The Bullpen with J.D. Greear

By J.D. GreearReligion & Spirituality Christianity

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The Bullpen with J.D. Greear episodes

April 08, 2019Do miracles still happen?
Pastor J.D. reviews the major approaches people take regarding miracles and explains why caution, not cynicism, is necessary.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Brief review of major approaches:
Continuits: miracles never stopped
Cessasionists: Stopped after disciples died.
Third Wave: Miracles happen in movement-based waves.
Open but cautious: Nothing in the Bible that indicates that miracles have stopped.
I am open but cautious:
It’s okay to be a little skeptical, not believing everything you hear about what God has said to person, or even everything you personally feel. To be honest, I probably don’t believe 60 percent of the “miracles,” “visions” or “God told me” reports that I hear.
But don’t let that caution turn into cynicism.
One heresy: Miracles are not a benefit we can just claim, like we can Isaiah 53 (“by his stripes we are healed”). We can’t just claim healing like forgiveness.
Sam Storms in his book, Practicing the Power, talks about expectancy. What would God do? When you see him in the Gospels, how did Jesus react?
They are signs:
Miracles don’t suspend the natural order; they are a return to the natural order.
They are not just a naked display of God’s power or magic tricks, but reveal the redemptive purpose of his power.
CS Lewis: “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.”
Examples:
Jesus didn’t levitate or do a Vader choke-hold on his opponents.
He turned water into wine (which God does, but usually in a longer process).
He multiplied food so that more people could eat it (again, a divine, but usually slower process).
He made blind people see, deaf people hear, dead people alive—he took the brokenness of the world and healed it.

This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.
11 min
April 01, 2019What Do You Wish Every Worship Leader Knew About Their Ministry?
Pastor J.D. shares some encouragement and wisdom for the worship leaders, reminding them of the vital role they play in the church.
A glimpse inside this episode:
One of our leaders asked me to come speak to a group of worship interns, telling them “everything I thought pastors wanted worship leaders to know.” When I agreed to do it, I thought it would be a stretch to come up with three or four things. That was a bit naïve. By the time I was done, it grew to a list of 14!
Teach the people how to respond in worship.
Our impulse is to blame the congregation for being too cold. But as leaders, we need to assume that the fault lies with us. If people aren’t responding to God in worship, the easy way out is to gripe about the people. The leader’s way out is to ask how we can disciple people to grow.
Responding appropriately in worship is something that has to be taught. On the practical side, it helps if you start by teaching those who are already bought in to the mission. Teach the staff and leaders, then lead in concentric circles.
The posture guides the heart.
Interesting: The Bible commands postures of worship. We were created as holistic beings—with intellects, emotions, and bodies all working in concert with one another. This is why the Bible commands us to kneel, stand, sing, shout, and lift our hands. It doesn’t say, “Shout to the Lord if you have that kind of personality and the mood strikes you.” It simply says, “Shout.” Our hearts often guide our posture in worship, but it is equally true that our posture guides our heart.
Your people need a pastor, not a performer.
Not that they are at odds… But you aren’t there to simply sing in front of folks. Don’t hide backstage before and after the service. Get out there and mingle with people. Be available. As a worship leader, you should be leading people to worship with you, not merely in the same room as you.
Don’t lead for the artists. Lead for the congregation.
They want to impress other artists. The congregation doesn’t get tired of a song nearly as quickly as you.
I always say that when I get sick of saying something around the Summit, I find that our people have just heard it. That’s how leadership and vision works. It works the same for music, too. For songs to stick in people’s hearts and minds, they’re going to have to hear them a lot. You’ll get sick of those songs right around the time people start to really ingest them and love them. Stick it out for their sake, and don’t shift too rapidly.
The key–is it good for the congregation or for you?
No one is as enamored with your music as you are.
We write a lot of our own songs at the Summit. I think they’re incredible, and I want more of that. I think more worship leaders should be trying their hand at their own stuff, offering it to their congregations as a way of contextualizing and applying the gospel to their context. But it’s easy to buy into your own hype a little too much.
