When ever you see Christians looking to the arts for redemptive value, you can be sure they have lost the cross. God couldn't have been clearer - the cross is offensive. On it the Holy Son of God died a death of blood and grossness. In it, God displayed Himself in art that offends, and is offensive to look at.
The cross when properly seen also shows the ugliness of human pride, which is another way of saying it shows how ugly humanity is. And its far uglier than any human artist will ever be willing to show. Art can't reach human rebellion. Which is why it is worthless to redemption.
Those who are trying to reach the present generation through the arts leave the grossness God behind - the cross of God - and leave God behind. Art has never, ever, been a drawing tool used by the Holy Spirit The written and spoken word is. Even in the OT, all that was made in the tabernacle had to reflect symmetry and nature, not man's artistic aspirations. Nor did it ever identify with man's fallenness, as so much art does today. All of the tabernacle reflected heaven, Exodus 25:40. Art is fine for art's sake. Let's just not confuse it and make it more than it is.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Political v. Spiritual Leadership
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). The freedom the Spirit gives is the liberation from sin and the flesh. No where is there more important than in those entrusted with leadership in the church.
Without The Titus Mandate, church leadership descends into the realm of the political. Below is a quick list of the differences between church leadership compromised with the world and sin, versus church leadership under the control of God’s Spirit.
Take a moment and reflect on the past few board meetings, and on the past few conflicts. Take a moment to honestly ask yourself where you may fall short, and where your church may fall short.
Those practices that mark the political church are marked by (P). Those that show the converse spiritual practice are marked by (S).
Without The Titus Mandate, church leadership descends into the realm of the political. Below is a quick list of the differences between church leadership compromised with the world and sin, versus church leadership under the control of God’s Spirit.
Take a moment and reflect on the past few board meetings, and on the past few conflicts. Take a moment to honestly ask yourself where you may fall short, and where your church may fall short.
Those practices that mark the political church are marked by (P). Those that show the converse spiritual practice are marked by (S).
1. Prefers man-made traditions over the Bible in solving church problems (P).
1. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17) (S).
1. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17) (S).
2. Resists Biblical teaching on divisive topics for fear of conflict (P).
2. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17) (S).
3. Deals with problems by going to votes (P).
3. Deals with problems by confronting the heart (Heb. 4:12-13, Rom. 15:14) (S).
4. Forms alliances and factions to promote agenda (James 4:1-4). Power is in numbers (P).
4. Seeks God's mind, even if having to be taught by the one who opposes you on an issue. Power is in God (S).
5. Hides agenda and resists openness (P).
5. Offers up one's life and decisions for examination (2 Cor. 4:2) (S).
6. In problem situations seeks to bind the conscience of the Christian to man-made documents (P).
6. Seeks to not bind the conscience of the Christian to man-made documents but to the Bible alone (Mat. 4:4) (S).
7. Exegetes man-made documents when conflicts arise (P).
7. Exegetes the Bible when conflicts arise (S).
8. Seeks to solve conflicts by appeasement and compromise (P).
8. Seeks to solve conflicts by faith and repentance to clear biblical principles (S).
9. Avoids the heart issues and struggles by storing up accusations for public meetings (P).
9. Deals with heart issues and struggles of fellow sinners first Gal. 6:1, Mat. 18:15ff (S).
10. Willing to accomplish agenda while bypassing biblical principles (Mat. 7:12) (P).
10. Changes agenda when biblical principles are threatened (Mat. 7:12) (S).
11. Views those in authority with suspicion whose power needs to be curbed (P).
11. Views those in authority with submission whose power is granted by God (1 Thess. 5:12-13, Heb. 13:17) (S).
12. Does not seek to understand problems first, but rather to make political gain by casting problems in a self-advantageous light (P).
12. Seeks to solve problems within biblical guidelines, seeking facts first, speaking to all involved people first, all the while looking at how to apply the Bible (Gal. 6:1, Mat. 18:15ff) (S).
