My Lifeguard

In 1994 I was a freshman in Bible College at an Assemblies of God school. I had been born-again in and had grown up in an Assembly of God church so when I felt the call of ministry on my life, I naturally attended a school which followed the tradition I was part of. Pentecostalism, the tradition I grew up  in was about as far from what is generally referred to as “Calvinism” on the theological spectrum as one can get which is what made my introduction to Dr. Robert Charles (known as R.C.) Sproul so interesting. I had heard of RC Sproul from a friend of mine, but didn’t know much about him. That was about to change.

One afternoon, a friend and I walked the short distance from our dorm to the campus bookstore, mostly out of boredom because it was the beginning of the semester, and we both had just spent an ungodly amount of money on textbooks, so despite my love of reading, I wasn’t exactly looking to drop more coin on books. However, as we were perusing the small bookstore, I came across a book entitled Grace Unknown by R.C. Sproul. Remembering the good things that friend of mine had told me about Dr. Sproul, I bought the book with money I really didn’t have to spend. As we were walking back to the dorm, the friend I was with asked me in a somewhat agitated tone why I had bought the book. I replied I had heard good things about the author and wanted to check it out. In an even more agitated tone he replied that R.C. Sproul was a “heretic!”  I asked him why and he gave me a brief explanation of why he felt that “Calvinism” which he stated R.C. Sproul taught was wrong and antithetical to what the Bible taught. I patiently listened to his thoughts, and told him that I was going to read the book for myself. He shook his head in a somewhat disgusted manner which seemed to communicate to me that he felt I was wasting my time.

I read the book and enjoyed it, for it gave me some things to think about regarding the means that God saves men from sin. I was struck by how knowledgeable Dr. Sproul was, but also by how humble he was in his writing. He gave all glory to God, didn’t promote himself, and seemed to be writing in a way that reached off the page into my heart.  I had some conversations with the friend who had recommended R.C. Sproul to me, but I really didn’t change my view on the means of salvation. At the same time, I came away with a great respect for R.C. Sproul, and I now realize that God was beginning a work in me by revealing what Dr. Sproul would refer to as , “The Doctrines of Grace” to me.

In December of 1997, I tore my ACL playing intramural basketball at college, and ended up sitting out of school for three years at first to recover from my surgery, and then because I accepted a position as a Youth Minister at a church pastored by one of the men who had been my Youth Pastor. In 2001, feeling God leading me to return to school in order to finish my degree and pursue ministerial credentialing, I returned to college. While there I took a Systematic Theology class. One of the methods the teacher used in the class was to show teaching videos of Dr. Sproul. He would allow the video to play for a few minutes and then would pause it and tell us the ways he felt that Dr. Sproul was in error about theology, especially regarding the means of salvation and how “Calvinism” was incorrect.

At this point let me pause and say my intention is not to mock or make the Assemblies of God or Pentecostalism look bad in anyway. Despite the fact I eventually left the Assemblies of God and embraced The Doctrines of Grace, I still have a great affection for the tradition I was formerly associated with. I consider many in that tradition my brothers and sisters in Christ, am grateful for how God used many of them to change and shape my life in a godly way, and for the fruit I have seen God use them to produce. That being said, I do believe that they are in error on certain theological issues, namely their Soteriology. I relate these stories to illustrate the positive effect Dr. Sproul had on my life not to insult the tradition I formerly was associated with.

For me the Professor’s tactics had the opposite of the effect he intended. I came away from those lectures convinced he was in error, and Dr. Sproul was correct, and that began a journey of learning for me. I began to read about what I had once referred to as “Calvinism” but came to call “The Doctrines of Grace”. I read more of Dr. Sproul, and listened to his radio show. I also read Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield's sermons, John Calvin, Martin Luther, a plethora of Puritan writers, John Piper, and many others. I joined a Reformed Theology book club, and had a conversations with men (and women) who had been Reformed for a long time in order to understand more of what I had initially learned from Dr. Sproul. God used the writings and sermons of these people  to show me what the Bible has to say about Soteriology. I slowly moved away from the incorrect view I had before my meeting Dr. Sproul in Grace Unknown to one that seemed to be truly consistent with scripture. I became a part of the Reformed tradition. I don’t say that to boast. I say it to show how God used a humble, learned, and courageous man like Dr. Sproul to lead me to a greater understanding of Him and his Gospel.

I was sad to learn of Dr. Sproul’s passing, my prayers are with his family and friends, and I am sad that his days of teaching and reaching this world with the Gospel are at an end. However, I rejoice that Dr. Sproul has left this broken world and joined the Church Triumphant. God bless you Dr. Sproul, for like a lifeguard you pulled me out of the deep end of confusion regarding sound doctrine and led me to a better understanding of God and his Gospel. I will always be thankful that God used you in my life.