Balance your songs with music from the broader church—both contemporary songs and hymns. And don’t take yourself too seriously. The mission is serious, and we should care deeply about it. But we are servants, and we should think of ourselves rather lightly.
Talk with your pastor about what you’re trying to do.
The more you talk with your pastor about why you want to do a certain song (or avoid one), the further you’ll get in actually achieving your goals together. Worship should be a rhythm of revelation and response. Once you and your pastor agree on that, the specifics of songs and sets becomes easier to manage.
Take audience mood into consideration.
You’re dealing with music and singing, which brings certain sociological elements into the picture. So don’t be surprised if you do three slow, soft songs in a row and find your people checking out. They aren’t necessarily being unholy. They’re following the mood you set.
There’s a reason we generally start off with a more upbeat song in our services, rather than a contemplative and mournful one—just like I usually start my sermons with an illustration. You can easily go overboard on this, but don’t ignore it altogether. Setting the mood and using artistic style is one way of honoring God with your talents and leading your people well.
Think about what you are going to say
I know that not every worship leader prides himself on public speaking. But you will be doing some speaking up there, so be smart about it and write it out. We carelessly say things that end up being more befitting of a rock show.
Don’t just execute the plan. Read the moment.
This is as true of a sermon as it is a worship set. In the planning stage, it all makes sense. But then you get into the service, and a spark of intuition tells you, “The last song we planned doesn’t fit. We should be slowing down and giving people space, not amping up and trying to be triumphant.” It can be maddening for everyone around you if you do this too much, but you need to have some flexibility to change the plans.
And, at the risk of stating the obvious, to read the moment you need to be there for the moment. Often worship leaders will do their songs at the beginning, leave, and then return for a song or two at the end. Nothing is worse (or more obvious) than when the worship leader wasn’t there for most of the service. What you say and sing at the end should dovetail with what came before. So, you now, be there for that.
Never re-preach the sermon.
It’s a common temptation for worship leaders to step up after the sermon and feel the need to say a few things before launching into their songs. Resist. If the preacher knows what he’s doing (even if he doesn’t), his sermon will end by leaving people worshiping. Your job is to take that handoff and to worship. One brief line does the trick, and then you should get into the music.
This doesn’t mean you should refrain from speaking or preaching at all. There are several other moments when a short “sermon” from the worship leader works well. But to jump from one sermon immediately into another shorter one doesn’t help people digest what they’ve just heard.
11. Guard the time for preaching.
I’m aware of the irony here. I’m a preacher, so this may sound self-serving. (Like I mentioned above, I’m ready to receive words of wisdom from worship leaders to us preachers.) But as Protestants, the preaching of the Word has been and should be the centerpiece of the service. It’s the reason most of us choose to come to church: We want to hear from the Word of God. Keep that element of the worship service in mind as you struggle to balance singing with teaching.
Affirm your pastor.
Your pastor. This is probably good advice for a lot of roles. Assume the weaknesses, and notice the strengths. I tend to do the opposite, pointing out other people’s weaknesses and assuming their strengths. Flipping that pattern is a discipline but one that bears a lot of fruit.
My wife is my biggest preaching fan. She knows I don’t always do well, but she also knows that I have other people intentionally critiquing my preaching. So she lets them do it and just “notices the positive.” You should probably assume a similar posture toward your pastor. If he feels like you are his biggest fan, it will be a great long-term relationship. If he senses that you have a long list of ways he could improve things, you aren’t setting anyone up to succeed.
Don’t sweat the themes too much.
We strive for alignment in our services, but that goal can easily become too all-encompassing. Let the theme of your service or your series serve you, rather than serving it.
In choosing the response song, think more about the gospel than the pastor’s sermon.
“What are you preaching on?” Charles Spurgeon encouraged preachers to always plow a trough back to the gospel at the end of every sermon. I try to do the same. The gospel is the power to do whatever the Word commanded, so every sermon should end there. The thing is, not every sermon does end there.
