Who do we trust?

 

 

This week I stumbled across a fascinating piece of research conducted last year by IPSOS/MORI, the polling organisation, on behalf of the British Medical Association.

 

In June 2011, pollsters showed a list of occupations to 1026 people over the age of 15, and asked them whether they would trust them to tell the truth or not.

 

Top of the list of 'most trusted professions' were doctors. Nearly nine in ten (88%) adults across the United Kingdom said they would trust a doctor to tell them truth.

 

Unsurprisingly, politicians were the least trusted professions, with just one in seven people (14%) saying they trusted a politician to tell the truth. Rubbing salt into the wound,  more people said they trusted journalists (19%) and bankers (29%) than politicians!

The second most trusted profession were teachers: 81% said they would trust a teacher to tell them the truth, with professors, judges and scientists all scoring in the low 70s.

 

But what caught my eye was the trust level associated with a 'clergyman/priest'. 68% of people said they would trust a clergyman to tell them the truth.

 

At first sight this is encouraging. Despite the loss of trust in civic leadership over the last few years, and the growing secularisation of UK society, most people still retain a trust in Christian leaders. Public trust in clergy is greater than trust in the Police or TV news presenters. This residual public respect is something I have experienced as I have become more  involved in our local community and as Chair of Govenors at our local primary school. Despite the scandals surrounding allegations of child-abuse in the Catholic Church, there is still a lingering trust in 'men of the cloth'.

 

However the headline figure hides a less positive underlying trend. Since 1983 (when the poll was first done) trust in clergy has dropped from 85% to 68%, while trust in the 5 professions above them (doctors, teachers, professors, judges and scientists) has steadily grown.

 

Trust in politicians has never been high: in 1983 it was only 4% higher than it is today. However, the drop of public trust in clergy has been greater than any of the other professions measured in the last 28 years.

 

It is yet another indication of the underlying trend in UK society towards secularism.

 

Statistics like this should cause to pray for the current and emerging generations of Christian leaders, that they would be marked out by integrity, honest and transparency. The Apostle Paul's insistence that an Elder should be one who has 'a good reputation with outsiders' (1 Tim 3:7) was never more relevant than it is today!

 

However, the truth is that the UK will never be reached by professional paid clergy alone. Statistics like this should also remind us that every follower of Jesus is called to be:

 

'blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.' (Phil 2:15-16)
 

The erosion of trust in clergy is merely a symptom of a greater and deeper erosion of trust in God in our society. Unless those we rub shoulders with every day see the very real difference Jesus makes in our lives - forgiveness for the past, peace for the present, confidence for the future - they will never see the need to turn to him and trust in him and the UK will continue to slide into secularism and ultimately cynicism.

 

I took comfort from one other fact buried away in the survey... only 39% of people said they trusted pollsters to tell the truth!

 

If you want to see the survey click HERE.

 

 

 

Direct Link: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Polls/Veracity2011.pdf

Witnessing and Women Bishops

As those who follow my Twitter account know, I chaired two meetings this week: the Governors Meeting at our local primary school and the Members' Meeting at church.

 

I turned up to chair the school Governors' mMeting moments after it had been announced that the Church of England had voted against women Bishops. This therefore became a point of animated discussion among my fellow governors, as we waited for 7pm to arrive and the meeting to start.

 

I confess, I kept my head down and my mouth shut. The sense of outrage was clear.

 

For someone like me, who has a 'complementarian' view regarding the role of women in the church (which means that I believe women can do everything in church except be an Elder and preach/teach to a mixed congregation), this was not a discussion that I wanted to dive into just before chairing the meeting!

 

So imagine my horror, when one of the governors asks me point blank: 'Richard, you're a Pastor, what do you think about women bishops?'

If those around you know you're a Christian, the odds are that you will be asked (or will already have been asked) your opinion about the decision of the Synod of the CofE not to proceed with women bishops.

How can we respond in a way that commends Christ?

If we're honest, I suspect that many of us who have a complementarian view of the sexes (especially us blokes) feel very vulnerable when this subject comes up with non-Christian friends. Like my 'on the spot' moment at the Governors Meeting, we don't usually get the time to go into detail about the biblical reasons for our view. We're often reduced to a one sentence response that - if we're not careful - can kill further opportunity for witness and sometimes terminally undermine our credibility in the eyes of others.

And even if we are given the opportunity to give a fuller answer, most non-Christians still don't get why we're so committed to following an ancient book in the modern age.

One contributor, responding to an article on the 'no vote' on the BBC website on Wednesday, referred contemptuously to those who had 'medieval views' about women. So often the debate about the role of women in the church is wrongly reduced to one of discrimination and inequality, with those who disagree being labelled as outdated and sexist. This is a totally unfair caricature, revealing the increasing intolerance of our supposedly 'tolerant' liberal society. But hey - let's be honest - sometimes us complementarians have only ourselves to blame! When we're asked what we think we can sometimes find ourselves expressing our opinion in such a clumsy way that it feeds that view! 

