The Kingdom Perspective

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to the Kingdom Perspective.

The Bible suggests that one of the practical ways we can fulfill the biblical command to love our neighbor is through the practice of good science.

The word “science” comes from an old Latin term for knowledge. Biblically speaking, science is good and true because we live in an orderly universe, created by an unchanging God who governs His world in an orderly way. Thus, we can gain understanding by applying ourselves to the basic task of data collection and interpretation. Through our collective application of this scientific method, generation after generations, we grow in knowledge.

Now, there are certainly limits to scientific knowledge. Science is not the only type of knowledge we need, in order to live well together.

Nonetheless, it is a gift of God for the well-being of society. Science is not only a social phenomenon (something that happens in community), but also a social good (something that benefits community). We can love our neighbor not only by doing good science (as many in our medical/college community do), but also by following good science. For example, we can know better how to avoid spreading disease by applying ourselves to such knowledge.

A desire to help your neighbor is a very good thing, but zeal without knowledge (without science) is at best incomplete, and at worst very dangerous.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Praise the Lord!
will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!”
~ Psalm 111:1-10 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to the Kingdom Perspective.

What exactly is the intersection between science and the Bible?

The word science comes from an old Latin term for knowledge. When we speak of “science” we speak of a particular method of obtaining knowledge and the collective/generational wisdom that comes from following that method. Biblically speaking, such knowledge is a categorically good thing. Science is essentially good and true because we live in an orderly universe, created by an unchanging God who governs His world in an orderly way. Thus, we can know things through observation and testing. We gain understanding by applying ourselves to the task of data collection and interpretation.

For those of us who are Christians, this means we should always be looking for the best science available. We must think critically about the claims we hear. We must listen to expert scientists who follow good methodology. We must make a habit of seeking out proven, reputable sources that avoid sensational claims—that drive us either to false hope or unnecessary fear.

On the flip side, we should avoid immersing ourselves in the 24/7 news cycle. Such sources, though entertaining, thrive on the sensational “breaking news” instead of what is tested and proven. They live on the anxious edge of fear—a great tactic for attracting viewers, but not for promoting wisdom and knowledge.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

~ John 1:1-5 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Jesus loves sinners. You could even rightfully say that He prefers sinners.

But, our problem is that we tend to make too little of our sin, and therefore too little of our Savior. We pretend that our sin is not as bad as it is, or that God is not as mad at sin as He is.

Now, we could stop here, and just berate ourselves over the seriousness of our sin. However, the Bible does not. The Bible actually encourages us to do deeper.

Why do we tend to downplay our sin? Well, the Bible suggests that it is a self-justifying move. In other words, we intuitively know that sin is bad and God is mad (Romans 1:18). And so, at a very deep, perhaps even subconscious level, we justify ourselves. We make excuses for our sin: “It’s not really my fault! It’s really my wife’s fault…my husband’s fault…my kid’s fault…my parent’s fault…. It’s really the ‘systems’ fault, not me.”

Or we begin to compare our sin with others: “At least my sin is not as bad as those people. At least I don’t condemn others like my political opponents do!” “At least my personal choices don’t destroy the fabric of society as those evil people do!”

All such maneuvers are a kind of deflection—a defense mechanism—a way of protecting ourselves from God. It is a way of avoiding the reality of our own sin. But when we avoid our sin, we avoid Jesus.

Jesus loves sinners. He loves sinners just like you and me. With Him it is safe to lower your guard and let Him approach. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was so attracted to sinners and sinners to Him that He was constantly criticized for “receiving sinners and eating with them” (Luke 15:2). One gets the impression that sinners enjoyed Jesus and that He genuinely enjoyed them.

My friend, your best ticket to Jesus’s table is not your spirituality but your sin.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

~ Luke 15:1-7 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to a special-edition series of The Kingdom Perspective.

How should we respond to the coronavirus threat?

We should take great comfort in the terror and tenderness of Jesus.

Now, I realize this may seem a strange way of speaking of Jesus, and perhaps a bit counter-intuitive, to say that he is both terrifying and tender. Nonetheless, when John details his appearance in the book of the Revelation, he is described as having “a voice like the roar of many waters” (1:15); and eyes “like a flame of fire” (1:14); and “from his mouth [comes] a sharp two-edged sword, and his face [is] like the sun shining in full strength” (1:16).

