Why "Friendship Evangelism" Isn't Biblical

"The notion (and that's all it is) that Christians have to establish long-term relationships with people in order to "earn the right" to share the gospel with them; the notion that we should let people see the gospel in us and thus making the verbal proclamation of the gospel unnecessary; the notion that "relating to people" (as it is most often taught and practiced by American Christians) is somehow a prerequisite for sharing the gospel has no Scriptural support. None. And any effort to draw such inferences from the text of Scripture is an eisegetical exercise that might make Christians feel better about their evangelistic disobedience, and might make pastors and their ministries more popular, but, in the end, will only prove to be a disservice to the Scriptures, Christians, and the countless number of lost souls who aren't reached by believers who practice such philosophies of ministry.

And to the second object Allen’s friend made—the use of the Law in evangelism: his objection doesn’t hold up to even a cursory reading of Scripture, let alone any close, logical scrutiny."

~Tony Miano

The whole assumption in Friendship Evangelism (FE) is that preaching the Gospel is offensive and will turn people off (of course it does! That's what the Bible says.), and that we need to "earn the right" to be heard. Such people are afraid of offending the unbeliever either before or after creating a friendship with them, so they never will proclaim the Gospel to their new friends...they don't want to turn them off to "Jesus". Of course, they don't worry about the Holy God of Israel being offended by said "friends". Besides, as Tony said, we don't need anyone's permission to share the Gospel, least of all one of HIS enemies! Rather, we already have God's commandment to proclaim it.

There is no such thing as silent witnessing (and how else will a Christian be persecuted?):

Luk 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, HEARING THE WORD, hold it fast in

an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Act 4:4 But many of those who had HEARD THE WORD believed, and the number of the men

came to about five thousand.

Act 10:44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who HEARD THE

WORD.

Act 13:7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to HEAR THE WORD OF GOD.

Act 13:46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that THE

WORD OF GOD BE SPOKEN first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves

unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has

commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation

to the ends of the earth.'" 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to HEAR THE

WORD OF THE LORD. 48 And when the Gentiles HEARD this, they began rejoicing and

glorifying the THE WORD OF THE LORD, and as many as were appointed to eternal life

believed. 49 And THE WORD OF THE LORD was spreading throughout the whole region.

Act 19:10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia HEARD THE WORD

OF THE LORD, both Jews and Greeks.

Act 24:24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him SPEAK ABOUT FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

Rom 10:13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"

Rom 10:17 So faith comes from HEARING, HEARING THROUGH THE WORD OF

CHRIST.

Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL of your salvation, AND BELIEVED IN HIM, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Col 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Col 1:4 since we HEARD OF YOUR FAITH in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all

the saints,:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have HEARD BEFORE

IN THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL,6 which has come to you, as indeed in the

whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you

HEARD IT and understood the grace of God in truth,

The Gospel is preached, not silently lived out, because you cannot live out the truth of Jesus

being eternally God the Son, born of a Virgin, was sinless, took on the full wrath of God the

Father, bore the forsaking of the Son by the Father, or the Resurrection. These things cannot be

"lived out", but rather must be proclaimed.

And be sure you are proclaiming the biblical Gospel. Your testimony, your stories are not

the Gospel. Only the Gospel "is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe." (Rom.

1:16)

The

Gospel isn't about the "worth" of the unbeliever, or to fill a vacuum in his life, or to get him into

heaven, or to give him a purpose or have his best life now. NO. The Gospel is about the holy,

holy, holy God and His wrath against sinners, and how all people are born sinners, hostile toward

God, ill-deserving of Heaven which means actively earning Hell,breaking every one of God's

laws, having nothing to commend them to God. The Gospel calls such a person to repent (turn

away from all his sin and to turn to Christ Jesus, the Resurrected Lord, alone for salvation),

realizing that God alone can save- crying out for God's mercy to save him.

Go here for "Getting The Gospel Right" by John MacArthur.

I say this, not because I'm really good at evangelizing; I'm not. Its probably one of my weakest

areas, but I realize this and its a burden of mine that won't go away. We all need to be

proclaiming the Gospel. Its a cop-out to remain silent. Remember cultists have "good deeds" so

that won't convince anyone you are a Christian or "different". Its the Gospel message that you

believed and saved you, that is the difference.

The Good News Is In Writing And No Where Else

"First,the announcement of God's good news is in writing,the writings of the prophets.This means that we are not to look elsewhere for it,as if God had chosen to reveal this news by mystical visions,through inward intimations,or in some other nonbiblical or nonobjective way.We have documents to study and words to ponder and understand. Second,the books of the bible are special ,holy writings,which means they are not human compositions ,but are the very works of God." -James Montgomery Boice

This is true and shows why the supposed "dreams" and "visions" of "Jesus" many Muslims are having and thus are "saved" by are not of God at all.

