Using the ESV in Our Services

I recently announced that I will begin using the English Standard Version (ESV) translation in my preaching. This represents a big change for me, as I have used the New International Version (NIV) for many years. But over the past year, I find myself gravitating more towards the ESV in my studies, so I decided to make the switch in my preaching. 

I’m sure some people will wonder why the switch, so I wanted to offer a few thoughts on it in this forum.

First of all, I find many translations to be useful in my study of Scripture. Whenever I prepare a sermon or a lesson, I consult many versions. My favorites are the ESV, NIV84, New English Translation (NET) and the New Living Translation (NLT). I also frequently study from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).  And I usually read from The Message for a more contemporary paraphrase of the passage.

But when I preach or teach, I try to use one primary version, though I often quote other versions as well (I always try to mention it when I do this, just to be clear). Now some preachers don’t do this. In any given message, they may quote multiple versions without ever noting that they’re doing this. That’s their prerogative, but it’s not my style.

I find that preaching from one primary version keeps me theologically honest. I don’t try to find a version that says it the way I want it said, and it forces me to do my homework in preparing sermons and preaching the Word of God.

Keep in mind that almost all of us use a translation of the original Scriptures, since most of us don’t know Hebrew (the primary language of the Old Testament) or Greek (the primary language of the New Testament). We are forced to rely on those who know the languages and have translated them into English.

Even then, modern translations have updated older translations because the language changes. The King James Version (KJV) from 1611 is a very hard translation to read and understand, even though it is in English. The language has changed so much in 400 years that updated versions are needed.

This would be a good time for me to tell you that if you are among those people who believe that the King James Version of the Bible is the only acceptable English translation of the Scriptures, you can stoppeth reading now. You won’t liketh anything else that I have to sayeth.

When it comes to Bible translations, there are three primary types of translations. The first is a “word for word” translation. In reality, most of us would never read a true “word for word” English translation, because it wouldn’t make much sense to us. Translating the Hebrew Old Testament or Greek New Testament “word for word” into English would be cumbersome and awkward. But versions considered “word for word”, including the KJV, the NASB and the ESV, come closest.

The second main type of translation is “thought for thought”. Here, the goal is to convey the “thoughts” or “concepts” of the original languages into English. The emphasis is to help the reader understand the ideas behind the words. The NIV and the NLT fall into this category.

Finally, there are “paraphrases”. These are great resources to help us to put Scripture into modern terms, but they should never be used as your primary source for Bible study. They simply take too much liberty with the original languages. The Message and the Living Bible are popular paraphrases.

If you want to debate the merits of various translations, be my guest—just don’t do it with me. I have my preferences (hence the change to the ESV in my preaching). I don’t believe that all translations are created equal (I like the older translation of the NIV—the NIV84—much better than the newer translation—the NIV11, for example). And I studiously avoid “gender neutral” translations. But I'm not going to debate the subject with you.

That’s probably a much longer explanation than you wanted of the planned change to the ESV in my preaching ministry, but I wanted you to know why I’m making the change. Of course, you can still follow along pretty well in my sermons even if you use some other Bible translation. We’ll still display the words on the wall as we always have. It’s just that now, those words will be coming from a different translation—but the same Word of God.

A Sacred Institution?

In action taken this week by the Supreme Court of the United States of America, we have once again witnessed assaults on the Biblical, historical and traditional institution of marriage. These actions will result in further redefining marriage by our culture in a way that is inconsistent with the Scriptural perspective of the union of one man and one woman together for a lifetime.

Having said that, and having consistently expressed strong opposition to the concept and practice of same sex marriage, I must also point out that no actions taken by the states, courts, legislative bodies or executive branches of government can change the fundamental nature of marriage in God’s eyes. While I am highly disappointed in the continuing degradation of marriage as an institution in our society, I cannot honestly say that these recent actions by government have done any more to hurt the institution of marriage than actions and attitudes of society in general, including, I am sorry to say, self-professing Christ-followers.

Long before the concept of same-sex marriage became a realistic possibility in our culture, heterosexuals were doing more than their fair share to degrade and defile marriage. If we are outraged by society’s acceptance of same-sex marriage and view that as a threat to the institution of marriage, we should be equally offended by other practices that have trivialized marriage as well.

