I am very pleased to see Pastor Tom finally draw a line limiting the good effects of the free market. A $14,500 dessert is surely a decadent extreme that can result from the free market run amok. But where does the Gospel demand that we draw the line? The word of God is clear that we cannot serve both God and mammon. So once we start concerning ourselves with the making of money, we have turned our gaze away from God. We must choose what obedience means in the context of our own individual situations, but given the model Jesus provided (he was homeless don't forget) and relative wealth we all know as Americans, I would suggest that that line is a lot closer to where we all live than this outrageous luxury in Sri Lanka.
While not looking for a debate, I did take notice of this line that I found troubling:
I also understand we can abuse the call of God to look out for the poor among us, making that the satisfying of the Gospel to the exclusion of truth.Given the Bible's exceptional attention to the needs of poor people I find it hard to envision a scenario where anyone can do TOO much in this area. The truth of the Gospel is that it is impossible to love God whom you haven't seen while ignoring the suffering around you. Surely the parable of Dives the rich man and Lazarus shows the truth of the Gospel.
Blog you later,
Pastor Ian
8 comments:
Not to start a debate, but I think I understand where Tom is going with this statement. It is possible to give materially to the satisfaction of Scripture, (especially for us in America who have so much) and do so to the exclusion of the greatest gift we can give, the Truth of the Gospel by example and witness. Many good organizations use God as a basis to do good works, collecting and dispersing much needed food, clothing, medicines and other necessities but fail in that they do not give out the Gospel as well.
Here is where a middle ground works well, to give as Christ gave, and to witness of the Truth as He did also.
Whether it's a $14,500 dessert or a $5.00 Starbucks coffee, most all of us have been guilty of excess. What we spend on food that rots in our refrigerators or on trinkets that please for the moment and end up in a drawer, there is much that is wasted which could have helped the less fortunate. American pennies can change lives in other areas of the world. I believe that as very materially blessed Americans, we will someday answer to God for what we did with what we were given.
Yes, we need to share the Gospel as well as our goods, but if empty stomaches ache, ears are blocked. Scripture instructs us to dispense both bread of wheat and bread of life.
Soj, you get my point exactly...and it is terribly convicting of us all.
Mike, I suppose you are right that that is what Tom is intending. I found the way he said it somewhat odd. I have had long conversations about the ethical limits of sharing the Gospel with those in need. In the end, the simplest, most direct instruction on the subject for me is St. Francis saying, "preach at all times, use words when necessary."
I thought that Tom might be getting at works vs. faith as what he sees as the truth of the Gospel. If that is the case, my response is equally succinct: it is a false dichotomy, one does not exist without the other.
In any case, the truth that needs to compel us is the fact that we are blessed in order to be a blessing and thus our riches are not our own but God's and we should be looking for every opportunity to have them serve God by serving others. That much I think we all agree on.
Mike, I'm curious that you seem to think words are more powerful than actions? The greatest gift is not the words but the actions inspired by those words. It does little good to preach without the actions to back it up. I, too, would call Tom's statement a bit disturbing, since it focuses on the raw benefits of preaching, which in many cases, actually turns people away from God. Jesus talked about giving a cup of cold water in his name. That combines the concept of giving and naming Christ as the reason. There's no great expository there, just a simple action punctuated by the Savior of the world.
We are a gluttonous bunch. Even the poor in America do well as compared with the third world. I doubt a good Gospel message can cure malaria or AIDS or the hundreds of other plagues. The Good News is important in the sense that it gives the hopeless some hope. There's no Greek word study that will cure hunger or heal the sick. This is similar to blog I recently posted. It takes more than Biblical study to convert the soul. It mostly is about a Godly example. We are to be God's hands and feet, not his lectern or overhead projector.
Ian, yes we do agree, Faith without works is dead, and works without the sharing of the Gospel is futile in bringing the needy to the Kingdom. We must and are indeed called to do both, we should hand out the blessings of the wealth of the resources He has given us with the same enthusiasm and good will as we speak and exemplify the Truth of the Word to the lost.
David again I am puzzled where you draw your conclusions from. To advocate Faith in Christ and servitude to Him as Saviour without following Biblical imperatives has never been a part of any post I make, nor is it the way I conduct myself as a Christian individually or in corporation with the Body of HCC. Neither does Tom preach without action, if this is something you believe you would do well to find out the truth of the actions you don't see on the surface, and the effect these actions have had locally and in the mission field in several countries and in the U.S.
I would also go so far as to say the Good News is the only hope. food and medicine, clothing and housing are blessings, but only a temporary comfort in the short span of human years and will do little to ease the suffering of those in eternity who received their good things on earth, but never know Christ as Saviour. I will also agree that Biblical study will not save a soul, only by Faith in Christ alone, by God's Grace alone saves a man's soul.
At this point, I will let my first point rest. I guess James should have said, "Faith without words is dead". By the way, faith is quite overrated. I will be blogging on that topic very soon.
Over rated? Christ did not think so!
It's not enough to have faith without belief and works. Faith on it's own can be blinding. As many Christians exhibit a blind uniformed faith fueled by fear, paranoia and bad theology. The results are evident in the Christian sub-culture that has been created in the last few decades in response to "the world" and all it's evil and ungodly underpinnings. The isolation created is not an effective witness and does not fulfill the great commission. This is nothing more than creating a private club for those who have stopped seeking and have it all figured out. It also makes many Christians wierd in their ignorance of reality and their lack of engagement. Hey, if the rapture is coming soon, who cares about the earth? It's all going to burn, right? And why really practice anything good since the sinners prayer has got you covered? And on and on we go, with cliche after cliche. None of which challanges or fascilitates change or even dialogue. As a religion, we don't have a prayer unless we change and meet the needs of all hurting people, including those who sin the most.
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