Scripture is the sole authority and preaching is the sole way to proclaim the Gospel, IF we're going to do is HIS way. Otherwise, we've just injected ourselves into the mix and have lowered it from what it is: holy, pristine, all-authoritative, timeless, powerful, living, and infallible. Dressing it with man-centere, culturally relevant ways are not HIS ways nor HIS means.

No other means at all.

Rom 1:15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Rom 10:14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

Rom 10:15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

1Co 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

2Ti 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Worldliness Is A Declaration of War Against God

Worldliness is what any particular culture does to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange.- Author Unknown

Worldliness: it involves love for earthly things, esteem for earthly values, and preoccupation with earthly cares. Scripture plainly labels it sin – and sin of the worst stripe. It is a spiritual form of adultery that sets one against God Himself (James 4:4).- John MacArthur

Worldliness is any preoccupation with or interest in the temporal system of life that places anything perishable before that which is eternal. - John MacArthur

Exactly right. The world's philosophies and worldviews are totally opposed to God and Scripture. Instead of eating of the deadly tree of "knowledge", we should reject it and go to HIS Word alone that is sufficient. Yet how many New Calvinists or Reformergents or Purpose Driven people ignore this and actually SEEK to BE the world in order to "win" the world? Appealing to the flesh they do not offer Life--they offer death but just slap Jesus' name onto it and pat themselves on the back at how the world just LOVES them. There is NO middle ground here.

Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Eph 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!-- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Solyndra: Should Be Obama's Haliburton But He Gets A Free Pass From the Media

Why aren't people seeing the similarity between the Solyndra debacle and Haliburton? The media and liberals climbed all over Dick Cheney for his connection to Haliburton and its contract in the Mid East, but not a thing about the White House and its investment in the failed Solyndra company along with other environmentalist corporations. I wonder who in the WH has a connection to Solyndra.

Hypocrites.

TIM KELLER AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

Ken Silva shows directly from Tim Keller's church website that Keller himself is teaching Contemplative Spirituality (Eastern Mysticism) in this article.

There is no doubt that Keller is a false teacher, leading many astray into Eastern paganism while he smiles and stumbles over the exclusivity of Christ Jesus and exclusivity of biblical doctrine. He is the Reformed version of Rick Warren.

Another False Conversion Turned Over To A False Church: J. Budziszewski

I came across this today, and its a sobering reminder that we must be very careful who we read and listen to---who influences us. J. Budziszewski used to be a Christian apologist, author and professor on a college campus. Then he rejected the Gospel and became a Roman Catholic. See what he says in his own words about that development....who influenced his thinking. Such false conversions of thinking walking an aisle saves a soul is DEADLY and does no one any good. Budziszewski is the poster child of a false conversion.

Quote:

During the 1990s, J. Budziszewski rose to prominence as one of the leading intellectual lights among Evangelical Christians in America. A political theorist with a special interest in the natural-law tradition, he was highly sought as a speaker at conferences organized by groups such as the InterVarsity Fellowship and Campus Crusade for Christ. A principal theme of his many talks to American campus groups is captured in the title of his 1999 book, How to Stay Christian in College.

For some Evangelical Protestants, then, it came as a jolt when, on Easter Sunday 2004, Budziszewski was received into the Catholic Church. After maintaining a public silence about his conversion for several months, Budziszewski agreed to tell the story to CWR.....

My birth family was Baptist; in fact my maternal grandfather was one of the first Polish Baptist ministers in the United States. He pastored a Polish-speaking congregation.

I was a convinced Protestant. At the age of 10, I "walked the aisle," presented myself for Baptism, and vowed to follow Christ. Probably the best description of my spiritual condition during adolescence is "pious, but not holy."

Although the seeds took another 20 years to sprout, Catholic friends and thinkers had influenced me even during my wilderness years of atheism.

But I was going to tell you the Catholic influences that worked on me during my wilderness years. I read St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and especially Dante Alighieri. When I read Dante’s imaginative description of the center of Hell–the Lake of Cocytus, where the damned are imprisoned in ice, unable to move a muscle to the right or to the left–I thought that he was describing me. I couldn’t move either. I’d thrown out all possible motives for movement.

Naturally I taught my students Thomas Aquinas, but I found it difficult to do so. The problem was that his arguments presented such a strong appearance of truth. For the very beauty of this appearance, I had to exercise strong discipline not to weep. One of my students in those days asked permission to put a personal question. "I’ve been listening carefully," he said, "and I figure that you’re either an atheist or a Roman Catholic. Which one is it?"

You can see why, when I finally returned to Christian faith, I wanted that one foot in Catholic tradition.

Yet return also meant recovery of lost elements of Protestant belief, and I couldn’t see my way to Catholicism proper.

