Everything you do reveals something about your belief system.
Those two statements are important for individuals and churches as they make decisions about the future. To that end, we have identified a number of truths that are crucial to us as we think about ministry and the church. I was able to say much of what is essential in each of those areas yesterday, but a few random thoughts remain on my mind as I think about these topics —
1. We believe in the supremacy of God above all things.
If God is supreme, that means that He is also sufficient (as is His Word). And if God is sufficient, that has (at least) two implications for ministry: we don't need to resort to a pragmatic (dogs, whistles, and dancing bears) approach to ministry. A simple and articulate declaration of His truth is sufficient to sustain ministry without the application of secular principles and ideas. It also means that God is trustworthy. He is enough and He is able. That He is able to provide the greatest need of mankind (salvation), means that He is also able to provide all the lesser needs as well. As C. S. Lewis said, "He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone."
And if God is supreme above all things, then He is also worthy of attentive worship:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God.
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit 'round it and pluck blackberries. [Elizabeth Barrett Browning]
I don't want to be a blackberry plucker. Nor do I want our church to have the legacy of being busy but missing the chance to reveal and delight in God.
2. We believe in the transforming work of the Holy Spirit
Since God is both supreme and sufficient there is nothing beyond the bounds of His authority. He is capable of transforming any man into a God-glorifying man. There is no individual beyond His redeeming abilities. That may be self-evident, but it's the kind of thing that many people today need to hear.
And many also view the end of the transformation process, when men are in the presence of God and can see Him — they are then fully redeemed. And while that ultimate redemption and transformation is our goal, it does not preclude the ongoing work of the Spirit now. He will not only change us finally in eternity, but He is changing us even now.
3. We believe in the sufficiency of Scripture
J. I. Packer summarized well why it is that we are so passionate to defend the inerrancy of Scripture:
When evangelicals call the Bible "inerrant", part at least of their meaning is this: that in exegesis and exposition of Scripture and in building up our biblical theology from the fruits of our Bible study, we may not (1) deny, disregard, or arbitrarily relativize, anything that the biblical writers teach, nor (2) discount any of the practical implications for worship and service that their teaching carries, nor (3) cut the knot of any problem of Bible harmony, factual or theological, by allowing ourselves to assume that the inspired writers were not necessarily consistent either with themselves or with each other. It is because the word "inerrant" makes these methodological points about handling the Bible, ruling out in advance the use of mental procedures that can only lead to reduced and distorted versions of Christianity, that it is so valuable and, I think, so much valued by those who embrace it.
If the Bible is errant or its truth obscured and indiscernible, then it is worthless. But since it is inerrant and since its truth has not been obscured and its wisdom is discernible, it has authority and is sufficient to address our needs (beginning with the greatest need — to know God).
What we do as individuals and as a church is rooted in what we believe about God. It all starts with a clear understanding about Him. When He is the focus of the ministry, then He also is the power and sufficiency for the ministry, and then people are equipped to know and love Him. It's His church. It's all about Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment