The CORE Issue
Well, I am back from vacation. It was a busy vacation as I was actively involved with my brother at the church he serves, Shively Christian Church, in Louisville, Kentucky. I preached on both Sunday nights I was there at their CORE Worship. Those fascinated with Christian cultural buzzwords would call it "emergent worship" (a term I find to be, at best, pretentious ... "Oh, our worship is evolving, growing ... yes, it is positively embryonic!") Not being a buzzwordist, I like to describe it as "Sneaky Worship." Sneaky because, being aware of those without a saved relationship in attendance, you create a casual, laid-back time of praise and worship, even including some light, fun and humorous activities. Then, when you have their attention and focus open up the powerful truths of God to them, allowing his Spirit to help in convicting and changing hearts and lives. In Shively Christian's case, they will even use current "secular" music, movie clips, advertising, etc. with a positive theme that may be familiar to the listeners. In CORE they use the message of the song, clip, etc. much like a preacher would use a current event or story, they illustratively drive home truths about God's presence, power or providence in people's lives through the theme or focus of the song that leads up to the message from the Word of God.
I know that not everyone would agree with this approach. In the churches I have served I could probably anticipate and enumerate those who would even vehemently oppose this approach to worship. In fact, they would would no doubt take issue with me even calling it worship. Why? I am sure there would be a variety of reasons too long to list. I am sure that someone would point out that we are to be "in the world, but not of this world" as a reminder of our status as temporary residents of this planet and not really citizens. While I understand their concerns, I would also want to point out one other major concern: literally millions of people dying each day without Christ in their lives. People that need to be reached with the Good News of God's grace through Christ's forgiveness.
The question is: how do we reach them? First we have to realize that we cannot reach them, only his Spirit can. It is not my intent to get bogged down by semantics, but our role is clearly defined in Scripture as tools the Spirit uses to reach the lost and not the actual "reachers" ourselves. Why is this important? Simply put: we must take care when being critical of the means by which others are being used by the Spirit to reach the lost. Our criticism of tatics, methods and means will not just be a criticism of fellow believers, but more importantly, a criticism of the Holy Spirit's leading. Remember, Paul revealed, through the Spirit, that:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
The point he makes is that he is pliable for salvation's sake, willing to become whatever he needs to for the gospel's sake. If it meant saving someone, he'd follow in whatever the Spirit led him to do or be. This seems to create a problem, however. How do we balance that thought with another thought that Paul offered:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Those words seem to contradict his thoughts from 1 Corinthians. One says he becomes anything to anyone the other says he refuses to conform to the same thing. While it seems to be a inconsistency, it is not if we take the whole verse in context. Paul continues in the verse to point out the results of the transformed mind for the believer:
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The expectation is that our minds will be transformed in such a way to recognize and endorse through spiritual testing what God's will is, how we might be used to reach others as an example. Now, stick with me ... how does this occur? Through his Spirit which was given to teach and lead us in these things. Through our transformation and submission to the Spirit, not only will he use a variety of methods, means and tactics to reach others for Christ, but he might just allow us to grow in our own faith as we do these things.
Please understand, Paul is not endorsing, nor am I for that matter, irresponsible and sinful behavior that we try to justify, claiming to be led by the Spirit. I do not use profanity when preaching so that I might be used by the Spirit to reach the profane; I do not condone the use of movie clips in worship that have sexual situations to reach the sexually immoral; I don't think singing songs that glorify despicable behavior is a good way to reach someone with poor morals and values. Why? Because the Holy Spirit (note the word Holy in the name) is unwilling to sin ... in fact, cannot be associated with sin. Lest we forget ... the Holy Spirit is God. To elaborate, Paul's thoughts do call for us to be discerning about what we use and how we use it. We need to be sure that our efforts are led by the Spirit and not out of some human agenda or ambition.
So when it is all said and done, what is my point? If I may be so bold, I think it is to point out that it is easy to stand and criticize the methods which are being used by the Spirit through others to reach the lost, but in some (maybe even many) cases, it is wrong; it's also easy to demand that opening the Bible and preaching the gospel is all that we need, but short-sighted if the Spirit is trying to reach someone through you who, for now at least, dismisses the Bible as authoritative; and it's easy to point out flaws in the efforts of others, but before you do consider when was the last time you shared your faith with someone else?
