Tag Archive for 'Christianity'

3 Responses

Published
by
LayGuy
on May 4, 2008
in Bible Study, Christianity, Church and Digging Deeper
. 2 Comments

With all the talk these days about Emergent/Missional and Seeker Sensitive Churches plus the discussion around liberal or fundamental Churches and whatever else, I ground myself in Scripture as to what to expect as a reaction to the Gospel being taught.

As Christians, lets not kid ourselves about the message we deliver. We preach Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and the reasons for it. This is the Gospel and this is the message we are asked to spread across the whole earth.

All the different streams of Christianity mentioned above attempt to get this message across in a meaningful way in the hope that people respond to it. But what gets in the way is when we deliver it in a way to maximize acceptance rather then focus on the substance of what we teach.

More and more I am shifting my opinion to focusing on the message instead of focusing on the acceptance of it. And in doing so, scripture says that we will always encounter 3 responses to what we believe:

  1. Disbelief and mockery
  2. Interest and further discussion
  3. Belief and commitment

As anyone following this blog would know, I am a fan of Mark Driscoll and the Church he pastors - Mars Hill Church. Mars Hill gets its name from an interesting passage of scriptures found in Acts 17 when Paul visits Athens. The entire story can be read here.

In a nutshell, Paul visits Athens and is moved by the idolatry found there. Being the center of civilised society, Athens is alive with culture, education and arts. But because of the idols found in the town, Paul is moved to reason with the Jews, devout people, anyone in the market place and philosophers about the Gospel.

Read the passage this way: Paul speaks to everybody and anybody about the Gospel. And in doing so, he comes across Epicurean & Stoic philosophers. The “epics” taught that the pursuit of pleasure, not knowledge, is the meaning of life. The “stoics” taught that wisdom is found in being free from intense emotion, unmoved by joy or grief and a belief that everything in nature is God - aka pantheism.

In many ways, what the “epics” and “stoics” stood for is what we in modern society also hold dear to our hearts.  So perceived as a “babbler,” Paul is asked to address Mars Hill - where all these goonies get together and try to “out-philosophise” each other. There, Paul tells the Gospel in a relevant and missional way - a way their mindset is able to digest.

The result of this?

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst.  But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Acts 17:32-34

Here are our 3 responses:

  1. Some mocked
  2. Some wanted to know more
  3. Some believed

What Paul did was address Mars Hill in a relevant, and yet confrontational way - not shying away from controversial issues and then he hit the topic of resurrection. And this is when “the *@!# hit the fan” at Mars Hill.  Anything in regards to resurrection was a major issue at Mars Hill given their philosophical beliefs - and this is probably why Paul didn’t get to finish his spiel and get to his favorite topic - the resurrection of his Messiah.  And Paul simply left Athens leaving a few members of Mars Hill as believers, some wanted to know more and probably most chasing him out of Athens in mockery.

Fast forward 2000 years and we find ourselves in the ridiculous cycle of which “conversation” or approach is better in getting people to accept the Gospel of Jesus.  I hear and get every perspective:

  • To the fundamentals, I get your desire to hold onto truth and prevent the twisting of scripture in order to make the Gospel more “palatable” to the masses.
  • To the emergents, I get your desire to present the Gospel in a relevant, new and fresh way - to keep up with the times.
But what I don’t get is when “fundies” hold onto traditions while forsaking modern culture.  And what I don’t get is when “emergies” in their pursuit of relevance, question the doctrines of scripture.  It’s OK to question traditions - but don’t question doctrine.
To both camps, I say:  Remember that the truth of the Gospel will always encounter 3 responses:
  1. Disbelief and mockery
  2. Interest and further discussion
  3. Belief and commitment
That’s why I so like the “missional” mindset of Christianity - to present the never changing truths of Scripture in a modern cultural context. Forget about the two extremes of the church - fundamentalism and liberalism - they focus on irrelevant issues.  
Paul presented the Gospel in a cultural context.  At Mars Hill, he didn’t bother getting into historic Judaism as he did elsewhere - he met his listeners where they were at.  But he didn’t shy away from tough topics which made him look like a goofball to some and downright offensive to others.  He stuck to the truth, he experienced the “3 responses” and he moved on.
Some mocked.  Some wanted more.  Some believed.  Paul left Athens.
When the modern Church teaches, it has to understand that the same principles apply:
  1. Teach truth in cultural context.
  2. Don’t shy away from tough topics.  
  3. Experience the 3 responses.
  4. Move on.
I hope I’ve opened that can of worms inside. Please tell.

