected Christmas and New Year's break.

Approved by God

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Ray Ortlund posted the following quote from Henri Nouwen a while ago, which reminds me about how we should establish our sense of self or self-identity and self-image securely on the basis of God's acceptance.

A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

“There are many other voices speaking — loudly:
“Prove you’re worth something.”
“Prove you have any contribution to make.”
“Do something relevant.” . . .
These are the voices Jesus heard right after he heard, “You are my beloved.”

Another voice said, “Prove you are the beloved. Do something. Change these stones into bread. Be sure you’re famous. Jump from the temple, and you will be known. Grab some power so you have real influence.” . . .

Jesus said, “No, I don’t have to prove anything. I am already the beloved.”

Henri Nouwen, Leadership Magazine, Spring 1995.

There is more than one way to be strong. We can be strong with the dark energy of anxiety, because we need approval, or we can be strong with the bright energy of assurance, because we are already approved.

God’s Greatest Adversaries Are His Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:05:00 +0000

The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie.
It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for
heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not
the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we
drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God
describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is
a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The
greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts.
And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but
for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an
appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable,
and almost incurable.

~ John Piper, Hunger for God, p. 14

Interview with Keller on Counterfeit Gods

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:19:00 +0000

A recent interview with Tim Keller in Christianity Today about his highly anticipated book that has rocked the blogosphere, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.

I have read the interview. It gives a very good preview of the book which centered on these questions:
How should Christians think of money, sex, and power?
What makes these three so enticing and difficult to control?
Do Christians have blind spots when it comes to false gods?
How does someone identify their idols?
How do we get rid of idols?
Is it necessary to suffer disappointment before seeing that idols don’t satisfy?

It might take a while for the book to reach Australia. It is currently in the top 200 of all books at Amazon.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, you can download the Introduction Chapter from the Westminster Bookstore here.

HT: Justin Taylor

The Positives, Negatives, and Neutrals

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:12:00 +0000

Mark Driscoll offers a leadership advice on installing a leadership team in the church that lasts. He puts people in three categories, then recommended the right action for each:

Positives are people who do gospel things in gospel ways for gospel reasons.

Negatives are people who do ungospel things in ungospel ways for ungospel reasons.

Neutrals are followers who are easily influenced.

Read the rest of his posting here.

What he wrote reminded me of management writer Jim Collins' oft-quoted mantra: Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus before even starting the engine.

Serving A Different Order

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:08:00 +0000

We serve a different order, the Reign of Christ, which he sets up in contrast to the prevailing way of life in the social order as supported by the fallen powers. To the old order there must be enmity; according to James 4:4, to be a friend of the fallen order is to be an enemy of God. We are to follow the Lordship of Christ who judges the world and conquers it . . . By faith we live in Christ’s victory, yet we must continue to struggle

(Stephen C. Mott, Biblical Ethics and Social Change, p. 18).

Calling, Career, and God's Glory

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:50:00 +0000

Justin Taylor had a posting on Piper's pre-pastorate years and his calling to move from serving as a seminary professor to a church minister. Here is the highlight, which I think is key in helping all of us, clergy or otherwise, to make career-related decisions or even any major decision in our lives.

One of the ways God has said to me “Move Piper,” is this: when I read Philippians 1:19-26, there is in me a tremendous longing. Last October it became an irresistible longing to be an instrument in God’s hands to fulfill these goals in a local church.

At this point in my life I say, and I believe God is saying to me, “The potential, Piper, for magnifying me is greater now in the pastorate than in the professorship.” That’s why the move. When I become a pastor, I am going to have one all-encompassing goal, a very simple goal, that in nothing I might be ashamed but that in everything I might magnify Christ whether by life or by death.

If we believe that, as Wolterstorff wrote in his book Until Justice and Peace Embrace, "A career turned toward this world with God behind one’s back is not inferior to a career turned toward God", then it does not matter what career choice we take in this life as long as its major activities in that career are not evil. The key question for us then (as Piper showed above) is which career magnifies God in a greater way. If our career is a means to response to the larger-than-life call of God then we should prayerfully deliberate on the career that will make God's glory be manifested in its brightest spark through our temporary life.

World-Formative Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:29:00 +0000

The saints are responsible for the structure of the social world in which they find themselves. The structure is not simply part of the order of nature; to the contrary, it is the result of human decision, and be concerted effort it can be altered. Indeed, it should be altered, for it is a fallen structure (p. 3).

