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Truth or Lies, Part 4

November 2, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

This is part four of a multipart series introducing and interacting with Rosaria Butterfield’s new book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. As followers of Christ, we must be rooted in biblical truth as we are confronted by the lies of “this present darkness.” The second lie that Butterfield address is “Being a spiritual person is kinder than being a biblical Christian.” We hear this lie implicitly in yard signs and t-shirts that call one another to “Be Kind.” This lie undergirds accusations of “hate-speech” when one holds to a biblical view of sexuality and marriage. Without any explicit, outside standard, kindness is the new morality that is legalistically imposed on people. Don’t hear me, or Butterfield, wrong; kindness is biblical. Kindness is good. We ought to strive for kindness. The lie, however, touches on the difference between how one becomes kind. Butterfield writes, “The difference between ‘being a spiritual person’ and ‘being a biblical Christian’ lies in content, not emphasis” (p. 122). We all want to emphasize kindness. The question is how do we become kind? The lie rejects biblical Christianity because it views the fixed moral standard of the Bible as being opposed to kindness. True biblical Christianity understands that we cannot become kind on our own; we need the saving grace of Christ. Butterfield zeroes in on the main issue when she says, “I started to reflect on the most divisive issue of today within Christianity: what the Bible means and what the Bible is. All the other debates are downstream from this one” (p. 144). If you hold that the Bible is the inerrant, authoritative Word of God, then you will submit to the truth of Scripture. If you reject the trustworthiness of Scripture and its authority, you are left to design your own path of spirituality. ... Keep Reading

Truth or Lies, Part 3

October 26, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

This is part three of a multipart series introducing and interacting with Rosaria Butterfield’s new book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. As followers of Christ, we must be rooted in biblical truth as we are confronted by the lies of “this present darkness.” Let’s now turn our attention to the Five Lies. Butterfield writes two to four chapters for each lie. So, I am unable to cover all that she addresses, but will hit some highlights for each one. You will have to read the book if you want to catch all that Butterfield says. The first lie Butterfield addresses is “Homosexuality is normal.” She writes, “Two cultural movements have combined to create a world that believes that lesbianism is normal: the uncritical use of intersectionality as a tool to empower people who perceive themselves to be victims, and the uncritical use of homosexual orientation as a category of personhood” (p. 62-63). She addresses these two movements by sharing more of her personal story of coming out of a lesbian lifestyle and digging into biblical truth. First, we can consider what Butterfield says about intersectionality. She writes, “Intersectionality creates a grand story, a metanarrative, out of oppression. It maintains that the world is made up of power struggles, and that white, male, heterosexual patriarchy must be destroyed to liberate those who are oppressed by it” (p. 59). She goes on to explain, “Intersectionality maintains that who you truly are is measured by how many victim statuses you can claim—with your human dignity accruing through intolerance of all forms of disagreement with your perceptions of self and world” (p. 60). ... Keep Reading

Truth or Lies, Part 2

October 19, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

This is part two of a multipart series introducing and interacting with Rosaria Butterfield’s new book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. As followers of Christ, we must be rooted in biblical truth as we are confronted by the lies of “this present darkness.” There is one more introductory matter that we should address before we begin to consider Rosaria’s teaching on the Five Lies. This is the matter of how one views the “world” in this present time. This introductory matter can be framed by one of several questions. The first question draws from one’s understanding of the end times: will the world progressively grow more evil before Christ returns or will the world progressively improve before Christ returns? Another way to approach this issue is in this question: what is the greatest, present threat to Christianity and Christian faith: corruption and hypocrisy in the church or moral decline in and persecution from the world outside of the church? This issue of how one views the “world” is at the core of many disagreements within the Church. This issue impacts how one thinks about cultural engagement, evangelism, outreach, and mercy ministry. It also shapes how one thinks about the current trends surrounding gay marriage and sexual identity. Rosaria Butterfield approaches the topics of gay marriage, feminism, and transgenderism from the perspective that the world is evil and the greatest threat facing the church today is compromise. Her book is a clarion call to the church to reject the lies of the world and hold fast to biblical truth. She compares this present age with the city of Babel, which represents man’s rejection of God and man’s effort to make a name for himself. She ties this comparison with Paul’s teaching in Romans 1. She writes, “We all live in Babel now because people exchanged the truth for lies and have codified these lies into the law of the land. It’s a tragedy that we embrace lies because we don’t remember the truth. Paul describes three ‘exchanges’ of truth for lies in Romans 1:21-28: 1) The exchange of the Creator for the creature (idol worship), v. 21-23; 2) The exchange of truth for lies, v. 24-25; and 3) Exchange of natural sexuality (heterosexuality) for dishonorable passions (homosexuality), v. 26-28” (p. 10-11). She concludes by stating, “A world that grows in its homosexuality and gender confusion is a world judged by God, given over to sin (Rom. 1:24), and increasingly barren and corrupt…the world we inhabit is one that has completed all three exchanges in Romans 1” (p. 12). ... Keep Reading

