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Wallpaper: Due His Name
March 17, 2025
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.” Psalm 29:2
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Dealing with Hurt from Within the Church? Read Sighing on Sunday
Sighing on Sunday: 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts explores the difficult—but unfortunately not uncommon—circumstances of pain experienced by people from others within the church.
Hymn: “We Love the Place, O God” by William Bullock, Rev. Henry W. Baker
We love the place, O God, Wherein Thine honor dwells; The joy of Thine abode All earthly joy excels.
Things Change and Things Stay the Same
The French language has an endearing little phrase that could almost have been drawn from the Bible’s wisdom literature. “Plus ça change,” they say, “plus c’est la même chose.” The more things change, the more they stay the same. Though I live in the 21st century, I read in the 19th, which is to say, the great majority of the material I read recreationally is sermons written in the 1800s. Because a preacher will usually apply a text to the specific needs and concerns of his congregation, sermons provide an interesting way of understanding the pressing issues of the day.
As I have read, I have become fascinated by how many of today’s concerns were also the concerns of our forebears. Many of today’s issues have already been discussed, debated, and even resolved and we have much to learn from those who have gone before us. French has it right: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here are a few examples.
Congregational singing. Pastors were concerned about dwindling congregational participation in singing. Many churches had begun to put singing in the hands of professionals—typically small but highly-trained choirs. Today we may be concerned that worship bands drown out the congregation and sing in ways that amateurs find difficult to emulate. But then pastors were concerned that choirs had supplanted the “one another” ministry of singing that the Bible describes in Colossians 3. They lamented that in many churches it was frowned upon for the congregation to sing along lest it taint the professionalism of the church’s ministry in music.
Political villainization and exaggeration. One American preacher expressed his dismay that every presidential election was deemed the most important and the most consequential of all time. He lamented that every candidate made it sound as if the future of the Republic was at stake—that if the people chose his opponent, America would inevitably crumble and fall. This is certainly still the case today not only in the United States but in other nations as well. It’s fascinating to know that so little has changed—that even then, every issue was deemed unprecedented and every election proclaimed the most important in history.
Explicit nudity. Christians in that era were dismayed at declining morals, especially as it pertained to art. Though movies did not yet exist, it was becoming acceptable for people of good standing to have nude art in their homes. As today pastors may encourage their congregations to keep a wary eye on their media consumption, in that day pastors encouraged their congregations to keep a wary eye on the art they permitted themselves to own or to view. They especially fretted about young men corrupting themselves by looking at what was essentially that era’s pornography.
Biblical authority. In that day, an increasing number of skeptics were pouring contempt on the Bible and especially its claims of miracles and supernatural occurrences. As Darwin solidified and propagated his theories, others were embracing forms of theistic evolution in favor of the Bible’s account of creation. Even some who considered themselves Christian were explaining away these matters for the sake of societal respectability. Pastors had to insist on the authority and reliability of Scripture from its first word to its last.
Polyamory and polygamy. In the past few years, we have seen many headlines about the rise of polyamory—the practice of engaging in multiple simultaneous sexual relationships. In the late 1800s, polygamy was a pressing concern, especially in America as it witnessed the growth of Mormonism and its fixation with plural marriage. Pastors had to teach their congregants what the Bible says about the purpose and sanctity of marriage and insist that marriage was to be a lifelong covenantal relationship between one man and one woman. They had to teach about the terrible consequences to wives and children in polygamous contexts. They did so in ways that were appropriately discreet for that era, but they did so nonetheless.
An epidemic of addiction. In the 1800s there was an epidemic of addiction that swept the nations. Where today we may be concerned with opiates, in that day Christians were concerned with alcohol in general and rum in particular. Rum was a cheap and widely available form of alcohol that was consumed and over-consumed by the masses, leading to poverty, premature death, the abandonment of children, and so on. Many pastors became staunch prohibitionists and encouraged their congregants not only to abstain but to formalize their decision through a pledge. While the specific substances have changed, those who pastored congregations more than a century ago were grieved to see addiction within and around their churches.
The character of politicians. Christians had to consider whether they should vote exclusively for politicians who were demonstrably believers and of upright character or whether they ought to elect politicians on more pragmatic grounds. Christians disputed whether the Bible permitted them to vote someone into office who stood for good policies even as he rejected Christ. And even today Christians disagree among themselves about the necessity of faith and good character in their politicians.
