Orthodoxy…does it matter anymore?

Romans 14:1
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

Alternate translation of this verse: “Welcome the man who is weak in the faith, but do not introduce him straight away to the discussion of questions which can only raise doubts.” —some are so strong-no debate will shake them—however, there are others.

Our culture is one that is fond of discussion for discussion’s sake.
Christianity is not a series of questions simply for debate, as some would have us believe.
G.K. Chesterton, “We have found all the questions that can be found. It is time we stopped looking for questions and started looking for answers.”
Goethe, “Tell me of your certainties I have doubts enough of my own..”
Questions are not wrong-however, we must conclude with affirmation.
–Dr. Barclay-Romans 14.

I recently taught this chapter on our Wednesday night Bible study at our church. There is this whole group of young leaders who tend to question and deconstruct all things church and church tradition. Incorporating deeply challenging questions to core tennets of the faith as a means of discipleship. Claiming these questions and this exposure is actually strengthening their faith. I whole-heartily agree that shepherds/pastors should be thoroughly versed in these issues, however, I’ve been thinking about the role of the shepherd.

Leadership, within the church, is to provide nurture, protection and guidance. (Yeah, of course, the occasional rebuke etc) Recently I have heard criticism aimed at leaders that are bringing to light heretical teachings of others. These leaders aren’t dealing simply with “disputable matters”, they are dealing with issues of orthodoxy. The Emerging Church is at the forefront of this discussion. These emerging leaders are incredible communicators and wonderfully persuasive. They speak about the Word of God as so complicated and mysterious that no one can understand it. They lean on a progressive reasoning and human logic to lead to conclusions about hell, eternity, judgment and other key issues that the Scriptures do not provide. Conclusions that are truly against Scripture.
Evangelicals that bring to light issues of orthodox theology should not be painted as mean-spirited or judgmental. Pastors and leaders have a biblical mandate to speak the truth in love. The Apostle Paul addressed the heresy of the Judizers. The Apostle John debunked the Gnostics, Jude, Peter etc. These men took drastic measures to protect the sheep.

It definitely looks as if social action (gospel) is the new theological gateway drug to universalism. By the way, universalism is more damning than legalism (Apostle Paul) and as damning as Gnosticism (Apostle John). It is up to us to not allow this.

Well, all for now. I hate reading long blogs, so…. (FYI–didn’t proof this)

 

Requirements for Righteousness: Grace and Faith-both Gifts from God

The Jews were still asking, “How can a man enter into the right relationship with God so that he too may inherit this great promise?” Their answer was, “He must do so by acquiring merit in the sight of God through doing works which the law prescribes.” That is to say, he must do it by his own efforts. Paul saw with absolute clearness that this Jewish attitude had completely destroyed the promise. It had done so for this reason—no man can fully keep the law; therefore, if the promise depends on keeping the law, it can never be fulfilled.
Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at His Word.
On each side there were three things:
1. On the one side there is God’s promise. There are two Greek words which mean promise. Huposchesis means a promise which is entered into upon conditions. “I promise to do this if you promise to do that.” Epaggelia means a promise made out of the goodness of someone’s heart quite unconditionally. It is epaggelia tha Paul uses of the promise of God. It is as if he is saying, “god is like a human father; He promises to love his children no matter what they do.” True, He will love some of us with a love that makes Him glad, and He will love some of us with a love that makes Him sad; but in either case it is a love which will never let us go. It is dependent not on our merit but only on God’s own generous heart.
2. There is faith. Faith is the certainty that God is indeed like that. It is staking everything on His love.
3. There is grace. A gift of grace is always something which is unearned and undeserved. The truth is that man can never earn the love of God. He must always find his glory, not in what he can do for God, but in what God has done for him.
On the other side there is
1. Law. The trouble about law has always been that it can diagnose the malady but cannot effect a cure. Law shows a man where he goes wrong, but does help him to avoid going wrong. There is in fact, as Paul will later stress, a kind of terrible paradox in law. It is human nature that when a thing is forbidden it has a tendency to become desirable. “Stolen fruits are sweetest.” Law, therefore, can actually move a man to desire they very thing which it forbids. The essential complement of law is judgment, and, so long as a man lives in a religion whose dominant thought is law, he cannot see himself as anything other than a condemned criminal at the bar of God’s justice.
2. There is transgression. Whenever law is introduced, transgression follows. No one can break a law which does not exist; and no one can be condemned for breaking a law of whose existence he was ignorant. If we introduce law and stop there, if we make religion solely a matter of obeying law, life consists of one long series of transgressions waiting to be punished.
3. There is wrath. Think of law, think of transgression, and inevitably the next thought is wrath. Think of God in terms of law and you cannot do other than think of Him in terms of outraged justice. Think of man in terms of law and you cannot do other than think of him as destined for the condemnation of God.

