A Thin Veneer of the Gospel
theMangoTimes blog has been dead silent for more than a year. There were many things I wanted to write about during 2020, but it seemed like everyone was blogging and podcasting on the same subjects. I did not want to add another voice into the conversation about pandemics, sheltering in place, politics, racism, or why we should or should not be wearing masks. Lately though, I have not been able to shake a few thoughts and theMangoTimes always seems like a good place to write some things down and see how they land.
So, what would bring Fletch out of his blogging hiatus? The same as always: the gospel. It’s been over 10 years since I woke up from what I refer to as “gospel amnesia.” I know it sounds crazy from a guy who loves the gospel, but for a large chunk of my life I had done the unthinkable and forgotten the gospel. I got wrapped up with a group of people who thought and taught more about behaving than believing. Those years of pursuing religion through better behavior were some of the most fruitless years in my faith and I have no desire to return.
That's why theMangoTimes will continue to be a trumpet for gospel-centered promotion (and I hope discussion). It is also why I choose to surround myself with people who will regularly speak the gospel into my life. I appreciate the reminder to believe better because on my own I quickly return to focusing again on how to behave better.
This leads me to a trend I have seen this year. As 2020 blends into 2021, the virus and the politics surrounding the virus have continued to surge at a feverish rate. The desire for normalcy has led many in our community to a point of frustration and feistiness. The epitome of frustration can be seen in what the internet refers to as “Karens” or “Kevins” exploding in the local Trader Joes. What I find interesting is that this angst remains almost indistinguishable within the virtual walls of the church. Sure, it doesn’t represent itself in shared viral videos, but it remains suppressed within the minds and hearts of many in the church.
Our American culture has created a spirit of entitlement. In public we see this erupt in angry displays by people who will not “let their rights” be violated. In the church, I find it much more subtle. “Gospel amnesia” lives quietly under the surface and spreads quickly because many of us live with a very thin veneer of the gospel over our faith.
“The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. ”
If we are being honest, the church has been hit by the perfect storm. For the past year, we have been forced to face a lingering pandemic, unavoidable issues of justice, and a front-row seat to one of our most contentious political seasons in history (Note: I am quick to be corrected by my father who loves to describe the similarities to the election of 1864).
For gospel loving Christians, we should be thriving in this environment. Who better than us to articulate the good news that God loves us and that His love is most clearly demonstrated in the redemptive work of Jesus on our behalf? Pushing this theology a little deeper, my favorite 16th-century monk, Martin Luther, would remind us that this happens only by God's grace. Jesus and only Jesus can do the work that saves us. We bring nothing to the table for negotiation of our salvation or our sanctification.
The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. This knowledge should then translate into a demonstration of a deep love for one another or, to follow my metaphor, we should have a thick layer of the gospel that remains difficult to penetrate.
Has that been the case? I'm discovering something quite different. 2020 has revealed that because many of us have been living with a very thin veneer of the gospel, we are quick to forget these truths.
As I said above,, I’ve been working this out in my thoughts and with several in my community. I mentioned this recently as I walked with a friend who asked me to clarify what I meant. Think back over the last year with me. In conversations about politics, or our cultural/corporate behavior/response to Covid-19, or our response to justice, or any of the other challenging topics this year, have you witnessed a gospel response? I would argue that as soon as we begin scratching the surface in most conversations we will quickly find discussions and ultimately lives driven by "good or right" Christian behavior.
If the gospel reminds us how deeply loved we are by God, that should motivate us to "do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously." (Micah 6) Instead, 2020 revealed a church split over so many issues: From wearing masks to responding to issues of justice, citizenship, political candidates, to gathering in person for worship, to whatever. Instead of the gospel motivating and informing our response to instinctively care for others over ourselves, I found over and over this year that folks seemed to be driven by religious responses driven by self-focus and personal rights.
The solution for this seems so simple: Preach the gospel even more, right? It seems easy enough, but here's where things got real. In my little corner of the world, I began to hear statements like this: "Hey Fletch, you can't keep talking about the gospel. That's all you ever seem to want to talk about. Can we move beyond that topic? You clearly do not recognize the importance of holiness. I get the gospel. What we need to talk about is what it means to live out our faith in the fear of God."
“In other words, the gospel doesn’t just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. ”
This is exactly what I mean by a thin veneer of the gospel. This is represented in responses like this: The gospel is great, but only for getting our foot in the door. Once I am there, I am responsible for all of my behaviors, so thanks for the gospel mumbo-jumbo, but I need to hear and learn how to behave better. Oh yeah, by the way, I need to hear way more about the consequences of all my bad choices too. I can’t live on a diet of the unconditional love of God alone.