I had the common Protestant idea that Catholicism teaches "works-righteousness"–that we earn our way into heaven, apart from the merits of Christ–that if we just earn enough "virtue points," we’re in. It took a long time to get over such misunderstandings.

But the ongoing collapse of the Episcopal enterprise forced us to ask deeper questions about the nature of the Church. Our ecclesiology was very nearly Catholic, long before we actually joined the Catholic Church. This fact made our picture of ourselves as part of a "faithful remnant" inside the Anglican communion harder and harder to believe in. After all, if what the Catholic Church teaches about her nature and authority is true, then how can you justify not becoming part of her?

Although we continued to disagree with a number of Catholic dogmas, we suffered a growing suspicion that where we disagreed, it was we who were wrong, not the Church.

Not all converts come into the fold in the same way. For some people on the way into the Catholic Church, the ecclesiastical objection is the last one to be overcome. First they become convinced about doctrine A, doctrine B, and doctrine C, and then at last they becoming convinced that the Church has authority to teach about these matters. For me it was the other way around. First I became convinced that the Church has authority to teach. That didn’t mean that my various difficulties about doctrine A, doctrine B, and doctrine C disappeared, but it converted my "objections" into "obstacles."

After several years of wrestling, becoming convinced on one point after another, I finally found myself able to say with respect to the remaining issues, "I am ready to obey." That turned out to be crucial. As Augustine said, we believe in order to know. There are some things you have to understand before you can accept them–but there are others you have to accept before you can understand them.

End quote. Source.

Too bad he didn't hear the likes of Tony Miano:

Regeneration: what it is and is not

Make no mistake on this point; regeneration is the direct result of the supernatural operation of God. This needs to be stressed today, for regeneration has been so misrepresented by modern evangelists that to the popular mind the "new birth" signifies nothing more than a process of reformation. But the new birth is no mere turning over of a new leaf and the endeavor to live a better life. The new birth is very much more than going forward in a religious meeting and taking the preacher’s hand; very much more than signing a card and "joining the church." The new birth is an act of God’s creative power, the impartation of spiritual life, the communication to us of the Divine nature itself.

It is of first importance that the Christian, especially the young Christian, should be clear upon the two natures in the believer. The new birth is not the improving of the old nature, but the receiving of a new; and the receiving of the new nature does not in any wise improve the old. Not only so, the old and the new natures within the believer are in open antagonism the one to the other. We quote now from the works of one deeply respected and to which we are much indebted: "Some there are who think that regeneration is a certain change which the old nature undergoes; and, moreover, that this change is gradual in its operation until, at length, the whole man becomes transformed. That this idea is unsound, can be proved by various quotations from the New Testament. For example: The carnal mind is enmity against God. How can that which is thus spoken of ever undergo any improvement? The apostle goes on to say, "It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." If itcannot be subject to the law of God, how can it be improved? How can it undergo any change? Do what you will with flesh, and it is flesh all the while. As Solomon says, "Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him" (Prov. 27:22). "There is no use seeking to make foolishness wise. You must introduce heavenly wisdom into the heart that has been hitherto only governed by folly" (C. H. M.) - Pink

What the natural man needs first and foremost is not education or reformation, but life

"That the natural man is dead in trespasses and sins is no mere figure of speech; it is a solemn reality, an awful fact. It is ignorance and the denial of this fact which lies at the root of so much of the false teaching of our day. What the natural man needs first and foremost is not education or reformation, but life. It is because the sinner is dead that he needs to be born again. But how little this is pressed today! The unspeakably dreadful state of the natural man is glossed over where it is not directly repudiated. For the most part our preachers seem afraid to insist upon the utter ruin and total depravity of human nature. This is a fatal defect in any preaching: sinners will never be brought to see their need of a Savior until they realize their lost condition, and they will never discover their lost condition until they learn that they are dead in sin.

But what does Scripture mean when it says the sinner is "dead"? This is something which seems absurd to the natural man. And to him it is absurd. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). To the natural man it seems that he is very much alive. Yes, and Scripture itself speaks of one that lives in pleasure as being "dead while she liveth" (1 Tim. 5:6)."

~ A.W. Pink , "Gleanings in Genesis" Chapter 25 The Birth Of Isaac

Spurgeon Speaks:The Christian Is To Be Separate From The World

"Be ye separate."
2 Corinthians 6:17

The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory. You may lay up treasure; but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. You may strive to be rich; but be it your ambition to be "rich in faith," and good works. You may have pleasure; but when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. In your spirit, as well as in your aim, you should differ from the world. Waiting humbly before God, always conscious of his presence, delighting in communion with him, and seeking to know his will, you will prove that you are of heavenly race. And you should be separate from the world in your actions. If a thing be right, though you lose by it, it must be done; if it be wrong, though you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's sake. You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Walk worthy of your high calling and dignity. Remember, O Christian, that thou art a son of the King of kings. Therefore, keep thyself unspotted from the world. Soil not the fingers which are soon to sweep celestial strings; let not these eyes become the windows of lust which are soon to see the King in his beauty-let not those feet be defiled in miry places, which are soon to walk the golden streets-let not those hearts be filled with pride and bitterness which are ere long to be filled with heaven, and to overflow with ecstatic joy.