 Pastor Wayne

Pizza, Gravel, and Total Depravity

It should have been easy.

My mom called the pizza shop, ordered, and was told the pie could be picked up in 20 minutes. She handed me a twenty, and asked me and my friend, who was over for the day, to walk down to the pizza shop and pick up what would be lunch for her, me, my friend, and my cousin.

We didn't have much money in those days so ordering pizza was a real treat. As my friend and I walked to the pizza shop I was salivating at the thought of biting into the pepperoni pie. The pizza shop was on the other side of the streetcar tracks and Willow Avenue. We walked in, and giving the clerk my last name, I proudly stated I was there to pick up a pizza. I handed him the twenty, and he handed me the pizza and my change.

We walked out of the pizza shop and as we crossed Willow Avenue we were continuing the conversation we had been engaged in on our way which although I don't remember the exact details of, most likely had to do with Transformers, GI Joe, or Star Wars. After we crossed Willow we had to cross the streetcar tracks.

And then it happened . . .

My friend was in front of me as we walked. Right before we crossed the streetcar tracks, I looked backwards for some reason. I don't really remember why. Maybe I heard a loud car or something and looked to see if it was a muscle car. Whatever the reason, because I looked back I didn't see the streetcar coming. I also didn't see my friend stop right in front of me. He stopped of course to allow the streetcar to pass before we crossed the tracks. Unfortunately, since I didn't see him stop, I ran into him which caused me to drop the pizza. As it fell from my hands the box came open, and the pizza slid out of the box and landed on the ground. It fell onto a patch of broken asphalt which had gravel, and dirt spread over it.

My friend and I just looked at the pizza. The pizza we had been looking forward to eating. The pizza that was going to such a treat for us to have. Just then a police officer walked by and said, "You guys better clean that up."

Looking back, I suppose we could have gathered the pizza up and went back to the store. The owner might have had mercy on us and given us another pie. If not the owner, another customer may have felt bad and bought us another pie. Neither of those things could have happened, but we could have at least tried. We could have walked home and told my mom what had happened. She would have been upset, but she was a loving and patient woman and she would have forgiven us after initially being upset. We may have had to endure getting yelled at, but we would have survived.

What we chose to do instead was gather the pizza up, put it back in the box, fix it up as best we could, take it home, and try and pass it off as a normal pepperoni pizza. So, we got it in the box, tried to organize the cheese and pepperoni as it had originally looked, and wipe the dirt and gravel off it. Satisfied, we had done as good a job as possible, we walked back to my house.

My cousin, who was two years younger than my friend and my ten years let out a yelp of excitement when we walked in the door. She cried, "pizza!" and ran to sit at the table. Her and my mother had the table set, and my mother had produced some Coca-Cola (another treat in those days) for us to have with the pizza. My mom seemed happy to have been able to treat us with pizza and coke when my friend was over.

I set the pizza on the table and then we all sat down. My friend, and I held our breath as my mother opened the box and looked at the pizza. She cut it up and served everyone. "We did it!", I thought. We had pulled it off. My mother had not noticed that there was anything wrong with the pizza. I briefly thought that perhaps one day I would be a famous pizza maker since I obviously had skills in that area based on my reconstruction of the pie we had dropped. My friend and I shared a covert smile. We prepared to enjoy our pizza and Coke and then play outside the rest of the afternoon.

We had forgotten about the dirt and gravel. 

Dirt, and gravel can be small. Anyone that has ever done laundry, or swept and mopped a floor knows this. Just when you think you've gotten it all off the floor you find more of it. Well my friend and I had thought we had gotten all the dirt and gravel. As I chewed my pizza I could feel small bits of dirt. I just kept on chewing and hoped my mother wouldn't notice as she ate her pizza. I realized this wasn't going to happen when my cousin exclaimed to my mother, "Aunt Patty there is a rock in my pizza!"

My mom replied that she could taste something weird in her pizza as too. She looked at my cousin's slice and saw more dirt and some small pieces of gravel. She looked at me and asked me, "Wayne, what happened to the pizza?"

Decision time. I could have come clean at that moment. Like I said earlier, my mom was pretty understanding. However, I chose to double down on my attempted deception. I replied that I had no idea what had happened and the pizza must have come that way. I suggested she call the pizza shop and find out what happened.

Now my mother was patient and understanding, but she wasn't a fool. With some questioning, she broke down my story quickly. I admitted what had happened, but not before making sure to mention my friend had stopped short in front of me and in my opinion, had caused me to drop the pizza. My mom was mad, but I don't remember her yelling much. She made us some sandwiches and we had lunch. I knew she was disappointed in me. Mostly about my lack of honesty, my excuse making, and my blaming my friend.

