Polluted Polity

Introduction

Unless you are marooned on a desert island or exercising a media boycott, you have encountered the news of the attempted coup at Coral Ridge Church in Florida. A group of members opposed to the continued Pastoral Leadership of Tullian Tchividjian sought his removal. They brought in some Denominational personnel to referee the fight (let’s be honest, that is exactly what this was). They conducted this fiasco diplomatically. Each 'side' (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-17, 3:1-4) had ten spokespersons who defended 'their' perspective. Better this than some other scenarios I have encountered.

There were a multitude of errors committed by a host of people involved in this scenario. I simply list a few. 1) Church mergers are seldom harmonious and effective initiatives - they almost always fail. 2) One of the most crucial aspects of calling a Pastor is 'fit' - - does the man fit the congregation and the congregation fit the man. That this is not the case here is obvious to the Blind Man in John 9! TT is 38, a majority of the CR Congregation is 60+. 3) Change is a process not an event. Those members with long standing participation saw their traditions being quickly jettisoned in favor of structures they absolutely oppose. Once emotional opposition is established, and it most certainly was in this case, forget rational or even exegetical solutions. It became an "us" verses "them" cat fight. There are many more issues, but this brief list reveals the struggle that almost had to ensue given the multiple failures on both sides of the equation.

Thesis

It should not be possible for a congregation to rise up and depose the Pastor simply because they are unhappy with peripheral issues (he does not wear a robe, he does not conduct 'altar calls' at the close of the service, etc.). This is nothing more than a popularity contest and it denigrates the office of Pastor, The Church and most tragically the LORD. (In a CT interview TT was asked - If you were an un-churched person reading about dissident church members trying to oust their pastor, how open would you be to seeing Christianity as the answer for your life? His response = Not very open. Francis Schaeffer once said that division inside the church gives the world the justification they're looking for not to believe.) ABSOLUTELY TRUE and how many people in South FL did not hear about this circus? There is not a single thread of exegetical substantiation for this kind of insanity. The process of democratic governance is drawn from culture not the text of Scripture.

The question then becomes - - Why is this permitted as standard practice in the majority of Evangelical churches? The answer is clear. Churches are not governed by Special Revelation. They are governed by The Constitution, The By-Laws or worse, Roberts Rules of Order! Research conducted by FOTF and H.B. London revealed that 25% of Evangelical Pastors reported that they have been 'fired' or chose to leave rather than being fired at least once (Chuck Swindoll is among this elite group of Shepherds).

Proposed Solution

1. When considering a Pastoral Position, thoroughly and with laser like precision clarify this issue and secure an absolute binding commitment codified in a document by all parties to this principle – all polity and ministry issues will be governed by the clear and precise exegesis of the text of Scripture. If the proposed action or initiative does not have support from the text of Scripture it is not carried out. If any existing documents differ with this premise they are modified to harmonize with Scripture or discarded in favor of the Word of God.

2. Determine the issue of “Fit”. Is the position you are considering a genuine Christ honoring alliance of Pastor & People, or, will you be the latest in a long line of discarded Shepherds? Unapologetic honesty on the part of all concerned is crucial in this process.

3. There is a clear and unambiguous written statement that the principle set forth in #1 above is the final arbiter in all matters. There is a well defined decision making process that is applied in all matters without apology or exception. Approval is never granted to decisions or initiatives that are in conflict with God’s Word. Votes are never taken on any matter that is clear in God’s Word.

4. Leadership is not an issue of ‘democracy’, but rather, one of gentle, courageous and prudent direction taken from the Word of God and communicated to His people; communication is clear, frequent and abundant. Affirmation is expressed by God’s people having been apprised of the mind of God on specific issues. When there is ambiguity or questions, those matters are addressed with the person or persons having the questions, not as a ‘floor fight’ which merely provides a venue for the malcontents to champion their cause.

Much more can be written on this topic but I would appreciate your response and thoughts on this vital issue of Church Polity.

Homeless

What does the term "homeless" mean to you? Do you have any idea of the daily routine of people who are homeless? No privacy. No hygene. No sense of belonging with significance. In many cases, no relationships that are shaped by trust and mutual respect. A profound absence or lack of purpose.

Today I had lunch with about 75 homeless people - both genders. One man who sat in fornt of me had his blanket folded up and he used it for a chair cushion. I imagine tonight it will protect him from the damp and chill of the night air. It is probably the closest thing he has to "a home". Another man carried an extra pair of shoes.

