Miguel Labrador's Blog, page 19

Put These 7 Mission Words In Order

Missions, short or long term should always begin with ADONAI:

Literally “my Lord,” the plural form of Adon, that is, “Lord” or “Lordship.”  The word occurs in the Masoretic text 315 times by the side of the Tetragram YHWH (310 times preceding and five times succeeding it) and 134 times without it. Originally an appellation of God, the word became a definite title, and when the Tetragram became too holy for utterance Adonai was substituted for it.

So, in short, missions begins with God, Father, Son, and Spirit.  In Latin, “the order of salvation,” is called  ”Ordo Salutis.”  It is the common theological doctrine that deals with the logical sequencing of the benefits of redemption as we are united to Christ which are applied to us by the Holy Spirit.  We’re not here to discuss that.  Instead, let’s consider “Ordo Absentis.”  The Order of Mission  

Using that “A” word (Adonai) as the foundation, or starting with Christ, put these 7 words in the order you think most biblical.  Use the comment section below.  Needless to say how you arrange them may be different from others.  If you feel you need to explain your word order, feel free to do so. 

Accessibility


Assessment


Availability


Agenda


Aptitude


Announcement


Attract

 
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The Appeal: ‘Eastern vs. Western Thought,’ Is a Bunch of Skubalon

First things first.  What’s skubalon?  It’s the New Testament equivalent of the word s**t!  Let’s look at it in context:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:7-8

The word “rubbish” here is translated by Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, The Message, as “dog dung.”  Poop, Crap, however you want to say it.  That’s the way I’m referring to the boring and intellectually irresponsible appeal that you don’t know what you’re talking about because you’re trapped in a “western mind-set.”  

We are as much as told  that we must abandon logos-centered theology and beliefs (that are Western or Greek) in favor of mystic, experiential or existential embodiment theologies (i.e. more Hebraic and Eastern). This ignores that in the Old and New Testament, God’s people have always been people of God’s Word. God speaking in the Bible in no way minimizes the incarnation. Indeed, once the incarnation was witnessed and Christ returned to heaven the means of relating to the event was through proclamation and testimony which is nothing less than words (1 John 1:1-4).

This is a false dichotomy pushed by people who want to show you that they’re too sexy for your thoughts.  Arguments that rely on these false dichotomies between “Greek and Hebrew” or “Eastern and Western” may look sexy but they are often nothing more than power plays. And at the end of the day, the appeal that we embrace more “Eastern” or “Hebraic” thinking often is a ploy to lead us further from the Biblical text which points to the Christ.  John 5:39

It’s not Eastern or Western thought that should categorize your thought journey.  It’s any philosophy of thought that would set itself up against biblical thinking.  Biblical thinking is that which takes ever thought captive and subjects it to Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5  It is that thinking which shaped by the things that are true, noble, just, and of good report. Philippians 4:8.  It is an ever sanctifying thought process which results in the renewing of a believer’s mind.  Romans 12:2

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

It’s high time we reject such shoddy argumentation and see it for what it is–the use of smoke and mirrors to mislead.  Let’s bag the poop and move on.

Disagree?  Why? 

 

 

 

 
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Church Repairmen?

There are many reasons that would cause a local church to be in a state of disrepair.  And no, I’m not talking about a building.  Local churches are simply communing followers of Christ who:

~ Are believing, repenting, baptizing, learning, loving, serving, and proclaiming the Gospel

~ Are under Christ’s Kingdom authority and headship influencing by example and overseeing the health of His Body

~ Are living to accomplish His mission of going, baptizing, teaching, establishing, equipping, empowering, and releasing

I don’t see the need to add any more “marks” of what the local church consists of, but if you have any to add, please do so in the comment section.  Regardless, there are times when local churches are broken down, in disarray, or in disrepair.  Normally the word “disrepair,” is attached to something mechanical.  When a washing machine, car, or even a building is in disrepair, we call a repairman.

Since local churches are not mechanical and more organic in nature, a set of natural questions surface:

1.  Do local churches in disrepair need repairmen?

2.  Who are these repairmen? (repairpeople?)

3.  What is their function, and how should they go about this repair business?

And…

Is there anything wrong with someone who always seems to want to “fix” the church?  

 
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So, You Think You Play A Part In Your Own Spiritual Transformation? Hmm…

An interesting comment from another blog post sparked this one.  That post was titled, “Being Transformed by the Renewing of my Mind, I think…” and can be read here.   To be perfectly clear, the following is not about salvation.  It concerns what happens afterwards.  It concerns moving, or being transformed from what we were to what we’re becoming. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Paul the Apostle said this to the church at Rome:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

The commenter reminded me that the transformation is directly tied to the “offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice.”  My first inclination is to agree, and generally to also agree with the concept that we participate in our own spiritual transformation.  Again, I am not talking about salvation.  I am talking about the renewal that comes afterwards.  

