What do Christians do?

When my house elf* married her Christian husband (many years ago) she became a Christian. As she was being counselled by the pastor's wife about Christianity her questions were not "Is Christianity true?" or "How do I know that God is real?" it was "What do Christians do?"

 

She explained "We Hindus get up in the morning and do puja before anything else, we burn incense and we don't eat beef - what do Christians do?"

 

Much of evangelism in Australia tends to be the more intellectual questions - Is Christianity true? What does the Bible say?

 

Maybe my house elf's questions are also reflected in the hearts of Australians too? Lots of people know what Christians DON'T do, but do they know what they DO do? Maybe our evangelism in Australia should also be directed towards answering the more practical question. How is my life, in a very practical sense, different (and better) as a Christian?

* My house elf is paid a decent wage, is not bound to the house, and is also not an elf.

Gender distinctions in the tabernacle?

I've been reading through Mark and I'm up to the clearing of the Temple (Chapter 11).

 

In the design of Herod's temple there were certain restrictions placed on different types of people. Certain people were allowed closer access to the Most Holy Place, and thus the presence of God.

 

Furthest away were the Gentiles. There were actually signs placed on the walls leading to the temple that said that Gentiles would be responsible for their own deaths if they proceded further. Jewish women were allowed a little further in. Jewish males were allowed even further (and they were able to view the priests performing their sacrifices and rituals). The priests and the high priests were allowed into the temple itself, and the high priest, once a year, into the Most Holy Place.

 

So the Jewish men were allowed closer to God than the women.

 

I naturally applied this to my thinking about gender relationships and roles today.

 

Maybe men are somehow closer to God? Maybe there is a hierarchy of the genders in God's eyes?

 

Then I wondered, is this how God intended it to be in the first place?

 

Reading through Exodus and Leviticus, I can't see that there is any distinction between how close men and women are to God. The tabernacle had the central tent (which contained the Most Holy Place) and then a fence around it. Of course the priests had more access than the Jewish laity, but other than that I can't see any distinction between ceremonially clean males and females. It seems they were all allowed equally to the entrance of the tabernacle. I wonder, if even Gentiles, or God fearers, were they also granted the same access?

 

Does this mean that from the time of the tabernacle, to the time of Herod's temple, that sexism had become so ingrained in the Jewish leadership that it was actually built into the architecture of the temple?

 

Or were there good reasons for this male -->  female --> gentile distinction?

SMBC Blog list

Following the lead of Michael Jensen at Moore I thought I'd put a list of all the blogs from students or alumni of SMBC. See the blog roll on the right.

 

Let's keep all those great conversations we had at college going.

 

Does anyone know of any other SMBC blogs?

And he will separate the sheep from the goats

Or will the goats separate the sheep....?

 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

Matthew 25:31-36

Cucumber anyone?

 

Womens ministry - lines in the sand

What do you think is OK for women to do in a church context?

 

Is it allowable for women to:

• to be the sole head pastor of a church?
• be the head pastor of a church along with their husband?
• be ordained ministers?
• preach regularly in church?
• preach occasionally in church?
• lead the Sunday service?
• lead a mixed Bible study?
• lead youth group?
• share a testimony from the front of the Sunday service?
• do the bible reading in the Sunday service?
• teach Sunday school?
• share somethings they've learned from the Bible with a male friend?

Everyone places themselves somewhere on this continuum - at either end or somewhere in the middle. Somewhere along the line we draw a line.

 

There are other related issues too.

 

Is it allowable:

• for a guy to listen to women preach?
• for a girl to listen to a woman preach to a mixed audience when she doesn't agree with it?
• for a pastor at a church to allow women to do any of the things in the list above?
• to go to a church where women have more freedom than your conscience would allow?
• to support women missionaries who preach to mixed audiences in their overseas locations?

Women especially feel pressure to have "where they stand" all figured out before going into ministry positions.

Men also want to have it figured out before they head into pastoral positions and have to make decisions as to what roles women will have in their church.

 

When I think about it these questions seem vaguely familiar.

• What constitutes work on the Sabbath?
  • Can a person pick the grain off the ground, but not if it's still on the stalk?
  • Can a person's hand be healed on the Sabbath?
  • How far can a person travel on the Sabbath? ...

I wonder if, in our good and godly desire to follow God's will in our lives we have ignored the weightier matters.

• Is the gospel being preached faithfully? (I fear some people may prefer to hear a male preach a bad sermon than a women preach a good one!)
• Are people being saved?
• Are people being built up by the ministry of women (whatever it is and to whomever it is)?
• Is the contribution of women in your church shaping your church for the better?
• In their ministry, are the women themselves becoming more like Jesus?
• Are the women, and those they are ministering to, increasingly displaying the fruit of the spirit? Are they increasing in faith, in hope and in love?

 

Placing limits on women's minstry is sometimes perceived as being the godly choice. I certainly don't think it is, I don't think it's that important.

Where we draw the line shouldn't be the issue.

 

 

Pithy evangelism

How did a newly converted villager in PNG preach to his friends?

"Follow Jesus and you can have a better house".

On first hearing this every bone in my body screamed "prosperity gospel!" Noooooo!!! Then I wondered how he undid the mess he'd made!

 

But...

 

when it was explained to me that the villagers in that particular place only built wooden houses (not brick) because of fear of the spirits. They believed that the spirits wanted easy access into and out of the house, and if they built a concrete house the spirits would be angry. It started making sense to me. This person was preaching freedom in Christ for those who are really following. It would take some guts for them to build a concrete house. Maybe they weren't sure if Jesus really would protect them from the evil spirits. But, in building the house, they are making a concrete (pardon the pun) step of faith. "I trust you Jesus to protect me. I know I am free to build this type of house. I trust you more than my fear of the spirits."

 

Sure, the rest of the gospel message would have to be nutted out to them along the way, but once they build those houses, and the spirits don't bother them, they're well on their way to trusting Jesus with everything.

 

This makes me wonder what parts of the gospel are necessary to preach to those who don't know about Jesus? Maybe just "follow Jesus" or an equivalent - like "submit to God" or "trust Jesus"...

 

What a fantastic model for an evangelistic sermon! I wonder what similar ones would be in our culture? Follow Jesus and never have to worry about your looks again? Follow Jesus and you'll never have to lie again? Trust God to keep your investment secure?