For example, sex outside of marriage (either pre-marital or extra-marital sex) is a fundamental threat to the institution of marriage. As our society has become accepting of sex outside of the confines of the marriage relationship, we have seen a cheapening of both sexual relations and of marriage. The idea of “saving yourself” for marriage is quaint and seemingly archaic in our culture, though God’s standards of confining sex to the marriage relationship has never changed. Whenever a celebrity or athlete acknowledges he or she is a virgin, it becomes news (generally mocked and ridiculed).

I’ve actually heard supposedly Christian ministers advocate the practice of living together before marriage. Some suggest that this is the best way to really get to know your partner before you make a lifetime commitment. If that were true, then the rate of divorce among those who lived together before marriage would logically be lower than that of the general population, but multiple studies have indicated that is not the case. In fact, those who live together before marriage divorce at the same or perhaps even slightly higher rates than those who don’t live together before marriage. Of course, this practice of co-habitation has become so common that it’s increasingly difficult to find a couple who didn’t live together before they were married. This is even true for many couples within the evangelical church.

While the practice of extramarital sex is still ostensibly frowned upon in our society, it really doesn’t cause many raised eyebrows when someone admits to such a relationship. Especially among men, there is a sense that “boys will be boys”, and thus a fact of life to which we must become accustomed.

While divorce rates for committed Christians (as opposed to those who define themselves as “Christian” because they’re not Jewish, Muslim, etc) is lower than the general population, it is still exceedingly high. Many Christians feel no compulsion to save their marriages through counseling and intense effort. As one man told me a few years ago (a former pastor, no less), he wasn’t happy in his marriage and simply wanted out.  We grow bored. We grow restless. We grow weary. We want out.

I was watching a show recently that is set in the 1960’s, and they referred to the child of a divorced couple as coming from a “broken home”. When I heard that phrase, I thought to myself, when was the last time I heard a divorced family referred to as a “broken home”?  That is exactly what it is, but we don’t use that terminology any more.

And of course, this doesn’t even take into account the countless joyless marriages in which people muddle through for one reason or another, including religious convictions. Unfortunately, those religious convictions are not strong enough to motivate them to practice love and submission in accordance with the standards of Scripture. They’re going through the motions, but in the process, they are hardly glorifying Christ through their loveless, joyless marriages.

I mention all of this because I think we Christians need to understand that there are a lot of practices, beliefs and attitudes that threaten the institution of marriage every bit as much as same-sex marriage. We get all bent out of shape because of the declining morals in our society, but we need to acknowledge that these morals go far beyond just the fairly recent acceptance (“tolerance” as society refers to it) of homosexual marriage.

Maybe we shouldn’t get on our high horses to decry the way “the liberals” are harming marriage until we take a long hard look at the damage we conservative Christians have already done to what God intended to be a holy and consecrated institution for the welfare of mankind.

Summer Vacations

Every Summer when I was growing up, I could be sure that I'd hear at least two or three sermons about the heathens who forsook the church for a week or two in order to take a summer vacation. Pastors would rail against these pagans who would abandon God for a little R&R. Of course, I never understood why pastors would take it out on me--I was IN church. Shouldn't they be shouting at those who weren't there?

When I became a minister of the Gospel more than 20 years ago, I vowed that I would never take that approach to those who had the good fortune to be able to get some time away to be with family or to enjoy a little down time. I think that I have honored that vow throughout my ministry, because I truly do not begrudge people some time away. As a family, we always made it a priority to take a week or two off for summer vacations. Even now that Kacie is grown and out of the house, Kim & I purpose to take time away together periodically. And with a more flexible schedule, it doesn't always have to be in the Summer.

I don't think there's a thing in the world wrong with getting away for a while, and if that means missing church for a few weeks, so be it. However, what I do have a problem with is taking a vacation from God. That is a recipe for disaster. So while you enjoy your summer and take some time for a change of pace, let me encourage you not to take a vacation from God in five vital areas.

Don't take a vacation from God's Word. You need to maintain a time each day that you are in God's Word. There are all kinds of devotionals available online, and great resources like The Daily Bread, Table Talk  and other daily devotionals to assist you in your study of God's Word.

Don't take a vacation from prayer. Just as you need to hear from God on a regular basis, He wants to hear from you.