~ Spurgeon

Behold "Christian Hedonism"

Shane Hipps is a Mars Hill "pastor". Here's what he tweeted recently and shows what's utterly horrific about the Emergents:

shanehippsShane Hipps

Watched members of @marshillorg invite a Muslim woman to the communion table today. You all amaze me. #bigjesus

21 hours ago

shanehippsShane Hipps

@

@TheBerker My apologies. I wasn't trying to be cool. I just thot it was cool. We practice an open table. Anyone wanting grace is welcome.

19 hours ago

shanehippsShane Hipps

To clarify, the Muslim woman didn't actually take communion. Even so, taking it would violate her theology more than mine. Open table here

19 hours ago

shanehippsShane Hipps

@

@jeffreykauffman I love the Bible. I think Paul is talking to a specific community, like head coverings, slavery, or women being silent.

Tony Miano makes excellent points in his article at "On the Box" today:

Quote:

Communion, like baptism, is an ordinance given by the Lord Jesus Christ to His Church. Communion is "open" in the sense that all who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcomed and encouraged to partake--regardless of the local fellowship to which the individual Christian belongs. All Christians are part of one Body (Romans 12:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Philippians 2:1-2).

On the other hand, communion is "closed" in the sense that it is an ordinance for born again followers of Jesus Christ, only.

And to bring worshipers of false gods to the communion table is to encourage the idolater to partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). To bring the idolater to the Lord's table is to spurn the Son of God and to profane the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified (Hebrews 10:26-31).

What the leaders and the people at Mars Hill did today, around the Lord's table, was not an act of love toward the Muslim woman who was invited to the table. It was a supremely unloving and selfish act. For by trying to show the world how tolerant, ecumenical, and conversant they are with the practitioners of a godless religion (and the showiness of the timing, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks did not go unnoticed by this writer), the church at Mars Hill set up the Muslim woman to blaspheme God. Instead of calling the woman to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 1:15; 16:15; Acts 17:29:31), they called her to the Lord's table in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). How crafty. How careless. How cruel.

Fortunately, as Shane Hipps indicated in one of his tweets, the Muslim woman declined the idolatrous invitation. And in so doing, while still utterly lost in her sin and worship of a false god, she showed more spiritual integrity than those who invited her to the Lord's table.

End quote. For the full article go to "On The Box".

Tim Keller on preaching about homosexuality: “Ummm…its just…its just think about it…you know…you know…

**UPDATE**
"Keller clarified that "you can believe homosexuality is a sin and still believe that same-sex marriage should be legal."" ~ Huffington Post



Excerpts from: BalyBlog (two Presbyterian pastors): (emphasis, mine)


Tim Keller on preaching about homosexuality: “Ummm…its just…its just think about it…you know…you know…”

(Tim, w/thanks to a faithful man) By now, when the President of our own Covenant Theological Seminary invites Tim Keller to model pastoral ministry to his students over in St. Louis, he should know precisely what he's going to get and not be left batting cleanup for him. But take a listen to this exchange from one of Keller's recent visits, there. [Denise's note: I couldn't get the link to the audio, however the original article to which I do link above, still has the audio.]

It's a Q & A session in front of men preparing for pastoral ministry. A Covenant student asks the Rev. Dr. Tim Keller this question: "How do you think the church is or should be proactive with regard to the issue of homosexuality? I see the prevalence of homosexuality, yet the church seems to be afraid to touch the issue. How do we actively speak to believers about this topic in truth and in love?"

Which question launched the Keller/Chapell duo into this session of semantic dodge ball, with protective pads and helmets.

Was Tim Keller's answer bad?

Yes, his answer was bad…..

CHAPELL: [CTS student question] How do you think the church is or should be proactive with regard to the issue of homosexuality? I see the prevalence of homosexuality, yet the church seems to be afraid to touch the issue. How do we actively speak to believers about this topic in truth and in love?

KELLER: Uhhhh….well…(sigh)…The church is afraid to touch the topic? I….it may…….it..its possible…that….in the 20 yrs that I’ve seen that this issue has actually not.…ummm. it..uh…it hasn’t gone away its really gotten to be much much more..socially….