Truth or Lies: Part 1

October 12, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

This is part one of a multipart series introducing and interacting with Rosaria Butterfield’s new book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. As followers of Christ, we must be rooted in biblical truth as we are confronted by the lies of “this present darkness.” Whether it is gay marriage, transgenderism, feminism, or spiritualism, there are many ideologies that are challenging what was once normal not only in American culture, but also in the church. If we believe that the Bible is God’s holy, inerrant, authoritative Word (as we do at Oak Hills as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America), then we believe there is a norm, a standard, that will not change with the ebbs and flows of cultural movements. We believe in unchanging truths. The lies of “this present darkness,” to use Paul’s phrase from Ephesians 6:12, have been prevalent in every age of the church. It was a lie that plunged humanity into sin and the Fall. The good fight of faith has always included identifying the current lies and contending for the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). It is in this spirit of contending for the faith that Rosaria Butterfield wrote her most recent book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age. In her introduction she asks the question, “If my enemies are Christ’s enemies, and if Christ is not divided, why are enemy lines drawn within Christianity?” (p. 6). These enemy lines within the Church are being drawn around issues of sexuality and gender. Butterfield answers, “The world is in chaos, and the church is divided because we have failed to obey God and value his plan for how men and women should live” (p. 6). In this book she aims to expose the lies that are dividing Christians and call the Church back to an affirmation of biblical truth. ... Keep Reading

What is Evangelism?, Part 3

October 5, 2023 | by: John Lee | 0 Comments

This week we conclude our 3-part series on what evangelism is. As a way of reminder, Timothy Beougher defines evangelism as: “the compassionate sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ with lost people, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of bringing them to Christ as Savior and Lord, that they in turn might share him with others.” (pg. 9) Within this jam-packed definition, Beougher lays out for us the spirit of, the method of, the content of, the recipients of, the power for, and the purpose of evangelism. So, let’s unpack his definition: The Spirit of Evangelism: Compassion Far too often Christians can have a cold heart towards those who are unsaved. Beougher believes that the culprit for why people don’t evangelize may be due to a lack of compassion for those around us. If we are honest with ourselves, we could all grow in our compassion for those around us. We do well to remember Jesus, who had compassion for the multitudes who lived like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). You see, the starting point of what propels the Christian to evangelize is to first remember Christ and his compassion toward us. In fact, our lack of compassion for others may reveal ways in which we have not grasped the depth of God’s compassion toward us in Christ. Let us first marvel and start with the deep, deep love that Jesus has toward us and for those he came to save. ... Keep Reading

What is Evangelism?, Part 2

September 28, 2023 | by: John Lee | 0 Comments

Last week, we began the first of three articles addressing what evangelism is. We have been using Timothy Beougher’s book, Invitation to Evangelism, in helping us think through biblically what evangelism is. Last week, we looked at three biblical terms associated with the task of evangelism. This week, I’d like for us to actually give a definition to the question, “What is evangelism?” So, what is evangelism? How would you answer that? Two Extremes to Avoid Before we look at Timothy Beougher’s helpful definition to what evangelism is, he helps us to first answer the question of what evangelism is not. It is often helpful to define something by looking at first what it is not. If evangelism is a task that God has given to his church, we do well to make sure we have a biblical framework and not merely a pragmatic one to begin with. Beougher highlights two common extremes that often happen in evangelism. The first extreme we must beware of is to think that evangelism is merely about your kind presence and actions. Maybe you’ve heard this very famous quote, often attributed to Francis of Assisi, to “preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” Beougher helpfully reminds us that our life is not the gospel (pg. 5). Our lives ought to reflect the truthfulness and power of the good news but our lives are not the gospel. In our sharing of the gospel and of the hope that is within us, may our lives and words boast in Christ alone (2 Cor. 10:17) for salvation is found in no one other than in Jesus (Acts 4:12). The second extreme we do well to avoid is treating evangelism as a “spiritual mugging” (pg. 6). In other words, we must be mindful of how quickly we can mix our own sinful motives to the godly task of evangelism. We must be careful to not characterize our pride and rashness as boldness, our fear of rejection (and refusal to take 'no' for an answer) as perseverance, and our formulaic gospel presentations as wisdom. For the task of evangelism, from start to finish, we need God’s help and are wholly dependent on him. In other words, we must be extremely careful that we are not holding within our hearts a certain “Messiah Complex” when it comes to the task of evangelism. We are simply called to proclaim, herald, and give reason with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). At the end of the day, we trust in God’s purposes, ways, and timing. God is able to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). ... Keep Reading