They received an offering. Those who chose to participate came up and put their mammon in a red bucket. No gold plated plates here. Not even any ushers to 'pass the plate". Just simple sacrifice.

Now the contrast. Yesterday I was notified of my acceptance into an area Club. This grants my wife and I privileges at area Country Clubs, Golf Courses and other fine Clubs around the country and the world when I am traveling. I come "home". I did not eat lunch today ( Mac & Cheese, Baked Chicken, Green Beans and a LARGE piece of cake). I just observed and prayed.

The difference between me and those surrounding me today is largely an issue of God's Sovereign rule and reign among the nations of the earth. I am surely not deserving. I am as wretched a sinner as those I was seated with. Home is truly a blessed place. Warmth. Stability. Space. Control.

Pray for those who are in the grip of this plight. Sure, many or most of them made choices along the way that put them in this situation. My God cares about them as I do. I will dine with them again. I will try to grasp the heart of a man whose 'home' is his blanket. Pray with me. What canwe do that matters for time and for eternity?

The Song of Moses & Continuity

Moses addressed the nation of Israel 1400 BC as they prepared to enter the land. The nation, not Moses. He DQ'd back at The Rock - - smiting it rather than speaking to it. Joshua is command to 'go with this people'. What an assignment. He knew them well. Rebels. Hard-hearted. Idol worshippers.

In Deut. 32 is recorded the Song of Moses. This morning I spoke on Deut. 32. We closed our service with an 8 minute rendition of The Song of Moses from Rev. 15. This was sung by the Brooklyn Metropolitan Tabernacle Choir. Great & Mighty is our God! Indeed.

3,400 years from Moses until today. that Hymn will also be sung in eternity. Continuity par excellance! Sing it again!! Wonderful.

PS You can go to YouTube and do a search - enter The Song of Moses. It is magnificent. It lifts the listener to lofty heights in worshipping the Sovereign of The Ages. Enjoy.

Truth - Technology - Time

We are creatures of habit. We establish routines that consume our days like a ravenous beast with an insatiable appetite. We dislike change or interruptions. Then, in His Great Mercy & Grace, God sends us what we need verses our rigid routines.

My Lap Top failed to start. I took it to a very reliable vendor who does my repair work. Dropped it off Monday morning with a promise to have it back by Tuesday noon. Would you believe Thursday about 4:30 PM? (There is more to this story - - I have to take it back next week).

During the hiatus I did some very enjoyable reading - - and thinking. Ponederous thinking. Hours with a pot of STARBUCKS and solitude. I worked in my office at home. No interruptions. No phone calls. No "I just dropped in to say - - - !

The quality and benefit of the time I invested those 4 days was quite different than the norm. I do not wish PC trouble on anyone. But, just take your Lap Top, put it in your brief case and spend two or three days reading, praying and jubilating in the magnificent presence of the One whose Face we seek. You will discover the sheer joy of finding Him there. No words are adequate but I highly recommend the endeavor. Blessings as you ponder.

PM Omniscience

This is a Short Drama (very short) 3 Acts

Act 1 - Moreen Dowd would deny with a vengance the premise that through sound exegesis an interpreter can know with certainty the meaning of a given Biblical Text. She would belch the typical Post Modern Screed that we simply cannot know authorial intent, what a given author meant when he wrote. This posture is maintained even though there is a solid corpus of interpretive princinple tested over time and affirmed by a multitude of Biblical Scholars.

Act 2 - Congressman Joe Wilson speaks two words "you lie". Suddenly MD knows what he really meant; even though all he said was "you lie". Apparently she knows this because she posssess some sort of "Fringe Media" (to quote Glenn Beck) omniscience. The Congressman is a 'racist' even though there is not a shred of evidential data to support such a claim.

Act 3 - Anyone who diagrees with MD is also a racist.

Consistency thou art a gem! For some serious scholarship on the topic of meaning and authorial intent I recommend the reader consume and apply the works of Kevin Van Hoozer; Trinity Seminary, Deerfield IL.

Is There a Meaning in This Text?

God, Scripture & Hermeneutics - First Theology

The Drama of Doctrine

Everyday Theology - How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends

Have We Lost Our Appetite?

Historical Overview - Israel had languished in Egypt for 400 years. Pharaoh had increased an already weighty burden on them. More bricks - no straw. They witnessed the miracles of the ten plagues. The last of those plagues was the death of the First Born. the "Death Angel" silently roared through the land and the first born died. Not a dog barked. There was absolutley no question as to the source of this sweeping plague of death. It was the True & Living God. He showed Himself to be God ALONE!