Is it any wonder then that when John saw Jesus, he fell at his feet as “a dead man” (1:17)?

Just a few chapters later, Jesus is described as the conquering Lion from the Tribe of Judah. What could be fiercer and more frightening than coming face to face with a lion?

However, when John looks up to see this terrifying lion, he does not see a lion at all. Rather, he sees a tender lamb. And not just any lamb, but a slain lamb—yet alive! Standing—having conquered sin and death!

What does this imagery tell us? It tells us that the King of creation is also the Christ of the cross. That the judge of heaven and earth was judged for you. That in the roar of the Lion we find our rest in the Lamb.

You see, in the gospel, Jesus’s terror does not overpower his tenderness, but rather is poured through it. His power becomes our protection.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.



Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

~ Revelation 5:1-10 (ESV)


Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate click here or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Sometimes we can struggle to have patience with the weakness we see in others. This impatience speaks not to our superiority but to our sin. God is patient with the weak.

Worse, sometimes we can struggle to have patience with weakness in ourselves. We are disappointed with the weakness of our own faith. Again, this speaks more to our sin than it does to our faith. In our sinful pride, we judge and condemn ourselves.

The good news is that God’s grace is no match for our sinful pride. God can more readily save the sinner than the one who thinks he is righteous; he can more readily save the weak than the one who thinks himself strong. The weak reach out their hand for help. That is the hand of faith. The one who thinks he is strong never reaches out his hand for divine help. His hand is too strong to need God’s grace. He has no faith, because he’s convinced he needs no grace.

The great Puritan preacher Thomas Watson put it this way:

“The weakest believer is a member of Christ as well as the strongest; and the weakest member of the body [of Christ] shall not perish. Christ will cut off rotten members, but not weak members. Therefore, Christian, be not discouraged. God, who would have us receive them that are weak in faith, will not himself refuse [us]. Rom 14: 1.”
~Thomas Watson (1620-1686), Cambridge (Emmanuel College) graduate and Puritan pastor in his work The Ten Commandments

My friend, God is tender and gentle with the weakness of your faith. It is not the strength of your faith that saves you but the strength of Christ. Your faith may be small. Your Savior is big.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions…. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother…. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

~ Romans 14:1-19 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Fear is a monster that must be confronted.

In the Psalms King David is constantly confronting his fear by bringing it into the presence of God. Listen to his prayer in Psalm 27:

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

I think it is safe to say that David is not suggesting that he never experiences fear. Rather, the context would seem to suggest that whenever he is afraid, he takes that fear to God. He confronts it head on. He walks into it and not away from it.

Interestingly, studies suggest that children who learn to face their fear (even real danger) and walk through it, grow in their confidence to process future difficulties and dangers.

For example, who is more controlled by fear? The child who broke his arm falling off the monkey bars or the one who one who’s never taken the risk to climb the monkey bars for fear of getting hurt? One might assume that it is the one with the broken arm; after all he’s experienced the pain. However, research shows the opposite. The one that was hurt on the monkey bars has worked through the fear. Indeed, he has emotionally processed it, and come out on the other side. Where the one that has never taken the risk becomes more locked down in fear.

Fear only grows more ferocious when we do not face it. It controls us to the degree that we do not confront it.

Remember, David developed the courage to face Goliath because, as a young shepherd, he had so often fended off lions and bears (1 Samuel 17). You see, there is a paradox with fear. It is one of the few things in life that actually grows smaller the closer we get to it.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ Then Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.’ And David said, ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the Lord be with you.’”

~ 1 Samuel 17:31-37 (NASB)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Fear wants to control us, so that we are unable to obey God and love others.

Therefore, fear must be confronted. The only way you can defeat fear is to fight it. You have to push against it.

We all want safety and security. However, this is not a safe world. The truth is that God doesn’t promise safety in this world. As a matter of fact, Romans 8 suggests quite the opposite. It assures us that in this world we will have trouble, distress, persecution, famine, poverty, danger and violence (Romans 8:35).

Rather, God promises that IN all these awful things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. These trials work to make us like Jesus. In other words, in one sense God doesn’t promise us salvation in this life; He promises that this life will make us ready for our salvation (Romans 8:18-25). And so, it is precisely IN and THROUGH these trials that we experience the triumph of God’s love.