CHAPELL: Sure. Rural church, Sparta Illinois, 1985. I can tell the first Sunday I used the word ‘homosexuality’ and my wife wondered if I would have a job the next week. I mean, it was that scary of a subject at the time. So, if…now again, that’s rural Illinois but I’m guessing even now the church questions..now there’s all kinds of reasons for the fear. One, are you going to say something that your people are going to get mad at you about? Second, is the subject going to be so hot that the people who are struggling with an issue of of gender or sexuality, that I can’t even say in a public setting the kind of things I want to say to minister privately to this person. So how do I do this?

KELLER: Well, it’s much, much, much easier to to have private conversations about it. I think…..uh…I can make this short. I…I believe in general that if you preach on why homosexuality is a sin,..uhhh….there are……at least in my…in my..in my..in my church I know there’s lots and lots of folks who have same sex attraction who know that that’s not….as a Christian, I can’t do that. I’m not gonna go there. There’s a good number of them. I’ve got a lot of non-Christians who are present who are friends of gay people but are not gay. Uhhh…and then uhh there’d be a number of people with same sex attraction who…are there. And generally speaking, it’s almost impossible to preach a sermon and hit all 3 or 4 of those constituencies equally well. Ummmm.. it’s just.. it’s just think about..you know..you know…you’re a communicator. You know you need to…well, what’s my goal? Who are my audience and..wow! it’s like a conundrum you can’t solve. So, the best thing has always been for me..[CONSPICUOUS COUGH]…to not do the public teaching as much as segment my audience through…ummm [CONSPICUOUS COUGH]..Books, through classes, through one-on-ones, and so on. I think the time is probably coming in which we’re going to have be more public in how we talk about homosexuality. And I haven’t….I’m actually thinking quite a lot about it. Uhhh.. as to how I will go about it or how we should go about it but I’m not prepared to give you 3 bullet points.

CHAPELL: have you been able to say…again, very different congregations and cultures…Couldyou would you say from the pulpit at Redeemer, ‘Same-sex attraction, if it leads to activity that is same-sex oriented is a sin’?

KELLER: O yeah..well, you have to because you get to it and you’re preaching and you do. sure. But..what I’m saying is if you go…if you make it the subject of your sermon, uhhhh… it’s uhhhh..uh an entire sermon on it would not be an easy thing to get..you..you…you have to say what the Bible says and nobody at Redeemer doubts where we are. But for me to do teaching in the worship service, I am now going to give you the re…you know….the biblical teaching on homosexuality, that has been a hard thing to do when my audience is so diverse. I would have to say the average church, the audience isn’t nearly that diverse. And…so….I have not…made that the main place in which I’ve taught. But…we…we’ve done a fair amount of teaching inside amongst our leaders, our counselors, our undershepherds, our elders. We talk about it. Nobody doubts where we are. But I think that preaching on a Sunday about it…uhhhh…making public statements is…kind of in the cards because I think it’s gonna be a very, very divisive issue in the future.

CHAPELL: Good.

EISENBACH:…. You go to the Bible quite often and there are many evangelicals who would say it is listed as a sin in the Bible [KELLER: sin in the Bible, right.]…and these people are going to Hell.

KELLER: Right. Now…What you..first…ughhhh…Let’s talk about my church again [nervous laughter]. Let’s go back here. What we would say is…I think it’s unavoidable. I think most Protestant and Catholic and Orthodox Christians over the years have said, you read the Bible and the Bible has reservations. The Bible says homosexuality is not God’s original design for sexuality. Ok? There we are…you have it. The Bible also says, ‘Love your neighbor’. The Bible…in fact, The Good Samaritan parable which is how Jesus tells us to love our neighbor…you put a Jew and a Samaritan there. So, what Jesus is trying to say is everybody is your neighbor. Gay people are your neighbors. Uhhh…people who are of other faiths are your neighbors. People of other….. other…uhhhh….uhhh…races are your neighbors. And it’s the job of a Christian to do what Jesus did on the cross which was to give himself for people who were opposing Him and people who were diff….believe….didn’t believe in Him even. And so, a Christian is supposed to say, ‘I serve the needs and interests of all of my neighbors in the city, whether gay or straight, whether Hindu or Muslim. I mean Hindus, for example, don’t believe in the Trinity. It’s a different view than what the Bible says. Gay people have a different view of sexuality than generally what you see in the NT. I’m supposed to love my neighbors. So, what I don’t see is…at this point, I see some churches that are…basically, ignoring the places in the Bible that talk about homosexuality in order to love their gay neighbor. And I see other Christian churches taking very seriously what the Bible says about homosexuality but in a very self-righteous way. So, they actually do single out gay people. I mean, there are a number of conservative churches that will love their Hindu neighbors and will love their Muslim neighbors, and not their gay neighbors. And I really don’t think there is any excuse for that. So…that’s what [EISENBACH: Is…is] I mean, I…I….Therefore, I have to take some responsibility for being a member of the Christian Church for the oppression of homosexuals.