This is one way that worship leaders can help their pastors. If he has limited time or doesn’t make the gospel connection abundantly clear, the songs following the sermon can point back to the gospel as the source of power.

This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.
15 min
March 25, 2019Who Are Your Biggest Preaching Influences?
Pastor J.D. talks about those who have influenced him and his preaching the most over the years and what he’s learned from them.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Two foundational texts for a lot of young preachers are Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.
I’ve read both, and appreciate their concern to make preaching both expositional and engaging.
To use as a standard, cookie-cutter approach, though, I find their models a little too constraining.
While the principles of exegesis, interpretation, and hermeneutics are the same (and can never be abridged), different texts and subjects call for different approaches.
In addition to Robinson and Chapell, I’ve been greatly influenced by (and sometimes imitate the style of):
Tim Keller. Keller has probably influenced my basic thought on how to structure an outline more than anyone else. (And he’s avowedly indebted to Chapell, so it’s complementary, not contradictory). His basic structure goes something like this: “1. This is what God’s Word says should be—and we all wish would be. 2. But we can’t do it. 3. This text points to Jesus, who did it perfectly for us; accepting his finished work on our behalf changes our hearts, so we can begin to do it, too.”
John MacArthur and Tommy Nelson–careful attention to the text. They simply move through a text, explaining what it means as you go. This is a way of helping people to “read the Word of God better,” to borrow from Nehemiah’s famous explanation of preaching. In sermons like this, there isn’t a real “outline,” or often even a main point. The goal is simply to help people read a passage better.
Even more, David Jeremiah and Tony Evans–who preach like leaders, discipling along the way.
I love the communication abilities of Andy Stanley.
Love his intro and application. Obviously, there’s a number of things we approach differently.
Andy has a very simple outline for just about every message, and I think about that for every introduction and conclusion that I write. Sometimes, based on the topic or the text, I’ll use his outline outright. I’ll let him explain it in his own words:
“The outline revolves around five words, each of which represents a section of the message. They are: Me, We, God, You, and We. With this approach, the communicator introduces a dilemma he or she has faced or is currently facing (Me). From there, you find common ground with your audience around the same or a similar dilemma (We). Then you transition to the text to discover what God says about the tension or question you’ve introduced (God). Then you challenge your audience to act on what they’ve just heard (You). And finally, you close with several statements about what could happen in your community, your church, or the world if everybody embraced that particular truth (We).”
Rick Warren. Warren also is great for how to structure the application points. He preaches like a disciple-maker, leading you to something rather than simply explaining the text. In my view, a preacher is a leader who exegetes, not an exegete who inadvertently leads. Remember: our goal is disciple-making, not information transfer. Warren says that, in general, sermon points shouldn’t be about the Bible character, but about the audience. So instead of saying, “David was caught in temptation because he was disengaged from the battle,” you should say, “You will be most prone to temptation when you’re disconnected from ministry.”
10 min
March 18, 2019Is Church Membership in the Bible?
Pastor J.D. discusses the difference between having a consumer and a committed relationship with the church and where the Bible discusses the concept of church membership.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Spoiler alert: Yes!
The word is not there, but the concept is. (“Trinity” isn’t either, but of course the concept is.) Concept: covenant community where you belong.
We see that evidenced in multiple places:
1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians: Paul talks about removing a sinning brother from their fellowship (1 Cor) and then commends them for their actions (2 Cor).
Acts 6: They have an election
In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, we see a clear teaching on how to handle widows in the church. There’s even language of creating a roster so the leaders know how to care for them well.
Consumer: don’t want to belong.
Nothing wrong with consumer… if you’re talking about fast food.
Apply it to marriage or my kids, that’s a problem!
Church is definitely a committed, not consumer relationship. You can see that probably easiest in the primary metaphor for the church in the Bible: a body.
Imagine your body with non-committed body members?
How do you use your gifts and experience the gifts of others?
How do you fulfill the “each other” commands?
Practically: what if I am afraid to join?