So Paul sets before the Romans two ways. The one is a way in which a man seeks a right relationship with God through his own efforts. It is doomed to failure. The other is a way in which a man enters by faith into a relationship with God, which by God’s grace for him to come into trust. (Barclay, The Letter to the Romans. 68-69)

 

Further Thoughts on Redemption…

We are certainly not as familiar with the original usage of redemption as we would like to think. (Pop culture loves to over use this term; leaning toward payback or comeback). Redemption refers to the practice of buying back prisoners of war out of their captivity. A stronger, larger enemy had them in a foreign land under their power. Their rightful place was in their homeland. They could be restored to freedom through the ‘ransom’. Another use, maybe a little more familiar to us; in reference to the release of a slave by the payment of a particular price.

Doulos of sin. Slave of sin. Paul saw us as slaves. Galatians 5:1, Rom. 6:23, I Cor. 6:20; 7:23.

Redemption: Christ, through the Cross bought us out of slavery and took away ALL our sin and gave unto us His infinite righteousness. That’s redemption……I once was lost but now I am found; blind but now I see…

 

Take What the Defense is giving….

Leadership…
Sometimes you have to let the game come to you. Take what the defense is giving.
I’m not talking about battling the enemy. When facing Satan we are be aggressive and decisive.

I’m speaking primarily about leading those God has entrusted to our care. As leaders we often have bold and daring visions of what the future must look like. However our people are often happy and content where we are now. They rarely see or feel a pressing need for change.
Casting vision, whether for more compelling and passionate worship or for more doing than hearing only, we as leaders, often must take what our defending congregations will give us. Incremental change is often the greatest path toward the radical future God has graciously impregnated within the leaders soul.
We must trust Gods sweet Holy Spirit to be the agent of change. Forced change, begged change is not true transformational change/lasting change. Only through the revelatory power of the Holy Spirit will true and lasting change transpire.

Leader; see the future, yes. But navigate the present.
Prayer, discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding from time I’m His Word and Presence are prerequisites for the journey.

Another thought (not really related but doesn’t have the merit to stand alone as a separate post)…

I have heard a lot about redemption and athletes that have blown it. (Vick and others) I love seeing people get a second chance. I love seeing people making well on these chances. However, I’m not too impressed with Christian leaders using redemption so easily. There is no true redemption without the Cross. I am unaware of these athletes spiritual journey. But, again, redemption cannot transpire without godly sorrow, repentance and the reception of pure abounding grace and the gift of His righteousness. I know, I know, I’m over spiritualizing the use of redemption…but someone needs to. Christian leaders and athletes alike cannot have true redemption/reconciliation without repentance and the Cross. There, I said it… thank you for indulging.

 

Thinking about healing…2

Historically, Pentecostals have understood the gifts (charisms) as some being primarily personally edifying, or serving of others, and eschatological (end times evangelism). However, all gifts are for the building up of the community (koinonia).

What category would you place gifts of healings in? Why?

 

Thinking about healing

Sometimes I feel as if the local church needs a healthy theology of healing. I’m not speaking of my local church or any church in particular. I just wonder….

What is the responsibility of the local church toward suffering, sickness?

What role/function does the Bible demand of the local church?

Often the individual enduring the crisis is expected to muster the faith or bare the burden.

Does the local church need a more faithful theology of healing? A deeper exploration of Scripture and a pastoral paradigm of healing within the local church?

I’m close to really researching and writing about this..your thoughts

 

Patience….quotes from J. Oswald Sanders

I cannot believe that I have went through so many courses, conferences, ordinations and never read Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders! It should be mandatory reading for every Christian leader!