Don't take a vacation from worship.  You don't need to be in a church service to worship. Listen to Christian music and take time each week just to give praise and honor and glory to God. You can listen to sermons from great preachers online. Or you can listen to mine.

Don't take a vacation from serving. Look for opportunities to serve others, either through church-sponsored service projects or just as you come across needs where you live, work and play.

Don't take a vacation from giving. The expenses of God's church go on whether you are present or not, so be faithful in your support of the Lord's work. Life Spring offers online giving options that are secure and easy to use. 

Enjoy your summer and all that comes with it. Longer daylight hours, warmer days, swimming pools, grilling out and vacations--these all are gifts from above. Enjoy them in a guilt-free manner. But don't take a vacation from your relationship with God.

Journey of Generosity

As I sit here on the Monday before Commitment Sunday, I am overwhelmed by the way that some folks in our congregation have responded to our focus on generosity over the past four months. As a pastor, I always brace myself for cynicism and criticism whenever we talk about money in the church. And while I’m sure that’s happening somewhere among some people, God has graciously kept that kind of discouraging talk away from me.

Instead, I’ve been blessed to hear positive feedback about the church-wide Life Group study on generosity. Many people loved the approach that study took to talking about generosity as a way of life. Our Life Groups responded in such a positive manner in undertaking generosity projects, providing financial assistance and meeting physical needs that otherwise might not have happened without their generosity.

A number of people, especially those relatively new to Life Spring, have expressed their appreciation for the thoughtful and methodical approach to the 242 initiative. They appreciate the time we have spent talking about vision and laying out a challenge for our ministry for the next few years. One family in particular, who has long been active in church work, expressed gratitude to be a part of a church with a heart for the community and a vision for the future.

I’ve even experienced the rare expression of appreciation for a month long sermon series on giving and generosity. The folks at Life Spring have always had a profound love of and respect for the Holy Word of God. And that has proven to be true even as we have been discussing the sensitive issue of money and giving. Several people have voiced their support for the approach we have taken on Sunday mornings of simply but boldly proclaiming the truth of God’s Word on these subjects.

From the beginning of our ministry in Spring Hill almost 7 years ago, our leadership has committed to never coercing, manipulating, guilting or tricking people into giving to our church. I trust that even as we have had a prolonged emphasis on giving and generosity, people still believe that to be true. What any person or family gives to the Lord’s Work at Life Spring is a result of the Holy Spirit of God prompting them, and not any arm twisting on the part of our leaders.

As you continue to prayerfully consider your role in making our vision for ministry a reality, I hope that you have gained new appreciation for the work we are doing and the difference Christ is making in the lives of those to whom we have been called to minister. May our every effort be directed at continuing to lift up His Holy Name, for He (and He alone) is worthy of our praise and glory.

Style v. Substance

I enjoy visiting the websites of churches. Some are very sophisticated, with lots of pictures that flash across the screen very quickly. Others are more antiquated, with lots of words and few graphics.

But it’s not so much the designs I am interested in. I like to try to get a “feel” for a church from its website. Usually, I can tell a lot about a church after spending about 10 minutes on their site.

I was on a site today that described their worship experience as “real”. They went on to explain that they like their music “loud”. I guess the louder you are, the more authentic you must be, at least by that standard. They also said that sermons are delivered by a guy in “blue jeans”. A guy in dress slacks, or khakis, or (God forbid) corduroy just can’t be genuine, I suppose.

Another site I visited recently emphasized that they used the KJV (King James Version) of the Bible in their church. That appears to be very important to them. Not the New KJV, on the NIV or ESV or some other translation, but the good old 1611 KJV. The one that uses “thou” and “thy”, just like the Apostle Paul did in his original letters.

That same site also mentioned that they sing hymns. From a hymnal. Not choruses. Not words displayed on a screen or on the wall. And though they didn't say it, I'm sure that they sing verses 1,2 & 4.

In making these observations, it’s not my intention to be critical. Those of you who are know me know that I spend very little time concerning myself with what other churches or other pastors are doing. I don’t try to build up my ministry or our church by tearing down other ministries and other preachers.

