Category: – The Patternists Articles
Articles written for The Patternists Facebook page
The Patternists: “You are my portion, O Lord”
The 119 Psalm is a meditation upon the words of God. To the Psalmist, that was the Law given by Moses. To Christians today, our respect for that law continues even as we acknowledge that we live under the authority of the new covenant, ratified by the blood of Jesus. Both the old and new testaments are inspired scripture, (cf. 2 Peter 1:21), and are worthy of our attention and consideration.
We should express the same attitude toward God’s word as that expressed by the Psalmist in this Psalm. We direct our attention to verses 57-64 for some observations.
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The Patternists: If
The little word if has a great and important place in the relationship men have with God. In both the Old and New Testaments, it indicates that which is conditional. For example in Deuteronomy 28:1, Moses said, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.”
God’s promise to Israel was conditional. If they observed God’s will, he would exalt them. All that is required to note this truth is to examine Israel’s history. Too often the nation did not keep the conditions of the covenant, and God’s favor would leave them. Upon repentance, his favor would return. This is the way God dealt with Israel, and the way that He deals with men today.
The Patternists: Jeroboam’s Folly
In recent weeks, I have had several conversations with those who claim men are so reasonable, that any obvious demonstration of God’s power would convince them of His existence and their need to follow Him. Their view mirrors that of the rich man of Luke 16, who begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brothers so that they wouldn’t lose their souls as well. Abraham answered in part, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (31).
The truth is, most men are sufficiently self-willed to reject truths of every type, no matter how obvious they may be. We see it everyday in politics, medicine and daily life. (Note: We can be guilty of the same, and need to be careful ourselves).
The Patternists: A Lifetime of Faithfulness
Solomon was a wise man. God greatly blessed his reign over Israel. He wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. His advice to his son in the book of Proverbs serves as a guidebook to successfully navigating around the pitfalls of immorality and foolishness.
And yet, in the end, Solomon failed God. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The Lord had warned him not to intermarry with these foreign women, but he ignored God. The text of 1 Kings 11 records his mistake. “Solomon clung to these in love” (2). “…his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lords, as did his father David” (3b-6).
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The Patternists: Profanity
I am aware that many Christians are confronted by extreme profanity nearly every day. It has become a common part of communication for many. Where once in our society it was considered inappropriate to use profanity in public situations, this is no longer so. As a preacher I am thankful that I hear it less often than others.
But, there are a couple of recent events that have brought the pervasiveness of profanity in our culture to my attention. The first is personal. While golfing with Josh last week, a man drove past us, asking for our permission to play through and join the foursome ahead. He explained that his friend had to leave, and rather than finishing the last few holes on his own, he wanted to join up with the group ahead.
The Patternists: Wage the Good Warfare
I would like to share a few thoughts regarding Paul’s exhortation to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18-20:
“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
First, what does it mean for Timothy to wage the good warfare? It is evident that we are at war with Satan. There is the responsibility that each has to fight personally against Satan. This is why we don the armor of God (cf. Ephesians 6), that we may be able, “to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
The Patternists: Moses’ Great Mistake
Numbers 20 records a willful mistake that Moses made, as he reacted in anger toward the ungrateful congregation. The Israelites were at Kadesh, lingering there following the death and burial of Miriam. There was no water for the people, and they begin to grumble, just as they had countless times before.
On a previous occasion when water was needed, God had instructed Moses to strike the rock at Rephidim. The occasion was almost exactly like this one (Exodus 17:1-7). The people contended with Moses. He stated himself that they asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (7).
The Patternists: Who Judges the Steward?
“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:1-4).
In our text Paul reveals himself as a servant of Christ. Christ had given him a specific stewardship. As an apostle, it was his responsibility to reveal God’s mysteries. His efforts enraged some. For example, the Judaizers in the early church despised the great apostle’s ministry among the Gentiles. It didn’t bother him in the least. He didn’t care. It was a “very small thing.”
The Patternists: You “Ought” To
“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14-15)
The English word “ought” is “used to indicate duty or correctness” (Oxford). The Greek word is dei, “it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper” (Thayer). It is important to key in on the word “necessary” in the definition, especially as it concerns the context of 1 Timothy 3.
The Patternists: Walk Worthy of the Lord
Beginning in Colossians 2, the apostle Paul labored to establish the primacy of Christ and His will. As men consider how we will live our lives, what our philosophies and actions will be, allegiance to Jesus as Lord is the best choice we can make.
In contrast, Paul stated, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (2:8). Human philosophy is persuasive, but ultimately flawed and impotent. But, we are “complete in Him [Christ], who is the head of all principality and power” (2:10).
The Patternists: Love One Another
When we advocate for authority for all our practices, invariably some will seek to contrast such a position with the counterpoint of loving one another. As if the two are contradictory. They are not.
Why would the two be perceived as counterintuitive to one another? There are a couple of possible reasons. First, some may not realize that convicting others of sin is an act of love. Since the condemnation of sin can be unpleasant, it is perceived as unloving. Consider Paul’s words, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). It is an act of love to bring someone back from sin to reconciliation.
The Patternists: Be Reconciled to God
In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes an impassioned plea for holiness on the part of God’s people, as the proper response to the gift of grace they have received from God. This plea was necessary because of the failures the Corinthians had already experienced in their walk. These failures were clearly enumerated in his first epistle to them.
In chapter 5 of his second epistle, he speaks of the assurance of the resurrection. “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (1). He notes the reality of judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (10). He affirms that Christ “died for all” (15). That God “has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (18-19).
The Patternists: Why is Discipline Lacking?
The New Testament is rather clear about the importance of discipline among God’s people. Consider the following passages:
(Titus 3:10-11), “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”
(Romans 16:17), “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”
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The Patternists: Are Repeated Warnings Tedious?
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul clearly showed his respect for and confidence in this fine congregation. They were faithful, loving and active in the work of the Lord. There are few notes of admonition in his letter. His primary intent is to thank them for their fellowship and love.
However, he makes an interesting statement in the first verse of the third chapter. “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.” While there was no need for him to admonish them, there was a need for him to warn them again about things he had already addressed. In doing so, he contributed to their safety – “but for you it is safe.”
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The Patternists: Paul’s Lord’s Supper Admonitions
There are several texts we used to establish our practice of observing the Lord’s Supper. By looking at all relevant passages, we see the entirety of what God expects of us as we worship Him in this way.
The church at Corinth was abusing the Lord’s Supper, observing it in an unscriptural way. So, he admonished them. In these admonitions, we receive some important knowledge about how to worship God acceptably. The text we are considering in this article is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.
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