The New Adventures of an Old Preacher

Over the past quarter I have had so much fun teaching what I have entitled The Restoration Revisited.  I have also learned a great deal from the scholarship and ministry, not only from the great men and women pioneer restoration leaders, but from the scholarship of many today. Below is the final lesson in this series.  

From the very inception of restoration ideals in America at the turn of the nineteenth century, the pioneer leaders of this movement struggled to establish an identity as “Christians only”. In many ways, over many years, this struggle has never completely vanished. As we move deeper into the 21^st century and face the theological and cultural challenges of our day- it remains a struggle. As a result, the question of “where do we go from here?” is being widely asked.

What We Face  

As with every generation within the Restoration Movement there are “issues” among the Churches of Christ that contribute to an “identity crisis”. At the core of these issues today is a shift among many in the basic approach to Bible understanding. This “new hermeneutic” has lead many congregations within the Churches of Christ to broaden their outlook on such issues as instrumental music, women’s role in public assemblies, when communion is offered, worship styles, evangelism, fellowship, baptism and who is viewed as a Christian.

While this diversity exists, the majority of the mainstream Churches of Christ have not- at least in practice- embraced many of these ideas and many within the Churches of Christ continue to oppose such as “innovations” of man. 

This illustrates what is at the heart of the identity struggle- and of our future direction. If the old traditional moorings are to be replaced, what will replace them? Who will we become? Is anything about our traditional restoration plea still valid? Where do we go from here?

Non-Growth 

To place even more weight on the current crisis is the fact that overall, Churches of Christ are not growing. Since 1980 the Churches of Christ have recorded a growth rate of 1.6 percent while the population around us has grown at a rate of 32.2 percent. (According to the most recent Christian Chronicle)

Some point to this non-growth as a reason to change and embrace new thoughts and vision. They claim the traditional approaches of the Churches of Christ are no longer relevant. Others, point to the changes as the reason for the plateau. They claim the non-growth is just a result of leaving the “old paths”.

Putting the different viewpoints aside, it is clear, that neither the more traditional nor more progressive among us is effectively evangelizing. “Where do we go from here?” may end up a moot point! Unless we share our faith we may end up nowhere.

Church and Culture 

Where we do end up will always- to some extent- be dependent upon the culture around us and how we respond to it. Since the church was birthed (Acts 2) within the Jewish community, her practices and worship has always reflected culture. Much of the struggle for identity has always revolved around cultural shifts (Just consider the continual Jew-Gentile debate in the New Testament church). The Churches of Christ in
America were born out of 19^th century, modern culture and this influence even remains with us today.

But we no longer live in that culture and to connect and grow, the Churches of Christ must- to some degree- adapt to post-modern 21^stcentury culture. This does mean change. Change in approaches to relationships, change in methods of evangelism, change in the language we use to communicate our faith, and yes, change even in how we do church. While the very thought of this is anathama to many, it is happening and it must happen. (The fact is it always has happened)  The great responsibility and challenge of current leaders within the Restoration Movement and in local churches is to navigate these winds of change and still remain faithful to the core truth of Christ, his death, burial and resurrection, while still offering to culture in a refreshing, relevant way the basic message of “Christians only” that has always been the hallmark of the restoration.

Changes are inevitable and the ability to embrace positive changes in order to connect to culture and further our opportunities to share the message of Christ will shape where we go from here. As always our future is about leadership, vision, and most of all, faith. By entrusting our future to God and walking by faith- not by sight, we can be assured we will go where he wants us.

One Last Voice from the Past 

In the meantime, how do we handle our differences on our direction? Will we continue with the “fighting style” and continue to reap the counterproductive results? Or will we learn to accept each other even in our differences and support one another on our continuing restoration journey?

Remember that we are not the first within our restoration heritage to face these questions. Back at the turn of the twentieth century when division was immanent, sides had been taken and hostilities were evident- one man stood out as a voice for acceptance and unity in spite of differences. In the current climate of the restoration and the Churches of Christ, the words of this wise man, T.B. Larimore, should be a beacon to guide us.

“I am for Christ,” he said, “and I believe I can do more for him, his cause and humanity without meddling with these ‘matters’; hence I let them alone, and just simply ‘preach the Word,’ ‘the gospel of Christ’, the power of God unto salvation.” Larimore refused to make the issues of his day a matter of fellowship. He stated, “Shall I now renounce and disfellowship all of those who do not understand these things exactly as I understand them? They may refuse to recognize or fellowship or affiliate with me; but I will never refuse to recognize or fellowship or affiliate with them- NEVER.” He confessed, “I am as apt to be wrong as my brother for neither of us is infallible.” And for this reason he concluded, “I must love my brethren, and never refuse to fellowship them- ANY OF THEM- simply because we do not always understand all questions exactly alike.”

