William Petruzzo

Tim Keller, in The Prodigal God, makes uses the story of the Prodigal son to make some telling statements about the church, and us personally. He says this:

“Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did. If our churches are appealing to the younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we’d like to think.

Ouch. Dang. Let’s heed that warning.

Richard Baxter’s seventh point of introspection for ministers of the Gospel goes:

“The honour of your Lord and Master, and of His holy truth, doth lie more on you than other men.”

Christians are sons and daughters of God. As believers we are reborn. In much the same sense that people are born the first time bearing the image of God—in a general sense—we are now reborn bearing even more specifically the image of God in our hearts. The metaphor of the son in scripture carries with it this idea. The son bears the image of the father. Where the son is disgraced so is the father, where the son is shamed, the father also bears this shame. Have you ever heard the phrase “bringing shame to the family name”? It’s a similar idea.

As Christians, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s son, Jesus. We are considered sons and co-heirs with Christ. As such, we have all of the privileges and responsibilities that come with the territory. We have the obligation not to bring disgrace to God. Think back to our family, the Church’s, history. Our brothers and sisters have committed heinous crimes, and the world equates them to God. The Crusades; how many think of the crusades, the bloodshed and violence, and somehow come away from that believing that God is not who he claims to be? Granted, many at that time were not true brothers. What about the early American settlers who acted superstitiously towards some women calling them “witches”? Or what about today, every time an unbeliever finds himself in an unloving, uncaring, uncompassionate church congregation? They do not walk away thinking, “These people are not very friendly.” They walk away thinking, “God is not who he says he is.”

So all men bearing the title Sons of God, true Christians, do have the responsibility to live a life that reflects God; to bring honor to his name. This is a responsibility we take on the moment we find ourselves as part of his family. However, for ministers, this is all the more true. A minister of the Gospel carries God, not only in his classification, but very specifically in all of his workings. While, one person may serve tables to the glory of God, and so silently serve God, the minister of the Gospel is not under that obscurity. Every action is a vocal expression of his connectedness to Christ. So even the smallest misstep brings great disgrace to God.

Jesus, I pray that for the sake of your glory, you would sanctify your church. Sanctify especially your ministers. Help us, by your power, to take our bearing of your image very seriously. Let us never walk lightly with such precious cargo as your reputation. Jesus, I acknowledge that you have every power and ability to make your name great, regardless of me or anyone else, and I thank you that you would give me the privilege of bearing your image. Jesus, for your glory, help us to do that well.

Richard Baxter’s sixth point of introspection for ministers is something abstract. It goes like this:

“Your sins are more aggravated than those of other men. They have more hypocrisy in them.”

When a man knows full well that he should not covet, however does it anyways, his sin is much more criminal than had he not known in the first place. So it is with ministers. When you preach week in and week out against all kinds of sins and for so devoted and passionate a life for Christ, anything less than to fully heed your own words makes your own sin terribly aggravated; it makes its offense that much worse. Far worse than had you never spoken about it in the first place. Of course that in no way means ministers should not speak out—no, it means simply ministers should be all the more diligent to mortify their flesh.

In addition to that, to be a minister and to still to entertain and court with sin is exceedingly hypocritical. Once again, where to simply be a Christian and sin is hypocrisy, the sin is much greater when your job itself is to help lead others away from sin into a more vibrant walk with the Lord. So a minster should be ‘above reproach’ (2 Tim. 3:2), not only that his sins would not be seen, but truly expelled from his person.

Jesus, I pray that you would sanctify the minsters of your Gospel. Jesus, I pray that you would lead them to be above reproach, filled with love, compassionate, and passionate about following your commandments to love you (so as not to sin) and to love others (so as to give themselves up). Jesus, help us to be gracious and merciful to our ministers and to love them as brothers; when they fall in hypocrisy, help us to lift them. Jesus, when we fall in hypocrisy, help them to lift us.

