Have you ever wondered why God would allow Israel to have a king and even bless the nation through David and Solomon, when the monarchy came as a result of their rejection of God as king? That’s the question John Piper tackles this week. He writes:
The point of this chapter is the kingship of Israel… It was a spectacular sin for the people of God to say to their Maker and Redeemer, “We want to be like the nations. We don’t want you to be our king. We want a human king…” Nevertheless, if Israel had had no kingship, Jesus Christ would not have come as the king of Israel and the Son of David and King of kings. But Christ’s kingship over Israel and over the world in not an afterthought in the mind of God. It was not an unplanned response to the sin of Israel. It was part of his plan.
Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
- When you consider that God foreshadowed a king in Melchizedek and prophesied of one through Hannah, then factor in Deuteronomy 28:36, how involved in the lives of men do you think God is?
- John Piper lists six things we can learn from the introduction of human kingship in Israel, in order to glorify Christ as King of Kings. Did any one of these speak specifically and powerfully to you?
- Can you remember drifting into an “ungrateful and idolatrous season?” How did you escape?
- Can you describe in your own words how God’s allegiance to His own name, His own honor, results in grace and kindness to us?
- When you read the author’s rationale for a human king, did you think he was reaching or does he make a good case for describing how God brought a God-man onto the scene as a king, to die for his people?
- Have you ever wondered what Paul meant in Romans 3 about “sins, previously passed over” and do you have a better understanding of that now?
- Jesus is King of all. Do you see further significance to the meeting of Abram and Melchizedek?
Continue reading about Spectacular Sins: The Sinful Origin of the Son of David
We began our discussion of Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ by John Piper. We began where most good books begin: in the Introduction. We looked at Joni Eareckson Tada’s observation, ”When it comes to holocausts or other horrors, most of us assume God has his hands tied and his back to the wall. We figure the devil wreaks havoc when God’s not looking; we rationalize the Lord’s ‘mistakes,’ figuring he absentmindedly took his hands off the wheel when tragedies happen.” Have you ever found yourself thinking along those lines? How does the author say we can avoid self-pity or rage and endure such catastrophes with faith and hope? The author leads us to the window of the Scriptures to let us know that God has not been caught by surprise when bad things happen, He doesn’t stand aloof and He isn’t powerless. No, He sent Jesus, Who willingly identified with a sinful and suffering humanity, took our guilt and, despite all appearances, won the victory over and through some of the most spectacular sins. Here are some of the questions we discussed:
- John Piper begins with the creation of the universe. For what purpose does the author tell us the universe was created? What does that imply about our purpose in life?
- What is the apex of Christ’s glory and what part did evil play in fully displaying that glory?
- What is the author’s purpose in writing this book? Do you think his assessment of Christians in the West is accurate or has merit?
- Why do many Christians have a wimpy worldview – what’s missing and where can we go to get what we need to pump up our sometimes wimpy view of God?
- Are you facing or have you faced suffering or a trial or persecution that put your Christian worldview to the test? What kept you from breaking?
“That guy really needs Jesus!” Have you ever heard someone say that about a friend, who is lost in the world of alcohol, drugs or pornography? Have you ever thought that yourself, as you stepped over the people on the sidewalk, stacked like cordwood throughout the Tenderloin? It’s flawed gospel-logic according to Tim Keller, who spends this week’s chapter redefining lostness. Rather, he shows us that it may be you or I who have redefined what it means to be “lost,” in order to justify ourselves before God and grant significance to our lives, seeking our Father’s goods, without His grace. Here are some of the questions our little crowd discussed this morning at Java John’s:
- What do older brothers or moral conformists do, in order to reassure themselves that their lives matter – that they are significant?
- What is at the root of the moral conformist’s performance- driven life?
- When our prayers are only used to control our environment, what do they sound like?
- What is a “recovering believer” and what is it they need in order to be healthy and whole?