But it is interesting to me to observe the varieties of styles that characterize the Lord’s church today. In the two examples I cited above, the doctrinal statements were very similar. I think that those two churches would be very comparable in what they believe, but they wouldn’t be at all comfortable in how they each carry out ministry.  I’m pretty sure that members of neither church would want to spend much time in the other.

This may be, at least in part, what the Apostle Paul had in mind as he said, “…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

Paul never suggested that we compromise the Scriptures or water down the truth. He didn’t indicate we should put doctrinal distinctions aside for the sake of unity. But even as he affirmed the essence of the message, he said that we should not get too wrapped up in our methods.

Those things that are considered “cutting edge” today will be “old-fashioned” tomorrow. The style of worship that our kids rave about today will be the things their grandkids groan against 50 years from now. But the strength of the Gospel is the message—whether delivered by a guy in a three piece suit & wingtips or by a guy in jeans and tennis shoes.

Politics & Preaching

Some people have asked me if I intend to preach a message about the upcoming election prior to November 6^th.  The quick and easy answer is “no”. I have never preached politics from the pulpit. I have never, in my role as a minister of the Gospel, advocated the candidacy of any person for any public office. And while I believe the stakes are high and our votes are important, your decision should be based upon prayerful consideration and Biblical standards, not on what your pastor thinks or says.

My refusal to preach on politics is not based on a lack of interest in political issues. I have long found politics interesting (I was captivated by the televised Watergate hearings in the mid 70s—when I was a young teenager!). I have run for and served in public office. I closely follow politics, and I think that it is extremely important that we participate in the political process.

It also does not stem from a lack of opinions. Believe me, I have some very strong opinions on political issues. I read a great deal on the issues we face as a nation, and the truth be told, I probably think I know more than the average person about many of those issues. I used to find great enjoyment in debating the finer points of public policy with friends and adversaries.

And while I believe there are some areas of life where moral/Biblical issues overlap political issues, they are not always the same. Moral/Biblical issues remain constant, regardless of which political party is in power or whose political philosophy prevails. God’s Word is true whether in a democracy or a dictatorship. God’s Word is sure, no matter whether a nation adheres to a capitalist, socialist or communist economic model.

But as important as the political issues are that face our nation and our world, they pale in comparison to the spiritual issues that we face. The answer to poverty, prosperity or depravity will not be found in any political party’s platform. No politician will fix broken homes or mend broken hearts. The answer to our deepest, most serious needs is Jesus.

Week after week, I have the privilege of preaching  Jesus to more than 200 people who have come to hear the Word of the Lord. They are men looking for work. They are women struggling with loneliness. They are teenagers facing tremendous pressures to rebel against the values they’ve been taught. They are couples dealing with competing dreams and conflicting desires. They are parents trying to figure out when to pick their battles and where to draw the lines.

In all honesty, neither Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama will help them deal with most of the pressures they will face in life. They can’t pick up the phone to ask Mitt what to do or email Barack for suggestions as to how to proceed. But they can go to Jesus. They can pour out their hearts to a Savior who loves them so much that He clothed Himself in human flesh to dwell among them. A God who promises to never leave us or forsake us. A Lord who shows Himself to us through His Word.

I never have understood pastors who give up the pulpit for a role in the political world. It seems like a huge demotion to me. To go from leading people in a thriving relationship with Jesus to trying to make one sinner sound superior to another sinner in order to garner our votes—well, I just don’t understand it. While I’m glad for Christians who participate in the political process, I can’t see ever giving up the opportunity to preach God’s unsearchable riches to get down in the mud of partisan politics.

Anyone who knows me or who is acquainted with my ministry knows that I am not afraid to preach tough messages on issues that are addressed in Scripture. When God’s Word speaks to the sanctity of human life, the sacredness of marriage or our responsibilities to the poor and disadvantaged among us, I do not shy  away from preaching the Truth. And if God’s Word said “Thou shouldest vote for Obama” or “Thou shalt not cast your ballot in opposition to Romney”, then I’d preach that message with boldness and confidence.

But I will not pretend that God’s Word says something when it is silent. I will not try to manipulate God’s Word to justify my own political persuasion. And I will not take precious time to advocate for any man (or woman) when that takes away from the time for me to preach Jesus.

