Archives for 2012

Giving them reason to blaspheme

Posted on November 28, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 7 Comments

In Romans 2:24, Paul declares that the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the behavior of the Jews. I think that the church in America needs to confess that we have done little better. We need to identify and address the reasons we have given for non-believers to blaspheme the name of God.

The problem

How have we caused non-believers to blaspheme? I believe it is because we seem to gravitate to one of three extremes:

The first, and perhaps most damaging, is what I would call the “frozen chosen.” The good news is that these are people who expend great efforts in studying Scripture and understanding it. However, they go wrong when they then become smug in their doctrine and draw a hard boundary around what they consider right belief. Whether it is intentional or not, these folks pronounce judgment against all those who do not agree with their doctrinal stands. As a result, they stand in condemnation of the surrounding culture. Because of their condemnation, the right answers that they may have from Scripture go unheard by those who desperately need to hear them.
The second group is the hyper Pentecostals or others who take an anti-intellectual stand with regard to belief and practice. These are the ones who would claim, “I don’t have to understand it, I just believe it.” Their faith is real but lacks understanding. As a result, they become out of touch with the surrounding culture and are of limited help when the hard questions get asked. Their anti-intellectual stance reinforces the impression of outsiders that faith is a belief in something despite evidence to the contrary.
The third group includes those who have sought to bring more people into the church by blurring the lines of distinction between the church and surrounding culture. These see the message and mission of the church to be fluid and changeable. For these, the Bible becomes a guideline rather than a standard. They succumb to the ethos of the day and seek to reconcile the Bible with that ethos. These are of little help to the surrounding culture because they are part of it. A drowning man needs a lifeguard and will find little comfort in having someone drown along with him.

The solution

For the church to be what she is called to be, each of these groups needs to repent and return to the words and methodology of Jesus.

The frozen chosen need to return to the Gospel and focus upon it. They need to allow freedom of interpretation in areas where the Bible is not clear. For example, eschatology (the study of last things or prophecy) should not be a distinctive over which Christians should divide. It would be much more productive to focus on the things in which we agree. These need to imitate their Lord in his empathy for the hurting and lost. These need to repent of their pride in superior understanding.
The hyper Pentecostals need to move beyond an emotional response and deepen their understanding of how Jesus Christ answers the questions that the world is asking. These will have to repent of their pride in their exercise of “supernatural” gifts and exuberant worship.
The cultural relativists need to repent of their ignorance of Scripture and the pride in refusing to submit to it.

Before we complain about the culture around us, Peter reminds us that “it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” (1 Peter 4:17) We need to get our own house in order so that we can be used by God to impact our culture.

Whose church is it anyway?

Posted on November 26, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 3 Comments

In Matthew 16:18, after Peter makes his inspired confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus claims ownership of the church when he says, “upon this rock, I will build my church.”

In Greek, the order of the words can allow for emphasis to be put on one of the words. In this phrase, the emphasis is on the word my. It is Jesus’ church. It is not Peter’s church, nor Paul’s church, nor does it belong to any mega-church pastor or denomination. The church belongs to Jesus. Jesus began the church and he maintains the responsibility for its growth and health.

Below are five implications that can be drawn from Jesus’ ownership of the church.

It is Jesus’ responsibility to build the Church. Yes, good preaching plays a role. A vital youth group can play a role. Exhilarating worship may also play a role, but the ultimate responsibility is on Jesus. It is Jesus that brings people into relationship with himself. We can only make the introduction.
All of the “church building” methodologies should be reexamined for their faithfulness to what Jesus taught us either directly or through the Biblical authors. We should not confuse building attendance with building the church. Gimmicks such as the “Toronto Blessing,” motivational talks in lieu of sermons and trendy worship music may build attendance, but do they build the church? Do they bring people into solid relationship with Jesus Christ?
We need to guard against a cult of personality built around a gifted preacher or teacher. When I lived in Southern California, we attended a congregation pastored by a well known radio preacher. On the Sundays when the preacher was out of town there would be a significant drop in attendance. Is this a healthy church or is it a gathering of consumers who want to get their weekly fix of “spiritual” entertainment?
Pastors need to be careful about assuming too much responsibility for the growth of the flock they lead. As under-shepherds, they rightly feel responsibility to minister to those God brings into their care, but that responsibility should not be an excuse for attempting to control all that goes on in the local congregation. I attended one church where the pastor made all the decisions and gave little freedom for others in the body to be led by God in their ministries. His strangle hold actually inhibited growth by driving away people who understood their own gifting. They moved on to another congregation that valued their gift.
The leaders need to be sensitive to where God is leading the congregation. True Biblical leadership allows for God to orchestrate how the various gifts and talents work together for the building of his church. Even a casual reading of 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12 shows that God is the one in control of bringing together the various gifts that are necessary for the health of the local body of Christ.

The church is initiated and maintained by Jesus. Jesus commissions elders and deacons to maintain order and oversee the care of the congregation but they are to do so in a way that is consistent with Jesus’ direction. Jesus is to remain in control.

When that control is wrested from the hands of Jesus, the local congregation becomes less than what it should be. It then becomes a social organization at best and a cult at worst.

Entitlement and Thanksgiving

Posted on November 21, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

If I feel entitled, I complain about my job.
If I am thankful, I am grateful to have a job.