Find a church with good biblical preaching; teaches community; practices accountability; focuses on getting you into ministry. I’m willing to put up with most anything else if those things are there.
Don’t wait for a perfect church: if you do, when you find and join it, it won’t be perfect anymore.
Bonhoeffer’s three stages of growth: disgust at the sins of others; disgust at your own sin; ready to re-enter church as an instrument in the hands of the Redeemer who has been redeemed yourself than as a self-righteous Pharisee committed to judging everyone.
12 min
March 11, 2019How Should Christians Engage with Social Media?
Pastor J.D. talks about how social media shapes us—whether we like it or not—and how we can participate in it in healthy ways.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Myth: the medium of communication is neutral, only content matters
Truth: Medium shapes the message and also you
E.g. Brand Luther: the printing press forced writers to write on more common levels and shorter
Blogs have made it even shorter; Twitter shorter still!

Our social media shapes our days in dangerous ways:
Tony Reinke in Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You: the average person checks their phone 81,500 times each year, or once every 4.3 minutes of our waking lives, twice in this podcast)
Email every 5 minutes in the midst of whatever else they are doing. The problem is that it takes an average of 64 seconds to resume the previous task after you finish (which means that because of email alone, we typically waste 1 out of every 6 minutes in ‘transition’ back to the previous task!)
Dis-traction: French word meaning “pulled apart” (drawn and quartered)
I know of one Christian counselor who says that distraction destroys more relationships than just about anything else today. Distraction, he says, makes intimacy impossible, because, you see, in order for someone to feel intimate with you—be that a spouse, a child, or a good friend—they have to believe (1) that you consider them a priority in your life; (2) you have plenty of unrushed time available for them; (3) you are giving them your undivided attention. Busyness and distraction make those three things impossible.
Nothing ruins my day faster (in good mood with kids, open up Twitter, and they can tell I’m on edge even if I don’t say anything).
Accomplishes little: Everyone running the same direction getting the earth spinning again
Those are the negatives. On the positive: To disengage is to intentionally mute our witness.
I saw Al Mohler say something about this years ago. He, as much as anyone, bemoans the ways that Twitter is not a format for nuanced and deep thought. But he also admitted, “There are people who won’t hear what we’re saying unless we say it in these formats. And I want people to hear this message.”
Some practical steps:
Set a limit for the time you spend on social media.
Our phones, thankfully, now have the capacity to track and limit the amount of time we spend on various apps.
I found this out after I turned on my “screen time” app on my iPhone. I thought, “I have pretty good habits here. This will confirm that.” And after a couple days, when I looked at the numbers, I realized I wasn’t doing as well as I had thought.
Honestly, do you want to be spending 45 minutes a day on Facebook? Is that an investment of time you feel good about when you lay your head on your pillow at night? Probably not. So have your phone set a limit. You don’t have the discipline to do this by yourself. That’s fine. Neither do I. Use technology to save you from technology.
Don’t use it as a crutch. John Piper wrote a great little article that asks why we are so drawn to turn to technology first thing in the morning and at the first sign of a lull. He gives 6 reasons.
Novelty Candy. We have (FOMO). We’re afraid that our friends are going to know something we don’t know. (Sociologists have classified a condition where you experience a legitimate anxiety of being too separated from your phone—it is called “nomophobia.” Not kidding. Without Jesus your FOMO will lead to nomophobia. But with Jesus you’ll have NoMoFoMo.)
Ego Candy (We want to know what people are saying about us, so we get on social media looking for likes and positive comments!)
Entertainment Candy (We want to feed on what is fascinating, weird, strange, wonderful, or shocking.) – Oh look, this woman in Oregon has an Alpaca that can do Calculus.
Boredom Avoidance (We want to put off the day ahead, especially when it looks routine to us.)
Responsibility Avoidance (We want to put off the responsibilities God has given us as fathers, mothers, bosses, employees, students.)
Hardship Avoidance (We want to put off dealing with relationship conflicts or the pain, disease, and disabilities in our bodies.)
