On Sat, 01-12-08 11:12 pm
I was browsing at a Christian bookstore earlier today and picked up a book that looked interesting. I flipped it over to look at the back and noticed endorsements from R.C. Sproul and John Armstrong, plus the following:
The crying need of the church today is for discernment - the ability to recognize truth and distinguish it from error. [This book] reminds us that truth is important, and (contrary to the spirit of our age) real truth is not merely a matter of subjective individual opinion. - John MacArthur, endorsing Who Are You to Judge? by Erwin Lutzer, Senior Pastor of Moody Church
I bought the book and began reading it. I’m also in the process of reading David E. Garland’s commentary on 1 Corinthians (see below) but will also try to present some gleanings on Lutzer’s book, too. His opening chapter discusses the cultural quagmire in which the church today finds itself, as well as the effect of postmodernism on the church.
Appetizers:
The church is to be in the world as a ship is in the ocean; but when the ocean seeps into the ship, the ship is in trouble. I fear that the evangelical ship is taking on water.
There are churches and individuals that are making a great impact for the gospel, and for that we are thankful. But for the most part, we as Christians have settled down to a comfortable kind of Christianity that demands very little and therefore, in turn, makes very little difference in the wider culture. . . .
Officially, we believe that without trusting Jesus as Savior people are lost; unofficially, we act as if what people believe and the way they behave really does not matter.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Officially, I agree with the quotes you cited. Postmodernism does express views that oppose the scripture.
However, I don’t get that alarmed about it. Yes, the church has to be true to God’s word, but that’s always been true and will continue to be true. I find postmodernism annoying, not because I’m a Christian but more because I’m old enough to still be modern. Christianity has survived cultural shifts in the past. As Christians, we should be more focused on how to present the gospel to postmodern world and less on keeping the ocean out of the ship. I’m not saying that we abandon God’s word or allow drift from orthodoxy - we always have to be orthodox. I am saying that we should be more focused on how to communicate the gospel in postmodern language. It may even be easier to communicate the gospel in a postmodern culture. We don’t want to find ourselves defending our culture instead of the gospel.
When culture shifted to a modern culture, the church responded reacting against modernity. Eventually the church caught up. Now, culture is shifting to postmodernity. The church will catch up. Christianity is trans-cultural. There are modern Christians and postmodern Christians. Don’t forget who said, “I will build My church.”
February 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am
>I fear that the evangelical ship is taking on water
Throughout its history, from the beginning, the Church’s ship has been taking on water. Prophets are the inspectors who call for the bucket brigade, while those in the upper cabins go on like nothing is happening.
Take your pick, from day one till today, Christendom has always had leaks, sometimes even major holes that threatened to sink it. But God is the Captain, and he never fails to send enough inspectors and willing workers to keep the ship afloat.
It is almost comical, however, when an obvious leak appears in a well appointed cabin that thought itself immune to the problems of the other areas of the ship. We are all in the same boat.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:44 am
William:
Once again, I agree with what you say. Let me extrapolate a bit on your statement,
That is true: God does send inspectors and willing workers to get the job done, but sometimes others, passengers and crew, refuse to cooperate and the ship is abandoned - not by them but by God, as he threatened to do with the church of Ephesus in Rev 2. It happens and it is sad when it does.