Nice Christian Media.

Published
by
LayGuy
on April 13, 2008
in Christianity, Church and Internet
. 2 Comments

It’s always a good thing to come across quality Christian media.  The three clips below are an example of some of the work coming out from a fellow Aussie’s imagination and God given talent.

The next clip come with a warning for people with epilepsy - mainly due to the rapid changing of pictures.  So if you suffer epilepsy, just go onto the last one.  If not, I hope you enjoy.

And this last one is my favourite.  It’s always a fascinating experience to see how our God uses the weak in life to accomplish his plans and goals.  I hope you watch it and are blessed and humbled by our position and our potential in Jesus.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I believe we need to present the awesome message of Jesus is a way modern culture can relate to.  These video’s are a great example of such work.

If you come across great work, please let me know as I am planning to build a library of video’s here.

xxxchurch.com | Porn Sucks

Published
by
LayGuy
on April 8, 2008
in Christianity, Church and Digging Deeper
. 9 Comments

xxxchurchEvery now and then I come across a ministry  which I seriously like.  What I don’t like are self inflated “look at me” type ministries or personalities with the sole goal of boosting someone’s ego or profile.  And in the ‘Christian” world, there are heaps of these.

In researching for an upcoming sermon on adultery and pornography, I revisited a site I checked out a couple of months back.  xxxchurch.com is a site/ministry which tackles head on, the issues of porn in our society.

What I love most about this ministry is their approach to getting “out there” to the porn industry and tackling head on the issues it creates in society.  Sometimes they get heavily attacked by more conservative Christian groups because, for example, they attend porn conferences and expo’s.

But like Jesus hanging out with prostitutes and tax collectors, these guys, led by Craig Gross, are making an impact.  Have a look at the following documentary “Missionary Positions” for a fascinating and in-depth account of their ministry.

They have a bunch of video’s available on their website and on their YouTube Channel - so be sure to check it out. But two of their clips which I really appreciate and will use in my sermon are below.  The first is about a guy who was once addicted to porn and the effect this had on his life.

The next clip is a music video called ‘Constance’.  A great song about a devastating reality for so many people.  Next time you are tempted to looking at porn, remember that the girl is somebody’s daughter.

x3watch_logoxxxchurch.com also provide free accountability software to help you deal with  your issue.  A simple program running in the background monitoring your surfing patterns and emailing your accountability partner every two or four weeks of any dodgy sites you visit. Is it fool proof?  No.  But it’s a great tool to use if you want to change you addiction to porn.  Here is the link.

I strongly suggest you check out xxxchurch.com even if you don’t have an issue with porn.  A simple, yet in your face, approach is used for this whole area of sexual addiction.  For example, on the topic of masturbation, they say:

What is XXXchurch’s stand on masturbation?
We have had literally thousands of emails about this particular issue. We have heard all the scenarios. “Well if I think about fruit while I’m masturbating, then that is not a sin.” Well isn’t that clever. Or…”If I’m giving glory to the Lord while I’m doing it, then that can’t be wrong.” Hmmm. Why don’t we just make that part of our Sunday morning services then? We have heard all the Pro-masturbation Christian arguments and we wonder if these people are really dealing in reality. It’s all very intellectual and quite scholarly, but we still don’t get it. Sorry.

Our stance is simply this: you want to live a life that is honoring to God then start pleasing him and stop pleasing yourself. Stop making excuses and get some control over your life. Yes, it is tough. Yes, we know hormones are raging. However, God is calling us to holiness. Live an extraordinary life. Masturbation will leave you hanging every time!

Gotta love their style.

"Modernised Easter Messages"

Published
by
LayGuy
on March 31, 2008
in Christianity, Church, Digging Deeper and Rant
. 0 Comments

With all the debate going on these days about "emerging church" and traditional churches etc, sometimes those outside our circles can be left a little confused with us Christ followers. Well being an Aussie, I’m somewhat taken back by the "official" Easter message focus delivered by some in the so called "organised religious institutions" of my country..

Splattered all over my TV over Easter were news articles on "modern Easter messages" delivered by the "nations religious leaders."  Instead of using the one time most people go to church and nailing (excuse the pun) the message of the cross to a largely unbelieving crowd, these guys completely miss the boat and talked about interest rates, the drought and Aboriginal reconciliation.