 

So how should we respond when asked 'the question' point blank?

 

Let me suggest three possible short responses, each of which has the potential to lead on to gospel discussion. My hope here is to provoke you to think about how a potentially door-closing question can be turned around into a potentially door-opening gospel opportunity. I'm sure you can come up with much better responses, if so please get in touch and I'll compile the best one-liners in a later post.

 

As a friend of mine is fond of saying: 'The best form of spontaneity is planned.'

So, here goes...

 

Q: What do you think about women bishops?

 

A1: 'As someone who believes in the independence of  local churches and doesn't agree with the concept of Bishops at all - whether they're male or female doesn't really make any difference to me. Jesus calls the shots in my life. The real question is 'who should be King of my life' not 'who should be the bishop of my parish.'

 

A2: 'Surely what matters most is what God thinks, rather than what I or the CofE or popular culture says. The only way we know what God thinks is by reading the Bible. Have you ever thought about doing that?'

 

A3: 'Jesus lived in a society where women were marginalised, however time and time again, he went out of his way to honour women and elevate them. I think we should stop talking about what the CofE thinks about women and remember that Jesus came to save men and women.'

 
A4: 'The problem with this whole debate is that it has confused value with role. The Bible teaches that God values men and women equally, however that doesn't mean they should have the same roles. This is self-evident in some areas,   after all men can't have children, that's a women's role! In a similar way, God created men and women to be different and I think we should celebrate and enjoy that. Ultimately we are not fulfilled by the role we fulfil, but whether we're in a relationship with God. Is that something you'd be interested in exploring?'

 

Which response did I give?

 

For what it's worth A1 - although not quite as concisely!
 

There have been some excellent resources/articles on the web this week about the issues raised by the women bishops debate. If you want to explore the whole issue of complementarity and the role of women in the church, here are the three best ones I have come across:

 

• I haven't engaged with the issue of the biblical role of women in the church in this post. If you want to explore that further I commend the FIEC's 'Women in Ministry' statement that you can find HERE.

• The Good Book Company published an excellent article on Wednesday: The Women's Bishop Debate: Debunking a Few myths,  which is well worth a read, and answers many of the arguments used in favour of women bishops. You can read it HERE.

• Mary Kassian has written a superb (and very funny) article addressing the 'straw women' that are often used by those who attack complementarians: 'Dora the Doormat' and other Scary Straw Women of Complementarity. As well as being very entertaining, it also deals with the objections brilliantly. Mary Kassian was at the gathering of theologians 25 years ago where the term 'complementarian' was coined so she speaks with a wealth of experience and insight. You can read her article HERE.

Direct Links:
FIEC 'Women in Ministry' statement: http://www.fiec.org.uk/resources/article/women-in-ministry-statement
'Women BIshops: Debunking a Few Myths': http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/blog/debunking-a-few-myths
'Dora the Doormat' and other Scary Straw Women of Complementarity: http://www.girlsgonewise.com/dora-the-doormat-and-other-scary-straw-women-of-complementarity/

Jesus FULL STOP

I've been reading through Galatians in my devotional times over the last few weeks.

I love Galatians! Paul is at his very sharpest when he's defending the gospel, and there are few blunter statements than his opening one:

'I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all.' (1:6)

 

The Galatians were being led astray by false teachers who were insisting that in order to be fully accepted by God they had to trust Jesus PLUS be good Jews by keeping Jewish food laws and being circumcised. It seems that even the great Apostle Peter had been intimidated by this influential group and had withdrawn from Gentile believers at meal times (2:12).

Paul's response is robust: he confronts Peter and asserts in the strongest possible terms that salvation is by faith alone:

'a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no-one will be justified.' (Gal 2:16)

 Justification by faith is a wonderful Christian doctrine.

 

It means that God accepts me SOLEY on the basis of Jesus finished work on the cross. Because he has paid for my sin in full, I am welcomed by God. I cannot do anything to make God love me more and I cannot do anything to make God love me less. I am totally secure in Christ, because my salvation is by faith in Jesus, not my own good works.

 

However... there is a problem with justification by faith.

 

I keep on sinning!

 

I want to please and honour God and live a life of purity and holiness, but I keep messing up.

 

Every Christian knows the sense of failure and shame that comes from screwing up - often in the same areas time after time. We are creatures of habit and so often the habits we fall into are sinful ones.

 

And so while it is comforting to know that we are saved by faith alone, there is a tension in our experience of salvation. On the one hand I know my sin does not make me any less a child of God or change his acceptance and love for me. However, when I  let him down, I FEEL like he is further away and that the barriers have come up.

 

But justification by faith shows us that the reality is quite the opposite!

 

The parable Jesus told in Luke 15 that we know as 'The Prodigal Son' illustrates this perfectly.

