The Ministry of Reconciliation – We Can Do Better

Posted on September 6, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17–18 NASB)

Having grown up in the church, I do not have the personal perspective of one who was outside and is now inside the circle of fellowship. I can, however, read articles and editorial comments as to how many perceive the church.

Many perceive the church as a gathering of folks who think themselves better than others because of their good behavior. Even people who might want to check out church are put off by the fact that their current lifestyle may not be acceptable and that they would have to clean up their act before coming to a worship service.

Contrast this with what we see in the Gospels. Jesus had sinners all around him. They seemed to enjoy his presence and did not feel condemned. In fact, to the woman caught in adultery Jesus explicitly told her that he did not condemn her (John 8:11).

Why then do “sinners” feel put off by the church, the gathering of people who are seeking to imitate the Jesus that sinners loved?

I’m under no delusions that if the church was perfect, that everyone would hold her in high opinion. Many willfully misrepresented or misunderstood what Jesus said when he was walking this planet; this same willfulness is in operation today.

The fact that some will not listen, does not relieve us of the duty of fulfilling our mission. Paul tells us in the verses quoted above that because we, as believers, have been reconciled to God, we have the ministry of reconciliation. God chooses to allow us to participate in the reconciliation of others to himself.

When visitors come to your church do they immediately apprehend that you are a group of the reconciled, looking to bring others into that same reconciliation that you’ve experienced? Do they feel loved and accepted? Do they perceive that reconciliation offers a way out of the struggles that they are currently experiencing?

Or, do they feel unworthy, unclean and irreconcilable when they visit? Do they feel that because of their clothing or piercings or tattoos or substance abuse or . . . that they are never to be included in the fellowship?

I’m not writing this as one who has this all straight. I can be just as comfortable doing church as the next person. I can settle into a routine and be cranky about somebody messing it up. Yet, I am convicted that there is a large chunk of our society that has no knowledge of Jesus and unless I am willing to get uncomfortable, they will remain ignorant.

I sometimes wonder if we, as the church, took our mission of reconciliation seriously if our society would not be a lot different than it is. Before we place blame for the condition of our social and political systems, we need to take a hard look in the mirror of Scripture and confess the areas where we fall short.

It is time for the church to be a fellowship of the reconciled, bringing others into the same reconciliation. We and our world will be different as a result.

Balancing Bible Study and Prayer: An Illustration from Star Trek

Posted on September 4, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

I am convinced that for a Christian to be spiritually healthy and effective, there must be a balance between prayer and Bible reading. If one or the other is over emphasized, or if one or the other is neglected, that person or church group will stray from the mission that God has given the church.

A group which emphasizes prayer at the expense of Bible reading will be lively but can get into error such as the so-called “Toronto Blessing” movement. A group which emphasizes Bible study at the expense of prayer will have a cold, dead orthodoxy which does a better job of keeping people away than attracting them.

To illustrate the extremes, I will borrow from the original Star Trek television series.

Spock Christianity – Bible Study without Prayer

The overemphasis of Bible reading, or the neglect of prayer, I label “Spock Christianity.” Spock was the character that was from the planet Vulcan where there were no emotions. Emotion was considered irrational and life was to be guided by logic alone.

Spock Christians seek to be guided by Scripture. They know their Bibles and have good understanding of Biblical precepts and how the Bible should impact the world around them. This is all praiseworthy.

The problem with Spock Christianity is that it morphs the group or individual into a strong believer that tends to be cold and unloving. It is through prayer that we become honest before God about our own shortcomings. Without prayer it is easy to fall into the trap of doctrinal litmus tests to see who is in and who is not.

Bones Christianity – Prayer without Bible Study

Bones was the doctor on the Enterprise. He had a tendency to react emotionally, having frequent outbursts which annoyed Spock, the logician.

Bones Christians are very tuned into prayer and supernatural manifestations. They are looking for the Spirit’s leading and want very much to follow that leading.

The problem with Bones Christians is that neglect of Bible reading and study allows them to be lead astray by ascribing to the Holy Spirit things that are clearly not Biblical. The Apostle Paul directly addressed Bones Christians in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14. Bones Christians can be loving and inclusive but the danger is that what is included may not be Biblical.

Toward a Balance – Paul Christianity

In Philippians 4:9, the Apostle Paul tells his readers, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do.” Paul was confident that his example is one that is safe to follow.

