Wednesday, December 9, 2009
RHETORIC
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19).
We live in a time where countless churches’ have embraced the motto, “The same message just a different method.” At first glance this seems harmless. Who in their right mind would ever challenge the validity of using the latest technology? Not me: I’m on the bandwagon.
I even have a “sitemeter” to show me how many millions are not reading my blog!
Here’s the danger: In our quest to be relevant we have embraced rhetoric—reasoning that reaches probable conclusions based upon premises that are assumed rather than proven. For the most part, coming up with new methods is the empty talk of those who would do away with the cross because it assumes that there is a difference between the message and the method.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The message is Christ crucified and the method is the cross; they are one and the same. Its premise is that at the heart of every man is a “Hitler” that must die. This principle is grounded in the fall of Adam, through which the heart of man became desperately wicked: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). The Justice of God demands that this man must die; the Mercy of God redeemed man by sending Jesus as a sacrifice for sin and offering the gift of repentance.
However, the wisdom of man finds this all too rigid. Therefore a new “Posture Pedic” cross is in order—one that conforms to individual sins!
This new scheme never confronts the sinner because the community survey shows that people do not want to be told what they are doing is wrong. After all, everyone knows they are sinners: right?
Wrong, you have bought into rhetoric. No way would those converted on the day of Pentecost knew that they had just murdered the Son of God had not Peter challenged them in their sin. They thought they had done God a service: “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers” (Acts 3:17).
We live in a time where countless churches’ have embraced the motto, “The same message just a different method.” At first glance this seems harmless. Who in their right mind would ever challenge the validity of using the latest technology? Not me: I’m on the bandwagon.
I even have a “sitemeter” to show me how many millions are not reading my blog!
Here’s the danger: In our quest to be relevant we have embraced rhetoric—reasoning that reaches probable conclusions based upon premises that are assumed rather than proven. For the most part, coming up with new methods is the empty talk of those who would do away with the cross because it assumes that there is a difference between the message and the method.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The message is Christ crucified and the method is the cross; they are one and the same. Its premise is that at the heart of every man is a “Hitler” that must die. This principle is grounded in the fall of Adam, through which the heart of man became desperately wicked: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). The Justice of God demands that this man must die; the Mercy of God redeemed man by sending Jesus as a sacrifice for sin and offering the gift of repentance.
However, the wisdom of man finds this all too rigid. Therefore a new “Posture Pedic” cross is in order—one that conforms to individual sins!
This new scheme never confronts the sinner because the community survey shows that people do not want to be told what they are doing is wrong. After all, everyone knows they are sinners: right?
Wrong, you have bought into rhetoric. No way would those converted on the day of Pentecost knew that they had just murdered the Son of God had not Peter challenged them in their sin. They thought they had done God a service: “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers” (Acts 3:17).
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We just keep yelling, "The bridge is out!" They just keep driving, turning up the stereo,texting and mashing the gas pedal.
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