12/30/14

From Jim McGuiggan... THE CHURCH AND THE "OUTER FRINGE"


THE CHURCH AND THE "OUTER FRINGE"

A reader asked about outreach and how it can be worked at with homosexual people. This is practical and pastoral theology and we need to work out responses to the issues that arise if we are going to take the "go" commission seriously. As long as we reject and conscientiously isolate a segment of society we'll never have to work up a plan of action on how to work with them. And as long as we despise and isolate a segment of society it won’t make any difference what it is we "go" with—it isn’t the gospel of God in Jesus Christ. We can waltz all we want around those funny texts in the gospel but Christ got into trouble with the righteous people because he kept hanging around the notably sinful [Luke 15:1-2].

I think many of us conservative Evangelicals have been wrong in our approach to noted sinners (that is people engaging in notable sins). We've tried to keep them out of jobs and in 'leper' colonies where they won't get among us and contaminate our children or us. We go for isolation rather than insulation. In isolating them we certainly won't get contaminated by them but they certainly won't get saved and transformed by us. It's difficult for these people to believe us when we say "Jesus loves you and so do we" when we treat them as unfit for our social world as a dentist, school-teacher or anything else for that matter. The only dialogue we have with them is via the ballot-box when we work like maniacs to defeat their advocate and his/her policies. At most, we talk to them as political opponents. We certainly don't talk with them about anything else on any other occasion.

Finally they get voting power and we think of preaching to them (but do we?). We reach out as a kind of damage control. If we make Christians out of them they'll be no threat to our families and way of life. "Did you know about Jesus loving me when you exercised your political clout to keep me out of a job or deprive me of some civil rights? I never heard you before I got some of that and now you come bringing Jesus. Is this because you want to save me or is it to keep me from becoming too powerful and threatening your comfortable little world? You worried that I might get too strong and begin to infect your kids?" We do the same with those movie houses that show hard porn. We (if we do anything) sometimes parade with placards STOP THIS JUNK. We never go to see the owners. If we went and they said their livelihood depended on it we'd tell them they shouldn't make a living polluting society. Suppose they ask us, "If I show only PG or family movies will you work to promote my business, will you come and bring all your friends?" What then? [And what of masses of believers who have a million junk TV channels? Those that watch porn in their homes? D’you think the kids don’t know that?]

If by now my children don't understand that I think all forms of sexual immorality are displeasing to God and ruinous to humanity I need to get to work with my children. It mustn't be done in a fever nor should we speak of such things only in the negative. It's not just what we're running from but what we're running to. It isn't only that we strive to avoid sexual and other infidelity it's that we pursue to embrace holiness. And it isn't just that we embrace a high moral standard, we image Christ and that is more than simple adherence to moral standards—it’s "gospeling". I don't say that we should make our homes a meeting place for all those who are deviant or rebellious. It isn't required for us to go looking for the philanderers and homosexual people and invite them home for tea. The deeper issue, so it seems to me, is not what it would "look like" if we did such things. We all know organizations that specialize in caring for the outer fringe and we know exactly what they mean to accomplish. We all know that the Salvation Army is up to its neck with the drug addicts and so forth and it doesn't "look bad" to us—fact is, we admire them. If we establish ourselves as Christ imaging only those who choose to be our enemies or those who are scruple-bound will find it offensive. Christ knew how bad it "looked" to the righteous when he consorted with notable sinners but he still went on with it. The sinners never thought their sin was being condoned—it was only some of the righteous that thought so. In reaching out for the lost Christ was obviously willing to take the flack and was also willing to live without the fellowship of the righteous if he had to. I don't think we should thoughtlessly put our children in jeopardy. They are not to be made cannon fodder in a war we take on and conduct in lunacy. However we wage the war against the Enemy we should be wise. It’s better than fine for us to risk ourselves to redeem people but it might not be wise to risk our children, though tens of thousands down the years risked their children in mission work. Most didn’t do it without thought or in a cavalier manner. They were prayerful, thoughtful and as husbands and wives they were risk-takers for Christ. I would fully expect that a lot of teaching and prayer and strengthening would need to occur before we put our vulnerable children on the firing line. However we do it we need to prepare them (as well as ourselves) for a particular kind of warfare. There’s nothing wise or loving or brave in throwing our defenseless children into profound moral and spiritual danger; it’s wrong to callously offer our children on the altar of a shoddy and ill-conceived program we generated in a fit of righteous passion.

It makes no sense to me to go cruising the gay bars or the topless dancing joints to invite them home just to ease our outreach conscience or make up for past gospel-hoarding. Let’s have a gay roundup or a "gay outreach week" or a special service for gay visitors at an off-peak hour at the building. Programs can be stupid at worst or too contrived at best. They look fake and would probably, on consideration, feel fake. But I don't suppose we'll be in much danger of doing foolish things like that because we’re not even inclined to invite people home that we "don't like" even if they're as straight as an arrow and upright as a flagpole.