The fourth point of introspection for ministers was well covered in yesterday’s post, so I will continue today with Richard Baxter’s fifth point of introspection for ministers of the Gospel:

“Many eyes are upon you, and therefore there will be many to observe you falls.”

This is an excellent mercy from God. Sin is a dreadful thing that threatens so much of our comfort and joy in the Lord. Having so many eyes upon you leaves you with many accountability partners. Anything that can help us to abstain from sin is an excellent mercy and it should be embraced.

When leading a small group a while back it was a time that I enjoyed an easier height of holiness. Teaching week in and week out about the Christian’s walk, causes the obvious sins to be exposed regularly to the light and as such there is greater motivation to withdraw from them. Of course, that doesn’t always lead a minister to stand against the more subtle sins of the heart, however, if he wishes to keep his hands clean, he’ll have to endeavor for a clean heart as well.

Jesus, I pray for the ministers of your Gospel in your church that you would remind them of the scrutinizing eyes they lay under. Use those eyes to compel them to expel sin from their lives and so descend more deeply into you and your word. Give us grace God to walk this life in a manner, with a heart, glorifying to you.

Richard Baxter’s third point of introspection for ministers follows:

“(You) have greater temptations than most men.”

The first two of Baxter’s points had a pretty good application for every Christian, being that on some level all are called to minister. However, the third point and most of the points from here on out apply mostly to those who’s calling is to make it their primary business to minister the Gospel. Nevertheless, they are more than worthy of our attention.

As a minister, as someone called to preach, teach and lead, the enemy’s sights are aimed squarely on you. When seeking victory over one of the children of God he hates, he will target you. Baxter uses the analogy of two warring nations. When a general wishes to destroy his adversary, he would wish most to destroy his opposing general, more so than he would like to destroy an infantry man. The same is true of us; our enemy will prefer to set his sights on God’s captains, rather than his troops. Of course we know that all Christians will come under the fire of the enemy, so all Christians have need to put on the full armor of God. However, in that dichotomy, the enemy’s most fervent efforts are against the minister.

The enemy knows full well that a success in deceiving you surely means a success in deceiving many who will follow you; it is certainly his hope that they will follow you into destruction.

Jesus, I pray that you would protect your ministers of your Gospel. Defend them from the deceptions and attacks of the enemy. Defend them from the traps into sin that are laid for them. Jesus, I pray that you would give grace and mercy in the places where the enemy has found some victory; restore those minsters to strong standing in you—allow them to confidently refute the enemy, and faithfully lead your people. Jesus, sanctify your church and defend us all as we come under the attack.

Richard Baxter’s second point of introspection for ministers of the Gospel:

“You have sinful inclinations as well as others.”

When in leadership positions, the people being led have a pretty natural tendency to view the leader as perfect. Week in week out leading discussions against sin and for God might lead that group to an unhealthy view of the person in leadership. It’s not easy to publicly embrace the truth that we have “sinful inclinations” just like everyone else. It feels good to be placed on some idealistic pedestal. From there, I don’t imagine it’s too far a leap to lie to ourselves and actually believe we are that idealistic persona. What a dangerous position that is.

John says in his first general epistle, “If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us!” (1 John 1:8). Not only as leaders, but simply as Christians, the temptation to make ourselves appear more holy than we are is ever-present. Some will even embrace the lie. Some will go about, ignoring that they have a fallen nature which constantly beckons them back, and for this reason fall into a great number of sins.

I believe that it also may be a contributing factor to the unbeliever feeling ‘judged’. While certainly when we share the Gospel, an unbeliever will feel judged (he’s coming under the conviction of sin, it makes sense). But, when the believer lives an abundantly hypocritical life, the judgment, I think, is shifted from being a righteous judgment from God, to a false one from men.

We must, not only as ministers, but as Christians embrace a deep humility that constantly reminds that we are sinners, no more worthy of the grace received than the worst of sinners. We should walk according to that humility, not allowing our favor in God’s sight to be forgotten because of vain pride.

