Book Review: Know and Tell the Gospel - John Chapman

     I know I am not being too cynical in saying that we Christians generally lack evangelistic zeal. I have noticed that I can talk to my friends about almost anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are perhaps two situations where we struggle with evangelism: 1) we do not care about evangelism; 2) we care, but find it extremely difficult.

     John Chapman’s work is a kind of Christian primer on evangelism. His book is divided into two sections: 1) Knowing Why and 2) Knowing How to tell the gospel. He starts by explaining the gospel, and then considers why evangelism is both the duty and privilege of every person who professes faith in Jesus Christ. In the second part, he offers practical suggestion as to how Christians can start telling the gospel.

     John’s argument is readable and theologically robust. Having personally been heavily involved in evangelism, he writes from experience and with pastoral sensitivity to the reality that Christians do struggle with this. He gently, yet firmly answers some objections to evangelism and shows from Scripture the necessity of Christians being involved in evangelism. I especially enjoy the examples he draws from everyday life of his or other people’s experience. It lends the book a tone of honesty and sincerity.

     John is also unafraid to admit his own failings and struggles. Sometimes I hear so many ‘success’ stories of conversions that when I look at my feeble and unfruitful attempts at evangelism, I get discouraged, and perhaps even feel guilty and ashamed; and this might lead to an unwillingness to continue sharing the gospel. So it is an encouragement to read about how God is in charge of causing people to believe in Him, and that our job is simply to truthfully, and lovingly tell people about the great good news of God’s gift of salvation.

     Another great feature of this book is the comprehensiveness of the scope of its content. John manages to fit a lot of things, including a chapter on the doctrine of election, one on the role of various members of the local church in evangelism, one on the importance of personal evangelism. He also spends a good amount of words noting the importance of personal growth in godliness and that evangelism is not individualistic – having a community of Christians to support and encourage one another through prayer and Bible study is vital, not just for evangelism but for one’s Christian walk. So this is a great book to be reading with a friend or a small group where experiences, both good and bad can be shared, that the group may be collectively built up.

     What I benefitted most from reading this book is that I was reminded once again of the different facets of the gospel message. I was reminded of human rebellion, of God’s grace and mercy and love, of God’s sovereignty, of God’s plan for His people whom he redeemed from sin and death, and of God’s mission on earth. Also, I was challenged to re-examine and re-evaluate my evangelistic efforts and now find myself spurred to be bolder as I speak to friends about Jesus.

     I am realistic that I know I will continue to struggle with evangelism; I know that I will be discouraged when I do not ‘harvest’ anyone; I know that there will be the temptation to forget what I have read, or ‘put aside’ evangelism when confronted with an exhausting schedule; so I will find someone to keep me accountable. But more importantly, I will have to apply the gospel to myself daily. I need to see the glories of Calvary, and by God’s grace, I will know nothing ‘except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2:2).

     Pick up this book if you want to be captured by the beauty of the gospel, and I hope that by the end of the book, you will be confident that you have known, and can tell the gospel! 

Envy

     I often struggle with envy at other Christians, especially when others get more recognition than I do. It is a tough fight, and when I succumb to coveting what my brothers and sisters in Christ have, I sink into bouts of ‘emo-ness.’

     This article articulates so well what I often feel, and has been a great encouragement. It is a challenge too, that I confront this sin with the gospel. I need to know who I am in Christ and rejoice when God uses fellow saints for His glory.

     Though I pass through life obscure and insignificant - in the eyes of the world, and even other Christians – I can be content. 

Biblical Theology for kids

     This looks to be a promising resource for teaching children about the Bible. I don't think we can accuse Biblical Theology of being 'too academic.' 

      

Leaving Facebook so I can write

     I recently read an article which argued that Christians don’t need to give an opinion on anything and everything via social media. It was thought-provoking because I knew I fell under the category of people who speak for the sake of being heard. Moreover, in a conversation with my pastor last Sunday, he candidly observed that ‘Facebook is only good for uploading pictures for friends and families to see.’ Hence, I’ve decided to stop sharing stuff on my Facebook profile (nobody reads them anyway) and dedicate more time to writing here. I’ve also started a Medium account but I’m still unsure about how to use that.

     But the thing is: why bother writing at all? Admittedly, few read this blog anyway. Also, isn’t this still a desire ‘to be heard?’ And aren’t there enough voices already? Yeah, I’ll concede the point, so I’ve told myself that I will not advertise my writing (too much). The question still remains though: why write? Initially, I wanted to use this to hone my thinking and writing skills; and it can be a platform for sharing certain ideas and life experiences. And this article has been a great encouragement to keep at it, even though there doesn’t seem to be any tangible results.

     My writing cannot be a search for significance, even though I’m tempted to use it so. It is, for me, a means of slowing down and thinking – because as I articulate, as I struggle to find the right expressions and not be long-winded, I have to pause and think. I believe this is immensely helpful in an age of information – which I think has made us less wise.