This remains the exact attitude we need to have with us wherever God is taking us next. Any other way will only continue to divide and devour us. Any other way is truly not reflective of the spirit of our beginnings in the American restoration. Any other way does not reflect the “one another” principles found in Scripture.

Where do we go from here? God knows, and if we trust him, it will be an exciting, fulfilling and wonderful journey. As always he will provide  our identity as we seek to connect him to our culture as “Christians only.”

Last Sunday I began a preaching series on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. Here in article form is the essence of my first lesson.

Just imagine hearing the news. It is the time, the event, the moment of history you were taught to yearn for from your earliest childhood. It is a day of great celebration, of unbelievable joy, of victory! Word is now rapidly spreading- the Messiah is here! Praise Yahweh! At last the Savior is among us! And now here in your neighborhood, he is healing and gathering to himself thousands.

You compose yourself and rush to join the throng. Breathlessly you finally arrive. You strain to see him beyond the crowds at the bottom of the hillside by Galilee’s sea. Yes, you overheard some skeptics talk about him being just a carpenter’s son; about how no one of importance could ever come from that dump of a town, Nazareth, but you discard it. Surely this healer is the Messiah. Surely his message will confirm that with calls for victory and Roman defeat. Surely he will detail the plan to reign on David’s throne and return Israel to its God-given prominence among the nations.

Then the mob quiets and he begins to speak. Your heart is racing but for a moment you question your hearing. Instead of calling for conquest, his first words are about humility. Then he speaks not about power but about meekness; not about a call to arms but about making peace! Incredibly he encourages love for the enemy! How can this be? The skeptics were right all along. This man cannot be the Messiah. Your hopes sink. Another impostor! His words are ridiculously foreign to that of the rabbis in the synagogue.

And they were.

These words which we now know as the Sermon on the Mount were different- radically so- as was the man who spoke them. From his birth in a common stable to his humiliating death on a Roman cross this Messiah was unlike anything anyone expected. His Sermon in Galilee voiced that. It was his public affirmation of this difference. Its message ran counter to culture- both Jewish and Roman- and clearly did not resemble the theology of the Jewish religious establishment. It challenged that establishment in a way that could not be ignored. It also laid the foundational elements of Christian thinking and practice that still should be shaping Christ’s church today. Even in the 21st century- to know Christ and to model him- starts here. This Sermon not only redefined the Messiah but remains definitive for anyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ.

Jesus spoke these amazing words to a world of oppression where an elite 2-3% of the people held all the wealth and power. They for the most part would never listen to him. For those trapped in the helpless 97%, however, this Sermon was as energizing and empowering as the man who spoke it.

The Sermon came early during Christ’s ministry. Mobs surrounded him as he traveled. Word had reached well beyond Judea about this healer. Hundreds flocked to him bringing their sick and needy. He took advantage of this celebrity to teach and to express the values that heaven honors.

Again, and this really cannot be overstated, the Sermon was radical. It boldly presented God’s kingdom values and set them in direct contrast with the values of Empire and privilege. It honored the weak. It revealed motives. It purposed a striking new way of thinking. It brought the heart of heaven down to man.

Instead of a rant on the tyranny of Rome or even a rehash of the stale teaching of the rabbis, Christ focused on what heaven values most- the heart- and the relationships that flow from it. No longer was it acceptable to detach lifestyles from law. This Sermon made that clear.

As a result the Sermon did introduce Heaven’s Messiah. It laid the groundwork for his ministry and defined the meaning and call of true discipleship in God’s kingdom.

And there were actually many who listened.

Now imagine again: Your life is a hardscrabble existence. Tough times are all you have ever known. You are among those powerless in a harsh society with zero chance of ever improving your lot. Sure you have attended the synagogue and listened to the teachers of the law. Their rhetoric just left you empty. They were only about themselves and cared little for folks like you. Then you hear about another man. The word is that he is quite different. He is described as a kind healer who is bringing hope to the hopeless. A buzz is spreading through your community in Galilee. Some claim he is the Messiah and now he is nearby! You immediately drop everything and run to find him. It is not too difficult. You simply follow the huge crowd rushing to the banks of the sea. There you see him! He is sitting among the masses about to speak. You quiet down those around you. You do not want to miss a single word. Then you hear…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…

Your heart stops. Tears begin to flow. Incredibly, you realize that he is talking about you! You begin to feel a new sensation. Is it possible? After all this time, could there really be hope? Never before have you heard words like this. This man understands. He must be from heaven. This man is the Messiah!

When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying- quite a contrast to their religious teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard. (Matthew 7:28-29 The Message)

But we don’t have to imagine. We know the Sermon. Which way do we hear it?