What is Evangelism?, Part 1

September 21, 2023 | by: John Lee | 0 Comments

The last couple of years at Oak Hills has been quite an encouragement to me in regards to evangelism. One of the great encouragements has been the privilege to see some of our own church family really seeking, desiring, and praying for opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with those around them. It has been a great honor to add some of your own family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to my prayer lists each day. It really has been my deepest joy to have conversations, to pray with, and to walk together as we desire for the people around us to come and know the deep, deep love of Jesus. I have often come across many today who have a hard time defining what evangelism actually is though. When it comes to evangelism (and really anything), I have found that it is important to understand what it is in order to seek to do it well. In the next few weeks, I plan to unpack Timothy Beougher’s helpful explanation about what evangelism is (and what it is not) from the first chapter of his book Invitation to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel with Compassion and Conviction. THREE BIBLICAL TERMS Beougher brings three biblical terms that are associated with evangelism: ... Keep Reading

Sin is Dissatisfaction

September 14, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

In our sermon series on Ephesians we come to Paul’s exhortations related to the 7th and 10th commandments this week. We have noted that as Paul gives his ethical teaching he circles back to the 10 Commandments. Paul touched on the 9th Commandment in 4:25, the 6th Commandment in 4:26-27, and the 8th Commandment in 4:28. He will address the 5th Commandment in 6:1-4. In Ephesians, Paul touches on every commandment of what is commonly known as the second table of the 10 Commandments. The first table is the first four commandments that focus on our relationship with God. The second table, which includes the last six commandments, focuses on our relationship with others. All of this goes to demonstrate the unity of the Bible. God is the same in the Old Testament as the New Testament. God’s obligations for his people are the same in both Old and New Testaments. And the way of salvation remains the same in both the Old and New Testaments. Today I want to highlight something I find striking about how Paul addresses the 7th and 10th Commandments. Consider Paul’s words from Ephesians 5:3 and 5, “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints… For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” What I find striking is that Paul lumps together, almost in the same breath, the sins of sexual immorality and covetousness. Is he running out of time or space and wants to hurry along his ethical teaching? I don’t find that to be likely. Paul is about to give some of his most in-depth teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5. I believe the only explanation is that Paul understands that there is a commonality that links the sins of sexual immorality and covetousness. ... Keep Reading

Forgiveness is Hard

September 7, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

Forgiveness is hard. Just this week I have interacted with two different people who are dealing with broken family relationships. The other party refuses to be reconciled. What does forgiveness look like in these scenarios? And then there are the heinous sins like murder, abuse, and racism. Wouldn’t forgiveness just empower the perpetrator to cause more harm? Must we forgive when reconciliation of the relationship is unlikely or even impossible? Does not forgiveness undercut the pursuit of justice? These are the sort of questions and scenarios I am wrestling with as I prepare to preach on Ephesians 4:31-5:2 this Sunday. In particular, Ephesians 4:32 states, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” We are commanded to forgive one another, just as God has forgiven us in Christ. How do we obey this command in the most difficult situations? ... Keep Reading

More and More for Oak Hills, Part 3

August 31, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

Over the last few weeks we have been considering Paul’s unique command in 1 Thessalonians 4 to “do more and more.” He links this command to three actions: pleasing God (faith), holiness (literally, our walk), and love for one another. We have already discussed faith and holiness; let’s consider the command to love one another “more and more.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, Paul writes, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more.” While he commends the Thessalonians for their love, Paul also calls them to a higher standard, “more and more.” What does “more and more” love for one another look like? The command to love is all over the New Testament. Jesus commends the Old Testament command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” as the second great commandment. Then, in his Farewell Discourse, he tells his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (Jn. 13:34). The disciples pick up this command and make it central in their ethical teaching for the early church. Paul says in Romans 12:9, “Let love be genuine,” and then in 13:8, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other.” Peter speaks about love in the context of the growth in holiness, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22). Of course, John has some of the starkest teaching about love for one another. He writes in 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.”... Keep Reading

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