Total Church - In Practice

After two opening chapters, principles on gospel and community, the second and final section of Total Church is on the practice of gospel and community.

On Evangelism.
p. 53 - Much evangelism is skewed towards me and my needs. But, the gospel is about God exercising his rule through his Messiah for his glory.

I've been preaching on Elijah in our evening services and meeting felt needs is a principle aspect of Baal worship, in deed all idol worship. You can here themes from NT Wright on the gospels in this comment on God's rule through his Messiah. I like Wright's work and it is good to see this kind of earthing of it in evangelism.

There is a great section on pp. 60-61 on the vital importance in evangelism of ordinary people doing ordinary things.

On Church Planting
p. 85 makes the claim that church planting is the best way to be missionary. This may be so, but surely the 'best way' is not the only way, and may not be appropriate for all Christian communities.
On the same page a brilliant section on Christian community being at the heart of mission. Mission is not about one, or a group within the community engaging in some 'mission' activity, but about the whole community living as disciples of Jesus.
It seems to me that the purpose of election is mission - on this see Gen 11-12, Chris Wright 'The Mission of God' and other places.

There is a challenge given to congregation who are celebrating anniversaries - 50th, 100th, 125th! What are they celebrating and do they become focused upon their past, their tradition and heritage rather than focusing on their mission in the present and the future?

I hope these short comments of mine are encouraging you to buy and read this book.

On bible reading

This week I’ve been reading through Romans 9 to 11. This is surely a very challenging passage of Scripture which must raise some serious questions for us about our God, our relationship to him and the text in which we read these things.

For many any thought of election is an abomination, to be rejected out of hand. However, this is something that is taught in Scripture, even if we might want to argue about what it means. At the very least we should agree that this is what the Scripture teaches.

As a result of just over 100 years of very thorough textual research we can say with something approaching 97% accuracy that the text of the New Testament is settled and well attested. It is just not reasonable to suppose that at some point the actual words of the New Testament are in doubt.

However, while not saying this, or challenging this outcome of scholarly study, there are many who without a backward glance will excise some passage of the New Testament on the grounds that they don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit in with their understanding of God.

In the Reformed tradition we have agreed to place Scripture above human reason and above human tradition. Not above the need for Spirit led interpretation, we are to study the Scriptures with all the skill and wisdom God has given us aided by his Spirit. What we have agreed is to being our study with a humble and reverent submission to Scripture. God has spoken. It is not up to us to ignore or reject God’s word on the basis that we don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit in with our understanding of God. It is up to us to remain before the Scripture until God blesses us in it.

What is needed in our churches, in our Christian living as we seek to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the living word of God, is a holy submission before the written word of God that it might be the light shinning in our darkness to lead us into the way of the cross.