It reminds me of a life-changing conversation I had with a pastor who told me that the gospel is not just the “A, B, C's” of the Christian faith, but the “A to Z”. In other words, the gospel doesn't just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. At no time do we move on from the gospel. At no time do we hit a place where our work is required to maintain our position before God or secure our salvation.
When we have a year like 2020, where our faith has been given multiple opportunities to be on display, where do we look for motivation? In this season where we can choose to humbly serve our weaker brother or boldly stand for brothers and sisters who have been seen "lesser than" because of the color of their skin, their gender, their political beliefs, etc, shouldn’t it be the gospel that motivates us? The gospel is the constant reminder that we have been reconciled to God by His grace alone that motivates us. It's never our behavior. It's never our good works. It's never our righteousness.
As I mentioned, these conversations based on a very shallow penetration of the gospel have become almost unavoidable. In fact, they have seemed to ramp up and I love when others say that they've heard enough of the gospel and want to move on and start focusing on their obedience or working out their salvation. For me, it's like pouring gasoline on the gospel bonfire. It motivates me to remind others that the gospel-centered life is a life where Christians experience a growing personal reliance on the gospel that protects them from depending on their own religious performance and being seduced and overwhelmed by idols.
“True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
When you bump into others who have reached the point of frustration and feistiness, turning inward to the “quality of their faith” does not provide hope, rescue or relief. As a teacher once explained to me, when you meet a drowning man you don’t tell them to: “Paddle harder and kick faster.” We do not possess the internal power to get things right and unfortunately every effort within ourselves will only lead to further collapse.
In his book, The Christian Life, Sinclair Ferguson had an amazing quote: “True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
Now it's your turn. How important is your behavior to your faith? What do you bring to your salvation? What do you bring to your sanctification? Does the gospel get you in the door or is it the fuel behind every step in your faith? Have the challenges of 2020 and 2021 pushed you one way or the other. Let me know in the comments or feel free to connect with me privately by email. I’d like to hear from you.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Classic Repost: Harry Potter meets Homeschooling
Leave it to a Harry Potter movie to point out some glaring weaknesses I have observed in the conservative Christian Homeschooling movement! This post originally appeared in theMangoTimes in December of 2010, but it deserves a 2013 Back to School Repost.
Click the picture of Dolores or follow the link below to the original article!
Harry Potter, Homeschooling and a Pink Professor!
Missing the gospel in our homeschooling.
Enjoy it...again!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Good News vs. Good Advice
"All other religions give advice, and they drive everything you’re doing on fear."
Tim Keller
I am reposting and linking because the Resurgence blog post is good. I am reposting and linking because Keller's original talk is good. In truth, I'm reposting and linking because I needed to hear it again. That's the funny thing about "gospel amnesia," I'm never really cured of that pesky illness.
This post and Keller's original words at the GC event caused a bunch of thoughts to begin swirling around my brain. I know it is a common theme around here, but a good one to keep in front of us regularly. I've started my own list below. Feel free to join me.
Good advice is offering up fancy theology.
Good news is telling others the simple story about Jesus.
Good advice will teach security in traditions, vestments and liturgy.
Good news will teach security in Christ alone.
Good advice takes people to a perfect church.
Good news takes people to an empty cross.
Good advice leads others to memorize a catechism or confession.
Good news leads people to memorize three words: "It is finished"
Good advice says "this is how we do it right."
Good news says "This is what Jesus did. It's done!"
Good advice nails a list of "do's and don'ts" to the wall.
Good news points people to three bloody nails.
Good advice talks about dressing your best for church.
Good news talks about being dressed in the garments of Jesus.
Good advice gives a pair of gold-plated/diamond-studded handcuffs.
Good news gives a pardon.
Good advice says, Jesus plus something.
Good news says, Jesus plus nothing.
That will get the ball rolling, feel free to leave your own in the comments below.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Letters to the Editor: "Purpose or Burden"
I feel pressured to be "productive for God." For me this means being "good," homeschooling, having lots of godly kids, being a witness in the community, being in tune with the Holy Spirit's additional directions, etc. I feel like I need a full resume for God--not so that he will love me but so that I will be useful to Him.
My grandparents were missionaries to India, grandfather headed up seminaries, wrote books, etc., and were extremely productive for the Kingdom. That seems good, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed at what I "should" accomplish.