Diversify: don’t get in an echo chamber.
Unfollow people who consistently make you envious.
Yes, you should diversify your social media feed. But if you’re consistently taking in things that are toxic for your soul, that’s a problem.
The deeper problem is your heart. But there’s also a lot of wisdom in just keeping yourself out of tempting situations.
Like Martin Luther said, “If your head is made of butter, stay away from the fireplace.”
Personal for me: Try to remember that people on social media are people, too.
People get nasty on social media—nastier than in real life, because the person they’re attacking seems just like an idea on a screen.
I used to criticize people in public eye until I got to know a few: I may still be critical, but I do so remembering I am talking about (and to) a real person.
Christians have a responsibility and an opportunity to show the world a better way.
If there were ever a place to apply James 1: be “quick to listen and slow to speak,” this is it.
I’ve gotten in trouble through fast responses and virtue signaling.
15 min
March 04, 2019What Should Male Leadership Look Like?
Pastor J.D. addresses some common misconceptions about male leadership and explains the Bible’s plan for it in relationships, the home, and life.
A glimpse inside this episode:
There are a number of reasons someone might find the idea of male leadership difficult:
Perhaps there is a history of abuse, which changes how male leadership looks and feels.
Feel like it is archaic: strong dominated the weak.
More practical, perhaps a mother is raising children without the father around.
So why, with all of the potential problems, do we say that God’s design in the home is for men to lead?
Ephesians 5:23, the Bible calls the husband to be the head of the wife and the wife to submit to the husband like Christ submitted to the church.
Headship is not a designation of the husband’s greater value (egalitarians Galatians 3:28 vs. complementarians 1 Timothy 2–both are important, but of his specific role and responsibility).
Starts with mutual submission:
In fact, greater submission in that sense is mine. I should lose 95% of all arguments in my home.
Look not on my own interests
To serve rather than be served
Crown is one of thorns.
I am a tie-breaker.
Tim Keller: Moving to NYC example. He felt yes; she no. They had to make a decision; to not make one would be, functionally, to make one. He conceded: “OK, if you don’t want to go, we won’t go.” Kathy: No, you are letting me make the decision. You have to make it. Submission means man has to make the decision in the best interest of the family.
The number of times this has actually happened in my marriage, I could count on one hand.
People who say, “Well, just work it out.” That doesn’t work practically. Somebody ends up submitting.
Like a dance: somebody leads.
If two people are dancing face to face, they cannot do exactly the same thing without running into each other and ending the dance. The movements cannot be identical and equivalent; they have to be complementary and harmonious.
The creation account in Genesis 1–2 (particularly 2:5–23) provides more detail about the nature of the husband’s headship. In that text, we see God giving Adam a share of his authority by commissioning him to cultivate the Garden of Eden and name the animals (Genesis 2:15, 19–20). This provides a template by which we can understand the leadership that men should demonstrate in the home.
Husbands should lead in provision, as Adam was given a job prior to his marriage to Eve (Genesis 2:15).
Husbands should lead in spiritual growth, as Adam both had a relationship with God and had heard God’s words before Eve was brought to him (Genesis 2:16, 18).
Husbands should lead in romance, since, as the text notes, it is the man who is to leave his family in order to cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24). It is also the man that writes the first romantic poem for his wife, not vice versa (Genesis 2:23).
Husbands should lead in protection, as Adam and Eve are referred to as “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul picks up this imagery to remind husbands that they are responsible to love their wives “as their own bodies,” protecting them as they would their very selves (Ephesians 5:28).
God did not make us exactly the same.
Not good
Edzer kenegdo: a different one of the same kind
A great deal of resistance arises from core misconceptions about the concept itself. We reject the following misconceptions of submission as false and unbiblical:
The misconception that women, as a group, are to submit to men. The virtue of submission, biblically speaking, is one that all believers are called to practice. Christians are called to submit to the leadership of the church, to governing authorities, to other believers, and most importantly, to God. The circumstances may differ, but we all must exhibit the humility required to submit to God’s order. Submission is not a “female” virtue, but a Christian one.
