Two more things exciting at OCBC, an Update on Support Raising, and Gender Roles
a)
Bob Montgomery gave a good sermon at OCBC this week. He’s started a series on John 17. I’ll paraphrase (heavily) part of Bob’s message. It is something that I have put a good deal of thought into lately:
Christ’s goal and prayer was to Glorify the Father. The Father answered this in His death and resurrection. One way this Glorifies God is that it shows the Justice and Holiness of God. An ambassador once said to me during a Bible study: "I think God is far more wrathful in the Old Testament". I replied "It is exactly the opposite. God is far more wrathful in the New Testament". The ambassador was shocked! I explained that the Cross is where God’s wrath and God’s hatred of Sin is most fully displayed. God shows His commitment to Justice in the fact that He will not overlook sin even to spare His own Son. Most of the Old Testament takes place over a 2000 year period (Abraham to the prophets). It is not surprising that we find the occasional display of God’s wrath. However, in the 40 year period that most of the New Testament events occur in, God displays the most powerful judgment on sin. The wrath of the Old Testament is like the sun’s rays on a hot July day while God’s wrath on the Cross is like a ten million gigawatt laser. – Bob Montgomery (paraphrased)
If you remove God’s wrath from the Cross, the Cross is drained of almost all of its value. God would not be nearly as loving, because God’s Love is most powerfully displayed in the transfer of our penalty onto Christ. But God would also not be nearly as love-able (Glorious), because He would be a King who simply let murderers and adulterers go free without a great penalty being paid.
b)
The vote is in – the membership has approved of the pastoral candidate (one person voted against him :P). And….. he’s accepted (from what I’ve heard). He begins in June. So, OCBC has an English Pastor.
c)
Ministry Partner Development (support raising) has been interesting. I think I’m okay at it. Here are some good moments:
One individual told me VERY sincerely – "Thank you for giving ME the opportunity to invest in your ministry!"
Another person told me – "You are the only missionary that has ever approached me" and "I’m not rich, but I am comfortable. I need to not be."– It is encouraging to remember that there are many who WANT to give, but haven’t been given the opportunity.
Another person has sent my support letter to a bunch of different people, and yet another person mentioned my trip in an announcement at their Church!
Well, those are the good things, there are less good things, lots of waiting involved and my schedule is screwed up, but God has been good in this process.
d) (Potentially controversial)
I don’t know if anyone watched that Driscoll video I posted. In it, he says of the Church –
"Highest Priority: Men… The men are the issue. If you get the men, you win the War, if you lose the men, you lose the war. Most of your ministry is spent trying to make up for the lack, the deficiency, and the ineffectiveness of men. You say – "We need a big women’s ministry". We need husbands! You say – "We need a big children’s ministry". We need fathers!"
Jesus Christ undeniably and un-apologetically targeted MEN. He did not set up a women’s discipleship program or a Sunday School. He apparently felt it more important to take the 3 years of ministry he had to raise up a team of male leaders. From my experience, even those who hold to Biblical (complementarian) gender roles have largely failed to articulate this aspect of Christ’s model. I have lately realized that if a Church desires to follow a Biblical model of ministry, it must make preaching to, discipling, and developing men a high priority (yes, as in more important than women’s ministry or children’s ministry).
Bob Montgomery gave a good sermon at OCBC this week. He’s started a series on John 17. I’ll paraphrase (heavily) part of Bob’s message. It is something that I have put a good deal of thought into lately:
Christ’s goal and prayer was to Glorify the Father. The Father answered this in His death and resurrection. One way this Glorifies God is that it shows the Justice and Holiness of God. An ambassador once said to me during a Bible study: "I think God is far more wrathful in the Old Testament". I replied "It is exactly the opposite. God is far more wrathful in the New Testament". The ambassador was shocked! I explained that the Cross is where God’s wrath and God’s hatred of Sin is most fully displayed. God shows His commitment to Justice in the fact that He will not overlook sin even to spare His own Son. Most of the Old Testament takes place over a 2000 year period (Abraham to the prophets). It is not surprising that we find the occasional display of God’s wrath. However, in the 40 year period that most of the New Testament events occur in, God displays the most powerful judgment on sin. The wrath of the Old Testament is like the sun’s rays on a hot July day while God’s wrath on the Cross is like a ten million gigawatt laser. – Bob Montgomery (paraphrased)
If you remove God’s wrath from the Cross, the Cross is drained of almost all of its value. God would not be nearly as loving, because God’s Love is most powerfully displayed in the transfer of our penalty onto Christ. But God would also not be nearly as love-able (Glorious), because He would be a King who simply let murderers and adulterers go free without a great penalty being paid.