Exodus - Free at last. 400 years of bondage and now we are FREE! The chains of bondage are broken. We are free to worship this Great God who preserved us in and delivered us from the unrelenting grief of Egypt. The blood on the door post and lintels marked us as the people of Jehovah (cf. Ministry Magazine, www.ministrymagazine.com , Covered with blood: A better understanding of Exodus 12:7 by L. S. Baker for an interesting historical and archeological insight into the blood on the doorpost.). The Death Angel passed over us. What mercy. What Grace.

Rebellious & Thankless - In Numbers 11 Moses and Aaron face a murmuring band of rebels. The text refers to them as "rabble"; probably to gracious. They are free, Jehovah is their Cloud & Pillar. They have witnessed the destruction of the Egyptian army. They passed over on dry ground. Their complaint? No meat. They express disdain for mana and long for the fish, cucumbers, garlic, melons and onions of Egypt - - and you do not get that without a return to BONDAGE!! Stunning, absolutely stunning. They have the very Presence & Provision of Jehovah God and all they can do is whine and complain. They want the familiarity of the past (even though that includes life as slaves) rather than the liberty and joy of Jehovah's Provision & Presence.

Application - Sound familiar. The church has the Promise & Presence of the LORD - - I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS. They prefer to feast on the husks of the bankrupt culture of post-modernism. No Truth. No certainty. No Redemption. No Hope. These folks are, as the text says - rabble! Cover them with prayer. Perhaps, as the text says, (2Tim. 2:22-26) some will come to their senses.

Prayer - LORD forgive us. Cleanse us. Open our eyes that we see you High & Lifted up! Restore our appetite for Mana, the Mana of the Word of God. Make it, as Job said, more precious than our daily portion, more essential than Cheerios and Starbucks! Make it Applied Theology. Integrate Truth into the fiber of our being so that we and all we touch is Transformed for the Glory of Jesus Who is LORD!

Making Ministry a Movement

Pre-Reformation - John Wycliff

Pre- Reformation - John Huss http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNwR6-S76ec

When the chain was put about him at the stake, he said, with a smiling countenance, "My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain than this for my sake, and why then should I be ashamed of this rusty one?"

When the fagots were piled up to his very neck, the duke of Bavaria was so officious as to desire him to abjure. "No, (said Huss;) I never preached any doctrine of an evil tendency; and what I taught with my lips I now seal with my blood." He then said to the executioner, "You are now going to burn a goose, (Huss signifying goose in the Bohemian language:) but in a century you will have a swan which you can neither roast nor boil." If he were prophetic, he must have meant Martin Luther, who shone about a hundred years after, and who had a swan for his arms.

The Reformation - Martin Luther, John Calvin.

William Tyndale - (The house in Delft where the Bible was first translated into the language of the people is now a "Subway Sandwich Shop" with only a small plaque to signify the historical significance of that place)

Methodist - John Wesley.

George Whitfield - The Great Awakening in America

One straight forward question for my readers to consider and answer.

What are the transferable and reproducable essential factors that produced a movement of global dimensions through these leaders?

There are scores of very credible Christ honoring ministries in the USA. Their stated objectives are solid. Their doctrinal convictions parallel many or most of those individuals listed above. There are resources dedicated to their efforts. All that said, we still witness a pittance of the total impact desired and urgently needed.

I DO NOT have the answer to my own question. However, as long as I have breath and life I will pursue the equation necessary to see this MOVEMENT become a REALITY! God is God - then and now. HE alone is fully capable of doing now what he did then. Join me in praying and laboring to that end. I plead with other Leaders to give momentum to this noble and Christ honoring goal!

Divide & Conquer

9Marks, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Founders Ministries, T4G, IgniteUS and a host of other very credible ministries. They all have one common denominator - they believe in the Authority of Scripture, the priority of local church and the Doctrines of Grace, Reformed Theology that is passionate about evangelism and the Great Commission. So, what is the problem? We are divided not by philosophical or theological nuance but simply a lack of focused endeavor.

Example - I attended a conference here in Columbia hosted by First Presbyterian, Pastor Sinclair Ferguson. Expository Preaching. Wonderful venue. Alistair Begg, Ligon Duncan and other very capable dedicated Christian Leaders. To a man, every person I spoke with attending this event was already persuaded of the issues being proclaimed. There did not appear to be any 'conversions' taking place, men moving away from the post-modern market driven approach to church. I corresponded with Dr. David Wells (Gordon Conwell) and author of five titles addressing this very topic. My appeal was to broaden the scope of our influence. David responded by saying that he is doing all he can. I accept his judgement but I do not see our tent being enlarged.