The misconception that women are inferior to men. The creation narrative of Genesis 1–2 depicts men and women with equal worth. Both are created in the image of God, blessed, and given a commission to rule the earth (Genesis 1:27–28). The wife’s role of submission no more implies an inferior worth than does Jesus’ role of submission to the Father.
The misconception that wives submit to their husbands through unconditional obedience. The command to “submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) does not mean, “Submit to him without question, as if he is your God.” Rather, Paul’s command is for wives to submit as a way of serving God. If a conflict arises between the commands of God and the headship of the husband, wives are to submit to the higher authority—God.
The misconception that husbands must make all family decisions unilaterally. The complementarian position on gender attests that men and women have creational, fundamental differences. This means that life is incomplete if viewed only through the lens of one gender. Husbands, therefore, should include their wives in family decisions, since they bring unique wisdom to each situation. In healthy marriages, most decisions result from consensus between husband and wife, not unilateral dictate from one or the other.
13 min
February 25, 2019What Three People (Dead or Alive) Would You Want to Have Lunch With?
Pastor J.D. would obviously have lunch with Nicolas Cage, but who are the others? They just might surprise you.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Adoniram Judson: A broken heart for the lost and wicked smart. HIs biography To The Golden Shore was one of the most formative in my life. I even named my son, Adon, after him. I hope to follow him back overseas one day.
Martin Luther: How could I not mention him? What I love most about him is how real and authentic he was. He was funny and didn’t take himself too serious.
Charles Spurgeon: I’d like to have lunch with him once. Such a scholar but also tender. He knew when to give theology and when to weep with his members. A couple of my favorite possessions are his actual sermon notes, his handwritten notes, that were given to me.
Bonus: Shelby Steele: African American sociologist. Keen insight into a lot of the racial issues of today.
Bonus: Michael Jordan: I was a boy in North Carolina, how could I not love him?
And Pastor J.D. explains the root of his adoration for Nic Cage.
10 min
February 18, 2019How Should Christians Think About the Sabbath?
Pastor J.D. shares that the Christian Sabbath is much more than a day off to do what we want to do. Rather, the Sabbath is a principle for all of life as we put God first.
A glimpse inside this episode:
We believe regular corporate gathering on the Lord’s Day is an essential, non-negotiable element in the life of a disciple.
Verses such as Hebrews 10:24-25 tell us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
We believe that God has instituted into creation a 7-day rhythm or work and rest/worship.
We don’t think believers are no longer under Old Testament laws, but the design reflected in those laws advises us to set aside a day every week for rest and worship. We see this practice reflected in the early church, who seem to use Sunday as their primary day of gathering. Thus, we make a commitment to our regular corporate gatherings part of our membership covenant, explaining that church discipline applies to those who do not observe it.
What do you mean by “we are no longer under it”–take it or leave it?
The OT laws are fulfilled in Jesus, so we no longer are bound to the particulars, but the principle behind is the same.
In fact, if you’ll let me, it’s not just with one day a week that we see the Sabbath principle play out—Let me list out a few.
1. One day a week for rest, renewal and relationships
Again, one day to be rather than to do. To focus on God, relationships, and enjoy his creation.
It doesn’t have to be on a Sunday. When the early church changed it from Sat to Sunday they were showing that it wasn’t a particular day that was essential.
For most of you it should be, but it’s at least one day a week where you cease from your labors and enjoy God and the gifts he has given.
Public worship should always be a part of it, because your relationship with God is central in in your life.
But it’s also a day to be with family, and be outdoors, and to do things you enjoy.
This next one might surprise you at first, but hear me out…
2. Tithing
(You think, “You always know how to tie it back to this… hear me out).
Tithing is an application of the Sabbath principle (Deuteronomy 7–8)
Tithing means giving at least the first 1/10 your income back to God. You don’t do it because you have 10% extra in your budget you can’t figure out what to do with. You do it, just like they took the Sabbath day off, as a declaration that God is the provider and ultimately you trust him to make the ends meet.
