Book Review - A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity, by R.C. Sproul

Book Review - A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity, by R.C. Sproul

Teaching a seminary course on Worship means I am always looking for new books to inform and help my understanding of the church’s primary goal in life. I was happy, therefore, to pick up a copy of R.C. Sproul’s latest offering on the subject of worship.

I have to admit I found the work rather disappointing.

Dr. Sproul is a great thinker and prolific author, so who am I to suggest this work is lacking? But having read from cover to cover, I think it is a book that has the potential to do more harm than good.

Sproul has always had a “shock value” to his teaching – some of us can remember being blown away by statements and illustrations he has made over the years. He also has a strong sense of humour... which may be why (with four chapters defending infant baptism and statements like “dispensationalism... is a nineteenth century departure from orthodoxy”) he dedicated this volume to Dr. John MacAruthur.

The book is essentially an examination of how we are to worship God. Sproul’s framework for discovering this is predominantly to look back to how Israel worshiped God in the Old Testament. Now, that right there will cause many to pause and scratch their heads. New Testament worship is discovered by examining the Old Testament? To be fair, Sproul goes to great length to say that the New Testament has the final word on this matter. “Of course, we can’t go to the Old Testament and discover what is there in terms of the format of worship and then simply carry it across and superimpose it into the New Testament community” (15). Yet, while giving a nod to the discontinuity between the Testaments, he can also say, “we can discern principles in the patterns of worship that God revealed from heaven to His people in the Old Testament, and... those principles can and should inform the patterns our worship” (19). This sounds a little too much like having your cake and eating it, too. In fact, this would be my primary criticism of the book. Sproul’s approach flatlines the story of the Bible and results in a somewhat willy-nilly hermeneutic that plucks from the Old whatever “seems to fit” the New.

That is why you end up with Sproul arguing that

^· Infant baptism is necessary and the only Biblical position (chapters 6-8)

^· We ought to consider the use of incense in worship services (172)

^· Pastors wearing robes might be a good idea (147)

^· We ought to meet to worship in buildings that communicate the glory and beauty of God (144)

Sproul backs off making any of these assertions (except infant baptism) as “do or die” Biblical principles, but I don’t think that matters.

There is an old axiom in seminary education that says, “The teacher’s questions become the student’s doctrine.” In other words, when a professor suggests a certain thing “might be true,” eager students often consider that to be what the fellow really believes and is too scared or too constrained by other forces to come out and say. Zwingli’s questions on baptism led Grebel and others to embrace the doctrine... a time when this axiom proved incredibly useful! But this manner of instruction mostly leads to confusion and muddled thinking.

For example, when Sproul floats the idea of using incense in worship, he undercuts the clear teaching of Scripture that he has already referenced only paragraphs earlier. In 2 Corinthians 2 and other passages, we are taught that physical incense has been replaced by other things: prayer, ministry, service, a life pleasing to God, etc. The Old Covenant physical smoke symbolized the New Covenant reality or fulfillment. By noting this passage, then suggesting a return to the old, outer rite, Sproul deadens the developing revelation of Christ in the Bible’s story and pulls the rug out from under the New Testament teaching. This is a pattern throughout the book.

I thank the Lord for R.C. Sproul! He has been used of God in so many ways in my generation and has personally blessed me on numerous occasions. But when it comes to worship, there are many more cogent and helpful books to read before this one. I recommend buying “Worship by the Book” edited by D.A. Carson. The first chapter of that work will do ten times more to bolster your worship than thousands of robes, new cathedrals or billowing incense.

Stumping Haykin

Some of the people I love in this world are the faculty and staff of Toronto Baptist Seminary. It is an honour to teach with them and it was a joy to have them to our home last week for our annual Christmas Celebration. The ladies provided us with a wonderful meal and my dear bride made the surroundings warm and inviting (like usual!).
The highlight of the night came when I, the consumate Game Meister, made everyone play my own version of Family Feud. It was a battle of Principals - Team MHaykin versus Team Kwellum! Ah, what bliss!
But the greatest moment of all is captured so wonderfully in this photo taken by my daughter.



Here is Michael trying to form an answer to the following brain-stretching question: "Name one thing you do on vacation." Not only did it take him 13 minutes to form a reply, but he was wrong! Out of all the respondents to my survey, NONE answered, "Visit the cemeteries!!!!"

Interview at Unashamed Workman

Colin Adams is an Associate Pastor with preaching responsibilities at Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh and also the creator of a very nice blog called "Unashamed Workman." It is a great blog dealing with preaching and pastoral ministry - making me a regular reader.

Colin has been running a series of interviews asking different expositors the same 10 questions. This week he posted my answers to those questions. [I should also note that Mark Driscoll's picture is way cooler than mine...]

Friday Fun: For All of You Who Have Been Wondering Who Multi-Commentor "Kenny" Was....

Very simple. "Kenny" is "Noah."

Warning! Snow in Toronto!!!