Is that Godly purpose or is it an ungodly burden? Any thoughts?
"So, by all means work! But the hard work is not what you think it is–your personal improvement and moral progress. The hard work is washing your hands of you and resting in Christ’s finished work for you–which will inevitably produce personal improvement and moral progress. Progress in obedience happens when our hearts realize that God’s love for us does not depend on our progress in obedience. (Martin) Luther’s got a point: “It is not imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.”The real question, then, is: What are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything? What will your life look like lived under the banner which reads “It is finished?” What you’ll discover is that once the gospel frees you from having to do anything for Jesus, you’ll want to do everything for Jesus so that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do” you’ll do it all to the glory of God."
Acts29 Bootcamp
Heading to San Jose this weekend for the Acts29 Bootcamp. If you are going, I'd love to hook up with you.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
"You Already Have an A!"
Several weeks ago, The Resurgence posted an audio and video recording of Tullian Tchividjian from the "Our Fathers and Our Future" conference called "Evangelical, Missional, and Christ-Centered. The entire message is worth the hour it will take for you to look or listen to it. Seriously, it is rich with reminders of where we as Christians find our life. Here's a clip from the very end of Tchividjian's talk that recommunicates what the gospel message says.
Enjoy:
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Do you have Easter plans?
Join us for Easter morning on Sunday, April 24th @ 10AM (9AM for a free pancake breakfast) at Graceada Park in Modesto, CA.
Easter 2011 from Redeemer Modesto on Vimeo.
We have been attending Redeemer for the past six months and I can honestly say that I have never been in a church that communicates the gospel so consistently and effectively.
Seriously.
Are you continuing to look for your acceptance, security, value, and worth in stuff (read: junk)? Are you searching desperately to find peace in religious behavior (read: how to behave like a Christian)? Or maybe you are like me, I spent years suffering from "gospel amnesia." I began trusting more in systematics than a savior. Evangelism was more about telling people what I had done and how I lived than what Christ had accomplished and how He lives in me!
This is no bait and switch. Come worship with us on Sunday April 24th at 10AM. Learn about Jesus. Hear the Gospel. Find out how the same power that conquered the grave can live in you!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Harry Potter, Homeschooling, and a Pink Professor
!!!WARNING!!!
THIS POST IS ABOUT HARRY POTTER!
If you haven't seen Harry Potter 5, navigate away now! Spoilers abound in the following paragraphs!
Also...If you don't like Harry Potter or if you think that by reading this you may be turned into a newt, then please stick around! I promise this isn't a pro/anti Harry Potter rant. I also promise not to "geek-out" on you and I promise, promise, promise that you won't be indoctrinated into witchcraft and wizardry just by reading this post!
Actually, this post is really more about one character than it is about the book/film in general.
Okay, the warning is over...now onto the post. I just finished Harry Potter 5: The Order of the Phoenix (and by "finished" I mean the movie). Yes, I'm watching HP from start to finish with one of the Mangoboys (and for the fun of it, let's call him "Jack"). It is our goal to catch Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 on the big screen. Overall, I've enjoyed the stories as they follow the classic storyline of good versus evil, redemption, hero/villain, with some enjoyable twists.
Dolores Umbridge
Professor/Special Asst. to the Minister of Magic
Hogwarts School
In book/film five of the story, they have introduced a fantastic new character: Dolores Umbridge (pictured here). I won't overwhelm you with the whole HP story, but Professor Umbridge has been appointed to Hogwarts School by the Ministry of Magic as an agent of change at the school. As I watched her character develop in this movie, I couldn't help but laugh at some similarities she shares with a few characters whom I've met in real life.
On first glance, you know Dolores is different. Instead of the typical black robe worn by students and teachers, Dolores shows up in a tailored pink wool suit complete with a flowery pink pill box hat and matching handbag. She looks like a spokeswoman for Pepto-Bismol. Visibly, she is the antithesis of what wizardry and witchcraft look like. Her first words to the student body give you a hint as to why she has been brought to Hogwarts.
After the Headmaster's brief introduction, Professor Umbridge interrupts to say:
"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged...let us preserve what must be preserved...let us perfect what can be perfected...and let us prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
Spoken with a tight smile and a syrupy sweet British accent, you know she is going to be at odds with at least the students and most likely the administration. I'll get back to her "pruning practices" in a moment, but I want to begin with her first day in the classroom.
"There Is Nothing Out There, Dear!"