I want to share, over the next few days, some quotes and thoughts from this masterpiece. Today I will share from a middle section of his book. He writes about essential qualities of leadership. He lists 8 qualities, I will share two or three quotes from his section on patience.

Patience:
A leader shows patience by not running too far ahead of his followers and thus discouraging them. While keeping ahead, he stays near enough for them to keep him in sight and hear his call forward.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. Romans 15:1

The evidence of our strength lies not in the distance that separates us from other runners but in our closure with them, our slower pace for their sakes, our helping them pick up and cross the line.

2 Peter 1:5-6 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control patience (perseverance), to patience godliness…
The word never means the spirit which sits with folded hands and simply bears things. It is victorious endurance…Christian steadfastness, the brave and courageous acceptance of everything life can do to us, and the transmuting of even the worst into another step on the upward way. It is the courageous and triumphant ability to bear things, which enables a man to pass breaking point and not to break, and always to greet the unseen with cheer. (Barclay)

Just a few thoughts from this chapter…stay tuned

 

A Leader’s Prayer…..

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Doesn’t true leadership begin with understanding? Understanding Who (and where) He is? Understanding how finite our perspective really is in comparison? Wisdom drips from this prayer. Most leadership styles prominent today are motivational in their theoretical foundations. Leaders motivate followers toward share aspirations. Nothing wrong with that. However, where is there room for us to come together and discern His will, His kingdom? Space for yielding to His vision? Corporate dying to our plan?
Spiritual leadership is more than merely forming clever words around motivating scriptures. True spiritual leadership is more concerned about hearing God and doing what He says.

Obviously, personal preferences, passions, desires and even agendas creep into play. After all, He did hardwire us, call us and equip us.

But it seems to me that there needs to be more room in our current leadership paradigms for His will, His kingdom and not simply our own ways. I know my prayers have often been, “Lord, bless my plan, incorporate my vision into Your will, Amen.” I just wonder if one of Christ’s other recorded prayers ever drips from our lips?…”Not My will, but Your will be done…” I shrink back from it too. But doesn’t He REALLY know best? Doesn’t He hold my future and the future of those I am serving/leading? (Well, servant leadership, humility, forgiveness, etc are all topics for another post—:)

Your thoughts….

 

Stats and churches….

Sports have statistics, businesses use performance reviews; what measurements, if any, should churches use to measure ‘success’? How should churches hold staff, lay leaders and members accountable? Accountable to what? I know many churches count attendance, baptism, membership (and of course the offering) but in what other ways should we measure ourselves?

Just a thought…..share your thoughts…

 

Praying about more school…..I know, I’m insane:)

I’ve often counseled people to strive to be life-long learners. I really believe that we all should continue to learn, grow and stretch ourselves in our particular field and especially in His Word. Well, after completing my doctorate a few years ago I’ve really stunk it up on the continual learner thing. Yeah, I’ve been to conferences, read a book or two and maybe perused a journal or two. But, I’ve not really continued to better myself in leadership, educating others (discipleship).

I few weeks ago my dad mentioned doing a PhD online in leadership. It truly got my juices flowing again. I’ve been reading EVERY school’s academic pages online. Then, the other day, a close friend and colleague mentioned pursuing a PhD in education. You guessed it…I’ve now been investigating Christian education schools and degrees.

Herein lies the problem, I KNOW that both journeys will be of great benefit in my life and the life of our congregation. (I say journey because I am by no means in need of the degree-it’s the knowledge, experience and expertise I need and desire).

Leadership: Well, do I really need to layout the benefits and facts. I will only say, leading change, cultural shift, organizational development, systems, organizational diagnosis and implementation are paramount needs and issues facing most congregations. If our congregation ever sees a leadership transition, this journey would be beneficial. Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Education: Training, teaching, preaching and equipping the Body to do the work of ministry is what being a pastor is all about. Studies show our congregations feel a lack of challenge in their spiritual development. Biblical and spiritual illiteracy are rampid within the church at large. Some of the most drastic shifts and challenges of leading congregational/cultural change lay within shifting models and methods of discipleship and learning.

There you have it. Insight into my current prayers. Your thoughts…I’m I crazy? Which one do you see as the greatest need/benefit? I do have doctorate in leadership, but it’s focus is not leading cultural change. I am totally split down the middle. Jump in!!