To my brother and his fellow-workers at Shively Christian Church and to all being inspired and used by the Spirit to reach the lost in creative, imaginative ways, I conclude with this thought from Theodore Roosevelt. I confess it is a "secular quote" but his thoughts are nonetheless, spiritually motivating to me and I hope to you:
Keep up the good work for the Lord!
I know that not everyone would agree with this approach. In the churches I have served I could probably anticipate and enumerate those who would even vehemently oppose this approach to worship. In fact, they would would no doubt take issue with me even calling it worship. Why? I am sure there would be a variety of reasons too long to list. I am sure that someone would point out that we are to be "in the world, but not of this world" as a reminder of our status as temporary residents of this planet and not really citizens. While I understand their concerns, I would also want to point out one other major concern: literally millions of people dying each day without Christ in their lives. People that need to be reached with the Good News of God's grace through Christ's forgiveness.
The question is: how do we reach them? First we have to realize that we cannot reach them, only his Spirit can. It is not my intent to get bogged down by semantics, but our role is clearly defined in Scripture as tools the Spirit uses to reach the lost and not the actual "reachers" ourselves. Why is this important? Simply put: we must take care when being critical of the means by which others are being used by the Spirit to reach the lost. Our criticism of tatics, methods and means will not just be a criticism of fellow believers, but more importantly, a criticism of the Holy Spirit's leading. Remember, Paul revealed, through the Spirit, that:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
1 Corinthians 9.20-22 (NIV)
The point he makes is that he is pliable for salvation's sake, willing to become whatever he needs to for the gospel's sake. If it meant saving someone, he'd follow in whatever the Spirit led him to do or be. This seems to create a problem, however. How do we balance that thought with another thought that Paul offered:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2a (NIV)
Those words seem to contradict his thoughts from 1 Corinthians. One says he becomes anything to anyone the other says he refuses to conform to the same thing. While it seems to be a inconsistency, it is not if we take the whole verse in context. Paul continues in the verse to point out the results of the transformed mind for the believer:
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2b (NIV)
Please understand, Paul is not endorsing, nor am I for that matter, irresponsible and sinful behavior that we try to justify, claiming to be led by the Spirit. I do not use profanity when preaching so that I might be used by the Spirit to reach the profane; I do not condone the use of movie clips in worship that have sexual situations to reach the sexually immoral; I don't think singing songs that glorify despicable behavior is a good way to reach someone with poor morals and values. Why? Because the Holy Spirit (note the word Holy in the name) is unwilling to sin ... in fact, cannot be associated with sin. Lest we forget ... the Holy Spirit is God. To elaborate, Paul's thoughts do call for us to be discerning about what we use and how we use it. We need to be sure that our efforts are led by the Spirit and not out of some human agenda or ambition.
So when it is all said and done, what is my point? If I may be so bold, I think it is to point out that it is easy to stand and criticize the methods which are being used by the Spirit through others to reach the lost, but in some (maybe even many) cases, it is wrong; it's also easy to demand that opening the Bible and preaching the gospel is all that we need, but short-sighted if the Spirit is trying to reach someone through you who, for now at least, dismisses the Bible as authoritative; and it's easy to point out flaws in the efforts of others, but before you do consider when was the last time you shared your faith with someone else?
To my brother and his fellow-workers at Shively Christian Church and to all being inspired and used by the Spirit to reach the lost in creative, imaginative ways, I conclude with this thought from Theodore Roosevelt. I confess it is a "secular quote" but his thoughts are nonetheless, spiritually motivating to me and I hope to you:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Keep up the good work for the Lord!
Amen, brother and cousin! The methods change, the message never does. I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation.
I like too when Abraham Lincoln pointed out to his advisor that was bringing to light all of the criticisms of his presidency, he said that when dogs bark at the moon all night, the moon just keeps on shinning, or something like that. Dog's will bark, but the Spirit keeps on moving!
Blessings!
Posted by
Gregory Fish |
11:04 AM
Great thoughts. If only we all were willing to follow the spirit in directions that might be out of our comfort zone.
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