     As I write, the pace of life seems to slow down; it allows me to put into perspective my existence – with its raptures and despairs; it reorients my mind towards God’s work now on earth; it wipes the dust and dirt off my gospel lenses and refocuses my eyes on the glories of Calvary and the New Creation.

     This voice of mine is insignificant; it is likely to be overwhelmed by the din of human existence. But there is a God who listens. After all, Paul does say to the Corinthians ‘So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31).

     I also really like this final verse from William Cowper’s There is a Fountain Filled with Blood that offers a perspective on words:

         

          When this poor lisping, stammering tongue

          Lies silent in the grace

          Then in a nobler, sweeter song

          I’ll sing thy power to save. 

Poem: I heard a throng

I heard a throng of thousand voices sing,

I looked, but darkness hid the heav’nly choir.

I know a sound of soothing harmonies

Now faint, had woken me from sleep.

I moved and found I lacked control, that’s strange…

I blinked and strained to grasp my current state -

A startled hiccup ‘scaped my unformed lips:

My hour is not yet come!

Then I felt the sting of pincers on my skin.

Instinctively I shrank against its vicelike

Grip. The invading chill refused to yield;

My weak limbs failed to parry from within.

But a gentle whirring eased my violent fit.

I felt a warmth, a numbness – pulsing; and

The chorus reached a jolting crescendo

Then I saw light! But briefly! Such beauty –

---

In the distance we hear

A throng of thousands fighting for

‘Our in-alienable right to live!’

Book Review: Preaching Christ from the Old Testament - Sidney Greidanus

     In this book, Sidney Greidanus answers a difficult, but important question, ‘How should one preach (and by implication, read and understand) the Old Testament?’ I will first summarise the flow of the book and consider some of the content:

1.    He presents the case for the necessity of preaching Christ from the Old Testament (chapters 1-2).

2.    He traces the history of preaching Christ from the Old Testament (chapters 3-4).

3.    He studies how the New Testament preaches Christ from the Old Testament (chapter 5).

4.    He presents his ‘Christocentric’ method for preaching Christ from the Old Testament (chapter 6).

5.    He gives some practical steps and examples to preach Christ from the Old Testament (chapters 7-8).

     I appreciate how he is sensitive to the objections to and challenges of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. He does not dismiss these oppositions, instead he gives justice to these concerns whilst arguing for his own position. Thus, his assertions do not come across as dogmatic or narrow-minded.

     I particularly like his chapters on the history of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. They are excellent in providing a basic overview of how the church has grappled with this issue since the Apostolic fathers. However, he often has to generalise and highlight certain aspects of the preaching of individuals and he can be accused of over-simplification. Nevertheless, he is critiques with grace and acknowledges the contributions of these preachers while exposing the fault in their methodology. The first half of the book might seem to be superfluous, but that shows how deeply and widely Greidanus has studied and thought about this topic. And it is like a starter which whets our appetite for the later section where he present his own position.

     The subtitle of the book tells us that he will be putting forward a hermeneutical method. And I must say that I am quite satisfied with the method he proposes. He proposes ‘7 ways’ which lead us from the Old Testament to Christ and explores each in detail:

1.    The way of redemptive-historical progression

2.    The way of promise-fulfilment

3.    The way of typology

4.    The way of analogy

5.    The way of longitudinal themes

6.    The way of New Testament references

7.    The way of contrast

     He derives these 7 ways from the how the New Testament preached Christ from the Old Testament. He is also aware of pitfalls and the need for guidelines, which he duly suggests.

     However I should mention that some of these ways overlap and he does not give examples of ‘difficult cases.’ For example, I don’t think he mentions interpreting Ecclesiastes, Esther or Job. So the reader has more work to do after reading this book. Also chapter 7: Steps from Old Testament text to Christocentric sermon presupposes the reader is a preacher and familiar with how to interpret a Biblical passage.

     Greidanus’ writing style is easy-to-read, it is scholarly in content, but not in tone or presentation. This is not a book merely for the erudite. Kudos to him for managing to make difficult concepts understandable and relevant. I definitely think Greidanus is a must-read for a better understanding of the Old Testament – not just for the preacher – but for any Christian wanting to read the Old Testament and to understand it’s relevance for today. This book is a call to Christocentric gospel reading (hence, preaching) of the Old Testament.

Book Review: Adoniram Judson by John Piper

          

     I have to admit that Adoniram Judson would not feature in a list of ‘famous’ missionaries I’ve heard about, but to be fair, I certainly do not know enough ‘famous’ missionaries. So, seeing that John Piper decided to write a short book about him piqued my interest. (You can download the ebook for free here.)

     Piper is passionate about God’s glory. In his writing, interviews and preaching, you can feel his energy and passion for God’s glory to be magnified. One of the ways God gets glory is through global mission when the nations turn in repentance and faith to Christ. In this book, he challenges readers to seriously contemplate heading for overseas mission. However, his vision is not for the faint-hearted.

     These are the main points Piper makes in his book:
1. God purposes for the gospel to spread to all peoples.
2. God plans to make suffering a crucial means to accomplish this purpose.
3. We are in a historical position that cries for tremendous missionary effort and sacrifice.
4. The pain of Adoniram Judson illustrates the purpose of suffering.
5. I [Piper] plead for you to be a part of what Judson and Christ died for. 