Jesus, I pray that you would give me humility. Lord, would you entrench that humility deep in my heart and remind me constantly of your awesome grace and power to save, even a sinner such as myself. Jesus, in light of a sinful world, help me to remember that I am only blameless because you have made me that way. Sanctify your church, God, for the sake of your glory!

While perusing the Puritan Golden Treasury tonight, I found an entry from Richard Baxter addressing ministers of the Gospel. They are eight points on which ministers should be constantly reminding themselves. They are challenging points that demand attention. They are as follows:

1. You have heaven to win or lose yourself… a holy calling will not save an unholy man.

2. You have sinful inclinations as well as others.

3. (You) have greater temptations than most men.

4. The tempter will make his first and sharpest onset upon you. If you will be leaders against him, he will spare you no further than God restrains him.

5. Many eyes are upon you, and therefore there will be many to observe you falls.

6. Your sins are more aggravated than those of other men. They have more hypocrisy in them.

7. The honour of your Lord and Master, and of His holy truth, doth lie more on you than other men.

8. The souls of your hearers and the success of your labours, do very much depend upon your self-examination.

I might take the next eight days and expand on each of these points. They are so poignant that they seem that much good could come from considering each of them more carefully. I don’t know, we’ll see.

A pastor at my church spoke at the evening service that I attend about the “the little things” that we let slip by. He spoke out of an obscure verse—Exodus 4:24-26—in which Moses had neglected to circumcise his son. A crime for which God was about to kill him, but his wife instead circumcises the boy with a sharp rock (ouch) then places the severed flesh at Moses’ feet. The gist of the message was that the little things that we choose to overlook will eventually kill us. A message that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Toward the end of his message, he asked that we examine ourselves to find if there were any places of our lives that we knew of in which we neglected something “small”. With all of my well disguised pride, I sat pensively considering his question. Though the monologue in my head saying “Gee, I just can’t think of anything” was much to loud to think much of anything else. Finally though, I heard an almost audible voice in my head saying, “But Bill, what about all that illegally downloaded music that you have from before you were a Christian?” I of course immediately responded, “Well that doesn’t count because of… well…” At that point it was clear that I was under conviction and if I did anything other than submit I would have been making things very uncomfortable (and dangerous) for myself. I resolved at that point to return home after the service and delete the music from my ipod.

Just as had been decided, I returned home and began at the top of the list deleting things that I didn’t own. I quickly realized that this was going to be a painful process. During the church service when the decision was made, I could only think of the music that I never really listened to. Of course when I got home, I found that much of what I was deleting was actually some of my favorite music. Uncomfortable as it was, I’m convinced that it doesn’t compare to the discomfort that would come along with refusing to do it. So in about 35 minutes I went from 13,500 songs to about 7,500 songs.

I don’t say any of this in order to make myself seem righteous, or to boast in any way. I say it for a number of other reasons.

First of all, my ipod and music collection have remained something like a stronghold for me. I’ve always thought something like, “I could give up pretty much anything… except all that music.” So for me, this is a great time to praise God for having provided the strength to do what is right, and deny myself; something that already has produced good fruit.

Secondly, I use this as a means of admonishment. In the lives of you who are reading this, there is something that you hold on to that you are under conviction for. I plead with you to relinquish it! God will provide you the strength necessary and your obedience will give God his glory, and give way to a more full and satisfying walk with the Lord.

Jesus, I pray again that you would sanctify us, your church, to bring you more glory and allow us more satisfaction in you! Get your glory, God!

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ words, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other…” I think there are not so many who remember how the verse actually ends, “You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24) There probably even fewer people who actually take these words from Jesus seriously. While reading in Romans today, I pondered over a thought in which Paul expands what Jesus says here and does a great deal of harm to any complacency that we entertain.