The Apostle makes frequent references to his prayers on behalf of believers. Paul writes to the Corinthians that he prayed in tongues “more than you all” (1 Corinthians 14:18). Paul was an intimate of Jesus Christ th.rough prayer. Paul was of the opinion that prayer is an important part of the Christian experience

Yet, the Apostle knew when and how to call out those who were entertaining doctrinal error. Paul confronted those whose teaching strayed from Scripture. Paul also praised those who were diligent in comparing his teaching to Scripture. Paul also presented Scripture as the guide for belief and practice.

Without Bible study there is no basis for confrontation of error. Without prayer, the confrontation will be cold and unloving. For the church (which is made up of individual believers) to be effective in her mission, there must be a balance like we see in the Apostle Paul.

It is possible to be emotionally engaged and right.

The Storm Before The Calm: Why Utopias Fail

Posted on August 27, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

I am not an expert on Biblical prophecy. I read prophetic passages and have interest in them, but it is not my calling to find correlation between current events and Scriptural predictions. I think that this type of study is useful, and I’m glad someone does it, but it is not my primary interest.

That being said, I see indication in Scripture that things will get worse before they get better. Scripture indicates that the world will move into a storm before it will experience the calm that follows the culmination of history.

Contrast this with utopian predictions by people such as Ray Kurzweil who see technology solving all of man’s problems. In this writings, Kurzweil does a good job of demonstrating that the pace of technological advancement is accelerating. We can be grateful for much of this advancement. I am writing this blog post on a personal computer which has speed and computational power that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. I am also grateful for the advances in medicine and technologies that provide for better living conditions. Technology has proved effective in correcting what is wrong with the physical aspects of life.

Those who believe that man can solve all his problems through technological innovation ignore one basic fact. Man is inherently flawed in a way that no technology can fix. Technology cannot address or correct man’s moral problem. Utopian schemes fail because they refuse to acknowledge the moral problem with all men. Every elitist scheme fails because the elite are as morally flawed as those to whom the elite feel superior.

Every advancement in technology can be used for good or for evil. We live this out every day. I have virus protection software because some very smart people are intent on destroying what I create on this computer. Criminals use computers and other technology to commit crime. Dictators use technology to force their will on their people. Advances in weaponry increase the ability of would-be conquerors to kill and subjugate.

I am grateful for technology, with it we can do much good. Therefore I am not against technology. I do see, and Scripture predicts, that the advances in technology will be used for evil purposes and that it will not go well for humanity until Jesus returns.

I began writing this post before I knew that Hurricane Irene was bearing down on the east coast of the United States. I am reminded that this physical storm and the havoc it can bring, is a picture of the moral and political storm that is brewing. The moral and political storm will be more destructive and ruin more lives than the physical one.

Yet, I am comforted that the one who calmed the storm when he walked the Earth, is still living and active. For those who embrace him he offers salvation out of the storm until that day when he will cause all storms to cease.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10 that eventually every knee will bow to the name of Jesus. It is then that all will experience calm.

You shall know them by their . . . excess?

Posted on August 24, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

I am reminded of something I read about John Stott a while ago. He said that he wanted to live a lifestyle that would not cause the richest person in his congregation to feel sorry for him. Nor did he want the poorest person in his congregation to be put off by ostentation. He wanted to have a home where everyone would feel welcomed and comfortable. He wanted his home and lifestyle to be a platform for ministry.

The Apostle Paul was a good example to us in living in such a way as to make clear that his reason for ministry was only to bring the Gospel to those who desperately needed it. In 1 Corinthians 9:12, Paul tells his readers that while he had the right to expect the Corinthians to support him in his ministry, he worked to support himself lest his motive for ministry be questioned.

I have no idea what motivates the church leaders mentioned in the article. That is the problem, we don’t know. Their life style gives reason for some to question their motives, or assume that they are in ministry only for the money.

Of course, the church leaders who get it right and who work outside the church or who make do on small salaries for the privilege of sharing the Gospel do not make splashy headlines. For every church leader who participates in the abuse mentioned in the article, there are thousands or perhaps millions of men and women who serve their Lord in the church with no expectation of financial reward.

So, if you are one who is outside the church, I ask forgiveness for these abuses. I also ask you to look beyond what a few knuckleheads have done and judge the Church by her body of work through the ages. The abuse of a few does not nullify the fruitful sacrifice of the many.

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