Apr 21

Written by: Michael A. Milton
4/21/2008 11:15 AM

As I write these words the Pope is preparing to take the Pope-mobile on a "victory lap" around Yankee Stadium following a very moving Mass. His homily had powerful words that needed to be said by someone. It just took a Pope to say it.  In part he said:

That all life is sacred, especially the life of a child in his mother's womb;

That Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life;

That there is more to life than consumerism;

That joy is found in giving our lives away to Jesus Christ;

That happiness can only be found in Jesus Christ.

However, his words won’t change the breach between Catholic and Evangelical theological arguments. The Council of Trent remains in tact with its anti-protestant anathema against justification through faith alone.

I want to point out a few things which all of us, Presbyterian and Reformed included, need to remember from this event: 

1. Unapologetic faith in Jesus Christ and His Word matters. Post-modernity has not destroyed faith. It cannot. People of all ages and races and backgrounds need the same thing: Jesus Christ. We would do well to focus on theological truth about Christ, not just sociological reflection on a world that has rejected Him. Focus on Him. Present Him. Lift up Him. And He will draw men to Himself from all backgrounds.

Pastor, you have everything you need, Word, sacrament, and prayer, to present Jesus to others. Rest assured that some will listen and be saved. Some will want to learn more, and yes, some will reject Him. Be faithful to the message of the Bible. 

2. Liturgy matters. Did you see how an 81-year-old man leading in a classical Western Liturgy kept the attention of so many different people? None of us who reject transubstantiation (the belief that as the priest says the Word, the bread and wine become the literal blood of Jesus) wants to become sacerdotalist, worshipping the elements and exalting the bread and the cup as if they were actually the Body and Blood of our Savior.

At Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte Dr. John Oliver educates pastors-in-training in classical expressions of Reformed worship. Our students go forth and fine tune it, personalize it, and contextualize it in their ministries. I pray that we remember that the ancient forms remain because they are the best "buckets" (to quote Rev. Terry Johnson). They carry the refreshing Biblical water of doctrine that quenches the human thirst for truth. The elements of worship, the Call to worship with Scripture, great hymns to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Scriptural confession and more, all flow to the glory of God and to the good of the mind and heart of the worshippers. Such worship services continue to exist because they give us a glimpse of the God we seek who is transcendent (gloriously above us) and immanent (wondrously close to us).  

3. The Church matters. I believe that the local pastor of a small congregation is a pastor in the same way (or even in a greater way in the eyes of God) than the famed Bishop of Rome. In fact, as our Westminster forefathers reminded us, there were times when the man who held this office stood against Biblical faith (I do not believe that about the  current Pope). But in watching all of these newscasts I see again how people long to see the Church, her ministers and leaders, seeking to represent Jesus Christ to the world.

In fact, as Rev. Lesslie Newbigin reminds us, the Church exists to fulfill God's purposes in the world. When our churches see themselves as God’s representatives on earth to fulfill His purposes of the one catholic and apostolic church, rather than as denominational outposts of this or that denomination, then our message will come across with the authenticity and power that catches the world's attention. 

4. Evangelism matters. Much of the Pope's message had to do with calling people to follow Jesus Christ. And even more time, it seems, was spent in calling men to consider the priesthood. We must remember, as Dr. D. James Kennedy used to say, evangelism is the main thing so keep the main thing the main thing. Exalting Jesus, calling men and women and boys and girls to follow Jesus and to trust in Him alone for eternal life, fulfills God’s calling on our lives. We are evangelists of the Lord.

We need to issue the call to give our lives and gifts away for the sake of the Lord. For some that will mean a life of faithful discipleship. For others, and I would give that call right now, it means giving your life to Jesus Christ as a minister of the Gospel. For some women and men it means committing your life to Jesus Christ in a lifetime of service to Him as missionaries, teachers, and other workers within the visible life of the Church. 

5. Protestantism matters. This may sound peculiar, but it occurred to me as I watched the Mass and listened to this great religious leader that we need to sound forth the doctrines which his own countryman, Martin Luther, sounded forth: justification by faith alone through Christ alone. That is what makes us free. It is true that the Catholic Church which Luther faced, full of abuses, has changed. Surely this Pope bears little in common with the ungodly, concubine-holding, money-hungry Pontiff of the 16th century. I think he believes the Bible is the Word of God, however differently we might interpret its core meaning of salvation.

But if he is unashamed and unapologetic about being a Catholic, let us, likewise, be unashamed and unapologetic about our commitment to the infallible and inerrant Scriptures, the Great Commission, and the Reformed faith. 

I doubt if any of us will ever ride around Yankee Stadium in a white, bullet-proof Pope-mobile. The victory lap we look forward to will be before the throne of Jesus dressed victoriously in His righteousness. Now we have the message of Jesus for our day and time, a message that brings eternal life and abundant life for all who will follow the One we preach.

And every now and then, by God's grace, a cheer goes up to the Lord that someone is still faithful to the things that matter.

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