11/02/2008 - The Life of David Brainerd

David Brainerd, November 2, 2008

The Life of David Brainerd, ed. Norman Pettit, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 7, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985).

The Life of David Brainerd by John Piper

http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/ibrainerd.html

Beginnings, Historical Setting and Summary
Born: April 20, 1718
Birthplace: Haddam, Connecticut
Notable Christian leaders who were young men and children when Brainerd was born:
1. Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley were 14
2. Benjamin Franklin was 12
3. George Whitefield was 3

David Brainerd would live through the movements of the “Great Awakening” in the 1730’s and 1740’s.

Brainerd died of “Consumption” or tuberculosis at Jonathan Edward’s house on October 9, 1747.

Brainerd had some hard years emotionally growing up.

His father, Hezekiah and a Connecticut Legislator, died when David was only 9 years old. (Just stating this fact one can get the taste of God’s grace to this young man in the providential passing to prepare David for the struggles of his missionary work)

Hezekiah was a very pious Puritan and operated a strict home. They observed days of private fasting for their spiritual welfare.

David was number 6 and he had three more siblings born after him. He was the 3rd son.

His mother, Dorothy, brought a little boy from a previous marriage into the home, so there were 12 folks in all. 10 children and 2 parents.

David’s mother would die when he was 14.

David’s family suffered from a history of early deaths and dark depression.

Brothers Nehemiah died at 32 and Israel died at 23
His sister Jerusha died at 34
David died at 29

David, having lost both his parents very early in life, seemed to slip into a dark battle with depression. He records in his diary, “I was, I think, from my youth something sober and inclined rather to melancholy than the other extreme (p. 101).”

After David’s mother died, he moved in with his sister, Jerusha.

At 19 David inherited a farm. He tried hard, but he was not cut out for farming. He wanted to get an education. He longed for what he describes as a “liberal education”. That being in the liberal arts.

David’s Conversion
After a year at farming, David moved back to East Haddam and started preparation to enter Yale. He was 20 years old.

He had made a commitment, while on the farm, to enter the ministry. Keep in mind that he has not yet been converted by the gospel.

He has had a Puritan upbringing and had described his religion as “careful and serious but not having any true grace.”

That year he moved back, at the age of 20, from the farm he had read through the bible 2 times. He was fighting with God on some doctrinal levels.

He had noticed that he was given to legalism.
He rebelled at the idea of original (inherited) sin.
He rebelled at the idea of the sovereignty of God.
He rebelled against the idea that there was nothing he could do to “commend himself to God.”

He came to the miraculous day in the following way on the Lord’s Day, July 12, 1739 (a lengthy quote):
“All of my good frames were but self-righteousness, not bottomed on a desire for the glory of God (p. 103).”
“There was no more goodness in my praying than there would be in my paddling with my hands in the water because my prayers were not performed from any true love or regard to God. I never once prayed for the glory of God (p. 134).”
“I never once intended his honor and glory. I had never once acted for God in all my devotions. I used to charge them with sin because of wanderings and vain thoughts, and not because I never had any regard in them to the glory of God (p. 136).”

As he was trying to pray one day…

“As I was walking in a dark thick grave, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul. It was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything that I had the least remembrance of it. So that I stood still and wondered and admired. I had now no particular apprehension of any one person of the Trinity, either the Father, Son, or the Holy Spirit, but it appeared to be divine glory and splendor that I then beheld. And my soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable to see such a God, such a glorious divine being, and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all forever and ever. My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, the loveliness and the greatness and other perfections of God that I was even swallowed up in him, at least to the degree that I had no thought, as I remember at first, about my own salvation or scarce that there was such a creature as I. Thus the Lord, I trust, brought me to a hearty desire to exalt him, to set him on the throne and to see first his Kingdom, principally and ultimately to aim at his honor and glory as the King and Sovereign of the universe, which is the foundation of the religion of Jesus. I felt myself in a new world (p. 138-140).”

Notice in his words what he says is the foundation of the religion of Jesus: “… principally and ultimately to aim at his honor and glory as the King and Sovereign of the universe…”

Brainerd had read his bible through 2 times this year of his life. He got the point of salvation: the capturing of honor and glory for Father and Son as the Sovereign God of all that is. This being what we discovered last week.

This would be the aim of his missionary work to the Indians. The honor of Jesus Christ.

This was the result of his conversion and would b the aim of his ministry.