Tariffs. A significant political matter toward the close of the 1800s was tariffs and their role in global politics and economics. While the policies were outside the jurisdiction of pastors, they still mentioned them in their points of application, often because their congregants were being financially impacted by them. The fortunes of the people they shepherded often rose and fell with the decisions of politicians.
One reason I find such enjoyment in the sermons of this era is that many of the preachers were optimistic. In America, the Civil War was now decades behind them and in Europe, the wars that had roiled the continent earlier in the century had largely ceased. People allowed themselves to believe humanity had entered into an era of great progress. Many pastors, perhaps especially in the United States, adopted a postmillennial eschatology, convinced that the United States represented the source and dawning of the millennium. They saw America’s Christian influence sweeping across the world, changing hearts and transforming nations until Christ returned. This optimism suffused their preaching, giving it a joyful and hopeful tone—a tone that could not survive the two world wars that, unbeknownst to them, lay in the not-too-distant future.
I will leave the closing words to a pastor from Brooklyn who, despite often preaching about many of the concerns I have listed above, remained unflaggingly optimistic as he considered the future of his nation and the world.
At the south, Mexico will follow Texas into the Union, and Christianity and civilization will stand in the halls of the Montezumas, and if not in our day, then in the day of our children, Yucatan and Central America will wheel into line of dominion. On the north, Canada will be ours, not by conquest, for English and American swords may never clash blades, but we will simply woo the fair neighbor of the north, and she will be ours, and England will say to Canada, “You are old enough now for the marriage day. Giant of the West, go take your bride.” Then from Baffin’s Bay to the Caribbean there shall be one republic, under one banner and with one destiny—a free, undisputed, Christianized American continent. God grant it. Amen!1
More specifically, American Presbyterian preachers from the latter half of the century. ↩
A La Carte (March 17)
Good morning. Grace and peace to you.
Logos users, you’ve got just one more vote to cast as we choose the winner of March Matchups.
There are lots of great picks in today’s Kindle deals: Gentle & Lowly, Living Life Backward, Ten Words to Live By, and so on.
“When we expect circumstances to go a certain way, when we expect people to do certain things, when we expect God to answer our prayers the way we think would be best, and then our expectations are not realized, disappointment grips our hearts. It’s good to know that feeling disappointed is not necessarily a sin. How we respond to disappointment is what’s important.”
Garrett Kell: “In sweet seasons, you will take strong strides together. But at times (or even much of the time), you may feel like you’re dragging your spouse along. Sin, sorrow, and suffering all take their toll on a marriage. When a husband neglects his calling to lovingly lead his wife, she can be tempted to despair.”
At some point we will all know someone who has dementia (and many of us will have to care for one) so it is good to consider how to respect their dignity.
We want to bless you and your spouse with FREE Marriage Getaway for pastors—a 3-day, all-inclusive getaway for pastoral couples at one of Focus on the Family’s beautiful retreat centers. This is your chance to step away, refresh your relationship, and return to ministry strengthened and renewed for God’s Kingdom work! (Sponsored)
Andrew considers whether Christians smuggle the gospel into their stories or whether there is something bigger going on.
Sinclair Ferguson considers when and how a pastor should consider preaching through Romans.
Kristin writes about those few especially precious friendships we get to enjoy in life.
…all growth certainly reflects divine activity and divine blessing, and whether fast or slow, God works in his own way and at his own pace.
A lion cannot understand why a fish should be caught with a hook, and the fish cannot understand why the lion should be caught with a trap. You may be free from certain kinds of temptation, but there are other kinds after you.
—De Witt Talmage
What If He Won’t Lead? To Women with Passive Husbands
When God unites a husband and wife, he forms a unique partnership with one primary aim: to glorify God by helping each other to heaven. Until death separates them, husbands should lovingly lead their wives in following Jesus, and wives should tenderly help their husbands to do the same. They are pilgrim partners traveling to glory.
In sweet seasons, you will take strong strides together. But at times (or even much of the time), you may feel like you’re dragging your spouse along. Sin, sorrow, and suffering all take their toll on a marriage. When a husband neglects his calling to lovingly lead his wife, she can be tempted to despair.
Functionally, spiritual leadership in the home is not a one-size-fits-all calling. God allows freedom and flexibility in families depending on the abilities of those in it. That said, God expects a husband to lead by sacrificial love (Ephesians 5:25), to honor his wife and live mindful of her needs (1 Peter 3:7), to be gentle, not harsh (Colossians 3:19), and to ensure God’s word governs their home (Genesis 2:15–17; Deuteronomy 6:4–7; Ephesians 5:26).