If feel entitled, I complain about the meal I’m eating.
If I am thankful, I am grateful to have food on the table.

If I feel entitled, I complain that the government does not do enough for me.
If I am thankful, I ask what I can first do for others.

If I feel entitled, I complain about my spouse.
If am thankful, I express gratitude that someone has put up with me all these years.

Read the full post at Entitlement and Thanksgiving – ThomRainer.com.

Context, back-story and knowing God

Posted on November 19, 2012 Written by Mitchell Hailstone Leave a Comment

This is a guest post by Mitchell Hailstone, a student at King’s College in New York City:

“I heard once that they’d rather hear about memories than enemies. Rather hear about what was or what will be, rather than what is. Rather hear how you got it or how much it cost you. Rather hear about finding yourself or how you lost you. Rather make this an open letter about family and struggle and it taking forever, about hearts that you’ve broken and ties that you’ve severed. No doubt in my mind, that’ll make them feel better.”

This is a quote from Aubrey Graham, a popular rap artist who goes by the acronym Drake (Do Right and Kill Everything). His poetry might be an odd way to start a piece about taking on God’s perspective, but it might also be perfect. In this monologue located at the end of his popular track “Headlines” from the album Take Care, Drake reveals his strategy when writing compelling pieces: give listeners the whole perspective. You don’t merely tell someone what you’re feeling; you also tell them why you’re feeling it and the back-story leading you to your present situation.

His technique is a fundamental aspect of effective storytelling. In order to understand the present situation, a backdrop of narrative needs to be given. Only then will the listener fully appreciate and revel in the current circumstance with Drake. Why does Drake do this? He’s allowing his audience to get to know him. He’s opening up. He’s sharing his story, his emotions, his thoughts, his struggles with his listeners. He’s building a relationship with his fans. Of course, Drake isn’t breaking a lot of ground here, but he goes further than most in terms of the amount of reality he conveys in his songs. His songs are gritty, honest, dramatic, brooding, haughty, depressing, uplifting, and emotional. The bluntness and depth of his songs penetrates the listeners’ imagination. They gain a desire to know Drake more, and be a part of the narrative that he lays out.

In some sense, we use the same technique when we build friendships. This is what people do with their spouses, family, coworkers, and roommates. We get to know the other person’s narrative. We piece together the story of their life so that we can better understand the deeper meaning of their present circumstance. Your friend’s background and your friend’s future dreams inform your view of his/her present life. When your friend finally gets that job in NASA that you’ve watched him toil over, you rejoice more. You saw and felt his struggle, so you almost feel the same excitement he does in his success. Knowing his full narrative, the past and the desire for the future, allowed you to understand the meaning of the present.

Just like it is impossible to appropriately understand your friend’s current circumstance without context, it is also impossible to look at your own life without the appropriate context. Christians have anxiety and worry about their current circumstance. They look at the scope of their life and become confused. This anxiety could be found in something as little as your reaction to someone treating you poorly, or something as large as a job not working out. It could be a severed relationship, or a bad grade. In Psalm 37, God reveals that “the steps of a man are established by the Lord.” For God knows and understands the full context of each man’s scenarios. He says to Job in chapter 37: “Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?” (explain what God is doing by asking this question) We know that God is outside of time and has all the hairs of your head numbered (Matthew 10:30). After all, the sovereign Creator must know his creation. He’s existed before the world began and thus knows our context more than any friend.

But, life with God doesn’t end with Him knowing us. God wants us to know Him as well. We are to take on the perspective of the Lord. God tells us in Ezekiel 36 that he gives us a new heart and a new spirit. These allow us, with the Word as a guide, to take on that all-knowing perspective of God. In this way, believers and those who put their trust in God are equipped to understand their life circumstance and the current situations around them in the proper perspective. This is what we call wisdom – knowing and acting according the big picture or the proper perspective. This is fundamental and imperative to the Christian life because it functions as liberation from the entrapments of the world’s ways. His rules and teachings are the proper way of living, and thus give the most life, joy, and freedom. Present circumstance suddenly loses its prominence. We know that each of us sins and destroys God’s plan. We know that throughout history, man has rebelled against God’s ways and created destruction. At the same time, God is active in redeeming the consequences of our sin. He also promises and gives us a dream of a future day in which we will be restored to our initial glory. Therefore, we are not presently surprised by others sin or our own. We know that despite the bad things happening to us, God invites us to a perfect future with him after this life. We will know that his promises are good and always fulfilled!

Imagine what would happen if everyone lived with God’s perspective as the informer of their present. Each person would be loved and taken care of. Love and acceptance would prevail over hate and fear. Anxiety would not exist, for we would take to heart God’s promises. Churches wouldn’t fall to pride and faction. Politicians would perform their duties for the benefit of society and not themselves. Businesses would be run honestly and efficiently. There are countless possibilities for restoration.. Alas, it is not possible as long as our rebellion lasts.

Like Drake, knowing the context and background of God’s character and relationships with the world is a pretty potent and engaging story. It is filled with honesty, grittiness, drama, haughtiness, conflict, and resolution. But unlike Drake, this is the God of the universe. His story and perspective will unlock truth, and has the possibility of changing the world. Tell the story, and surely people will listen.

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