Two months after his conversion he prepared to enter Yale in order to prepare for the ministry.


Yale
Yale was hard. Brainerd had to deal with the hazing, the spiritual climate (ripe for the rumblings of the “Great Awakening”), studies and health crises (measles, and the onset of Tuberculosis that would ultimately claim his life 7 years later)

The spiritual climate would get David in trouble at Yale. The spiritual climate was one of stagnation and religion without any life.

However, men like George Whitefield (extemporaneous speaker, Calvinist, evangelist) had been speaking at Yale, and the emerging work of the Holy Spirit was rumbling through the campus.

The faculty invited Jonathan Edwards there to preach in hopes that he would squelch some of the fervor of the students.

Edward’s sermon that would eventually become some of his greatest work in distinguishing a move of the Holy Spirit (Of Religious Affections), did not squelch the students, but encouraged the fire of the students.

His sermon was titled “The distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God”.

Edwards argued that what was happening was a real move of the Spirit of God.

The morning of Edward’s sermon the college had adopted a policy that said “If any student of this college shall directly or indirectly say, that the Rector, either of the Trustees or tutors are hypocrites, carnal or unconverted men, he shall for the first offense make a public confession in the hall, and for the second offense be expelled (p. 41).”

Well, Brainerd was in the crown hearing Edwards speak. Brainerd was top of his class, but in his third year he was expelled for saying of a tutor, Chauncey Whittelsey, that he “has no more grace that a chair.” He also stated that he wondered why the Rector “did not drop down dead for fining students for their evangelical zeal (p. 42, 155).”

Brainerd tried to get back in and make things right. Others fought for him to get in, but to no avail.

It is important to note that this expulsion, although possibly at the hands of a careless word, were used by God to put him in the place where his journal thoughts would affect missions history.

You never know what deed you do intentionally or unintentionally is being used by God to change the world.

So, live with all your might for the glory of God, and even if you make mistakes along the way, Father is working out his salvation plan and working for our good.


Brainerd’s Ministry
In 1742 David Brainerd was licensed to preach by a group of ministers that were sympathetic to the Great Awakening (New Lights).

Jonathan Dickenson, a Presbyterian pastor tried to get Brainerd reinstated in Yale, but was not successful. Upon the failure to get him back into Yale, the suggestion was made that he become a missionary to the Indians.

On November 25, 1742 Brainerd was declared fit for service and appointed as a missionary to the Indians by the Commissioners of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge.

Brainerd spent the winter working for a church on Long Island in order to enter the wilderness in the spring.

His first assignment was to the Housatonic Indians 20 miles NW of Stockbridge, Mass.
He arrived April 1, 1743 and preached for 1 year using an interpreter and trying to learn the language.
He was able to start a school for Indian children and translate some of the Psalms (p. 61).

He was reassigned to go to the Indians along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

May 1, 1744 he left Kaunaumeek and settled in the Forks of the Delaware.

At the end of the month he went to Newark, NJ and was ordained by the Presbytery on June 11, 1744 (p. 251-252).

He continued his work at the Forks of the Delaware for 1 year.

June 19, 1745 he made his first preaching tour to the Indians at Crossweeksung, NJ.

Crossweeksung was the place that God moved with amazing power and brought salvation to the Indians.

Within the year there were 130 persons in the growing body of the church among the Indians (p. 376).

This whole community of Christians moved from Crossweeksung to Cranberry in May 1746 to have their own land and village.

Brainerd stayed with these Indians until he was too sick to minister to them anymore.

November 1746 Brainerd left Cranberry to spend four months trying to get well in Elizabethtown at the home of Jonathan Dickenson.

On March 20, 1747 Brainerd made one last visit to his Indian friends and then rode to the house of Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Mass on May 28, 1747.

He made one trip to Boston during the summer, but he returned and died of Tuberculosis in Edwards’ house October 9, 1747.

David Brainerd lived 29 years. 8 of his years were as a follower of Jesus Christ. 4 of his years were spent as a missionary.

Brainerd established schools among the Indians.

Brainerd saw the church emerge from the Indians and grow.

Brainerd was a recipient of the super-natural as God moved among the Indians.

The Lord testified to his ministry in the eyes of the Indians.