But what happens when a husband won’t lead? How should his wife respond? How can she pursue her husband in a way that encourages him to seek Jesus and, in turn, to lead her?
Seven Helps for Weary Helpers
While no formula can fix a husband’s lack of leadership, wives are not left without hope. As his helper, you are not only free but expected to encourage him in his leading. So, consider seven practical ways you might help your husband to lead. All of these are for you individually, but you need other godly sisters and pastors to help you live them faithfully. Don’t do this alone.
1. Pray.
A wise sister once said of her husband, “It is my job to love him. It is God’s job to change him.” Since only God can change a heart, perseveringly pray for your husband. Believe that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Do you wish that your husband would have greater fervency for God and his word? Pray. Do you hope for him to care about your spiritual well-being and pursue you affectionately? Pray. Do you desire for him to show more spiritual sensitivity and become more heavenly-minded? Pray. Do you long for him to initiate family devotions or express more joy in Christ? Pray. Do you want him to develop meaningful relationships with other godly men? Pray.
Wives can do more than pray for their husbands, but they certainly should not do less. A praying wife is a husband’s best friend. But he isn’t the only one who needs prayer. You are also in need of God’s sustaining and strengthening grace.
Do you need wisdom to help your husband follow God? Pray. Do you need courage to trust God when things aren’t going well? Pray. Do you need humility to not grow proud and self-righteous? Pray. Do you need grace to cultivate a tender and gentle heart? Pray. Do you need strength to endure when hope is endangered? Pray.
Jesus assures us, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So, if anything must characterize you, let it be prayerfulness.
2. Maintain realistic expectations.
Unmet expectations often birth frustration. What do you expect his leadership to look like? Some expectations are realistic, like remaining faithful to the marriage covenant (Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4), attending church gatherings (Hebrews 10:24–25), and pointing your children to Jesus (Ephesians 6:4). God commands him to do these things. But some expectations are unrealistic. Not all husbands will initiate morning devotions over coffee or take their families on mission trips. Not all husbands will read books at night by the fire or set up weekly date nights. You may desire your husband to lead in ways that would be nice, perhaps even wise, but are not required by the Lord.
“Remember that God is not only working in your husband. He is also working in you.”
Communication can help to clarify expectations. Have you humbly spent time with your Lord and godly sisters to discern what healthy marital expectations look like? Have you asked your husband to discuss how best to follow Jesus as a couple? Have you asked him if he has considered meeting with another godly man to talk through realistic expectations for his leadership and your helping?
Develop and base your expectations on Scripture, not on what others do or what you wish your husband would do. Wisely discern the right time to share your dreams and desires, but don’t hold him to a standard God does not.
3. Protect your heart.
As you help your husband, guard your heart from temptation. Paul warned the spiritually mature in Galatia, “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). What temptations might accompany your efforts? I’ll suggest eight.
Pride: Do you look down on your husband because of how well you’re following Jesus compared to him?
Entitlement: Do you feel like God owes you? Do you think that your faithfulness to him before marriage (or since) has earned you something better than what he has given you in marriage?
Apathy: Have you grown cold and uncaring toward your husband? Are you going through the motions or striving by faith?
Manipulation: Do you use sex, cleaning, spending, or anything else in hopes of changing him? Is freely serving Jesus more important to you than changing your husband?
Bitterness: Does your soul seethe with resentment toward him? Do you dream of not being with him — or worse, that he were dead? Do you withhold good from him to spite him? Do you punish him actively or passively?
Disrespect: Do you withhold respect because you don’t see him as respectable? Are you sharp with your words in private? Do you tear him down in public?
Coveting: Do you compare your husband with other men? Do you daydream of what life would be like with another man?
Adultery: Are you too close to someone else? Are you humble enough to know that even you could be seduced into an affair?
Satan is a patient prowler with devious schemes. Be on guard, and remain honest with both other godly sisters and your husband to help you to resist the attacks.
4. Encourage him.
You can always find ways your husband falls short. And there is a time to help him see his sins and shortcomings (Matthew 18:15; Luke 17:3). But do you consistently highlight areas of encouragement in his life? Have you asked God to help you see areas where he is growing (even slightly) so that you can specifically encourage him? Do you see his gifts and commend him for the ways he uses them? Do you regularly thank your husband for the good he does? Does your encouragement to him outpace your criticism of him? Does he feel, without a doubt, that you are on his side? Are you?
