Joshua Harris: Removing Obstacles (to the Gospel)

>> Friday, September 11, 2009

Hello all!

I was blessed this morning to come across this video clip and thought it was definitely worth passing on. 







God bless and veritas supra omnis!

5 comments:

Sir Emeth Mimetes September 11, 2009 at 9:39 AM  

Greetings Mark,

Thanks for pointing this video out to me, Mark. It was very interesting. I agreed with what he was trying to say, but not with what he said, if you know what I mean. There were several things that got mixed up in his presentation. Central to these was a failure to communicate what the gospel was. This probably was because this is a clip of a longer message (I am assuming), and so I missed his definitions and clarifications.

But the main point is this: the Gospel is Christ. And part of proclaiming that Gospel, that glory of God, that amazing Truth, is proclaiming how different, radical, powerful, all-influencing, and all-ruling He is. There ought to be no part of our lives that is outside of the Gospel's (Christ's) ruling influence. Everything we do ought to be inextricably connected with, woven into, and founded on God and His Word.

He got it right that we should not value our standards over the Cross, blocking people from coming to the Gospel by our works. But that action and attitude in itself is an outpouring of a disconnect of your standards from God. If our works truly are an outpouring of our faith, then people will see our faith in them, and will glorify God in them.

When a person hears that a person is a Christian, he of course should not immediately think of a homeschooler, a right-wing constitutionalist, or a person who refuses to wear immodest clothes, or listen to worldly music. What he should think of is a person who has a God so big, and a faith so strong, that every part of his life is a part of his relationship with his God. And that needs to include homeschooling, modesty, politics, music, and etc.

Too many people believe things about politics, and yet they have not the faintest clue why their ideas are biblical, or even if they are. This is sadly very prevalent among almost all Christian circles, from what I have seen. We need to awaken ourselves to see that nothing is exempt from God's Truth, and that we need to be able to glorify God's gospel by our political actions.

I hope I didn't go on too long. Maybe I should just write a post about this on my blog.... :)

With joy and peace in Christ,
Jay Lauser aka Sir Emeth Mimetes

Nicole Tera September 11, 2009 at 4:08 PM  

Hmm... I totally agree that people allow their rights to get in the way when they share the Gospel, but I think his examples of what these "rights" are that get in the way is totally off. He talked about principles getting in the way, yet if we truly approach those principles correctly (i.e. in love) then it will not be a hinderance, but a further means of proclaiming what the Gospel means. From my experience, if even the pro-life issue is approached in genuine love for the unborn, the Truth, and the person you're talking to, and if you can explain why you believe what you do, it is better to stand uncompromisingly. I think that the rights that do get in our way that we should remove are things like... charging money (what Paul was talking about in the passage). It's sad to me that so few "men of God" believe that we can live by faith like George Muller did -- even after Muller painstakingly tried to prove that one could by recording even the small details of God's providence for him and his family and some 10,000 orphans and several missionaries and countless others in his lifetime. Imagine the people who would be reached if men who preach the Gospel lived by that sort of faith today. That would be a compelling witness of being a Christian truly being about trusting God.

Alyssa C. September 12, 2009 at 4:52 AM  

Hi Mark, thanks for sharing this.

I agree with what he's saying about Christians and politics. It's something I can see now. We'll be having our elections next year, and, sad to say, where politics comes in, Christianity is oft times forgotten. There are debates, disputes, when it comes to these matters (even between Christians), providing stumblingblocks to unbelievers.


God bless.

~ Alyssa C.

Sir Emeth Mimetes September 12, 2009 at 4:57 AM  

Nicole,

Very good point! You touch on something very near to my family's heart: George Mueller. His life was an amazing testimony of faith taking action in works to the glory of God. Money is indeed what Paul was talking about, and we should indeed strive to avoid hindering the gospel with it. Thanks for pointing that out: I probably would have thought of it too if I had listened to it twice through and written an article twice as long. :)

With joy and peace in Christ,
Jay Lauser aka Sir Emeth Mimetes

Hillary September 13, 2009 at 6:28 PM  

Hurrah for George Mueller! He is a family favorite and has to be daddy's most inspirational hero of old. :D

I think it is a bit of a balancing act. I do agree 100% with the concept Josh was presenting. Often we get too caught up in the works. "Faith without deeds is dead" but faith is also "being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see"
I agree with you, Jay and Nicole, that if our lives are truly consumed with Christ our actions should reflect that. Reflect Christ I mean, not necessarily our human 'christian' standard.

I guess for me personally I see where he is coming from. Our family has gotten TONS of flack for our way of life. Mostly because people thought we were judging them and that we thought we were better than them because we homeschooled, voted republican, or wore skirts, or did not watch bad movies, and disapproved of minor swearwords.
I am ashamed to say it but, they were right!
Our attitude was more focused on the "This is what we do" not "This is who we serve".

Parodon the heresy, but, to be honest I am not sure that homeschooling is a means of salvation, neither is courting, politics , nor even modesty. Yes, as Christians we should strive for excellence in His will and His commands.

" Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord not for men. "

While I would prefer to homeschool and I think it is best, if I God tells my husband to send our kids to public school you bet I will be 100% behind him. It is not a salvation threatening issue. If God says "DO" you had better "DO!" even if it is against the "normal" standards. God is not confined to our human standards. His supreme sovereignty is impossible to comprehend, but this much I know; He does what He wishes and He is never wrong.

If all my life I sent my kids to Public School, voted democrat, and dressed like slut ; if when I die people know "This woman was after God's own heart", and I hear "well done good and faithful servant" that is all that matters. Of course I am being extreme in my example, but really, in the end what matters?


I am not sure if I am willing to die on this hill quite yet, but I am willing to stand up and hear what others have to think. ;) :-P

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