I challenge you, read your Bible—particularly the New Testament. Underline every phrase in which the writers advocated or opposed the political leaders of their day. In a time and place far more hostile to Christianity than our own, these men, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, refused to condone or condemn the politicians of their era. But they made much of Jesus.

We are blessed to live in a society where we get a voice as to who will be our political leaders. As good citizens, I think we should participate in the process. So, if I were to give you any advice at all about the upcoming election, it would be:

Know the issues. Study the various positions. Don’t form opinions based on knee-jerk reactions of the politicians or parties.

Study your Bible and seek God’s direction through His Word on the choices you have to make.

Pray.

Pray about who you should vote for.

Pray for the candidates and their families.

Pray for God’s Will to be accomplished.

Vote. Election Day is Tuesday, November 6^th. In Kansas, early voting has already begun. For more information, go to http://www.jocoelection.org/voters/Advancevoting.htm

Pray some more. Because while you can only vote once, you can pray without ceasing.

At the risk of taking Scripture out of context, let me close with this parting advice when it comes to your politics:   Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)

A Friend Request

I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Facebook. 

As much as you may think those pictures of your children playing with a bunch of cats are cute, I’ve been there and done that. I rarely take up people on their challenges to “repost” a clever saying or a heart-warming story, so I guess I don’t “really love Jesus”.  I’m as patriotic as anyone, but I don’t have to change my Facebook picture (it was hard enough finding one that would fit in that postage stamp-sized box without cutting off my head) to prove that I am proud to be an American.

Recently, I was chastised for failing to visit someone associated with our church in the hospital. When I talked to a family member about it, advising her that I didn’t know about the hospitalization, she replied, “Well, I posted it on Facebook.” Yeah, well, I’ll tweet you in the hospital and we’ll call it even.

I also grow a bit discouraged when I see status postings by people who claim to be Christ-followers, but who use the same foul language or crude humor as the world. I’ve taken to “hiding” most of those “friends”, because I hear enough of that talk in society—I don’t need to be confronted with it on my Facebook page.

And the closer we get to the election this fall, the more I dread reading everyone’s political commentary. If Facebook is any barometer, then Christians are no different than non-Christians in posting mean, ugly and even vulgar things about our national leaders. You can’t tell me that you pray for our President when you are at the same time posting vile and mean-spirited things about him. You won’t convince me that you take the Republican nominee to God’s throne of grace at the same time that you post demeaning and crude statements about him. If I read my Bible correctly, we are to show respect for our leaders, even when we strongly disagree with them.  I know, I know, why am I bringing the Bible into all this.

So by now you probably wonder why I have anything to do with Facebook. And sometimes I ask myself the same thing.  I’ve been tempted to just close my account. I have lots of other ways to waste time—that’s what Words with Friends is for, right?

But there are a few people that I really enjoy keeping up with via Facebook. There’s the guy I go to church with who posts things about his favorite college & pro football teams, and the only hope I have to change his mind (and maybe save his soul!) is through needling him on Facebook. There’s a young man I’ve known since he was born who is now in college, and I like to keep up with what he’s doing.

And lately, God has used Facebook to provide me some tremendous words of encouragement. One was from a man, about my age, who was in a church I pastored in Arkansas. It wasn’t the easiest pastorate, for a lot of reasons—including some of my own making—but he posted one day, “You were my favorite pastor ever.” While I always liked this man and his family (he obviously has good taste), I had no idea he felt that way about me.

And then recently a lady from that same church sent me a “friend request”.  I was surprised, because we weren’t particularly close when I was her pastor. But then she also sent me a direct message, telling me that I had made a difference in her heart and life. She cited a particular conversation we had in which I had provided counsel that she said helped her to come to terms with and resolve some issues she had been dealing with for a long time up to then. I haven't seen her in 15 years, but she shared this word of encouragement with me and blessed my soul. I never knew that I had ministered to her in any significant way, and I am incredibly grateful that she shared that with me.

So I’m going to keep my Facebook account. I won’t post many cute pictures. I won’t often challenge you to post or re-post something to prove you’re a true Christian. And you’ll likely not hear me comment much on politics. But I’ll still give my friend a hard time about his poor choices for sports teams, and I’ll keep up on what friends are doing. And I think I’ll even begin to make a concerted effort to let some people know how they have touched my life. If it blesses them as it has blessed me, they will be blessed indeed.