If you can’t think of anything encouraging, ask God to help you see and to remove any log that may be blinding your sight (Matthew 7:1–5). The Spirit will help you. Ask him to show you how he is working in your husband so that you can encourage him.
5. Examine yourself.
While you are never to blame for any of his actions or inactions, it is still helpful to inquire if you’re doing anything unhelpful. Could there be ways you make his leading difficult? Are you high-maintenance, exacting, or demeaning? How can you make his leading more enjoyable? Ask him. Consider discussing these questions with another godly sister to ensure your heart is as pure as it can be before God.
6. Gently prod him.
Submission isn’t a call to passivity or subjugation but a call to flourish under the wing of your husband. This means that you are free and at times even responsible for initiating your family’s pursuit of God. His leadership is helped by your active assistance. I can’t tell you how many times God has used my wife’s thoughtful suggestions and godly example to help me step up.
Maybe you could invite him to use an evening differently: “I think I’m going to do some reading and praying tonight rather than watch our show. Feel free to relax or to join me.” Or, “I thought we could read some Scripture with the kids after dinner tonight. Do you have any suggestions?” Or, “I think God wants us to share our faith with our neighbors. What do you think about having them over for dinner?”
Prayerfully consider creative ways to encourage godly relationships for your husband. Offer for him to take the night and hang out with friends from church. Consider asking him if it’s okay to go on a double date with a couple that could be a good influence on your family. Be willing, as you’re able, to sacrifice in order to make these relationships happen.
There’s often a fine line between trying to help and manipulating. You’ll slip past that line at times, but God’s grace abounds, and he will help you (Hebrews 4:14–16).
7. Value perspective and perseverance.
Change rarely happens quickly. Waiting can be painful, especially if you sense you are withering. But remember that God is not only working in your husband. He is also working in you. As you wait upon the Lord, remember that opportunities abound for you to grow. Some of the godliest women I know are ones who have endured long, challenging seasons with spiritually lethargic husbands. As they have waited, God has helped them to grow in desperation for Jesus, not their husband. Remember: you do not need your husband to be what only Jesus can be.
Whatever your circumstance, keep looking to Jesus and pleading with him to grow your husband’s faith. And as you do, your faith will grow as well. Why? Because you’re focused on the glory of Jesus, not the grief of your circumstances. Here, you will mature in prayer, find joy in God, and deepen your dependence on him.
Look to That Day
Alongside these seven suggestions, I will add a brief word about dangerous marriages. Living with a fellow sinner will be difficult and disappointing. Any sin against us hurts. However, some marriages are truly dangerous because a husband harms his wife verbally, physically, or sexually. While you must be careful not to bear false witness against your husband (Exodus 20:16), God does not call you to suffer genuine harm in silence. He has given pastors and police to protect you (Acts 20:28–30; Romans 13:4). If you are in real danger, please seek help.
But for all other wives, remember that someday soon, you and your husband will stand before Jesus. On that great day, you will give an account not for how he lived but for how you lived. Lean upon God’s grace today, no matter what difficulty may come. Because when you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” all your pains will be worth it. And, Lord willing, your husband will look over at you and say, “Because of your help, I gave a better account. Thank you.” The Lord is able. Keep trusting.
Too Small To Bother God With
At times we all live burdened lives, weighed down by the cares and concerns, the trials and traumas that inevitably accompany life in this world. And while we sometimes feel crushed by life’s heaviest burdens—the death of a loved one, the rebellion of a child, the onset of a chronic illness—we can also sometimes stagger under the weight of the relentless accumulation of many smaller burdens.
In our times of difficulty we need to remember that Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
God is willing and able to help us, so through prayer we can and should throw our burdens on his shoulders. But with all the great sorrows in the world and in our lives, does he have time and patience for the lesser ones? He does! If it is big enough to be a concern for us, it is big enough to be a concern for him. Or as Corrie ten Boom reminds us, “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”
Don’t Be Sorry for the Sermon: The Pride of an Apologetic Preacher
You don’t feel ready to preach.
You desired to be more prepared, to spend much time in the text and prayer, to enter the pulpit with full health, but life had other plans. God had other plans.
The last song has started; it is nearly time for you to speak. You look around and notice a visitor. This is not usually how thin my outline is. You see a wandering sheep who chose this Sunday to return. Why didn’t he come last week? The people seem hungry; the Spirit seems present. Will you now let them down?
You ascend the pulpit. Eyes gaze up at you. And then you say it. “Good morning . . . I beg your forgiveness beforehand. My oldest son was sick all week, and I had less time to prepare than I hoped.” Or, “Good morning . . . please excuse my voice. I’m just getting over a cold.”