On the first day of class, Professor Umbridge introduces herself and her subject matter:
Dolores Umbridge:"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you will be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"
Hermione Granger:"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells..."
Dolores Umbridge: "...You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."
Harry Potter: "Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk-free."
Dolores Umbridge:"It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about."
Harry Potter: "And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"
Dolores Umbridge:"There is nothing out there, dear!"
Please tell me you caught what I caught here? Maybe it's just my experience with uber-conservative Christianity, but there are several aspects to this character that I found to be humorously analogous to some branches in the Christian Homeschooling Tree. Here is what I caught: Theory versus reality. Risk-free environments. Professor Umbridge focuses on teaching these Hogwart's students the theoretical knowledge of dealing with evil, but refuses to provide them any real skills or experience for engagement or defense.
The comparison I found is simple. Christian homeschoolers (and I'm one of them) have plucked their kids from the public school system. Theory of engagement with the world is and should be taught, yet for some families that is where they stop (and this is where I swing down a few branches on the tree). Here's what I've personally witnessed: These families never use their training in the real world. In an "us vs. them" mentality they continue to sterilize their children by raising them to avoid any engagement with the world. They disengage from anything to do with popular culture instead of entering the culture equipped with a Christian worldview and practicing the skills of defense (read: Gospel living). After pulling away from the philosophies of the world, they never return to engage the world with sound Biblical philosophy. Even after equipping their families with the tools to engage, their energies are spent avoiding the world and living in a "secure risk-free way." Like this example from Professor Umbridge at Hogwarts School, these parents never intend on letting their students leave the classroom.
High Inquisitor
After only a short time at Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic expands the Pink Professor's role at the school: "Having already revolutionized the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Jane Umbridge will, as High Inquisitor, have powers to address the seriously falling standards at Hogwarts School."
Here is another place where I found that art intersects reality.
Measuring Up
Dolores becomes both a teacher and a clipboard carrying inquisitor. She is often seen interrupting classes in session and challenging what and how other instructors are teaching the students. One of my favorite scenes shows Dolores using a tape measure against the choirmaster to literally see if he "measures up."
Hello? Can we find similarities with this clipboard carrying inquisitor within our own experience? How often have I picked up the clipboard and tape measure? Too often. We don't need to look too far into the Christian homeschool community or even some of our churches or some of our own lives (there I said it...) to find the behavior we see displayed in Dolores.
On the outside, she projects perfection. Tailor-fitted clothing and a matching pink office with walls covered with photos of cats (yes, she is the ultimate "cat lady"). Visitors are escorted into her office and served a hot cup of tea. Dolores appears kind and hospitable (afterall, she's doing things right!), yet without skipping a beat, she politely shows where her guest has not met the standard and all the time smiling and sipping tea.
Comparisons. Pride. Inquisitions. This doesn't just happen at Hogwarts people! This happens around our kitchen tables (and sometimes around our communion tables...ouch!). We are reminded in Proverbs that God hates a proud look and one who has haughty eyes, yet this behavior comes so easily to us as Christian homeschoolers. With little effort we can all become like Dolores. We pick up our measuring tapes and evaluate one another according to a standard that we have created and others simply cannot keep. How easy it is for us to become pink-washed tombs? Ha!
Pruning Prohibited Practices
After her instatement as High Inquisitor, Dolores also focuses her attention on student behavior at Hogwarts. With a down-turned eye, she instates a series of new decrees to the Hogwarts student body. Clothing standards, relationship standards, how to talk, how to think, how to live...nothing is outside of her reach.
With each declaration, she frames the edict and her lackey assistant nails it to the school wall. As her laws multiply so does the difficulty to police student behavior. Dolores solves this by recruiting several Hogwarts students to serve on her Inquisatorial Squad and rat out classmates whose behavior is out of line. Within time, there is a new law for every behavior and the school wall is covered with framed decrees. Students are driven to misery until the inevitable finally happens. In the movie, a comical student revolt is led and Umbridge is driven from her post at the school. As the lawmaker flees the auditorium, the framed laws shatter away from the wall (see photo below).
Exploding Degrees at Hogwarts
Legalism is tricky that way. You can't stop with just one law (like Pringles potato chips). Laws have a funny way of multiplying and soon they are hard to keep track of, let alone keep. Yet there are families trying to manage behavior every day with external systems and rules. It's impossible. I've tried. I've witnessed it in church and in the homeschool community with my own two eyes. I've seen kids that were seemingly well controlled for years finally revolt.
