Discipleship Letters 103-104

Discipleship Letter 103                                              Sept. 12^th, 2010

“For Calvin, preaching was at the center of the work of a pastor and required that a minister be thoroughly educated in the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew and in theology. Preaching is the way in which God speaks to his people and therefore must be done with the greatest care and faithfulness…Edification is central to proper preaching” [W. Robert Godfrey, John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009), p. 67.].

Preaching is not the only element in worship service. But it’s central and essential because it directly expounds Scripture and applies it to the lives of the congregation. Modern media exists to entertain, not to edify; preaching is designed to edify, not to entertain. Preaching the Word of God not only comforts our brokenness, but also confronts our demons within. Edification means improvement of mind and character morally and intellectually. To preach is to edify. Thus, when we come to worship and listen to God’s Word being expounded and applied, we ought to be ready to be edified, to be improved, to be converted, to be conformed, and to be transformed. In other words, we are here to be changed. No one should be here to remain unchanged.

We are not here to speculate unprofitable curiosity of the Word of God. Rather, we are here to receive spiritual nourishment from the Word of God.

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Discipleship Letter 104                                              Sept. 19^th, 2010

“Many churches have not learned the lessons that most parents stumble on sooner or later. Churches imagine that the less they ask or expect of believers, the more popular they will become and the more contented the worshippers will be. The reverse is true. Those who ask little find that the little they ask is resented or resisted; those who ask much find that they are given much and strengthened by the giving” [David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), p. 226.].

One of the problems of the modern church is that we are afraid of demanding Christians to live and give in sacrificial ways. We feel uncomfortable to make people uncomfortable. People feel uncomfortable because their comfort is shaken and challenged by biblical demands. Nowadays, we can pick and choose from different demands. We, as Christians, have no right to tell other Christians how to keep those demands and what it means to live sacrificially to God and to one another.

Christians are not strengthened by receiving. The work of the Spirit is resisted if we keep receiving. Christians stop growing when there is no sacrificial giving. Receiving worshippers are idolaters; giving sinners are worshippers.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).