Methods and Messages

He resigned  a few YEARS back. After years successful evangelistic ministry in that church He resigned. You might know the church if I named it. He did it to do his part to ensure peace and try to keep the church together. It didn't. All the Many who came while he was there, the young families and many teens, left to go somewhere else, or some (sadly) nowhere else.

He resigned and it was because of the BIG Problem .
Was it the fundamentals of the faith?
Did he deny the virgin birth? The sinless life? The atoning death and shed blood of Jesus?

No! ...it was because he had gotten the pews removed and replaced (think of it) with soft chairs...and Oh may the Lord forgive Him...he had established a lively praise and worship team. Oh, Most of the people loved it, but the ones who had been in power for years didn't and that was when they decided to do something about it.

It was a denominational church, the current supervisor was former pastor and knew  and had pastored those dear old  saints who had the problem, and so this upstart pastor ( he wasn't from here anyway) is finally gone.

There is only one problem, The body of Christ is fractured once more.

Whose fault is it?  Who cares really?  At this point God will sort that out, but it points out to me a grave problem facing the church, and that is us,   ministries, works of all sorts come under the umbrella of Gods Church....

I have entitled this little blog  methods and messages...and hope that you will give ear to my radical views, .and maybe save a great deal of pain .

Matthew 15:1-9   These Pharisees had long ago abandoned the message of Gods grace to all nations through Israel. They had gotten a list of standards, formed a religion, and it's traditions bound it and them into a style and form that dishonored God.

Now bear with me, I am not going to put to death the tried and true. I do hope, however, to slay a number of sacred cows. For they need slaying just as they did in Moses day. Most sacred cows are more BULL than cow anyway.

Now let me venture down one lane first, then I shall return and mow the grass on the other lane so that all may be equally offended. Fair enough?

 1 Corinthians 9:19-23  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.   And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;   To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.    To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Do you see? Paul used a variety of methods to reach a variety of people.
 Now I can hear some ulcers acting up, “but what about sinful methods?”

 I’m glad you asked. Let me post this from the Message by Eugene Petersen if you will.

Even though I  am free from the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to  reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized-whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ-but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all of this because of the message. I didn't just want to talk about it, I wanted to be in on it.

Nowhere does the scripture condone sin to produce righteousness. But beware of what you call sin. Remember that the early church was persecuted because the religious crowd called this new movement sin,  but even then there were more level heads.  Read Acts 5 :33  following if you  would.

Listen and listen carefully. Beware when you let your preferences lead you into wrong attitudes and actions against others. Be careful how you attack a method someone is using based solely on the fact that it didn't come out of YOUR generation.

That sword cuts both ways younger ones! If you were thinking I hope THEY are listening you are guilty too.

Paul was in prison and listen to this:  Philippians 1:12-18    But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.    

It may not be YOUR method or preference, but don't count it out. God may have a use for it.

Now I want to go back a minute over those passages and note a common thread

Christ is preached. He points to reaching out with the gospel  the cross of Christ, (word of God ).  Its all about Jesus

Also I might ad,  don't Poo Poo the  traditions,  for they have value as well.

2 Thessalonians 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

    As long as they are good and biblical , don't knock them. Remember what goes around comes around? (Sack races, three legged races...those kids had FUN!!!) And they weren't a bunch of losers.

Whatever am I trying to say? Simply what Paul said (Romans 12 18 if it be possible as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.  14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another).

And what Scripture has long taught:
Ps 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Ps 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Eph 4:3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
In other words, Grown ups, act like it. Be courteous and kind to each other. If an idea instantly makes you angry,  guess what, you better check whether it  a righteous anger of God or a selfish one from the other guy.

If the main response to a method   change is anger , grow up. But if the main  response when the method doesn't change is anger; you better grow up too?

Let me state things another way then one more and then I will do something that will make everyone glad.  Stop!

Here they are, Here are the big Points the important things we need to get. AND it is so important I got a  direct quote from the guys  who wrote it. Ready?

The first one was so close to Jesus he called himself the disciple Jesus loved.

1 John  4:7-8 “Beloved let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.   He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.

The second was probably pretty close too, he was 1/2 brother to the Lord:

James 1: 19 -20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.

God has big plans for the Church, the Body of Christ. He has always has had .  The ups and downs over the years have seen one major   thing happen. People coming to Jesus.

I like the line from “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” He was getting his students to really enjoy their music theory classes. He had used the  music of their day. When called to task for using that style music by the vice principal, a man whose shorts were probably way too tight, and the principal, who said she had to explain this method to the school board.

“ Now when that issue comes up, what can I tell them?

Mrs. Jacobs, you tell them...  that I am teaching music...  and that I will use anything...  from Beethoven to Billie Holiday to rock and roll...  if I think it'll help me teach a student... to love music.

Loved ones, I want people to love Jesus, and I will use anything from riding my motorcycle to places you might not want to or even dare go, to staying up late at night to demonstrate that desire to soldiers coming and going, or riding the same bike to the funerals of American soldiers and Marines.

Please consider that, Amen.