EISENBACH: Are committing homosexual acts sin….against God?

KELLER: uhhhh….What do you mean by ‘sin’? The answer is ‘yes’.

EISENBACH: Yes.

KELLER: Now see. Here’s the problem with that. You don’t go to Hell for being a homosexual…..

EISENBACH: …..but committing homosexual acts will get you to go to Hell?

KELLER: Noooo. Wait a minute. Wait, wait [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER].

EISENBACH: well, you know. Some people say, ‘Well, it’s not the homosexuality or being gay. It’s being/doing gay stuff that’s the problem’.

KELLER: No, no. First of all, heterosexuality does not get you to heaven. I happen to know this [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER/CLAPPING]. So, how in the world could homosexuality send you to Hell? And actually…uhhh…The Bible…Listen…..This is…this is true. Jesus talks about greed 10x more than he talks about adultery, for example. Now, one of the problems Christians have here is partly…let’s be nice to Christians. You know when you’re committing adultery. I mean you don’t say, ‘Ohhh, you’re not my wife’ [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER]. I mean you know when you are committing adultery. But, almost nobody knows when they’re greedy. Nobody admits…thinks they’re greedy. You know cause everybody is comparing yourself to other people and so, it’s a frog in the kettle kind of thing. Ahhh….however, the fact of the matter is…the Bible is much harder on greed/materialism. It’s a horrible sin, terrible sin. Will greed send you to Hell? No! What sends you to Hell is self-righteousness – thinking that you can be your own savior and lord. What sends you to heaven is getting a connection with Christ because you realize you’re a sinner and you need intervention from outside. That’s why it is very misleading actually to say, even to say, ‘Homosexuality is a sin’ because most people…Yes, of course homosexuality is a sin because greed is a sin, because all kinds of things are sins. But what most Christians mean when they say that and certainly what non-Christians think they hear when they hear that is ‘If you’re gay, you are going to Hell for being gay’. It’s just not true. Absolutely not true.

EISENBACH: So then, what’s….then how is homosexuality a ‘sin’. I’m not….

KELLER: ….Well, homo…[sigh]..Greed is a sin. In other words, it doesn’t help human flourishing. Basically, Christianity has an account of what we think human beings were built to do and what will therefore, help human flourishing. So, we would say if you spend all of your money on yourself, that’s bad….not only for your own soul, but for everybody elses. We would say homosexuality is not the original design for sexuality. Therefore, it’s not good for human flourishing. We want people to do things that are good for human flourishing. But that’s not what sends you to heaven or Hell. Now, there…maybe we ought to talk about that [NERVOUS LAUGHTER]. What sends you to heaven or Hell really has to do with your faith in the Gospel which is that you can’t….uhhh…be your own savior through your performance and your good works. Now here, I’m coming at this like a protestant now. You know…ummm…everybody’s gotta be a particular kind of Christian and there’s differences of opinion within Christianity about this. But uhhhh…no. being gay doesn’t send you to hell and sin doesn’t send you to Hell like that. The sin underneath the sin is, ‘I am my own savior and my lord’. And that’s the reason why pharisaism, moralism, Bible-believing people who are proud and think God is going to take people to heaven because they’re good…that’s sending them to Hell. I mean, I know that this is a lot to take in at once.

End quote.

Scripture states:

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luk 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Act 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,

Mat 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

1Ti 1:10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

1Co 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1Co 6:11 And such WERE some of you. BUT you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Jud 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Rom 1:25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

Rom 1:27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Rom 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Rom 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,

Rom 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Tim Keller's Church Still Promotes Contemplative Spirituality (Mysticism)

http://www.redeemer.com/connect/prayer/prayer_johnson_article.html Current as of 9-9-11, 12:13 p.m.

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Meditation: Not So Mysterious
Two ways to move Scripture off the page and into your life

by Jan Johnson

Ever get sick and tired of old habits that won't go away? You find yourself whining when you should be grateful. You trash someone in your mind when you should care about his needs. You feel lazy when there are so many exciting things to do. What does it take to have the heart of Christ, to obey the commands that seem so difficult?

Trying to be good doesn't work because such efforts are about us, not about Christ. What works better is connecting with God in deeper ways that allow God to "[work] in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).

One important–but overlooked–way to connect with God is meditating on Scripture. Joshua wrote: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8). As we invite God to move beyond the door of our inner being by meditating on Scripture, He works miraculous heart changes within us that lead to a more Christlike life.

The psalmists valued meditation; they mentioned it 16 times in Psalms. By inserting the word selah 71 times in Psalms, they encouraged resting in and reflecting on the Word. Though selah is sometimes dismissed as a mere musical notation, most commentators agree that it was used at points where the singer or psalm reader should pause to reflect.