F.W. Boreham recalls a story of this:
“But when the braves drew closer to Brainerd's tent, they saw the paleface on his knees. And as he prayed, suddenly a rattlesnake slipped to his side, lifted up its ugly head to strike, flicked its forked tongue almost in his face, and then without any apparent reason, glided swiftly away into the brushwood. ‘The Great Spirit is with the paleface!’ the Indians said; and thus they accorded him a prophet's welcome.”

A very good question is: How has this man’s life made the impact that it has.

1. Jonathan Edwards published his Brainerd’s diaries as the “Life of Brainerd” in 1749.

2. “Brainerd’s life is a vivid, powerful testimony to the truth that God can and does use weak, sick, discouraged, beat-down, lonely, struggling saints, who cry to him day and night, to accomplish amazing things for his glory.” – John Piper

David Brainerd’s life has impacted men such as:
William Carey who regarded “Life of Brainerd” as sacred text
David Livingston
Jim Elliot

This man’s life has affected me as well. I’m not in the vain of these men, but I’m an example that God can and does use weak, sick, discouraged, beat-down, struggling saints who cry to him day and night to accomplish amazing things for his glory.

What can we learn from David Brainerd’s life?

Brainerd teaches us to fight the fight of the faith well in spite of our ailments
May 1744 “Rode several hours in the rain through the howling wilderness, although I was so disordered in body that little or nothing but blood came from me (p. 247).”

“In the afternoon my pain increased exceedingly and was obliged to betake myself to bed…was sometime almost bereaved of the exercise of my reason by the extremity of the pain (p. 253).”

Edwards comments the week before he died, “He told me it was impossible for any to conceive of the distress he felt in his breast. He manifested much concern lest he should dishonor God by impatience under his extreme agony; which was such that he said the thought of enduring it one minute longer was almost insupportable.”

We count our ailments as reminders that we need grace to sustain us (2 Cor 12:9)
We count our ailments as having a divine purpose beyond the immediate (2 Cor 12)
- For Paul it was humility

Brainerd teaches us that how we live is as important as what we do
Perseverance
Maintaining theological soundness
Live with all one’s might while they live

Brainerd teaches us that short life can be as effectual as long life when spent pursuing God’s Kingdom and his righteousness

We must not assume that long life is fulfilling and short life is a tragedy

Brainerd teaches us that life/ministry difficulties serve homeward purposes of preparing us to inherit the Kingdom
“Such fatigues and hardships as these serve to wean me more from the earth; and I trust, will make heaven the sweeter. Formerly, when I was thus exposed to cold, rain, etc., I was ready to please myself with the thoughts of enjoying a comfortable house, a warm fire, and other outward comforts; but now these have less place in my heart (through the grace of God) and my eye is more to God for comfort. In this world I expect tribulation; and it does not now, as formerly, appear strange to me; I don’t in such seasons of difficulty flatter myself that it will be better hereafter; but rather think how much worse it might be; how much greater trials others of God’s children have endured; and how much greater are yet perhaps reserved for me. Blessed be god that the makes is the comfort to me, under my sharpest trials; and scarce ever lets these thoughts be attended with terror or melancholy; but they are attended frequently with great joy (p. 274).”

We must remember that this life is not all there is
We are pilgrims here, and this is not home
Difficulty is part of sharing in Christ

Brainerd teaches us that waning in concern for people is a normal reality for people who love God and seek to make him known to people
September 18, 1742 “Felt some compassion for souls, meekness, gentleness and love towards all mankind than ever (p. 181).”

December 26, 1742 “Felt much sweetness and tenderness in prayer, especially my whole soul seemed to love my worst enemies, and was enabled to pray for those that are strangers and enemies, and was enabled to pray for those that are strangers and enemies to God with a great degree of softness and pathetic fervor (p. 196).”

July 2 1745 “Felt my heart drawn out after God in prayer, almost all the forenoon; especially while riding; And in the evening, could not help crying to God for those poor Indians; and after I went to bed my heart continued to go out to God for them, till I dropped asleep. Oh, blessed be the God that I may pray (p. 272).”

Don’t allow a waning desire for people to affect our desire to do ministry, keep doing ministry

Brainerd teaches us that the conversion of the Lost is the Lord’s work as we are means in that work in our preaching and serving

Brainerd saw the conversion of many, but not at will, but as the Lord would move. He stated:

“My soul seemed to rely wholly upon God for success, in the diligent and faithful use of means. Saw, with greatest certainty, that the arm of the Lord must be revealed for the help of these poor heathen, if ever they were delivered from the bondage of the powers of darkness." – Jeremy Lantz

We can’t avoid means. Our hands and feet are given to work, but they are not idols.

