Yesterday I continued my series in the book of Romans covering 2:17 - 3:8. The title of my sermon was, Being Religious Is Not Good Enough.
The context is quite plain: Paul was addressing his fellow Jews who took great pride in their ethnicity, is possessing the oracles of God, and by performing the religious duties (i.e. circumcision) commanded by God. Through a series of rhetorical questions he cuts their legs out from beneath them and ends with a stinging rebuke (2:24): "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Consequently Paul makes plain that such people are truly deserving of God's wrath.
Ancient Israel possessed the oracles of God for the purpose of being called to be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6 and Luke 2:32). Yet they failed in that task so much so that God's name was blasphemed among the Gentiles.
In a similar way evangelicals have been entrusted with the oracles of God. We have been commanded to guard the deposit entrusted to us (I Timothy 6:20; II Timothy 1:14) and take that to the ends of the earth and make disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
Watch the following video and ask yourself if God is going to look the other way when this is done in his name? Might we not conclude that the name of God is being blasphemed among the nations because of us?
Fellowship Church - Closer to the Start
2 comments:
I'm embarassed for the Church. If this is what we are promising people - an even sillier version of an already superficial culture - who can blame them for thinking it a waste of their time?
The video looks spectacular! But all that time real ministry of the word and sacrament was sacrificed at the expense of art. But it's hard to call it art, because even that was sacrificed for something called entertainment.
10 or so years from now that video will look goofy, because the style will be out of date.
True art is never outdated, but remains pleasing to the eye or ear.
Beyond art, the word of God and the correct ministering of the sacraments will never go outdated. We are promised that in Holy Scripture.
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