I'm not proposing some approach. I don’t know that I know "a good approach". I think approaches will be worked out in individual lives and churches because they know themselves and their families and their congregations and the interrelations between them all. That being the case, they will know best what will or will not be wise and loving. But I am of the opinion that our holiness has so much of the Pharisee in it. If we were all as strong as Christ there's nowhere we'd be afraid to go. Since that won't happen we shouldn't worry about becoming as strong or as wise or as selfless as he is/was. But it’s of vital importance that we see him as he is, admire him as he is, declare him as he is and follow him as well as God's grace enables us. It’s of critical importance for Christians to "gospel" rather than bludgeon with a political club. It’s perfectly legitimate to vote for someone we think is best for society as a whole but it’s infinitely better that our speech be gospel! To triumph over a bitter heart at the poll booth is democracy but to live and proclaim the good news about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is gospel. Fervent—and maybe even fevered—speech at election time is legitimate but day in, day out gospeling for all people is the image of Christ.

Here I Raise My Ebenezer! by Kyle Butt, M.A.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=909

Here I Raise My Ebenezer!

by  Kyle Butt, M.A.

Many of us have grown up going to worship services where we sang age-old songs that were brought down to us from many years ago. In those songs, we often sing words or phrases that might not retain a popularly understood sentiment. Yet, even though we might not understand what we are singing, that has not stopped many of us from following the song leader through misunderstood stanzas of our old favorites.
One of the phrases that is of particular interest comes from the song O, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The lyrics of this song (which originally was titled Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing) were written by Robert Robinson in 1758. The second verse of the song begins with these words: “Here I raise my Ebenezer.” If you are like many who have sung this song, the word “Ebenezer” immediately brings to your mind visions of old Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ Christmas Carol, screaming at Bob Cratchet to conserve coal and get to work. Yet, we all know that is not the idea behind this song. Where, then, does the term Ebenezer originate, and what does it mean?
In 1 Samuel 7, the prophet Samuel and the Israelites found themselves under attack by the Philistines. Fearing for their lives, the Israelites begged Samuel to pray for them in their impending battle against the Philistines. Samuel offered a sacrifice to God and prayed for His protection. God listened to Samuel, causing the Philistines to lose the battle and retreat back to their own territory. After the Israelite victory, the Bible records: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’ ” (1 Samuel 7:12).
The word Ebenezer comes from the Hebrew words ’Eben hà-ezer (eh’-ben haw-e’-zer), which simply mean “stone of help” (see Enhanced…, 1995). When Robinson wrote his lyrics, he followed the word Ebenezer with the phrase, “Here by Thy great help I’ve come.” An Ebenezer, then, is simply a monumental stone set up to signify the great help that God granted the one raising the stone. In Robinson’s poem, it figuratively meant that the writer—and all who subsequently sing the song—acknowledge God’s bountiful blessings and help in their lives.
The next time you sing about raising your Ebenezer, you will be able to “sing with the understanding” that you are acknowledging God’s help in your life (1 Corinthians 14:15).

REFERENCES

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (1995), (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.).

From Mark Copeland... The Cost And Reward Of Discipleship (Mark 10:28-31)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

             The Cost And Reward Of Discipleship (10:28-31)

INTRODUCTION

1. Jesus had just completed His encounter with the rich young ruler...
   a. Who sadly left when he chose his possessions over following Christ
      - Mk 10:17-22
   b. When Jesus then warned His disciples about the difficulty of
      riches - Mk 10:23-27

2. At which Peter began to say, "See, we have left all and followed
   You..." - Mk 10:28
   a. Matthew adds in his gospel "Therefore what shall we have?"Mt 19:27
   b. Matthew also mentions the promise of the apostles sitting on
      thrones of judgment in the regeneration - Mt 19:28

[For everyone else who follows Jesus as His disciples, there is the
promise of both cost and reward.  With Mark's account (Mk 10:28-31)
before us, let's first examine...]

I. THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

   A. EARTHLY RELATIONS...
      1. Jesus spoke of leaving family - Mk 10:29
      2. He mentioned wife; not found in some mss of Mark, but is in Lk18:29
      3. Not to suggest such is always necessary - cf. 1Co 9:5
      4. But sometimes even one's family turns against a disciple - Mt 10:21,34-36
      5. Thus Jesus and His gospel must come before family - Mt 10:37;
         Lk 14:26
      -- Sometimes the greatest cost of discipleship is imposed by our
         own families

   B. EARTHLY POSSESSIONS...
      1. Jesus spoke of leaving house and lands - Mk 10:29
      2. Not to suggest that it is always necessary - cf. 1Co 16:19; Ro 16:5; Col 4:15; Phm 1:2
      3. But disciples often sold lands, opened their homes to others
         - Ac 4:36-37; Phm 1:22
      4. Paul certainly gave up much to serve Christ - Php 3:7-8
      5. Thus Jesus and His kingdom must come before possessions - Lk 14:33; Mt 6:33
      -- We must be willing to forsake all that is necessary to be a
         disciple of Jesus

[The cost of discipleship can certainly be great.  For some, it is more
than others.  But for all who are willing to bear the cost of being His
disciple, Jesus promises...]

II. THE REWARD OF DISCIPLESHIP

   A. ETERNAL RELATIONS...
      1. Jesus spoke of hundredfold blessings "in this time" - Mk 10:30
      2. Of brothers, sisters, mother, children
         a. He likely refers to fellow disciples as family - cf. Mk 3:31-35
         b. Jesus does not mention "fathers"; could it be because God is
            our Father? - Mt 23:9
         c. The fulfillment of this can be seen in the church, the
            family of God - 1Ti 3:15; 5:1-2
         d. Our spiritual family (the church) is the only one that will
            survive death
      3. Of houses and lands
         a. Perhaps through fellow ties with other disciples - Ac 4:32
         b. Who opened their hearts and homes to one another (Mi casa es
            su casa)
         c. Like Aquila and Priscilla - Ac 18:1-3; 1Co 16:19; Ro 16:5
      -- Even now, through His church, there are great rewards for
         following Christ

   B. ETERNAL POSSESSIONS...
      1. Jesus spoke of eternal life "in the age to come" - Mk 10:30
      2. As Paul described, the gift of God to be received at "the end"
         - Ro 6:22-23; cf. Mt 25:46
      3. This eternal life includes the "people of God" - cf. Re 21:3
      4. This eternal life includes spiritual houses and lands
         a. The Father's house, in which there are many rooms - Jn 14:1-3
         a. A new heaven and a new earth - 2Pe 3:13; Re 21:1
         b. The holy city, New Jerusalem - Re 21:2,23-27
      -- What glorious rewards await those who follow Jesus to eternal
         life!

CONCLUSION

1. In Mark's account, Jesus also mentioned persecutions...
   a. Together with the rewards of following Jesus - Mk 10:30
   b. Leading some to view them as a reward rather than a cost of
      discipleship
   c. Those who suffer persecution are certainly blessed - Mt 5:10-12;
      Re 20:4-6

2. Jesus concludes:  "But many who are first will be last, and the last
   first"... - Mk 10:31
   a. Which is followed in Matthew's gospel with the parable of laborers
      in the vineyard - Mt 20:1-15
   b. And is repeated again after the parable - Mt 20:16
   c. Thus a cautionary warning not to serve the Lord with a mercenary
      spirit

Whatever the cost of discipleship, whether our service proves to be long
and hard or short and easy, the reward of discipleship more than makes
up for it.  As Paul (who suffered greatly for Christ) wrote:

   "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working
   for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we
   do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which
   are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the
   things which are not seen are eternal." - 2Co 4:17-18

May the words of Jesus in our text always remind us of the things that
are eternal, some to be enjoyed even in this age, others to be realized
in the age to come...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... And the sun (SON) dawned on me this day


Happiness, possibility and hope were on my mind as I awoke this morning. I do not know why- perhaps it was the movie Anastasia which I enjoyed yesterday afternoon. Come to think of it- that must be it, for the movie ends with a message of hope (hope for a new life of the grand-duchess).  However, today I learned that in real life- this is just not possible: 

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Anastasia_Nikolaevna_of_Russia) 

And yet there remains an over-riding sense of light-heartedness that persists in spite of the gloomy weather outside. Then there was this saying that I kept reading and rereading yesterday....


Life holds an infinite number of possibilities- we have to keep looking for them, however....

John, Chapter 4 (WEB)
  1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself didn’t baptize, but his disciples),  3 he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.  4 He needed to pass through Samaria.  5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.  6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”   8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 

  9  The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 

  10  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 

  11  The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?  12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?” 

  13  Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,   14  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 

  15  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” 

  16  Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 

  17  The woman answered, “I have no husband.” 

Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’   18  for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.” 

  19  The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 

  21  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.   22  You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.   23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. (emp. added G.D.R.)  24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

  25  The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.” 

  26  Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.”   27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?”  28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,  29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”

To Gary: Remember to be open to possibilities and be willing to recognize them when they are right in front of you. If a Samaritan woman can do this- so can you!!!

To Everyone Else: Rejoice in whatever the day holds for you!!!  (even if it rains where you are)  The afternoon may bring wondrous things and serendipities!!!!