Is anything wrong with such remarks? Hopefully not. But that hasn’t been the case with me. I have found that we might offer excuses beforehand, not because we are full of love for God and the souls before us, but because we are too full of self. Pride makes us anxious and insecure of what they will think of us.
Now, is it always wrong to highlight obstacles you’ve faced during the week of the sermon? I doubt it. Is it always from self-love that you explain a lacking ingredient? No. I do not bring a new law, “Thou shalt never disclose setbacks.”
But is this not sometimes a whimpering, flesh-pleasing, pride-pampering, excuse-making introduction that betrays an unworthy sensitivity to what man thinks about you, your delivery, and your sermon? And wouldn’t it be more faithful and manly to simply pray that the Lord would increase his name — however much you decrease — and get straight to what God has for you to tell the people? Let each man answer for himself, but for my part, I answer yes.
What Swims Beneath
This conversation may not rise to the level of alarm for you. It may seem rather harmless either way. But when a sailor sees Leviathan surface in the distance, he is troubled not because the beast merely came up for air (as opposed to devouring a ship). He is troubled because he sees Leviathan. To rise for air is innocent enough, but what swims below destroys without warning. The apology may be meaningless, but self-importance never is. Pride is to be killed, not allowed to apologize for itself.
Making excuses for our leaner sermons is but one possible expression of being drunk on self. Shattering at negative feedback is another. Salivating after compliments still another. Richard Baxter described it:
Were it not for shame, [some preachers] could find in their hearts to ask people how they liked them, and to draw out their commendations. If they perceive that they are highly thought of, they rejoice, as having attained their end; but if they see that they are considered but weak and common men, they are displeased, as having missed the prize they had in view. (The Reformed Pastor, 126)
A man wanting to be thought great is in great danger. A high esteem of self is frightened by low opinions of others. Secret pride makes a man fragile. Such a heart is that of an actor performing before a critic, not a herald concerned with delivering his Master’s message. What would you think of this town crier?
Hear ye, hear ye, my good citizens. I have a message from the King of kings that demands closest attention. But before I deliver that which is your very life or death to receive, I want you all to know that I’ve had a stressful week, less time to polish as I’d like, and (I hate to mention it) but I’ve developed a bit of a sniffle since yesterday. Please excuse my ensuing performance. Truth be told, I have been more than a little anxious about it.
Sit that man down and get someone else to speak to the people. Such a heart would, if not rightfully ashamed, meet everyone at the door after the sermon, fishing, not for men, but for compliments and asking what they especially loved. And should anyone offer an opportunity for improvement, the man would begin to sink. Such a man is an ingrown toenail, burrowing deeper and deeper into himself. Lord, have mercy on all of us heralds.
Excusing Weakness
The apostle Paul renounced the need for head pats and belly scratches. For him, man-pleasing and ministry couldn’t coexist (Galatians 1:10). And while Paul did mention setbacks and difficulties in his ministry, he presented them altogether differently. He boasted in his weaknesses rather than angling for excuses.
Paul really was someone great; he really was that man the demons knew by name. Yet hear how he went about his business in the Lord:
If I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. (2 Corinthians 12:6)
Paul let himself be known for his weakness because he wanted people to know God’s strength. I, on the other hand, mention my weakness only to highlight my usual strength. I don’t boast in my weakness; I explain it away. My pride wants others to know I am usually much better than this. Yet Paul hid his accomplishments and boasted in his weaknesses; he didn’t want boasting in his strengths to eclipse God’s strength. He didn’t want others to think more of him than what they saw.
Don’t Let Pride Apologize
Paul knew what it was to put confidence in the flesh and despise weakness. But it seems he quit campaigning for himself when he exchanged his righteousness for Christ’s. Remember, he was that guy all the Jewish men wanted to be before coming to Christ. But now he writes, “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7–8).
All-important me is replaced by all-worthy Christ.
Pastors, as you mount the pulpit, stand confident in Christ and don’t give any provision for the flesh. If you have no business up there, don’t be up there. But if God still calls you to preach, stand up with whatever notes, voice, or limitation you possess and herald Jesus Christ. If he wants you low, go forth on your knees. If he wants you to stumble more than usual, bless his name in that ruggedness! But don’t stoop to justify why you’re not as impressive as usual. Forget about yourself and preach the Savior to saints and lost souls, especially in weakness, for these are the times Christ’s power will best rest upon you.