But reflect on what? The objects of meditation include aspects of God's character (such as God's unfailing love, see Ps. 48:9), God's works (see Ps. 77:12), and God's precepts and ways (see Ps. 119:15). Beyond that, we are given little instruction. That's why I wasn't sure what to do in my early attempts to meditate. I turned to classic Christian writers for help. Just as there are many ways to pray and study Scripture, Christians throughout the ages have found many ways to meditate. Those who've gone before me have helped me connect with God in ways that have surprised me. Let's look at two specific approaches to meditation.

Spiritual Exercises
One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.

If this idea startles you (as it did me), consider A. W. Tozer's words:

The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). "All the garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of ivory palaces" (Ps. 45:8). "My sheep hear my voice" (Jn. 10:27). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Mt. 5:8) . . . What can all this mean except that we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses?

Using the five senses allows you to experience the text in a fresh way. For example, as you enter into the text of Mk. 10:17�22, you may take the role of the rich young ruler and see what he saw. In verse 21, Jesus "looked at him and loved him," then immediately challenged him to give up what he apparently loved best: his wealth. Years ago, I began meditating on that passage. Ever since, I have regularly had a sense of God looking at me, loving me, and then challenging me to give up ingrained habits I hold close: self-centered thoughts, judgmental attitudes, the need to be right. When nothing else has been able to persuade me to relinquish such things, that picture of Jesus' loving yet challenging gaze has resurfaced, and I have quietly acquiesced.

As I meditate on a passage, I often ask myself, What did the biblical scene look like? At first, this was difficult. But then I decided to pretend I was Cecil B. DeMille creating a scene for a biblical epic such as The Ten Commandments. When I meditated on the transfiguration of Christ, I tried to imagine Jesus' radiance. This passage required that I bring in Steven Spielberg too�adding the special effects of lightning-bright clothes. Then as I imagined the scene, I wondered (as a skilled movie director would), What was Jesus doing when His appearance changed? I peeked at the original script and found that Jesus was praying (Lk. 9:29). I immediately prostrated myself on the floor and said to God, "As I pray, change me, too. Make me the person You wish me to be."

Another meditation question I use is, How would I have behaved if I'd been a disciple standing by? As Jesus talked to Legion in that graveyard by the sea, how would I have responded to the screams of the demonized man and the smell of blood from his cut flesh (Mk. 5:5)? What would I have thought of my teacher, who was not intimidated by this naked, crazed man, but cared for him? Would I have wanted to run for the hills? Would I have gotten out of the boat to watch Jesus in action (which, according to the text, none of the disciples seems to have done)?

For meditation to work, you need to pay attention to the details of Scripture. Though this may seem similar to Bible study, meditation differs in technique. In Bible study, you dissect the text; in Scripture meditation, you savor it and enter into it. In Bible study, you ask questions about the text; in meditation, you let the text ask questions of you. In Bible study, you examine how biblical facts relate to each other; in meditation, you let God speak to you in light of the facts you've already considered. Meditation is about absorbing scriptural truth: seeing in our minds how God behaved in Scripture and being open to His leading to behave in the same way.

Lectio Divina
As I tried to meditate on the discourse and poetic texts, such as the New Testament letters and Old Testament poets and prophets, I found that another classical method helped me: lectio divina. This kind of meditation has been used widely among believers since the sixth century. Lectio divina consists of four parts: reading a passage, meditating on that passage, praying, and contemplating God. After the Scripture is read aloud, participants wait for a word, phrase, or image from the passage to emerge and stay with them. From this phrase or image, the participant asks, What does this passage say to me right now? (Bible study before meditating is important preparatory work because it asks, What did the passage say to listeners then? This keeps us from coming up with absurd answers to this question.)

Once while meditating on Mt. 11:20-30 (10 verses or fewer work best for lectio divina), I was struck by the wordweary. I pondered that word for a while and began picturing weary people who needed Jesus for their rest. I was so grateful that Jesus was there for the weary. I read the passage aloud again, and this time I noticed the word gentle. I spent some time thinking about how much weary people need gentle people.

A few weeks later I found myself at a school reunion. I don't know why, but everybody there irritated me. I listened to the women at the next table yak endlessly, and I thought terrible things about them, such as, No wonder they couldn't stay married! At the same time, I was highly aware of my own judgmental attitude. I became so sick of myself that I got away and asked God to help me with this harshness. "Make me gentle," I prayed. The words of Mt. 11:28 immediately came to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I pictured one of the women who had annoyed me and prayed, "O God, she is weary and burdened. Give her rest. Help her come to You."

I did that with a few others until I felt strong enough to return to the gathering. In the midst of parties and sight-seeing, I kept praying Mt. 11:28 for each person I met. My attitude changed completely. I felt merciful and genuine in my heart and started having fun! I would never have prayed this way if I hadn't spent time with Jesus meditating on that passage.