13. Seeks security in man-made methods (P).
13. Seeks security in God's pattern in the Scripture (S).
14. Creates a heart of self-righteousness and self-vindication (P).
14. Creates a heart of humility and fear of the Lord (S).
15. Seeks to create peace by compromise (P).
15. Seeks to create peace by righteousness (James 3:18) (S).
16. Qualified by popular election to serve (P).
16. Qualified by God's Word to Serve (1 Tim. 3:1-15) (S).
17. Promotes territoriality instead of servanthood (i.e., protecting a board) (P).
17. Promotes servanthood instead of territoriality (S).
18. Resists and criticizes Scriptural teaching that confronts political structure (P).
18. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
19. Resists and criticizes Scriptural teaching that confronts the sins that the political structure covers up (P).
19. Confronts the sins that the political structure covers up Mat. 14:3-4 (S).
20. Uses political means to take away oversight ministry (P).
20. Confronts wrongdoing to take away oversight ministry 1 Tim. 5:17-22 (S).
21. Resents and resists personal confrontation (P).
21. Welcomes personal confrontation (Mat. 5:3) (S).
2. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17) (S).
3. Deals with problems by going to votes (P).
3. Deals with problems by confronting the heart (Heb. 4:12-13, Rom. 15:14) (S).
4. Forms alliances and factions to promote agenda (James 4:1-4). Power is in numbers (P).
4. Seeks God's mind, even if having to be taught by the one who opposes you on an issue. Power is in God (S).
5. Hides agenda and resists openness (P).
5. Offers up one's life and decisions for examination (2 Cor. 4:2) (S).
6. In problem situations seeks to bind the conscience of the Christian to man-made documents (P).
6. Seeks to not bind the conscience of the Christian to man-made documents but to the Bible alone (Mat. 4:4) (S).
7. Exegetes man-made documents when conflicts arise (P).
7. Exegetes the Bible when conflicts arise (S).
8. Seeks to solve conflicts by appeasement and compromise (P).
8. Seeks to solve conflicts by faith and repentance to clear biblical principles (S).
9. Avoids the heart issues and struggles by storing up accusations for public meetings (P).
9. Deals with heart issues and struggles of fellow sinners first Gal. 6:1, Mat. 18:15ff (S).
10. Willing to accomplish agenda while bypassing biblical principles (Mat. 7:12) (P).
10. Changes agenda when biblical principles are threatened (Mat. 7:12) (S).
11. Views those in authority with suspicion whose power needs to be curbed (P).
11. Views those in authority with submission whose power is granted by God (1 Thess. 5:12-13, Heb. 13:17) (S).
12. Does not seek to understand problems first, but rather to make political gain by casting problems in a self-advantageous light (P).
12. Seeks to solve problems within biblical guidelines, seeking facts first, speaking to all involved people first, all the while looking at how to apply the Bible (Gal. 6:1, Mat. 18:15ff) (S).
13. Seeks security in man-made methods (P).
13. Seeks security in God's pattern in the Scripture (S).
14. Creates a heart of self-righteousness and self-vindication (P).
14. Creates a heart of humility and fear of the Lord (S).
15. Seeks to create peace by compromise (P).
15. Seeks to create peace by righteousness (James 3:18) (S).
16. Qualified by popular election to serve (P).
16. Qualified by God's Word to Serve (1 Tim. 3:1-15) (S).
17. Promotes territoriality instead of servanthood (i.e., protecting a board) (P).
17. Promotes servanthood instead of territoriality (S).
18. Resists and criticizes Scriptural teaching that confronts political structure (P).
18. Seeks God's mind in all things (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
19. Resists and criticizes Scriptural teaching that confronts the sins that the political structure covers up (P).
19. Confronts the sins that the political structure covers up Mat. 14:3-4 (S).
20. Uses political means to take away oversight ministry (P).
20. Confronts wrongdoing to take away oversight ministry 1 Tim. 5:17-22 (S).
21. Resents and resists personal confrontation (P).
21. Welcomes personal confrontation (Mat. 5:3) (S).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
