Relevance is Over Rated

I’m pretty sure what Paul meant by “Come out from among them and be separate” was “join them and be relevant.”
@FailingPastor

“You must make the Gospel relevant to where people are at. You have to speak to the culture.”

I understand the intentions and I’m sure advice-givers are good people. I just feel like puking when I hear such advice.

Saying the church must become like the world in order to attract the world is silly. Scripture says nothing about the church being attractive to the world.

Yes, Paul said he became all things to all people so that by all means he might win some.

Paul is not the church. Paul was a person. I can lighten up some of my personal scruples for the sake of evangelism. I can refuse to die on a couple hills out there for the sake of the Gospel. This is a far cry from saying the church needs to put on rock concerts every Sunday with fog machines, followed by a stand-up comedy routine for a sermon.

The church exists for the edification of believers. Ephesians 4 seems pretty clear on this issue. Individual believers go out of the church edified in order to do the work of the ministry—being all things to all that some might be saved.

But if the church sells out to attract the world, then edification of the believers won’t happen and the work of the ministry will not be done.

Continue reading “Relevance is Over Rated” →

Context, Context, Context

THEM: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

ME: Except use verses in context apparently.
@FailingPastor

The self-esteem movement has stampeded Christianity.

We’ve been fooled into thinking we are awesome people who deserve awesomeness all the time as we pursue our awesome purpose for awesomely being alive.

Here’s some news: You’re not that awesome. Neither am I. We’re people. Breathing piles of dirt. We’re sinners rebelling against our loving Creator.

This sort of “depressing” and “negative” preaching used to be part of Christianity. Then the self-help era took off in the early 20^th Century. Now we’re just tripping over our awesome ideals of ourselves.

Pretty much the only verses that Christians know any more are

I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

All things work together for good!

I can do all things through Christ!

We are more than conquerors!

All are quoted with exclamation marks and happy sounds. Now yes, these verses are in the Bible and they are true. But they also have contexts. Many of the contexts are not nearly as happy as we might want them to be.

Continue reading “Context, Context, Context” →

Happiness Is No Barometer of Truth

“The fact that your new doctrine makes you ‘happier than you’ve ever been before,’ doesn’t mean it’s right.”
@FailingPastor

People have problems. Rather than admit their problems and solve them, people justify, excuse, and cover them. Happiness is one of the ways people cover their problems.

Exuberant happiness covers a multitude of sad truth.

Pastors know things about people. We know the lives, families, and marriages that are falling apart. Sometimes we know it before they do; we can read the writing on the wall while they’re still looking elsewhere for someone to interpret. One warning sign of trouble is when a person gets happy.

I’m not just saying this because I think pessimism is next to godliness. Happiness truly is a warning sign.

Guilt takes many forms. Disturbed consciences act out. Sure, some get crabby, hostile, and violent, which is also not good, but many go the opposite direction.

When people leave church, they don’t simply leave. They go in a way that proves they are spiritually superior for doing so. After departing, they act super happy to show they were right for having left.

Continue reading “Happiness Is No Barometer of Truth” →