“Work with all your might, but trust not the least in your work.” – George Muller

10/26/2008 - Salvation: Introduction to Purpose

Salvation
John 17:1-2

Jesus is fully man.
Jesus is fully God.

Consequently, Jesus leads us into our discussion of salvation. His teaching will set our course.

Sadly, this has not been the case for much of modern evangelicalism.

It is easy for us to come to salvation and assume that salvation is for us.

Most of our evangelical culture treats salvation as if it were something God has created for us to have and our possessing it is the end and point.

This is evidenced in our emphasis on escaping hell and gaining heaven.

This is evidenced in the appalling lack of theological acumen in the church today because of the over emphasis on getting saved without any sense of discipleship.

The Scriptures guard against that if we will deal with them properly.

I want to help us guard against mistreating the glorious doctrine of salvation by dealing with Jesus on the issue.

Our Foundational statement for understanding the work of salvation:
- Jesus is on a Mission (to) be glorified by the Father as he glorifies the Father (by)
securing some of a fallen humanity that the Father has given the Son through his work on
the cross
1. Jesus is on a mission
- “Father, the hour has come” (perfect / active / indicative)
- Jesus has been speaking of the cross and his death, and this is the event he has in view.
- This is past action that is completed in the indefinite past
- In other words, the appointed hour, the mission’s climax has come.
A. The cross is not a reaction to an unknown series of events.
- God foreknows all things effectively
- “God’s foreknowledge is his foreordination.” – J.I. Packer
B. Jesus coming, living, dying and rising were plan “A” (Acts 4:28)
C. Jesus is in control of history and man’s free actions w/in that history
D. Jesus is still on a mission, and we get to participate
E. All of Jesus’ actions were intentional

What is Jesus’ mission?

2. Jesus’ mission is to be glorified by the Father as he glorifies the Father
- “glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,”

The vocabulary of “glory” is the vocabulary of honor and shame.

To give one glory is to give honor to.

In this context, the story of redemptive history is vital.

God created everything that is, and it was good.

There was rebellion in heaven, and Satan and his followers were cast into the earth.

Satan tempts our first parents with the prideful temptation to rebel and disobey God under the false premise that they can be like God.

Rather than believe God and trust his good for them, they eat and thus honor the lies of Satan and dishonor their perfect, holy and good God.

Man, in his rebellion, chose Satan over God and death entered the race.

Adam and Eve would suffer separation from God and broken fellowship with God.

Adam and Eve would suffer death, murder, sickness and disease.

That fall from grace has infected the entire human race ever since. Man is conceived guilty of rebellion against God, and thus lives his days at war with God.

But God, being rich in mercy, and zealous for justice sent forth his Son to reclaim their honor by saving some of the rebellious humanity by an act of justice that would result in grace for all who will believe.

This is the work of the cross of Jesus Christ: to restore the proper honor due God for man’s rebellious and dishonorable act of disobedience by justly punishing sin and offering reconciliation to all who will come to him by faith.

- The cross displays the justice of God Romans 3:21-26
- The cross displays the grace of God 2 Corinthians 5:21
- The cross displays the holiness of God
- Our great God is so other that he can execute justice and dispense grace
in one holy act.
- The Son gets glory from his people’s (people given by Father) adoring worship
- The Father gets glory from all of humanity:
- The saved confess Jesus as King in response to grace to the Father’s
glory
\ - The rebellious confess Jesus as King to their condemnation as justice for
their rebellion and unbelief

Jesus’ mission of the cross brings glory home.

Jesus’ mission of the cross restores worship and worshipers to the proper place, and sentences rebellion and the rebellious to the proper place all to the honor and glory of Father and Son (witnessed to by the Spirit).
(The Spirit’s job is to testify to this mission of Jesus, not himself)

How does Jesus bring honor and glory to Father and Father to Son?

3. Glory is given to Son and Father by securing some of a fallen humanity that the Father has given the Son
The work of Father giving Son glory and the Son giving Father glory is the purpose of missions.

Mission is not some additional line item.

Mission is not some person-centered pursuit.

Mission is the glorious work of Jesus by the Spirit to restore honor to the Son and Father.

In other words, the end of missions is not the salvation of the lost.

The salvation of the lost is the means to accomplishing the regaining of honor to Son and Father.

This truth hinges on the grammar of this sentence.

- “, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you
have given him.”

The word translated “since” is a subordinating conjunction (kathos). Its grammatical purpose is to join a subordinate clause to a main clause.

So, the main clause is “Father, the hour has come; glorify the Son that the Son may glorify you.”

The subordinate clause is “since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

The main point: The hour has come to restore glory to Son and Father
The means to that end: eternal life is given to those the Father has given the Son (this truth of a gift from Father to Son will be the foundation of next week’s talk)

10/19/2008 - The Person of Jesus Christ, Jesus' Deity

The Person of Christ, Jesus’ Deity

Regarding the deity of Jesus Christ… “If we simply ponder this as we ought, a great ballast will come into the tipping ship of our soul. Sheer existence is, perhaps, the greatest mystery of all. Ponder the absoluteness of reality. There had to be something that never came into being. Back, back, back we peer into endless ages, yet there never was nothing. Someone has the honor of being the first and always. He never became or developed. He simply was. To whom belongs this singular, absolute glory? The answer is Christ, the person who the world knows as Jesus of Nazareth.” – John Piper

Jesus’ was bold in claiming to be God
Luke 5:17-26 Jesus forgives sin
Matthew 14:23-33 Jesus accepts worship from the 12

Paul was bold in claiming Jesus was God
Colossians 1:15-17 Paul claims Jesus was before all things and created all things

The writer of Hebrews
Hebrews 1:1-8 Jesus is worshiped by angels and they are Jesus’ agents, and he calls the Son, God

Jesus’ most bold claim to be God

John 6:35, 48 “I am the bread of life”
John 8:12 “I am the light of the world”
John 8:58 “I am”
John 10:7, 9 “I am the door”
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd”
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life”
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life”
John 15:1 “I am the true vine”
John, in the Apocalypse, quotes Jesus in 1:8 saying “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end…”

Consequences of Jesus’ Deity

1. Jesus is worthy of worship
- When you speak of God get specific with the name Jesus
- Understand that the Holy Spirit’s job is to exalt Jesus as King, Savior and God
- Speak of Jesus correctly
- Don’t forsake assembly with other Christians
2. Jesus excludes all other so called deities, and proclaims himself to be the only God
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the devil of Hell. You can shut up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let’s not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 53).
3. Jesus defines reality
In order to find reality and escape from the land of delusion we must:
a. Read the Scriptures, particularly the gospels
b. View all of life through the lens of what Jesus said and did
c. Imitate Jesus’ teachings and actions
d. Learn to recognize the schemes of the evil one (division, lust, religion)
c. Repent of all our ways that are contrary to Jesus’ instruction
e. Go and live out the values of Jesus and his Kingdom

10/05/2008 - The Person of Jesus Christ, His Humanity

The Person of Christ: The Humanity of Jesus

We can summarize the biblical teaching about the person of Christ as follows:
Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.

There is nothing in this definition that is negotiable.

The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35)
(Note that Matthew 1:23 is quoted from Isaiah 7:14 and applied to this scenario showing the fulfillment of a prophetic word and the dynamic nature of the Old Testament)
1. The Virgin Birth shows that salvation must ultimately come from the Lord
- It is not through human effort that man is saved but by the work of God alone
2. The Virgin Birth makes possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity
3. The Virgin Birth makes possible Jesus’ true humanity without inherited sin

Keep in mind, the virgin birth of Jesus does not mean that Jesus came into existence. Jesus is eternal (John 1:1, Colossians 1:16, 17)

The Virgin Birth is the decisive way that God enters humanity in order to bring redemptive history to its climax in the work of the cross.

Jesus Had Human Weaknesses and Human Limitations
1. Jesus had a human body
2. Jesus had a human mind
3. Jesus had a human soul and human emotions

Jesus Was Sinless

Although Jesus was human, he was also God, and it is important to maintain the fact that he was sinless.
Hebrews 4:15; 7:26
1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2:22
1 John 2:1

Why was Jesus’ full humanity Necessary?

1. For Representative Obedience (See Grudem for Details)
2. To be a Substitute Sacrifice
3. To be the One Mediator between God and Man
4. To Fulfill God’s Original Purpose for Man to Rule over Creation (See Grudem for Details)
5. To Be Our Example and Pattern in Life
6. To Be the Pattern of Our Redeemed Bodies (See Grudem for Details)
7. To Sympathize as High Priest
8. Jesus Will Be a Man Forever