That’s why when people say, “I can’t afford to tithe!” I say, “You can’t afford not to!” God said, “Obey me by giving me 10% you think you can’t afford, and watch how I multiply the remaining 90%!”
I can’t explain exactly how he does it… only that he always does!
You can’t out-give him. It’s only when I’ve violated this principle that I’ve gotten in real trouble.
It’s like with 6 days… do less than you can and he will multiply the rest
Here’s another one that may surprise you…
3. Sleep
Let me take you to one of my favorite passages (that I have tattooed on my wrist!
Psalm 127:1-2 “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
What’s the sign in this verse that you are beloved by God? Sleep.
Looking out at you right now, I can see several of you are feeling beloved by God right at this very moment!
But if you are asleep, whose got the city? Who is building the house? Who is watching the city? The psalmist smile sweetly and says, “God is.”
God intended sleep to be a time every day where you remind yourself you’re not God.
Personal confession: The more responsibility I get, the more trouble I have sleeping. I always wake up worried. Don’t send me your new miracle pillow or new herbal remedy or essential oil that you want me to rub on my kneecaps that’s going to make it all better. That’s not the problem. I sleep badly sometimes because I am worried about who is watching the city—of my family, the church, the SBC.
But here’s what I’ve learned: God wants me to lay down each night (it’s kind of like a daily Sabbath) just to remind myself that I’m not God. So, when I lie down to sleep I say, “God, I am turning myself off, even though there is a ton to do… and lots to worry about… but you are staying on and you designed me to turn off, so I can trust you to handle what I can’t.”
At 3:30, you’ve not appointed me to worry about “the city,” appointed me to sleep which must mean you have the city
4-hour work-week example: I was reading an article by a small-business owner who said he had trouble sleeping…
It is not my responsibility to guard the city or finish the house or pay the bills—that’s God’s job. It’s my job to be faithful, and after you’ve been faithful you can lie down to sleep and leave it in his hand.
4. Daily Sabbath
Daily times to unplug and refocus yourself
That means doing a QT: time at the beginning of the day to refocus yourself
Building time into the day to recenter
I know a pastor who asked his assistant to build a 5-minute space between each one of his meetings for him to pray. Between each counseling appointment, staff meeting, or visit, he would take five minutes to stop, pray, and rest. He would literally pause his day, multiple times per day, simply to rest.[3]
And time just to let your mind rest (Churchill) – “The best way to rest is to have your mind totally engrossed in something you don’t typically do.”
Or how about this one—NAP. A recent study found that a 30-minute nap three times a week cuts your heart attack risk by 40%. Other studies have shown that people who nap are actually more productive.
5. Yearly Vacations
Throughout the Bible, we see Jesus commanding his people to take time off to remind themselves that they aren’t the ones doing the work:
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Mark 6:31
Look at the phrasing: So many were coming!
It’s not like there was nothing to do. There was still a line! But Jesus knew there was time to stop and prioritize the Father.
And reflect on the fact that it is God who does the work.
Another one of my favorite examples of this: Acts 1: “Do nothing.”
They’d just been given the largest assignment ever given—and instead of getting right to work, they were told to do nothing. (Now, to be clear, I’m not suggesting they were on vacation—but God was reminding them that ultimately the responsibility to complete)
(BTW, when I say vacations, I know I lose some of you…“I can’t afford that…” Or, “If I take a vacation, I don’t get paid.” I get it. Don’t think Disney World here, necessarily—I mean time for you just to unplug and focus on relationships. A staycation. Go to local parks and play games.)
These are all ways you put Sabbath into practice. You stop to proclaim Christ as your rest.
14 min
February 11, 2019Is the Bible’s Language About Hell Literal or Figurative?
Pastor J.D. explains that while hell is a difficult reality, it is something that the Bible teaches, and we can’t fully understand God and his world unless we grapple with it.
A glimpse inside this episode:
When we ask these questions, we have to evaluate if it’s because we want to get away from the seriousness and heaviness of what the Bible says about Hell.