Danger Ahead?
Some evangelical Christians are wary of meditation because it's practiced in other religions. But it's important to remember that Christians do not meditate the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions do. The goals are different. In Eastern religions, participants empty their minds and fill them with nothing. In Christianity, we seek to surrender our hurried to-do lists, our worry about today's appointments, and our obsession with what others think of us and focus instead upon the words and images of Scripture.

Other Christians object to using the imagination in meditation. But since I read Richard Foster's words about "sanctifying the imagination" many years ago, I've asked God to purify my imagination along with my heart, mind, and will. Isn't it wiser to give the imagination to God to be retrained than to ignore it? If we don't, our imagination finds entertainment of its own and gets us into trouble. When activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination supports the penetrating Word of God's ability to become active in our lives.

Doing Nothing?
But what if you meditate and "nothing" happens? What if God doesn't confront you with a verse or you don't get a personal insight? That's normal.

My long years of meditating on Zeph. 3:17 have helped during these times: "The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you . . . [and] will rejoice over you with singing." When I don't receive any fresh insights while meditating, I imagine God delighting in me and singing over me. As I've tried to picture this scene, I remember how I used to rock my children and sing all three verses of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" until they fell asleep. (A friend of mine pictures God as a father standing on the sidelines of a soccer game and cheering whether or not he makes a goal.) These quiet "nothing" moments of meditation are valuable because we can enjoy the company of God without yammering about our 455 prayer requests. To simply enjoy God's presence is a delightful thing.

Over the years, I've noticed that meditation often results in "accidental obedience." I meditate on a passage, and without realizing it, I am "careful to do" God's will (Josh. 1:8). I meditate on Jesus challenging the rich young ruler, and I begin giving up obsessions. I meditate on Jesus' gentleness with the weary, and I am gentle with those around me. I meditate on being loved by God, and I am conscious of God's love in ways I haven't been before. This accidental obedience–or spiritual formation–works a lot better than trying hard to be good. This way, God comes into my soul and sits with me, teaching me to abide in Him.

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About the author:
Jan Johnson is a writer and retreat speaker. As a trained spiritual director, she helps believers immerse themselves in God's Word. She also volunteers with a drop-in center for the homeless. Her book Listening to God (NavPress) includes 30 passages of Scripture and directions for meditating on them.

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Used by permission of Pray! Magazine. Copyright © 2006, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe, visit www.praymag.com or call (800) 691-7729.

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Tim Keller: Unsure What Happens To Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews After Death?

Brannon Howse: Aired September 8, 2011

Topic One: Jan Markell joins Brannon Howse to talk about an author that wrote an article attacking Brannon because he believes the culture war is lost and does not believe in dominion theology. This author writes, “Who is going to bother being 'salt and light' in a lost cause? “ Do you think Christians in Cuba and China have given up on preaching the gospel because they live under communism? “Light” in this verse means showing forth the gospel in our lives and Christians can and should do this in good and bad times? Topic: Hear Pastor Tim Keller say that he does not know what happens to Muslims, Sikhs and Jews if they die without Jesus Christ. Can you say “political correctness”? Has Keller become the Joel Osteen of reformed theology?

Well back in 2009 I wrote that Tim Keller is the Reformed version of Rick Warren and I did a comparison of the two. Go here for that article. I'm glad Brannon Howse is shedding light on Keller too.

Furtick and Noble: The Bully Pulpits

Behold Christian Hedonism.

Francis Chan has been sharing the pulpit with Nobel at the Catalyst Conference. The Gospel Coalition and Justin Taylor has promoted both Furtick and Nobel. Another bully among them: Driscoll. They all run in the same bad boy circles.

Here are my comments regarding Furtick and his videos especially after viewing them at Apprising Ministries:

Wow Futrick hates to feed the sheep with doctrine. He's goal, like Warren and Keller is to have Goatherd. Have at it boys. Not only am I so NOT impressed, its really very anti-Christ, anti-Lordship, anti-Scripture, anti-love for God, and anti-love for the souls of men. His little church (oh the Numbers Game is played again--big deal 500? 500 what? Goats who think they're going to Heaven when they are going to Hell??!!) couldn't feed the Sheep anyway....they'd starve to death. What did Jesus say to Peter, "Feed MY Sheep". The Great Commission is to go and make DISCIPLES of all nations. That doesn't mean preach the "gospel" and let them starve. Discipline is an ONGOING FEEDING OF SAVED people! What an utter lunatic Furtick is.

This speaks to Steve Furtick:1Ti 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 1Ti 6:5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

These guys are quite literally part of the "Bully Pulpit. So is Driscoll. You should see some of the video footage. This is what these boys think is "manhood"---bulldozing over their followers. Its nothing more than being a bully and these guys haven't grown up at all.