missio

Last night, we gathered at the Harmony Church offices for our first monthly prayer meeting, seek. I think it went really well. Prayer is so instrumental to everything we do…because undermining prayer is the sovereignty of God. Ben Tugwell and I actually talked about it this morning at St. Arbuck’s, that in order to pray you first have to believe that God is sovereign enough to accomplish what you ask for….and that He has the right to do it. We prayed for one another in gender-groups, and we had guided alone time with the Trinity as well. I prayed through Psalm 145, and then opened my heart before God. I personally needed that dedicated time. I sometimes have a hard time praying other than “stream of consciousness” prayer, so it was really healthy for me to set time aside. Looking forward to the next one, on August 6th.

I am concerned that modern day “Christian” culture, especially that culture geared towards the younger generations, are turning us away from the Gospel. I had a conversation today (and times prior) with a bright young lady in our church about what the Gospel is. It seems that because of the books that we read today and the articles we see, and the music that we are producing, we are slowly forgetting the Gospel. Instead we are turning it into a sugar-coated, pattycake version of humanism: let us serve the common good. Let’s give money to the poor, let’s serve the homeless, let’s put our faith into action. Now some may read my comment there and say that I am against those things. Absolutely not true. I am positively for those things: but only in light of the Gospel. The Gospel, the good news, is this: Jesus died in my place, taking on God’s wrath for my sins. He then rose from the dead to conquer satan, sin, and death for all time on my behalf. Should I repent and believe on Him, I will be saved from the holy wrath of the Almighty Creator. 

The fringe things arise out of me being a Christian, like serving the poor, like serving the homeless. Those things, in and of themselves, are not good news to anyone. It’s just humanity trying to save humanity, which will amount to nothing.

So to Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, et al: I love what you stand for, and where your heart is. I truly do. You stand for good things. But let us make the main thing the main thing. There will never be A Generous Orthodoxy, A New Kind of Christianity, a Blue Like Jazz, or an Irresistible Revolution without Jesus dying in our place.

By the way, if you’re a church leader out there reading all of Stetzer, Rick Warren, and various other “how-to” manuals, put them down every once in a while, and re-examine the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God that will grow churches, not the coolest flyers or band:

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Let us lead one another to the Great Thing: Jesus, who’s glory was shown first and foremost at the Cross and the Empty Tomb.

1 Corinthians 2:1:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was led to reformed thinking through a few artists by the name of the Cross Movement during my formative years. Later, through teaching by Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and Jonathan Edwards, I came to realize the fullness of Reformation theology, and it’s sharp alignment with what Scripture teaches (for the most part). For you rookies, here’s a youtube video with the lyrics from one of Flame’s songs, The Godhead. For those of you who don’t like rap: tough. It’s the upcoming culture. Speak it.