I remember reading an article a few years ago about kids who "jump ship" and reject a system based on meaningless rules. I've seen it and when they jump, they jump far away and land running! Lists of right and wrong behaviors will serve to frustrate children, not encourage them. Dolores Umbridge had rules, plenty of them. What she lacked was a relationship with her students and a desire for them to grow and learn and apply their learning in real world situations. They never were allowed to take their education and use it outside of the classroom.
Oh how I loved and hated the character of Dolores Umbridge. What an example of how not to run a school of witchcraft and wizardy!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
PS...see, you didn't turn into a newt!
Just give me a new law...
In Ephesians, Paul says we have been chosen to be "holy and blameless." We spend way more time worried about how to be blameless and way too little time working on what it means to be holy. Sermons abound on what to do or how to live. I cannot say it enough: "It's not what you do...it's what's been done for you."
Enough of my rant...enjoy the song!
A New Law, by Derek Webb - Lyrics
Don’t teach me about politics and government - Just tell me who to vote for
Don’t teach me about truth and beauty - Just label my music
Don’t teach me how to live like a free man - Just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Gimme that new law
Don’t teach me about moderation and liberty - I prefer a shot of grape juice
Don’t teach me about loving my enemies
Don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit - Just give me a new law
What’s the use in trading a law you can never keep - For one you can that cannot get you anything
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
theMangoTimes - New and Improved!
A New LookIf this is your first time here, you may not know that theMangoTimes has a new look. We've parked at this domain since 2006 without a change of scenery. To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of theMT (click on the picture to read Issue #1), we thought we would shake a few things up, change our look and take things in a new direction.
A New Community
I did not think this would ever be a blog topic in theMangoTimes, but recently our family made a very difficult decision to leave our church community. For some, leaving a church is a simple decision. For others, the idea of even joining a church body may seem foreign. For us, this was a huge decision in our family. Let me see if I can explain why.
Our family was there from the beginning. Seven years ago, we were one of four families in a bible study that joined together to create this church (see picture on right). The very first worship service took place in the living room of our house. For 1/2 of our children, this is the only church they can even remember. On a personal level, I served as an elder for the first four years and in one way or another was personally involved with the worship or teaching nearly every week. I was the person that thought up and suggested the name that the church uses today. What I'm trying to get at is that this was not the type of church where we snuck in the back door, hung around for a few years and then quietly moved on. Our decision to leave was one of the most difficult choices I've made on behalf of our family. In the sense that Scripture talks about church being "the body," we have felt the amputation.Why? Why would we leave a church that we had invested in so heavily? The simple answer is that we changed (or rather God used experiences in our lives to change us), and a discerning reader could probably read through the past few years of blog posts in theMangoTimes to get an idea of those changes. However, I'd prefer to leave the reasons very simple...we changed.
New CarsChanging topics completely...I have always loved old Volkswagens...Hello? Did someone say Volkswagen? That's right, we've added two more cars to the fleet. I was given
A New KitchenThis year we will finish the last of the major projects in our home. Kendra has patiently waited for her workspace to be completed and I was pleased to walk in this week and find the cabinets gone and walls bare. Being down a kitchen means meals made in the garage...the school room...and a bunch of fast food (and the MangoKids cheered!). We are very excited for a slightly new layout, regular counter heights, new colors and more open space! Personally, I know this will give Kenj a place to make even better food (though I hardly believe it could get any better!). Drop by if you get a chance, you'll see that I'm right!
A New DirectionIn many ways, our decision to leave one church and join another has set our family out in a completely new direction. We have been "doing life" in one way for so long, that every step we take feels new and sometimes awkward, yet refreshingly adventurous at the same time. Stealing from a previous post, we feel like we are leaving life in the town to go and live life as pioneers out on the trail. If you have followed theMT, you know that we have definitely seen our share of exciting trials these last few years and we have learned that life can be messy. As we begin to move in some of these new directions, we are looking forward to the gentle curves in the stream as well as the unknown rapids that are before us. God has always navigated us through, we just need to learn to paddle when it's time to paddle and float when it's time to float.
Thanks for being around for the past 15 years...
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
On Cultural Morality
In his sermon from 2002, "The Deadly Dangers of Moralism," John MacArthur, Jr. emphasized at least a dozen points. I've been chewing on this one point for the past week, because in one short paragraph MacArthur reaches from the past to address many issues that I have been thinking about lately.
