Before all of you out there in blogland hear Randy Harris, we get the material at his home church in the raw, unedited form! Tonight he starts a three-week series (with a break for ACU lectureship) he’s calling “Celts, Hermits, Buddhists, Monks . . . What I Did With My Summer Break.”
ACU lectureship begins this Sunday evening with Jerry Taylor (whom I humorously refer to as my “fill-in” — the truth is that you’ll rarely hear better preaching in your life that when Jerry speaks!) and ends Wednesday night with Jeff Walling.
There are so many things that look interesting, but I’m especially anxious to hear Landon Saunders. He’s speaking Monday evening. Hope many of you will have a chance to be here.
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Want something for your Bible class to discuss for a few weeks? Try this piece by John Stackhouse. (And thanks to KS for pointing me to it.)
Here’s a taste:
Furthermore, we must beware of a second problem that lies nearby. And that is the idea that missions is all about getting people saved, and particularly about rescuing their souls from hell so that they can go to heaven. Multiple theological errors, in fact, attend this view of salvation.
God is not interested in saving merely human souls. He wants human beings, body and soul. Furthermore, he does not settle for saving human beings, but the whole earth. He made it in the first place, pronounced it “very good,” and he wants it all back. So he is saving us, the lords he put over creation, as part of his global agenda to rescue, indeed, the globe.
What God rescues us to, furthermore, is the original agenda he set out for us in Genesis 1, namely, to “fill the earth and subdue it.” He planted a garden for us to tend (Gen. 2) and commanded our first parents to raise up generations of gardeners to fan out across the earth to till the rest of it. This is what it means to bear the image of God. We, too, are to improve the situation, to cultivate what we encounter, to make shalom in every sector of life. And such work is our ultimate destiny as well, as we are to “reign with him” over the new earth he promises (2 Tim. 2:12). Thus we are not going back to Eden, nor up to a (spiritual) heaven, but forward to the New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven to earth as our proper home (Rev. 21).
The Christian gospel therefore is not a narrowly spiritual one, but literally embraces everything, everywhere, at every moment. Every action that brings shalom—that preserves or enhances the flourishing of things, people, and relationships—is the primary will of God for humanity. Christians ought therefore to recognize and affirm anything our neighbors do to make peace, whether those neighbors intend to honor God or not. Indeed, we can cooperate with them in those ventures, since we see in them the divine agenda of shalom.
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Want to know why I often feel like I’m following a church rather than leading a church? Check out this post (9/11) from an attorney at our church, one of the best Bible teachers I’ve ever heard.
Maybe it’s me, but Stackhouse seems to take the most basic, straight-forward agenda for Christ’s church - the Great Commission - and make it maddingly complex.
Kent - Fair enough. To me it seems like he takes the church’s mission and presents it in the context of the whole biblical story: Genesis to Revelation. To me that’s not maddeningly complex, but theologically expansive.
The question I’d ask of Stackhouse is this: Will God fail in this task to save us (body and soul) and Creation?
The biblical witness seems mixed on this question, with some passages indicating that God will fail on a wide scale and other passages indicating that that God will, in the end, redeem it ALL. How to reconcile the two tensions?
I, personally, back away from the Failed God and go with the Victorious One.
I’m grateful for a fuller view of what the good news encompasses and salvation means. While we may see “every action that brings shalom” as a part of that good news, the proclamation of “Jesus Christ and him crucified” must remain central, because without focused faith in him, people will never inherit that shalom or dwell in the the new heavens and the new earth.
“fill the earth and subdue it.”
Will I get to ride my Harley and what about my SUV. If we are not married what does that look like? Will I enter heaven a cripple?
It seems to me (and I could be way off) that I don’t hear as much about becoming a Christian so you wont go to hell, or the alternative, to go to heaven. I hear much more about how to live the crucified life, the benefits of following God’s will while on earth,… Much the opposite of what my grandparents heard about fire and brimstone. I love the whole package. I want to live in victory through Jesus, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I am also loving that I am assured that my sins are forgiven and when I am called home it will be to Glory. There is a place for both discussions. I am currently reading the book Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. If you haven’t read it (I bet you have) it is a refreshing biblical based text on what the bible says about heaven (and hell), and it has very little to do with the notions of harps, clouds.
Are Randy’s talks available online at a church? Is ACU webcasting any presentations?
Peace.
How I would love to hear both Randy & Landon speak! Hope we can get them online.
Clint, I can’t wait to see you dancing with Lana in heaven! And I am going to ask you to walk around the table to serve me that amazing feast of the Lord when we get there…deal?
There you go again, Cope, acting like God cares about this life–the entirety of it–all the people in it and what happens to every particle of his handywork!
You beat all, you know that? You just beat all!
‘Mike, do you have a brother named Mark in Brownwood, Texas? My name is Suzy Brown and I have heard your name since I’ve been “on the circuit.” You are wilder than I expected. And your U-Tube rendition of Gospel Favorites put you a little further off the edge! Seriously, I am new to the Church of Christ speaking tour. My claim to fame is divorce. I didn’t want that and when God said “that’s what I want you to do,” I said, “No thanks… I’m busy” But here I am. I did a radio interview on a talk radio show on Monday and the host’s name was Mark Cope and he said he had a brother named Mike Cope. Is that you? God has definitely been using this unexpected, unwanted divorce thing for his glory and my good. Check out my website http://www.midlifedivorcerecovery.com to see a little more about what I’m doing. I am doing lots of radio interivews on secular radio which is great and national tv interview with a couple more in the works. Would love to talk to you about the whole thing I’m doing and whether I could do a Divorce Recovery Boot Camp in your area. I could send you a disk of my talk at Lipscomb about what churches could be doing for this growing demographic and how we can reach out to those in our neighborhoods. It has amazing outreach potential because never is a person more willing to listen to what God has to offer than when he or she is going through a divorce. My phone number is 816-941-4911; my cell is 913-558-5312. My e-mail is suzysuccess@kc.rr.com. I know being a religious celebrity and all, you are very busy, but would love to hear from you. The need is great! Suzy P.S. Leafwood just published my book, Radical Recovery this year. I’m discovering that gives me credibility!
S
Don’t let Randy Lie about what he did this summer!
I know he was here in Jonesboro AR for one of those weeks doing our Adult Summer Series!
Julie,
deal
“Celts, Hermits, Buddhists, Monks . . . What I Did With My Summer Break.” That is such a Randy title.
I must say I think you have too much talent in one place. I got to hear Jerry speak at my home congregation on Easter and was blown away, Landon is an absolute saint and spiritual giant, Randy is one of the most gifted speakers in the church today, and Mike you have inspired me to work towards becomming a homiletics professor and preacher with your ability to passionately and humbly speak the Truth in Love.
Spread the talent around, share the wealth.
Be blessed!
Landon Saunders is why i am still standing today..can’t wait to see him.