 

When the prodigal son comes to his senses and heads home he isn't met with cold forgiveness but a warm embrace. He isn't greeted by a father who holds him at arms length, until he becomes perfect, but by one who draws him close. He isn't just given his old room back, he's given a welcome home party.

 

And that is what it's like every day for a Christian.

 

God's grace isn't just given when we're saved - it's poured out day after day!

 

Paul told the Ephesians that God had lavished his grace on them! (Eph 1:7-8)

 

Justification by faith means that we are constantly drenched in the grace of God.

 

And the great news is that his water hose is so long, that no matter how far away from him we run, we can never get dry!

 

So when you next feel like you've screwed up (yet again!) remember Galatians 1:6.

 

God doesn't accept you because you're great - he accepts you because he is gracious.

 

We've been called BY THE GRACE OF CHRIST, so don't be tempted to turn to a different gospel - 'which is really no gospel at all.'

 

It's Jesus... FULL STOP.

 

 

 

God's change agenda for every Christian

This coming  Sunday I'm preaching on the 'Ordo Salutis', as seen in Romans 8.

'Ordo Salutis' is a Latin phrase meaning 'Order of Salvation', and it's a logical sequence of stages that reformed theologians have traditionally found helpful in understanding the process of salvation. Put simply - it's God's change agenda for the life of every Christian.

It's a thrilling doctrine because it expresses how God's plan of salvation for us as individuals started way back in eternity past and reaches forward into eternity future. Appreciating these 9 stages (some of which happen instantaneously when we 'become a Christian') helps us see that salvation is far more than a simple decision to trust Christ on our part - it's God's work in us in order to transform us into the likeness of his Son. And because salvation is GOD's work in us, understanding the Ordo Salutis should also result in us having a greater sense of security and assurance as believers - which is how Paul famously concludes Romans 8:

'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans 8:38-39)

Paul says that we were known by God and chosen by him before the creation of the world - in love he predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of his Son (Romans 8:29), and because of that our eternal security and future glorification is absolutely certain.

I love the inevitability of the sequence Paul gives us in Romans 8:30:

'And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.' (Romans 8:30)

While studying the Ordo Salutis this week, I have come across some great resources that I won't have time to refer to on Sunday morning.

 

One of those  is the infographic that forms the thumbnail for this post. This is included in the handout for this week which you can download HERE. This also has all the other handouts from the series so far.

But there are some other great resources on the web that it's also worth highlighting:

• VIDEO: is this the coolest a theologian has ever sounded? Follow THIS LINK to listen to 5 minute radio interview with theologian Wayne Grudem, where he outlines the Ordo Salutis in simple terms. It's worth listening right to the end just to find out what 'Fo-shizzel, my man vizzel' means!

• POSTER: The Ordo Salutis is not a new idea. Way back in the 17th Century, John Bunyan, author of Pilgrims Progress, produced a beautiful poster showing the two paths through life. You can see a high definition version of it HERE.

 

DIRECT LINKS:

Sermon handout: http://www.woodgreenchurch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Truth-for-Life-Conversion-Handout-6.pdf

Wayne Grudem Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYkso6BCPWM

John Bunyan Poster: http://cdn.theresurgence.com/files/2011/05/28/bun-map.pdf?1306609659

Superhero Holiday Bible Club

 

This week we've had the Woodgreen Superhero Holiday Bible Club at church.

 

It's been great fun for kids and helpers alike and has reminded me again of how uplifting and encouraging it is to work together in gospel ministry.

 

In Philippians 1, the Apostle Paul thanks God for the Philippians partnership in the gospel:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

True fellowship is not just sitting together in a church service, it's working together to make Jesus known to those who are lost. While hard work and energy-sapping, this is the most refreshing and fulfilling  thing a Christian can do.

 

To use some of the Biblical metaphors:

• It's fighting side by side as a band of brothers in battle (2 Tim 2:3)
• It's serving faithfully as slaves for the Master's cause (Romans 12:10-11)
• It's sowing together the seed of the Gospel in our common field (John 4:35-36)
• It's running as joyful heralds to spread the good news (Isaiah 52:7)

 

My non-Christian friends whose children have come this week have been particularly struck by the numbers of volunteer Woodgreeners - of all ages - who have been in 'POW!' T-shirts, helping out and mucking in with the children.

 

For them, the sense of fun and togetherness that these Woodgreeners have had for each other, and the love they have had for the children who have come, has been a powerful witness: 'Why have so many people given up their time and holidays to do this?'

 

Jesus gave his disciples a 'new' commandment:

'Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' (John 13:34-35)

Praise God that for my unchurched friends at least, that love has been evident this week and has made an impact.

 

So a huge 'THANK YOU' to all those who have given up their time and energy this week to help out - just Sunday's All-Age Holiday Club Service to go now. Can't wait to see the last gripping installment of 'The Crusader'!

 

If you weren't able to be there - here's a flavour of the theme-tune of the week 'Super Saviour'.

 

Direct Link for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucMNF35XZE8&feature=youtu.be