The Glory of God

SermonAudio.com - The Glory of God

It was great to have my friend Pastor Perry Edwards preaching for us at GFC this past Sunday. Perry is the preaching elder of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church of Oromocto, New Brunswick.

He took Revelation 4-5 as his (large) text for the Sunday morning sermon and I must say gave us a glorious glimpse into the wonder of Jesus Christ. I highly commend the sermon to you - you can download it by clicking on the link above.

How Mainstream Media Interprets the Divorce Debate Sparked by a CT Article

An Evangelical Rethink on Divorce? - TIME:

"Still, the controversy suggests that even the country's most rule-bound Christians will search for a fresh understanding of scripture when it seems unjust to them. The implications? Flexibility on divorce may mean that evangelicals could also rethink their position on such things as gay marriage, as a generation of Christians far more accepting of homosexuality begins to move into power. (The ever-active Barna folks have found that 57% of 'born-again' Christians age 16-29 criticize their own church for being 'anti-homosexual.') It could also give heart to a certain twice-divorced former New York mayor who is running for President and seeking the conservative vote. But that may be pushing things a bit."

I doubt anyone (Instone-Brewer, Kostenberger, Piper) who has participated in this debate is very happy with these conclusions!!

The Bizarreness of Preaching: Some Monday Reflections on a Long-winded Sunday

I had received the question many times before, but never with such sincerity. After telling the 8 year old in the car beside me that I was a pastor, his perplexed face looked at mine and he queried. “Well, what do you do the rest of the week?” So much for bonding with my kids classmates!

I thought of that little guy today as I sat here in my study reading Mariano Di Gangi’s new book, “Great Themes in Puritan Preaching.” Di Gangi noted how many consider the Puritans to have been obnoxious bores... especially when you consider for how long they preached! I had to chuckle to myself. I found out Sunday night that my morning sermon had droned on for exactly 60 minutes. Sixty minutes of me speaking and others listening. It is a rather bizarre thing when you think of it. First of all, I need to say that I generally have a very precise “feeling” for time – as in down to the exact minute. But Sunday was different. There was a conspicuous fatigue in the air at GFC Sunday morning and a lot of our "regulars" were gone. That all made for a different experience, preaching wise, and somehow I thought I had preached for around 40 minutes. Twenty whole minutes off! Yowza! (Which is probably something close to what most of the parents of small children were saying around minute 43!)

Di Gangi writes of some long-winded Puritans, “Undoubtedly, some of their homilies would have benefited from sensitive editing. But such criticisms say more about the shortness of the average listener’s attention span today than they do about a Puritan pastor’s supposed prolixity [wordiness]” (p. 18).

It is remarkable to me that the folks of GFC stayed with me on Sunday morning when I was too long. I think it says much more about them than me (in one respect). There is a hunger for the Word in that lion’s den and whomever the pulpiteer, he had best deliver at least a little meat!

My text Sunday morning was John 3:16 and the love of God. It has been some time since I have laboured as much in preparation and preaching of a text. I felt like a schoolboy trying to describe the heavens or a spelunker shining his penlight around a massive underground cavern... there was so much to say! Yet, every word that tumbled out of my mouth felt like felt. It landed soft.

I think, I hope(!), we got a few good glances in on the love of God for the world... but I still felt such a lack. Even as I preached I thought, “Why aren’t you more affected by these things, Preacher!?”

Which leads me to this stunning observation – preaching is odd. Think of it! You are called to labour in the Word, study men’s hearts to figure out how best to get the Truth of that Word into them, then stand and talk (interestingly, not redundantly, but with passion) and your topic is... God! The ineffable, almighty, eternal, good, holy, transcendent yet immanent, Creator of all things – including you (and your voice and mind and heart, etc). And to top it all off, good Christian people sit and labour to listen – working hard to understand what God wants to say through their appointed “stammering tongue.”

I am so glad there is a Holy Spirit.

Sometimes while I preach my mind is praying to the Spirit, begging Him to come and work. Unbelievers were in my church Sunday – and there I was offering them life. If such a thing as a “salvation gun” existed, I would have shot them between the eyes! I want them to be in heaven. But, by God’s appointment and design, it all comes down to this:

“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:9-17).

Preacher, take aim and fire off the Word. Regardless the skill or incompetence, that Word will not return void. It may be bizarre at one level, but isn’t it also so remarkably grand!

Happy Mom and Dad!

Thanks to brother Ryan's cell phone you can have a glimpse of a new baby - only hours old! (And a couple of happy parents!)

SHE is born! JLF Adds to His Quiver...

I am pleased to announce that my able assistant has made me a Great Uncle once again (yeah, Julian is my nephew) as of 9:30AM or so this morning.

Beautiful little Caitlyn Adele Freeman was born at 8 pounds and 4 ounces - one week early. She is a doll. Of course, she fell right to sleep in Uncle Paul's arms!

We are all thanking the Lord for the Lord's good grace to Julian and Stacey (and Susie, too!).