     He states in the opening pages that ‘… God designs that the suffering of his ministers and missionaries is one essential means in the joyful, triumphant spread of the gospel among all the peoples of the world.’ Suffering is not a word we generally like to hear. We do not want life to be difficult because we are quite at ease wherever we are: good family, studies (or work) is going alright, good friends, comfortable church. This book jolts us and confronts us afresh with what mission looks like and why.

     But why read another book, albeit a short one about a topic Evangelicals seem to be very familiar with? From the life of Adoniram, Piper wants to show that we cannot be apathetic anymore – and to be honest, I think we are – towards global mission. Yet Piper does not present mission in an appealing way. He especially highlights the suffering that Adoniram underwent as he served in Myanmar for the sake of the gospel. He strips any ‘glamour’ (we tend to assign) off mission and shows us that it is painful and ugly. He notes that one of Adoniram’s final sentence was: “How few there are who … who die so hard!” And yet, Piper argues, it is worth it. It is worth it because the evangelisation of the nations is the mission God has given the church. And this missional effort will lead to meaningful, God-purposed suffering for the Christians who are involved.

     However, I should mention that Piper is primarily challenging Christians to leave our comfortable homes for overseas mission. Thus, travelling overseas is certainly not the only way to do mission. Interestingly though, Piper does not call Christians to blindly head into unknown lands for the Gospel; instead he wants us to calculate the cost, but also know that suffering for Christ as we share the Gospel is ultimately for God’s glory.

     I should say that this book is not a complete biography of Adoniram Judson's life. It is a book primarily written to spur us for mission. Hence Piper closes the book with a gentle but firm summons 'The question for us is not whether we die, but whether we will die in a way that bears much fruit.' It is a stirring message to remind us of the commission the risen Christ gave to his followers to 'make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19).

Some thoughts on my resolutions

          In the past I haven’t really made concrete resolutions. A probable factor is that I’m afraid that I’ll fail. Sounds crude – and I’ll readily concede that point; yet for me, being unsure about the future often paralyses my decision-making faculties. So I play it safe, don’t risk things. I’ve always known I’m not the entrepreneurial type, nor do I possess amazing stores of self-discipline and drive to achieve any self-declared goal. I’ve always preferred others to set my aims and I’ll set about accomplishing them. Although I’m not very creative, I generally get things done.

          However, this year I’d like to do things slightly differently: I’m setting some resolutions! Here are three that I’ll mention.

          Firstly, I’d like to continue to grow as a Christian, especially in the area of prayer. I can read my Bible, I can read theology books, but I struggle with consistently setting apart some time each day to pray. I think that reflects a self-sufficient heart. I know that I don’t pray because I’m depending on myself too much. In other words, my lack of prayer is evidence of my lack of trust in God. That means, I can think with my mind and say with my mouth that God is sovereign and powerful; but as I daily live, in reality, God is small and weak if I don’t pray fervently. So what does this look like in practice? For now I’ve decided that every morning after my Quiet Time, I’ll spend at least 15 minutes praying for these things: 1) family, 2) friends and church back home in Malaysia, 3) friends here in Durham (or overseas), 4) church here in Durham, 5) people from whom I receive prayer letters. I’ll have a list of general permanent things to pray for, and another for prayer items as they are updated.

          Secondly, the 2016 Reading Challenge. You can find the challenge here and you might want to do it with someone/a group too! I’m doing the Avid Reader (26 books) challenge for a start and see whether I can exceed it, but the goal is still that (because I’m afraid that 52 is too big an ask). I should say that these are readings on top of my university work. That will keep things realistic. I’ll share my list up here once I’ve finalised it. I certainly hope that this will 1) give me motivation to finish reading books and review them, 2) help me learn self-discipline as I manage my time, and 3) be more well-read.

          Thirdly, and I think more specifically is an aspect of my character I’d like to work on. The Apostle Paul writes, ‘For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…’ (Titus 2:11-12). God’s grace training me doesn’t mean I am a passive block of stone (cf. Philippians 2:12-13); and with a new status in Christ, I know I have to live differently. So I would like to learn humility in the coming year. A friend told me that he would give himself a theme word for the year which helps him to focus on one aspect of his life. I’m borrowing that idea and say (and pray) that God will be working through good and difficult times this year to shape me to be more humble (going back to point 1) and dependent on His grace. Thomas More writes that Pride is the root cause of societal evils. In some sense we can say that it is, because in relation to God, Pride says ‘Shut up God, I’m in charge, no place for you’ (and if we take the initials of the first letter of each phrase, we have ‘sin’! A friend shared this acrostic with me). I also think I’m a bit militant in some of my views, especially when I’m talking to other Christians. It’s not very helpful I think because I’m often more concerned about being right than seeking to build up.

          Right, so here are three of my resolutions for this year. I pray that God will help me live for His glory as I face life in 2016.