b)
The vote is in – the membership has approved of the pastoral candidate (one person voted against him :P). And….. he’s accepted (from what I’ve heard). He begins in June. So, OCBC has an English Pastor.
c)
Ministry Partner Development (support raising) has been interesting. I think I’m okay at it. Here are some good moments:
One individual told me VERY sincerely – "Thank you for giving ME the opportunity to invest in your ministry!"
Another person told me – "You are the only missionary that has ever approached me" and "I’m not rich, but I am comfortable. I need to not be."– It is encouraging to remember that there are many who WANT to give, but haven’t been given the opportunity.
Another person has sent my support letter to a bunch of different people, and yet another person mentioned my trip in an announcement at their Church!
Well, those are the good things, there are less good things, lots of waiting involved and my schedule is screwed up, but God has been good in this process.
d) (Potentially controversial)
I don’t know if anyone watched that Driscoll video I posted. In it, he says of the Church –
"Highest Priority: Men… The men are the issue. If you get the men, you win the War, if you lose the men, you lose the war. Most of your ministry is spent trying to make up for the lack, the deficiency, and the ineffectiveness of men. You say – "We need a big women’s ministry". We need husbands! You say – "We need a big children’s ministry". We need fathers!"
Jesus Christ undeniably and un-apologetically targeted MEN. He did not set up a women’s discipleship program or a Sunday School. He apparently felt it more important to take the 3 years of ministry he had to raise up a team of male leaders. From my experience, even those who hold to Biblical (complementarian) gender roles have largely failed to articulate this aspect of Christ’s model. I have lately realized that if a Church desires to follow a Biblical model of ministry, it must make preaching to, discipling, and developing men a high priority (yes, as in more important than women’s ministry or children’s ministry).
posted by Adam @ 11:36 PM
3 Comments:
At 11:26 AM,
monica said…
You and your gender roles! Hey did you get my facebook message?? We should really spend some time and talk about gender issues!! Are you going to Sabs' fundraiser thing this Saturday?
About men's ministry being more important than women's/children's ministry...hmmm... I have to think about that one. I mean, the whole emphasis on men needing to step up in leadership roles within the church is undeniable, but I'm not so sure about it being of higher importance than the other ministries in the church.
At 11:27 AM,
monica said…
Btw, is your emphasis on gender mainly attributed to the title of your blog?? That you like to discuss manhood oriented issues??
Just wondering.
At 7:53 AM,
Anonymous said…
Yes, Jesus Christ did undeniably target MEN. However, as in that time period women lacked education and were trained to be little other than home makers that choice made sense. Women weren’t going to reach the world, men were. So although Jesus did not demand his disciples to be the smartest of the smart, they were in a better position to start off with. Also culturally it would have been extremely off putting for a band of only females to be following around Jesus through the Middle East. Finally, Jesus did not neglect ministering to women while he was on earth. After investing a brief amount of time with the Samaritan women, she then went and taught her whole village about the living water. He didn’t ignore the Syrophoenician women’s faith, though prior to her reasoning/begging he wasn’t going to minister to her. In Luke 8, it states that women Jesus healed also accompanied him and provided for his troop. He allowed Mary to listen to his teaching and viewed her actions more acceptable/pleasing than the serving that Martha was doing. So although “He did not set up a women’s discipleship program or a Sunday School,” He also did not neglect the spiritual needs of women or children.
I think if the development of a men’s ministry was successful, (as in it raised up men who because uber Christ centred, and were very keen on being the spiritual leaders God called them to be) that these other ministries would also fall into place. However, if this ministry wasn’t successful (as in the men began to think very much of themselves in the home, yet continued to not read their Bibles, or be spiritual leaders in their families), it could lead to the downfall of all the programs.
-meredith
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