"Cultural morality is dangerous because it has no New Testament model to follow except the Pharisees. So if you're going to try to find a New Testament pattern for this effort, you're going to end up with the Pharisees. They were the moral ones. And you know what Jesus said about them? Matthew 23:15: He said when you are through making somebody a convert to your morality, you have made him "twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." Wow. Wow. So if you're looking for a New Testament model for cultural morality, you're going to end up with Pharisees. They were legalistic. I don't know about you; I don't think I would be rejoicing to live in a Pharisaic-dominated society; dominated by the mandates of self-righteous, cruel, merciless legalists, who laid heavy burdens on people, right, and gave them no help to bear them, Jesus said. Jesus said to them one day as they picked up stones to stone an adulterous woman: Whoever is "without sin... throw the first stone." And stones started dropping. I don't know that I'd want to live in that kind of environment. There is no New Testament model for political action. Jesus didn't try to overthrow slavery; neither did Paul; neither did any of the Old Testament. Both Jesus and Paul, however, did say if you're a slave, be a good one, be a faithful one, be an honest one. Serve your master well; make wise investments; do it under the Lord, and God will reward you. And if you're in a harsh, difficult situation, you'll know His grace."
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Big Words from the Lone Star State
He's a perceptive guy and likes to call it like he sees it. This morning he had this to say on his blog (Equipping the Saints):
"Throughout Scripture we find that those weighed down by sin are shown overwhelming grace while the self-righteous and unremorseful sinful brethren are forcefully rebuked. Yet in our churches it is not uncommon to see sinners rejected (after all they might corrupt us and our children) and self-righteousness celebrated – is it possible that we’ve gotten things backwards?"
Pastor Dirk Russell
Love it Dirk! You could be a guest editor for theMangoTimes with straight-forward words like those, keep up the good work!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
John Piper: The Gospel in 6 Minutes
It seems like I keep returning to the topic of the Good News! Can it ever get old? I don't think so.
Since it is so easy for us to become focused on ourselves and what we do (and by extension, how we do it), I love it when someone reminds me of what Christ has done! Last summer, I posted about lifestyle evangelism and one of my points was that believers should never grow weary of hearing the gospel preached. It needs to be preached regularly and faithfully, so that we can know it and then go and repeat it.
Here is John Piper and the Gospel in 6 minutes. Used by permission from Desiring God Ministries.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
A quick note to the young men at my table...
"Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought-forms of that setting."
Francis Schaeffer
Hey guys,
It seems like most of the discussions around our table lately continue to focus upon how we should interact with the world/our culture. Whether it is concerns you've raised or something I've published in theMangoTimes or even some of the challenging sermons that continue to raise the topic, it seems as though this discussion has been pieced together through many conversations over the past year.
I've chronicled a few thoughts here on theMT about interactions with culture and several readers have suggested that I include more postings on this same topic. Mom and I have enjoyed the discussions we've shared around our own table with you guys. We enjoy hearing your perspective and understanding of God's word as they have added to the discussion about how we fulfill our roles as ambassadors for Christ. I would like to include some of our thoughts here on theMangoTimes. As we continue to encourage one another to understand the world, let us remember that we ALWAYS do this on behalf of the furtherance of the Gospel and in light of God's truth.
I have included a Francis Schaeffer quote at the top of this post that I recently stumbled upon. This quote triggered in me a few thoughts. I'm not sure when Schaeffer said this, but I will assume it was the 1960's or 1970's. It has since been more than thirty years and the terms, language and thought-forms that he suggests have again changed. Let me encourage you guys to not avoid the opportunity God has given you. Do not be afraid to take the Good News into the world, that is where it is needed most. I remind you guys over and over that the gospel is very easy, but let me encourage you to find where the conversations are taking place. Join those conversations, and learn how to take the good news of the kingdom into those places. Don't live in fear of man, but live in the fear of God which will lead you to wisdom.
One warning: Don't be surprised if you are criticized. I have found that when I choose to share a meal with "tax collectors and wine-bibbers" there are plenty of skeptics that feed themselves on their own assumptions. Let me remind you that Jesus spent plenty of time in the temple and a lot more time on the road and in the houses of both pharisees and followers. His life was uncomfortable and unsafe. More often than not He received sharp rebukes. Remember, while Jesus did sit, eat and lounge with many people His ministry was not to partake. He was the one bringing the bread that satisifies and He was the one bringing the water that quenches thirst.
We love you guys and love how you keep your faith in Christ real! We pray that you will continue to see how Christianity is relevant to every aspect of life.
Quietly Making Noise,
Fletch