For years, I've told that story to get a laugh, and most people do laugh because it is a funny story. It was a learning experience as well, although I didn't realize it at the time. However, when I seriously think about it several things are prominent:

1. My first instinct was to lie, and deceive.

2. I was willing to throw my friend "under the bus" as some say to mitigate whatever my punishment might be.

3. Before my cousin bit into a piece of gravel, I was proud that I had been able to get away with my deception.

Lying, betrayal, and pride are all sinful according to the Bible. No one had ever taught me to do these things. In fact, since I had grown up in church, my experience had been quite the opposite. Yet, when my back was against the wall did I trust in the ways of God as outlined in the Bible? No, instead, I embraced sin.

The reason I embraced sin is simple. I embraced sin because I am a sinner by nature. My nature is totally depraved, and corrupted. My nature chooses to do the opposite of what God says to do. In theological circles, this idea is known as the Doctrine of Total Depravity.  

From GotQuestions.org:

While often misunderstood, the doctrine of total depravity is an acknowledgement that the Bible teaches that as a result of the fall of man (Genesis 3:6) every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. In other words, sin affects all areas of our being including who we are and what we do. It penetrates to the very core of our being so that everything is tainted by sin and “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). It acknowledges that the Bible teaches that we sin because we are sinners by nature. Or, as Jesus says, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17-18).

Sometimes I'll be talking theology with someone, and they'll tell me they don't believe in the Doctrine of Total Depravity. My response is to tell them the story of Wayne and the Gravel Pizza which usually causes them to think about their opinion on the matter.

For more on Total Depravity:

https://www.gotquestions.org/total-depravity.html

Pastor Wayne

Error from Truth

Perhaps the most persistent enemy of the church throughout its existence has been false teaching infiltrating its ranks. False teaching is teaching that is not based on a solid reading of scripture in its context. Typically, the most dangerous false teachings contain some truth, but do not maintain fidelity to that truth. Rather they use that truth as a hook to lead the faithful into accepting the false teaching which diverges from the truth that initially appealed to the listener.

For example, the Bible clearly shows that God has the power and willingness to physically heal, yet what it does not say is that God plans to heal every individual who has a physical malady while they are here on Earth. There are pastors, teachers, and Christians who cite the verse in Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” as evidence that all those who petition the Almighty for physical healing will receive it. Unfortunately, the context of this verse shows it is not talking about physical healing, but rather is talking about how through Christ’s sufferings, believers receive salvation. This understanding of the meaning of Isaiah 53:5 is not new. It has been consistently interpreted as dealing with salvation, rather than physical healing, throughout the history of the church, and the verse’s true meaning has been documented in a plethora of Biblical commentaries, Bible study notes, and books on the subject (for more on this see this link: https://www.gotquestions.org/healing-Bible.html).

Yet, even though the true meaning of this verse has been acknowledged, these Pastors, teachers, and Christians continue to erroneously cite it as having to do with physical healing. Books have been written on the subject, and ministries have been created that revolve around this false premise which have attracted millions of followers, many of whom are hoping for a physical healing for themselves, or a close friend or family member. Typically, these ministries stress that one must truly believe and have faith in Isaiah 53:5 if they want to see a miraculous healing.  Yet, as has been demonstrated throughout hundreds of years of church scholarship, they are encouraging people to have faith in something that God does not promise. Typically, despite what these ministries claim, people are not healed and when they are not they are encouraged by the ministry to “have more faith” if they want to see a miracle. Typically, the miracles never happen, and those who follow these ministries either become dejected and leave the church, or they become increasingly fervent in the belief that they need to have more faith, and because of their fervent belief they cease any growth as a believer and merely become acolytes for the ministry they follow. Their fervent belief in the ministry’s teaching they follow replaces their faith in almighty God. At the direction of those who lead the ministries they follow, they ignore the parts of the Bible, including I Peter 4 (the whole chapter) which instructs Christians that suffering is often a part of the Christian life on Earth, the benefits of suffering which include developing a stronger faith in the Almighty (2 Corinthians 12), and that true healing is only promised to all believers in Heaven (Revelation 21). So, by simply taking one verse out of context, and by ignoring all the evidence that shows the verse is being taken out of context, these ministries can propagate a belief that is not Biblical and are able to shipwreck the faith of many believers.

Certainly, there is more to say about these ministries, but that is for another post. The point of this post is to demonstrate how easily a false teaching can develop from a Biblical truth. As Christians, we must be able to recognize the charlatans who work to infiltrate the church and propagate false teachings. The best way to ensure we will be able to do this is to spend a significant amount of time both reading and meditating on the Bible, and to utilize helpful resources such as reputable Biblical commentaries and Christian books, conversations with our pastor, and Bible studies with other believers who are grounded in the true meaning of scripture. We must also trust the leading of the Holy Spirit who will lead and guide us in ways that are consistent with the scriptures and will also sound a warning to us when we encounter Charlatans who would lead us astray.

Wayne