We do NOT need yet another organization. This is not my appeal. My appeal is that we invest serious energy and resources through the existing entities so that we DO make some 'converts', men who embrace the definition, purpose and methods of Intentional Disciple-making that produce genuine Transformation and penetrates our ragged post-modern culture to reach people currently oblivious to Truth Absolute.

We MUST petition our Great God to bring a fresh tsunami of the Authority of Scripture and Integrated or Applied Theology. People actually live 24/7 what we claim to believe concerning God's revelation of Himself.

I invite my readers to contact me on this endeavor. A cloud the size of a mans hand may become a category 5 storm that brings Grace & Truth to America! AMEN & AMEN!

Gnats & Camels

On my way to the office this morning I heard Inez Tennenbaum (Consumer Products Safety Commission) expressing an urgent appeal to remove the draw strings from hooded sweat shirts because a youngster in the state of Washington choked to death when the draw string became entangled in playground equipment. How many millions of children have worn hooded sweat shirts in the past 50 years? Do the math comparatively. Tragic to be sure. I hope we grieve at the loss of ANY life. That said, think with me here.

Since 1973 in America we have permitted the murder, the slaughter of innocents via abortion of 50 million children. Not only is there no government outcry, but, there is an attack, vicious and unrelenting, against anyone who would dare to raise their voice in opposition to this pillage of those unable to defend themselves. I weep for our land. I weep for the church that has been complicit by her silence and inactivity. We have raised a real stink about health care but we have slept through this carnage of unimaginable proportions. Shame!

I come repeatedly to Ezekeil 7. Through the Prophet the Sovereign LORD says: THE END! God had reached the outer limits of His great mercy and long-suffering with His Covenant people. I wake each morning with a fresh fire in my belly to confront the apathy and indolence in the American Church. I also wonder as I pray when God will say - THE END! Perhaps He already has and I am just not able or willing to recognize that fact.

I pray not. THANK YOU LORD for another new day. Change the way America does church before we get to THE END!! Amen!

Mis-Understood or Clearly Understood?

The ravages of post-modernism upon meaning. We live in a culture and the principles operative in that culture have a profound impact on all segments of that culture. There has been an onslaught against Absolute Truth for decades in America. The issue of 'meaning' was attacked by such academics as Wittgenstein at Ohio State (Logical Positivism) and Derrida in Europe. Their thesis was and is - - there is no such thing as knowing authorial intent, what a writer or speaker intended when they wrote or spoke. Kevin Van Hoozer tackles this thorny issue in his wonderful work titled Is There a Meaning in This Text?

Recently, Van Jones resigned as the "Green Czar" in the current administration in Wash D.C. His screed upon resignation was that "he was mis-understood". Quite the contrary, the American people DID understand exactly what he was saying and more importantly, what he meant.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, offered the same ludicrous claim when rebuffed for some of her rants about the participation of the populace in Town Hall Meetings around the country. She called these folks "Brown Shirts". Once again, the people understand exactly what she said and what she meant.

The Bishop of the Episcopal Denomination in the USA made the claim that (let her own words make my case):

Lane Denson reminded us recently that stewards are wardens of the styes – keepers of the pigpens. We’re beginning to notice that our global garden increasingly resembles an odorous sty. But it’s not pigs who are the problem – pigs are neat and tidy if they have enough space. The problem is with their keepers, who see the pigs only as bacon and ham producing machines, rather than part of God’s good creation and therefore deserving of appropriate respect.

The crisis of this moment has several parts, and like Episcopalians, particularly ones in Mississippi, they’re all related. The overarching connection in all of these crises has to do with the great Western heresy –that we can be saved as individuals, that any of use alone can be in right relationship with God. It’s caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus. That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of all being. That heresy is one reason for the theme of this Convention.

This post is not about Politics. This post is not about the current Episcopalian skid (their National Membership is falling like a rock). This post is about words and their relationships giving meaning to language, a meaning that any clear thinking person is capable of discerning and understanding with absolute clarity.

Go to You Tube. Search for the multiple video postings there of Van Jones. Watch and listen. Based on what he says in those postings he is correctly characterized as a Leftist, a Racist, a Socialist, a Radical, and probably an out and out Communist. He is promoting the redistribution of wealth - - taking from those who have and giving to those who do not. That is brutally clear. Mr. Jones you were not mis-understood. We understand exactly what you said and exactly what you mean.