This shouldn’t surprise us. The football player doesn’t experience triumph on the sidelines. No! He experiences it on the field, getting banged up and banged around. Victory comes through the conflict, not apart from it. There is no victory if you don’t play the game.

But this requires risk. It requires you to put your faith onto the field and run with the ball. It is those who do that, who take the risk of obedience and act upon the promise of God, that feel the fullness of Christ’s triumph.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

~ Romans 8:28-37 (NASB)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Is fear good or bad? Well, that just depends on the context. The question is not so much whether we fear, but what drives our fears; and whether any given fear is appropriate to its object. A person that is deathly afraid of being struck by lightning, so much so that he hides out in his basement when any cloud appears in the sky is not experiencing fear that is appropriate to the circumstance. On the other hand, someone who has no fear of gravity— fearlessly jumping from an airplane without a parachute—is not in touch with reality; though, should he actually jump without the parachute, he’ll come in contact with reality soon enough.

All humor aside, bad fear always operates in the mere possibility—the endless “what ifs” conjured up by our anxious hearts. On the contrary, good fear operates in reality. It sees things for what they really are. It has a properly ordered set of fears. It recognizes that it’s only reasonable that the highest object of fear must be my Creator. I was made by Him and for Him. He sustains my being. He holds my next heartbeat. Knowing this puts so many of our other fears in proper perspective.

This is why Jesus Himself warned His followers:

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

And so, Proverbs tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10). When we begin with the fear of God, all our other fears find their proper place.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

~ Luke 12:4-7 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

It has been my observation that the moment anyone begins to speak of sin and our deep, pervasive rebellion against God, the average American begins to tune out. Why? Well, I think in part at least it’s because it seems harsh. And, if there is anything in this world we don’t need any more of, it’s harshness.

However, here’s the problem. There is no way to be faithful to the restorative message of the Bible without acknowledging the fact of our sin. No book speaks more profoundly to the problem of human evil than the Bible. And I think we see in the Bible the deeper reason why we tend to bristle at the accusation that we are sinners and that God is our rightful judge. We do this because our sin leaves our souls fearful and fragile. As the gospel of John puts it, we are afraid to come into the light for fear that our sin will be exposed and judged (John 3:20-21).

Look, if this notion rings true for you, I have some really good news. Jesus, our rightful judge, loves sinners just like you and me. Jesus was Himself judged for sinners. And so, you have nothing to fear in coming to Him. Jesus will gladly welcome you, and His love has the power not only to drive out any fear but also to transform any life.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

~ John 3:16-21 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

We sometimes have a thin and petty understanding of sin. But sin is anything but thin and petty.

The 5th century Christian leader Augustine (354-430) along with the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) used a Latin phrase to explain the profoundly problematic nature of sin. They called sin “incurvatus in se.” Sin by its very nature is “deeply curved in on itself…. [Under the corruption of sin, our soul] wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things…for its own sake” (Luther in his Lectures on Romans, emphasis added).

This means that sin is a radical self-addition—a deep and abiding self-obsession. It is the very opposite of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13. Thus…
• Sin is not patient. It wants what it wants when it wants it.
• Sin is not kind. It is cruel, using and running over others.
• Sin is jealous. It always feels very insecure.
• Sin is arrogant. It’s always full of itself—puffed up with its own perspective and convinced of its own rightness; it is ready to pop/explode at the slightest injustice or irritation.
• Sin is self-seeking.
• Sin is bitter, keeping track and nurturing every hurt and wrong. It is in a constant state of self-pity.
• Sin is easily provoked. It takes everything very personally.
• Sin rejoices in unrighteousness. It finds its pleasure in the pursuit of raw desire and refuses to be restrained with consideration of others, especially God. It says, “No one’s gonna tell me what to do. I live by my own rules.”
• Sin refuses to endure suffering. The sinful self is far too precious to be spent on anyone but itself, especially anyone who it deems to be “wrong.”

Sin is obsessed with self; it’s curved in on itself. But Love is willing to suffer for others; it is willing liquidate its life for the good of others. Indeed, this is what the embodiment of love—Jesus Christ—did for us on the cross.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.”

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.