Once thing about the Romans passage which calls into question this concept, is that the verb “be transformed,” is not an active verb.  It is a passive or middle imperative.  In others words, it is something that happens to us versus happening with us.  I still think the case can be made for active participation in our own spiritual transformation, just not conclusively with these verse.

None the less, Do you think you play a part in your own spiritual transformation?

What part? 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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You’re Encased in Your Hermeneutical Assumptions, There’s No Escape.

Hermeneutics [hur-muh-noo-tiks], broadly, is the art and science of text interpretation. Traditional hermeneutics is the study of the interpretation of written texts, especially texts in the areas of literature, religion and law. A type of traditional hermeneutic is biblical hermeneutics which concerns the study of the interpretation of the Bible.

With that in mind, I stumbled across this free book on Amazon today and began looking at some of its content.  The title is “A Better Atonement: Beyond the Depraved Doctrine of Original Sin”  This post is not dealing with that issue, “original sin,” but if you would like to weigh in on it, please use the comment section.  Instead I’d like to focus on this quote from the book:

“I’ve been very clear on this point here and elsewhere: I do not think it possible to begin with the Bible. We always begin with our own hermeneutical assumptions. Always. No exceptions. A human being cannot escape her/his own hermeneutical horizon. You are encased in it, just as you are encased in your own skin. There’s no escape.” ~ Tony Jones

I simply disagree.  As I’ve stated before on multiple occasions, followers of Jesus, Disciples, His Sheep, are being transformed by the renewing of their minds. (Romans 12:2)  It is a necessary result of being translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:13)  You can not be encased in any hermeneutic. 

Can you? 

 
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Do Christians have an obligation to pry into the lives of others?

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Matthew 7:16

Yes, I suppose that their just might be a place for fruit inspectors within the body of Christ.  Might be… 

But there’s a major flaw in some thinking here.  People are not cans that need to be pried open to have their fruit inspected.  Are they?  Neither are they Tupperware containers of different opacities whereby others can examine their fruit in degrees of transparency.  Fruit grows and should be visible.  If it’s not visible yet, it seems presumptuous to pry someone open to see if there are any fruit inside so as to make judgments regarding their spiritual state.

There is certainly a level or purposed, or intentional transparency  needed for others to grow.  ”Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. For many live (about whom I often told you, and now say even with tears) as enemies of the cross of Christ.”  Philippians 3:17-18

If one offends or sins against you directly, then it’s right to approach that person and discuss their “bad fruit.”  Proverbs 25:9,  Matthew 18:15 etc.  But if the same person fails to recognize their offense or sin, then scripture also seems to indicate a bit of sanctioned prying. 

So, do Christians have the right or obligation to pry into the lives of others?  When?

 

 
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And After A Disciple Has Been Made? Then What?

Many propositions have been put forth regarding when a disciple can be considered as “made.”  After all, Jesus told us to “go and make disciples,” and the most natural assumptions are that we can, and should make them.  Of course, this begs the question, how do we know when they’re made, and what to do with them afterwards.  I could give an overview of the various viewpoints here, but I’d just like to throw out a raw question:

~

 

What is the church’s responsibility after the disciple has been made? 

 

 

 
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Church, Is It Both Entertainment & Hospitality?

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  Hebrews 13:2

Aside from the obvious wow factor in this verse, the idea that we might have interacted with an angelic being, let’s consider hospitality and entertainment within the church.  When I say “within the church,” I mean the practices of these within Christendom.

Forgive me if I sound mean or arrogant here, but I have no desire to entertain anyone or be entertained by anyone.  That is, of course, if by entertainment you mean putting on some sort of show or satiating someone’s boredom.  I do, however, have a deep interest in being hospitable.  That doesn’t come easy for me either, but I see the spiritual value of it.  What is the spiritual value in “entertainment” as it is defined today?

To be fair, I think we’ve taken these two words, as a church, and morphed them into something very different than the author of Hebrews intended.

In Hebrews 13:2, Hospitality (philoxenia): Means, the love of strangers, demonstrating warmth and friendliness.

Entertain (xenizó): Means to receive as a guest or to surprise.

The second meaning “surprise” is certainly interesting and may warrant some further thinking. 

So, do you think there should be less entertainment and more hospitality within the church?