To those outside the best nation in the world, our newly elected Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, officially apoligised to the "stolen generations" of aboriginal children taken by force by well meaning white people from pathetic life styles in Aboriginal communities.  But they did this in questionable ways - hence the need for an apology.

We are also experiencing a massive rise of interest rates due to an over heated economy as we pump our commodities into China.  This is putting massive inflationary pressure on our economy and, when combined with increased petrol prices and the effects of the drought, the Reserve Bank needs to increase rates to help stop spending.

Sure these issues are important and people are hurting in our country.  But to focus on these messages instead of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus over the Easter period make Brian Mclaren’s attempt of being relevant to society a piss poor effort.

I don’t for a minute put down the need for our culture to address these issues.  But this is Easter for crying out loud.  Put aside the pagan nature of the way Easter is celebrated, and you have a platform where people would go to church more then any other time.  To waste this opportunity on other issues is disappointing.

Instead of connecting to people in their hurt and presenting the hope of Jesus, these leaders decide to dwell in the hurt and offer no hope. To this lay guy, that’s just dumb.

To take dumbness further, consider the views of The Reverend John Evans, the Uniting Church Minister at the Church of All Nations in my home town of Melbourne.  This guy wants to substitute the Good Friday Holiday with a national "reconciliation" holiday to celebrate our recent advances in reversing our travesty with the Aboriginal people.

"We have done a great thing with the national apology but when you look at our public holidays there are no public holidays that recognise the role and place of Aborigines as the first people of this land."

In the newspaper that this quote was taken from, the following response was left by a reader:

Well John Evans is leading with his big mouth in showing why people are turning away from the church in droves. It is increasingly irrelevant in society at all, and when a cleric can call for one of the most holy days on the Christian calendar to be replaced by something that still divides Australian society today, it simply proves just how out of touch the church has become. Perhaps its time the government took a different view of the workings of our churches, such as removing their tax-free status etc. The church has become a blight on modern day Australia, and we could do much better without them.

Sobering thoughts of what our culture thinks of us when we replace what we are called to do with trying to appease man.

Muhammad - The Pig?

Published
by
LayGuy
on December 5, 2007
in Christianity, Rant and Real Life Stories
. 4 Comments

Bill Keller Before I get any death threats for the above title, I just ask you to not shoot the messenger. This post is about a Christian Evangelist and the toy pig he has called “Muhammed.” (Yeah I know, he even got the spelling wrong)

Bill Keller, host of LivePrayer - a TV, Radio and email Christian Evangelistic venture, has posted a video on YouTube in response to the case of Gillian Gibbons, who was sentenced to 15 days in a Sudan jail after being convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her student to call a teddy bear “Muhammad.”

art.gillian.gibbons

Gibbons had been found guilty of inciting religious hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, her sentence could have been 40 lashes and up to six months of prison.

Now I could rant all day long at how bizarre Gillian’s case is - especially the fact that Muhammad is such a common name in Muslim countries. My TV was saturated with images of fanatical mobs in Sudan brandishing machete’s calling for Gillian to be executed. Just too pathetic to even dwell on.

But then you get a Christian response to the situation. Bill Keller, with an email subscription of 2.4 million people, posts the following video on YouTube:

For a background on Keller, here is the Wikipedia entry on LivePrayer. Based in Florida, LivePrayer receives 40,000 emails EACH DAY for prayer requests. A team of 700 retired pastors pray over and respond to each request.He wont be a victim of the recent Senate inquiry into the finances of Christian big wigs as he is paid a salary of $50,000 and is against those who “build bigger buildings instead of winning the lost for Christ”. So kudo’s to him for that.

He does however have a bit of a checkered past. Becoming a Christian at the age of 12, he started a computer business while in college and was convicted of insider trading - where he spent almost 3 years in prison. While in prison, he recommitted to his faith and launched LivePrayer in 1999. I don’t hold anything against him - we all have our skeletons.

But to post such a video in the current climate is in poor taste. As a Christian, I, by default, find the teachings of Mohammad to be wrong and see a race of people developing into a very angry and violent group of fellow human beings.

But they still are loved by God and Jesus died for every single one of them. And for a Christian Evangelist to post such a video shows nothing of the love that burns in the heart of our Messiah.