Romans 6:16 reads, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” According to Paul here in God’s Word, who we ‘serve’, shows who our ‘master’ is. Twice so far in Romans Paul has made it clear that grace is not a license to sin and here he has brought it to a head. Were our master ‘obedience’ we would surely be obedient to “repent and believe the Gospel” and were that the case we would surly see that our condition is under grace. It would be impossible for us to be under grace and continue willingly and unashamedly in sin, this would be proof enough that our master is sin and if our master is sin, then it is not obedience and we couldn’t possibly be under grace. We should however, remember that grace is a free gift from God, as Paul makes abundantly clear; however with grace comes the necessary obedience; where there’s not grace, there won’t be obedience either.

I think this is largely the idea that John had in mind when he wrote, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” (1 John 3:6) If we have known him and his grace, if he truly is our Lord as we claim him to be, we cannot possibly also submit to the lordship of sin; you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

As I have examined my walk, I am ashamed to have found the frequency with which I used grace as a license to sin. Not actively, but passively; subconsciously. Not considering the true weight of sin or the implications of it. When grace is tossed around so frivolously and sin regarded as so little, the natural result is living and acting like one has a license to do so. It’s just not the case on any level whatsoever.

If we will call ourselves Christians, we must look conscientiously at our lives and ask some seriously tough questions. Questions like, “who is my master?” We cannot afford not to do this, the stakes are simply too high; for we know that submission to sin leads to death.

Jesus, I pray that you would give us grace and mercy. I pray that you would reveal to us our areas of licentious living. Jesus, give us strength not to ignore dangerous signs in our lives, but rather to look at them prayerfully and soberly, allowing you to conform us to a more godly way. By the Holy Spirit sanctify us and make our allegiance clear to us and to all; it must be to you always and in every way. God, get all of your glory!

What hold my thoughts captive? I think the most basic and natural answer is myself. In a natural sense, I am the center of my universe. The things that happen are in relation to me and where they are not in relation to me, I am usually hard pressed to lend my mind to such matters. This is not the way it should be.

I have heard before in discourse fellows saying things like, “it is not like we always need to be thinking about God.” To this, I agree; kind of. I agree there are times that it will be necessary for us to think of ‘other’ things; but I suggest that they shouldn’t be ‘other’ things at all. When every thought has been taken captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and put into obedience to Christ, is there truly any matter, whether ‘directly’ relating to God or not, that is not placed under the Lordship of Christ? For example, if every thought has truly been taken captive and yet someone gives thought and attention to football, that thought then exists under the Lordship of Christ and that thought is glorifying God (Romans 14:6). However, let’s say that our thoughts are not taken captive and we give our thoughts to football? We have engaged in idolatry. What happens if we give our thoughts to our work or business? We have engaged in idolatry. What happens if we give our thoughts, even thoughts, to God? We have engaged in idolatry, because the thoughts are still held captive by self and therefore even the thoughts we have about God are wicked (Isaiah 64:6).

Stop! William, do not ease your conscience with this, saying “You see, think about whatever you will, because in God’s eyes, it is righteous.” It is much to easy to simply go on in a pattern of idolatry and wickedness of thought, under the guise that you have been permitted to do so. Have you been permitted to do so; can you be sure of this? Have your thoughts been taken captive to the obedience of Christ? Or do you maintain captivity of your thoughts and sometimes lend them sinfully to Christ? I urge that we wrestle with these ideas. Question if what we are thinking about is good or is it wicked.

And what happens if these thoughts are not taken captive and put into obedience to Christ? Well, I can almost assure you that they will not just stay in our heads forever. They’ll almost certainly seep out through out hands into whatever we touch and create a great deal of grief; whether it be unjust business dealings, hurtful lies to a spouse or loved one, or a violent rape. This is a dangerous line to walk; let’s take our thoughts captive to Christ!

Jesus, I pray for mounting humility in my thoughts. I confess the pride that lurks in the dark of my mind. Jesus, I pray that you would shine light on these dark places and burn them up! Jesus, I pray that by your Holy Spirit, you would create in me and in your church, holiness through and through, to your glory!