 
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That One Moment of Necessary Evangelism Awkwardness.

It is the single most dreaded moment in all of evangelism.  The ice breaker.  You’ve got something which you know needs to be heard, and in fact, must be told.  Getting from deliberation to delivery causes some to fear, some to be anxious, and in others, genuine panic.  Many methods have sprung up to  segway from a secular conversation to a spiritual one.  I’m not saying they’re all wrong, but many of them smack of “bait and switch,” and start off a Kingdom conversation with an earthly crowbar.   

Sure, there are those who would propose that we must make friends first, or develop a relationship with those whom we want to transmit the gospel message, but this, in reality is only one possible way of many.  The obstacles to evangelism and discipleship in most of our everyday lives are numerous.  Evangelism requires proximity and opportunity.  For most of us, proximity is minimized, and opportunities are few.  This is not an excuse, just a statement of reality.  Evangelism requires blazing a trail.  Granted, the Spirit often goes before us, but sometimes we are the ones the Spirit uses to go before others.  

Evangelism that is more focused on transmitting the gospel in a transforming way, and less concerned with the “winning of a soul,” a better representation of a holistic & biblical approach.  Five-minute methodologies are often broken at the initiation point.  They are flawed at conception.  Granted, we all stumble and fumble about trying to get to where we want to be evangelistically speaking.  Of course it’s easier when there is an existing relationship or when there is some “history” exists between persons, but this can also serve as an impediment.  

When Jesus sent out the 70 two by two in Luke 10, it’s highly unlikely that the people being evangelized were already known to them.  Jesus knew well that transitioning from greetings to preaching the gospel of  the Kingdom was and could be awkward.  He said to “speak peace” over the house.  It was a cultural greeting that precipitated certain responses.  If the greeting was received and offered back, then Jesus told them to stay in the house and continue there until their welcome was worn out, so to speak.

We’re dealing with two aspects of evangelism here:

1.  Bringing the gospel to those who are known among us.

and

2.  Bringing the Gospel to where it’s not known.

It is my contention that both are always in play.  There is an intentional going out, and an intentional working within in. No, we are not all evangelists.  But none of us are exempt from preaching to gospel to all of creation. (Mark 16:15)  None of us are exempt from making disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:18,19,20)  It always comes back to that first awkward moment.  Being salt and light in our current circumstances, being of good reputation (Acts 6:1-6), and being a witness (Acts 1:8) can all be done without going to a place different from where we are. 

As to the second, bringing the gospel to where it’s not known, it’s never quite that natural.  We are compelled to go to strange places where we are not known and initiate a process of injecting the gospel.  Injections are seldom, if ever, pleasant.  Some would refer to this as “forcing” the gospel, or foisting it upon people.  But, like the 70, they weren’t invited either.  We have spoken peace over households, met physical needs, played games, and more, but the most common introduction, and the most effective for us, is simply saying “We come with a message from God.  Do you want to hear it?”  That’s it!  It sounds crazy, but the results have been astounding.

How do you get past, get through, and get to the gospel in that awkward moment? 

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Disenfranchised Disciple Makers

Take two equally gifted Disciple Makers, both with sincere intent and genuine faith.  Does the disciple maker with means make more disciples than the disciple maker without means?  Before answering that question, let me share a real life example.  As many of you know, my wife and I are missionaries in the Cloud Forest region of Ecuador.  This is a vast region of pocket communities, towns, and villages dispersed throughout the Andes Mountains. 

Getting to these regions to effectively bring the gospel where it is not known requires mobility.  As we no longer have a vehicle (long story), we rely on public transportation, bicycling, walking, etc.  When we do go out to visit people in these communities we depend on outside funding for transportation.  A faithful band of brothers and sisters are always ready to go out with or without us and disciple people.  But, without that funding, our mobility and impact is greatly restricted.  We are making disciples, many of them, but it’s because we have the means to do it.  The means, resources, and empowerment  enable us to do what we do.

My purpose here is not to get into a debate regarding creating sustainable disciple making movements.  I’ve written on that before. My purpose is to propose that that there exists among the church (the entire body of Christ), a large segment of disenfranchised disciple makers.  There are those who can afford to go about making disciples and those who are limited by their means.  There are those who are privileged to be able to be missional and speak at conferences, travel, write books, and still make disciples.  There are those who can not travel, do not have the opportunity to speak anywhere, and can not disseminate their insights to other disciple makers.  There are those who can take time off from their daily work to disciple others and those who can’t.  

If we were to consider this group, philosophically equal to any other marginalized or disenfranchised group, then what would be some possible solutions? 

 
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