I do believe that the vast majority of images used in the Bible about Hell are literal.
There obviously is a metaphorical co-import into them. For example, darkness represents the complete absence of God and fire represents an insatiable desire, etc.
So, it’s possible that there are both metaphorical and literal images that are part of what the Bible says about Hell.
However, one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard of this is if a particular image is a metaphor in the Bible, it’s almost always because the full reality behind it can’t really be described. In those situations, the reality is always much more intense than the actual physical image that is used.
So, it’s not that you’d say, “Oh, it’s a metaphor, so it’s really not that bad.” Instead, it is something in which the reality is so intense that the best way to describe it is by using these awful and horrendous images.
In the end, we must conclude, like the writer of Hebrews concludes, that, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
C.S. Lewis put it this way: “In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ . . . To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does. . . . In the end, there are only two kinds of people– those who say to God “thy will be done” and those to whom God says in the end ‘thy will be done.’” (The Problem of Pain, “Hell,” 116 and The Great Divorce, 69.)
God’s word tells us about hell for a reason. God tells us about hell to demonstrate to us the magnitude of His holiness. Hell is what hell is because the holiness of God is what it is. Hell is not one degree hotter than our sin demands that it be. Hell should make our mouths stand agape at the righteous and just holiness of God. It should make us tremble before His majesty and grandeur.
In fact, if you count up the verses, Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven. One of the most famous skeptics in history, Bertrand Russell, said in his book, What I’m not a Christian, that Jesus’ teaching on hell was “the one profound defect in Christ’s character.” If we want to avoid the idea of hell, we can’t ignore the problem by just focusing on “meek and mild Jesus.”
In one sense, God doesn’t send anyone to hell; we send ourselves.
In another sense, God does send people to hell; and all his ways are true and righteous altogether.
12 min
February 04, 2019 How Should We Respond to a Police Shooting?
Pastor J.D. continues the discussion from Episode 19 and specifically talks about how Christians should respond to a police shooting.
A glimpse inside this episode:
When we see the broad strokes of racism in our past, we cannot avoid seeing how racism has deeply impacted social realities like families, governments, and schools. Social realities are slow to change, and while laws are good, they cannot immediately overcome generations of unjust practices.We see this reality play out when news hits of a white police officer shooting and killing a person of color.
On one side, African Americans are keenly aware of racial injustice in our history, so they sense enough of a pattern to assume injustice in this particular case. This one incident calls to mind the long period of public lynchings and other instances of racial violence. This is a valid viewpoint.
On the other side, white commentators often respond by counseling patience. The historical realities may create a disturbing pattern, but it would be unjust to assume the guilt of any individual—white or black—without letting our justice system pursue the facts.
I asked Dr. George Yancey about these situations:
“What do you do in a moment like this? It seems we’re being asked to choose between two responses, both of which are bringing in strong (and seemingly contrary) assumptions. How do we speak in a way that communicates sympathy without subverting the justice system? I don’t want to commit one injustice (depriving the police officer the presumption of innocence and due processes of law) in order to rectify another.”
Dr. Yancey responded,
“You can always—and should always—come out quickly with sympathy for the victims. After all, it is a tragedy when anyone is shot and killed. But you can go further, lamenting the fact that we still live in a racialized society whose past makes questions like this even pertinent. It should be unthinkable that ethnicity plays a role in police shootings. But it’s not. And that’s a tragedy.”
Dr. Yancey is right. If, God forbid, my white son was shot by the police, I would never ask if his death had anything to do with his skin color.
My African American friends should have that same privilege.
It’s past time we quit thinking about this as a conservative or liberal issue. The dividing line on this issue is not between Conservatives and Liberals. The dividing line runs between those who care about the problem and those who don’t.

13 min

About The Bullpen with J.D. Greear

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Every sermon starts with more than can fit into a message. For years, Pastor J.D. Greear has filled his sermon notes with extra illustrations, questions, insights, and rabbit trails that never made…