Wednesday, February 07, 2007

WE ARE ALWAYS JUST IN KINDERGARTEN WITH GOD

Our people are so tied up in knots trying to sort through the church lingo that many have all but given up on sharing the good news with their neighbor because they can't keep the story straight. All know God is against man-made doctrine, yet we've accepted with open arms this Trojan horse. Enormous strain develops in trying to assure ourselves that much of our doctrine did not come from man but from God Himself. As far as evangelistic effectiveness is concerned, we live in fundamental neutral. How can we remember how it goes when the Word really isn't there to show our neighbor?
  1. Our hermeneutic is made up: Man created it to claim the texts he wanted and to somehow dismiss those he doesn't. Hermeneutic is not a biblical term and was never taught by God. The "Direct Command", "Example", and "Necessary Inference" passages seem to have melted. Look at it. Necessary Inference? That's what man does to get his way when the Bible won't back it. One can claim, "Well, at least it's inferred."
  2. Our stance on instrumental music is wrong: Man created this doctrine which makes it a toughy if we are going to share the true doctrine with our neighbors. Instrumental music was not an issue in the first century church because it wasn't an issue with God. Instuments of worship are not new. They were abundantly available back in Jesus and Paul's day. Did they not pick up on this potential threat and address it....at least once? So, do you not think it odd that such an element is present at the time of the N.T. writings, yet they never discussed it? Were they afraid to? Didn't they have some crossover issues from the old covenant to the new? It could be this was not an issue then and they didn't expect to be now.
  3. Authority of Silence of the Scriptures is surely created by man. It seems very important to some as this guides their doctrinal stances. Where does the Word address it? I believe argumentative Christians made this one up to get their way when they couldn't get it any other. Those who stick by their guns on this one abandon it quickly when it comes to justifying the millions they spend on church buildings....of which the Word is silent.

True, very true, the Bible has enough of it's own marvelous depth to keep us at bay in admitted ignorance. It is a Life-giving stream which washes us in newness day by day. It's freshness will not be bottled and sold as "this is the way, the only way" based upon man's understanding. As great as ours gets, God will always be there saying, "My ways are not your ways, nor are My thoughts your thoughts, for My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."

When one couples that with our man-made inventions (and we deny such trying to pawn it off onto God as if He said it), the wheels of outreach eventually succumb to the stress of trying to remember exactly how all of this goes.

Wouldn't it be easier to let the Word support itself without adding our attempt at genius to help it along where it's unclear. We can trust the Word. We can't trust us. That very much includes me. I will always be in kindergarten eager to learn from Him. Such will always involves sorting the God-words from the man-ones.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a blog conversation with a couple of guys about this very issue last week. I was trying to get them to explain to me how silence forbids instruments but allows the 97 other things we do that aren't in Scripture. After refusing to answer a couple of times and trying to blow smoke a couple of others, they finally attempted at an answer. You talk about messed up theology. If you like, go to my blog www.im4geezus.wordpress.com and look under the "Courageous Leaders" post comments. It is quite amazing.

Liz Moore said...

I have learned over years that the more I'm in the word, the more I find just God's word, not the words of man and the traditions we sometimes uphold as truth that simply aren't there. You're right, we will always be in Kindergarten with God. We can read the same passage 25 fives and see something new every time. I love the way God's word is always fresh and new. He knows where we are and shows us what we need to see every time. I enjoy continuing to learn something new every time. Love you!

Anonymous said...

Very strong ideas, Terry, this is a huge idea and a worthy battle to be fighting in the Christian community. It must always be about God, and I think when that happens we move toward including people in this great movement of God. Our traditions are nothing compared to God's Word and his will for humanity.

Nellie said...

Say on!!

DJT said...

Thank you for so eloquently challenging me. I way too often fail to share Jesus and the impact he has on my life. By saying that, I think it shows that I still need more impact or that I just need to quit thinking it is up to me to say or do the right thing. I am just expected to sow seed!!

Donna G said...

Amen!

We can't preach it when it don't amke sense....and when you strip it away..it don't make sense!

Theresa said...

What marvelous simplicity! And yet there are times I still feel like a 2 year old trying to keep up with the kindergarteners. :)

His Word is Life! And I choose It over my own insignificant ones any day.

Thanks for the reminder, friend. :)