Keller might produce this content in the safety of his Florida studio’s - thousands of miles away from Islamic controlled areas. But he has to remember that there are faithful servants of God in these areas risking their lives to bring the Gospel to these people in a way they can relate to.

One viewing of this video and much of their work with the people is snuffed.

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Driscoll & The Wink Club

Published
by
LayGuy
on December 2, 2007
in Christianity, Church, Digging Deeper and Rant
. 9 Comments

Back in September, Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church, shared a message at the Convergent Conference at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In it, he targeted the views of Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt and Rob Bell. While I have very little respect for McLaren and Pagitt, Rob Bell I don’t know too much of and haven’t made up my mind on yet.

But what bugs me most about this Emergent crowd is the constant need to question everything. For example, Rob Bell, in his book “Velvet Elvis: Repainting The Christian Faith,” he writes:

“What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry’s tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra and Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And what if you discover that in the first century being “born of a virgin” also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse?”

This is a disturbing view in my mind and totally contradicts scripture as early as Genesis 3 where God talks about the “seed of the woman” - way before any Mithra’s or Dionysian cults ever existed. Any serious Bible student would know that God is alluding to a mysterious event here as genealogies in Scripture are usually discussed along male lines and not female.

Furthermore, Bell seems to belittle the Isaiah 7 passage regarding the virgin birth in his attempt to address this issue and ultimately pokes a finger in the face of the Gospel account. To me, the pursuit to reach the unchurched is not worth it is you trash scripture. After all, even God exalts His Word - even more then His Name.

But out of the three Driscoll targets, Bell is the least of my concerns. It’s McLaren and Pagitt who concern me in their views and activism within Christianity today. Form your own opinion of what Driscoll says. Here is the iTunes podcast link for the conference and have a listen to what Driscoll has to say.

2 Well it seems as if the Emergent movement has had it’s feathers ruffled as a result of this and a series of bloggers have formed a “wink club.” Fuelled by people like Adam Walker from pomomusings.com, this group of bloggers are posting a series of “wink” posts at Driscoll to show their dissatisfaction at Driscoll for what he shared at the above mentioned conference.

OK, now here’s my rant. This wink club - take it’s collective ability and impact and it doesn’t register a blimp on the radar of influence or impact in changing lives. This group of “bloggers” are emergent friendly and tend to pledge their allegiance to McLaren et al and their rebellious questioning of everything done in the name of Christianity.

Sure, there are heaps of stupid things done in the name of Christianity and the modern church needs to change in order to address this. But to question scripture and to modernise it in a way to embrace all kinds of whacked out ideas makes this group akin to the mindset of the people from the ‘Jesus Seminar” where the Gospel is assessed according to modern ideas as to what Jesus actually said and done based on a humanistic and carnal attitude.

The net effect of this this movement is to assess the life of Christ and to categorise the probability of the events actually happening to red, pink, grey or black “beads” of probability of these events actually happening.

The result of this is that the vast majority of the life and teachings of Christ are ultimately questioned instead of believed. Bell’s quote above is an example of the same attitude within the emergent movement.

Driscoll on the other hand has distanced himself from this movement. Initially a part of the movement, he tore away from it alarmed at where this group was heading. He now pastors a 6000 plus church and is among the fastest growing and most influential churches in the USA.

Among the reasons for this is that Driscoll holds Scripture in high regard. He often gets slammed for his stance of “God says it, we need to obey.” Apparently, those in the emergent movement forget the words uttered by Paul:

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” 2 Cor 10:5

So to the winkers I say;

I know much of what WE as the church represent is questionable to an unbelieving world and I know that we have been a bad example.

But in our attempt to converse with them, we need not attack those who hold on to scripture in high regard for even our God places His Word higher then even His Name.

For example, Adam at pomomusings lists a bunch of “ridiculous” snippets from Driscoll’s message and one of them is:

“If Rabbis don’t love Jesus, they have a bad hermeneutic.”

Well Adam, you are a student of scripture and you should take note of the following passage where Jesus says:

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40

So if a Rabbi does not love Jesus, he indeed does have a bad hermeneutic. You bring that up with Jesus if you have a problem with that - not Driscoll.

You winkers amount to pretty much nothing in the grand scheme of things and have very little impact on spreading the Gospel. Driscoll does. So get over it.

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