I have suggested that the emergence of original Calvinism represented a fundamental alteration in Christian sensibility, from the vision and practice of turning away from the social world in order to seek closer union with God to the vision and practice of working to reform the social world in obedience to God (p. 11).

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Until Justice and Peace Embrace (Eerdmans, 1983)

Seeing Glory, Experiencing Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Sen Sendjaya, PhD.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Our family bible study group recently started the expository bible study on the epistle of 1 John. Here is my take on the first four verses.

Our Christian faith can only be genuine if we experience the joy that results from seeing God's glory in Christ
1 John 1:1-4

I was intrigue to read John used a different word (theaomai) in the phrase "we looked upon" (1 John 1:1), which is distinct from the word (horao) used in the phrase "we have seen", precisely in the same verse? Why didn't he use horao for the fourth time? What is so special about theaomai?

A simple search using KJV's Strong Number which is available online tells me that the word 'theaomai' (which for untrained ear sounds like Siomay) actually means: "to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often used of public shows)". The word 'theater' is derived from this word. When we go to theater to watch orchestra, opera, broadway show, we put extra energy to pay attention to the show (not only because we pay $65 to get B reserve seating but because we want to enjoy the special performance).

Interestingly, and certainly not coincidentally, John used the same word in his gospel (John 1:14): "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". Or we BEHELD his glory. Or we LOOKED UPON his glory.

There is something about beholding or viewing with intensity the glory of Christ that takes a profound effect in the viewer.

What is the effect of seeing or beholding the glory of God in Christ? JOY. "And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete" He wrote 'our' joy and I think that's more accurate than 'your' joy, meaning it's the joy experienced by John and other apostles from beholding Christ the word who became flesh.

Seeing the glory of Christ, beholding His glory gives John joy as he fellowships with Christ. Or to put it differently, his fellowship with Christ brings him joy because he beholds Christ, view attentively the manifestation of his glory.

John wrote his epistle that so that his joy may be complete, because he wants us to experience the same thing, that is for us to fellowship with Christ with joy by beholding His glory. The glory that is now preserved in the Scripture. Today we see the glory by hearing the Word of Life from the Scripture read, meditated upon, chewed on, preached, etc.

How easy it is for me to lose the joy of living in Christ or reading His word or serving God because I lose the awareness of His glory and instead become preoccupied with my own glory. Personal devotion, ministry, and relationships with others become monotonous routines because we lose sight of Christ's beauty, holiness, and majesty.

When John wrote 'we looked upon', the theater he referred to was probably the transfiguration of Christ that Peter, James, and John saw with lots of anticipation in Mark 9. That glimpse of Christ's glory must have changed his life, giving him a inside-out, life-transforming joy that sustained him to stay at the foot of the cross when others have abandoned Christ.

The life-transforming effects of beholding God's glory is a key theme in the NT:
- 1 John 1:1 and 1 John 1:4 suggests that it results in joy
- John 1:14 and 1:16 suggests it results in receiving 'grace upon grace'
- 2 Cor 3:18 suggests it results in our becoming transformed 'from glory to glory'

What are we to do then? APPLICATION? Here is a couple points that fits me personally:

1. We who profess we are Christians, have we really seen/beheld the glory of God? That is have we been met Christ personally, awe-struck by His holiness, captivated by His beauty, and overwhelmed by His majesty that sin loses its power within us and the world no longer appeals to us? Have you experienced the joy of salvation that does not give us fire insurance from hell, but re-orients the sources of joy in our hearts from anything but Christ to Christ alone?

2. Have do we grow in faith joyfully, from grace to grace and from glory to glory? How do we help others to grow in faith? How should I preach? How should church programs be developed? The answers to all these questions is: By focusing on God's glory in Christ.

I won't grow in faith by reading about God (theology). Atheists love it too.
And so is the Devil.

I won't grow in faith by obeying ten commandments or the sermon of the mount.
That makes me a religious snob, a Pharisee.

The church won't grow in faith through sophisticated programs, uplifting music, heartwarming fellowship, or inspirational sermons (e.g., health-and-wealth preaching or moralistic preaching that convicts people and sentenced them into guilt).

I will grow, you will grow, the church will grow if we focus on seeing the glory of God manifested in Jesus Christ, namely in the person and work of Christ, in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, or put simply in the GOSPEL.

Let us continue to drink from the Gospel which was maintained by the apostles through their writing (1 John 1:4) to experience the life-transforming joy of the Lord that strengthens us.