- The author says it’s important that we make a clear distinction between the gospel and religious moralism. Do you agree? Why?
Continue reading about The Prodigal God: Redefining Lostness
Last Tuesday we read along with Tim Keller, who defines sin not simply as doing wrong, but also conforming and obeying from wrong motives. The author sees the elder brother in the parable as a moral conformist and the younger brother as following the way of self-discovery – He concludes that both want their father’s possessions, but not his heart. While both are estranged from him, the younger son returns in a story that certainly surprised (and insulted) Jesus’ religious listeners:
At the end of the story the lover of prostitutes is saved, but the man of moral rectitude is still lost.
Here are a few of the questions we considered:
- Would you agree that there is a stark division between “moral conformists” and “pioneers” in our culture? Do you think people who take these two approaches to life can find justification for their philosophy in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles?
- In what ways are the hearts of the younger and older brother alike?
- What is the radical alternative Tim Keller teases us with on page 33?
- What is the project that everyone is involved in, regardless of the approach to God?
- How is the gospel distinct from other ways that people seek to relate to God?
- Do you think, in the words of the author, we should “be there every time the church door opens?”
“Jesus’s story might best be named the Parable of the Two Lost Sons. It is a drama in two acts, with Act 1 entitled ‘The Lost Younger Brother’ and Act 2 ‘The Lost Elder Brother.’” Tim Keller
Did you learn anything new about this parable in Tim Keller’s description of the process the father must have gone through to give the younger son his portion of the estate?
On page 20, there is a brief description of Middle Eastern society as it relates to the parable. Do you think Jesus’ hearers made the connection that God was pictured in the character of the father and, if so, do you think it revealed anything new to them about the nature of God? How about you?
Pages 23-25 describe in vivid detail “the prodigality of God’s grace.” As I read, a number of Scriptures came to my mind. What verses or passages came to mind as you read along?
When the older brother disrespects and humiliates the father, what does that say about his years of obedience and reverence for his father, family and community?
When we come to the end of the story and are waiting for some sort of resolution, Jesus leaves them (and us) hanging. To quote the author, “Why doesn’t Jesus finish the story and tell us what happened?” 2000 years later, do we know what happened?
This Tuesday we will begin reading and discussing Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God. It’s a nice change-up from the more technical books we’ve been reading at Java John’s and I think it will be helpful to a wider audience. Please feel free to join us in reading and dialogue online or in our gatherings. Don’t panic if you haven’t gotten a copy yet… we will begin slowly and let everyone catch up. This week, we’ll warm up with the Introduction and The Parable.
From D.A. Carson:
There is more than one way to run away from God and defy him. But there is only one way back: God is so prodigal in his grace that he reaches out to humble and restore and receive both. Few books unpack this theme with greater force than this slim volume from Tim Keller.
This is a book that fits nicely with our Mission and reaching out with the Gospel
Continue reading about The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
The Tuesday morning crew at Java John’s just finished George Eldon Ladd’s Gospel of the Kingdom — it was a very worthwhile look at the Kingdom of God and the “already and not yet” quality of Christ’s reign on the earth. We closed with this thought, which is both timely and relevant to our mission at NCCF:
Do you love the Lord’s appearing? Then you will bend every effort to take the Gospel into all the world [beginning with the Brunswick and Nevada County]… All authority is His. “Go ye therefore.” Wherefore? Because all authority, all power is His, and because He is waiting until we have finished our task. His is the Kingdom; He reigns in heaven, and He manifests His reign on earth in and through His church. When we have accomplished our mission, He will return and establish His Kingdom in glory. To us it is given not only to wait for but also to hasten the coming of the day of God (II Pet. 3:12). This is the mission of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and this is our mission.
Over the next couple of months, we will be discussing The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller. Even if you don’t join us on Tuesday mornings at sunup, please get a copy and join us in online discussion or when we get together.
Before I move on, did anyone have any comments about The Gospel of the Kingdom?