Read the quote above. There is little or no room for nuanced meanings. She said what she meant and meant what she said. Case closed.

Application - Words and their relationships give meaning to language. God said what He meant and meant (means) what He says. The Bible is clear, unambiguous and may be read and understood by those who read it, in spite of Derrida, Wittgenstein, Jones, Pelosi and Schori.

That my good friend is Good News and that is precisely what I mean to say!!

Learning to Listen

The WORD Channel, The Church Channel, BOV, This is Your Day, Changing Your World, ad- infinitum. This is a very brief list of Cable TV offerings that people watch as they surf through the channels. What do they hear? What skills have they acquired to discern Truth from Error or worse, sheer apostasy? The average American Adult watches (??) hours per week of TV. Some of it will inevitably be 'religious broadcast'.

Pastors have 30 - 45 minutes at best to shape the thinking of their people, assuming they attend each Sunday. Some percentage of their listeners will also participate in a Small Group or an Adult Bible Fellowship. At best, pastors have 3 hours per week to equip and shape the thinking of people in today's mobile and autonomous minded culture. (The matter of structure for ministry and making people ACTIVE participants in the Drama of Redemption is a topic for another post).

The simple fact is this. Unless Pastors adopt and apply a very intentional and effective process to equip their people with listening skills, they will ultimately have a congregation full of theological smorgasbord. I often call this the 'cafeteria' approach to theology. When my earthly father retired in the Rio Valley of TX, he liked to dine at Luby's Cafeteria because of the almost infinite variety of choices. When visiting, we were required to join him and at least act like we enjoyed the cuisine!! There is a one to one correlation between Luby's Cuisine and the 'variety' one encounters in listening to cable TV. Both are subject to serious question as to the 'nourishment' acquired in "dining" there.

An additional factor in this dilemma, there is no systematic and effective process to know what people are assimilating. Their Worldview is shaped by all the mish-mash they gather from the hermeneutical disasters claiming to 'preach the word'; (Numerology, Proof-texting, Prosperity 'Gospel', Eschatological Weirdos, etc. etc.)

Perhaps the most abused 'victim' in this tragedy is context. Any credible Bible School teaches in Hermeneutics 101 the importance of context. Context is King! Listen for 15 minutes and try to apply this vital principle to what you hear.

I have merely introduced the problem or challenge in this post. It is my desire to present some basic guidelines for the persons in the pew to apply while listening. Pray with me that our efforts equip the people of God with the skills and passion to hear, understand, obey and live!

Failure and Effectiveness

This morning I had a conversation with a man who stated numerous times in our conversation that "he had failed". That reference was to his Leadership role in the ministry he leads. By all other accounts, he would be regarded as a 'roaring success'. This was not false humility. This was genuine passion to see the Kingdom of God and Jesus as LORD exalted ever more and more.

The text speaks to this issue. Genuine Humility is an admirable quality in a Leader. How do you regard your contribution to the Kingdom?

Justification

GToday I listened to a one hour audio file (http://www.sbts.edu/resources/), a panel discussion at Southern Seminary. The topic is the "New Perspective on Paul" as articulated by N.T. Wright. The participants were well informed and spoke with irenic grace.

Justification, specifically the issue of imputation, is at the heart of Reformed Theology. Wright's position clearly points us back to Rome.

I urge the reader to go to the link and invest the time necessary to grapple with the issue. Read John Piper's book on The Future of Justification.

Wright has written much that is helpful. This issue is not some remote eschatological nuance that has tertiary consequence. This matter is the heart of our faith. We must show diligence and integrity in guiding God's people and our own souls on this matter.

Redemption Comes From Where?

I recently had a breakfast meeting at the Capital City Club in Columbia. This facility is on the top floor of the tallest building in Columbia. My companion was testifying in a court case and he was a few minutes late (the Judge controls the Court Room). In waiting for him I had a cup of coffee and enjoyed the view (check the photo) of our State Capital Building.


Redemption is from Heaven, not, the Capital Building. "All Politics is Local!" "Politics is dirty business." "Majority rules!" Sound familiar?

For decades we have squabbled in SC over where to position the Confederate Flag. There is still a boycott in place even though there was an agreement reached as to its current placement. The issue is so much deeper and much more significant than the flag. It is the condition of man's heart.

In the regions of Heaven, the majority do not rule. Jehovah reigns! Our God is a Benevolent Despot. He is the Sovereign of the Universe - -

which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Tim. 6:15-16).