Young pastors encourage CBF supporters to ‘Embrace the World’

Does preaching the gospel to every creature fit in there somewhere?

 

What does embracing the world mean:

1. Bringing the culture of the world into the Church? We have already done that!

2. Preaching the gospel to every creature?

 

The liberal gospel is utilitarian in nature only concerned with the happiness of man and God is the means to that end which is plainly illustrated in the op.

 

Hey Crabby, they're partnering with a Political ogranization (the U.N.) to do their work. What about separtation of church and state? Doesn't that bother you?

Or does that only concern you when conservatives get involved in politics? Sounds hypocritical of you, I'm sorry to say.

Here are the goals of the U.N. Some are noteworthy and the devil is always in the details of how they are "implemented".

Nothing about implementing the Great Commission in there, Crabby. Nothing about promoting the cause of Christ in the world.

If the CBF accomplishes 100% of it's goals, as stated here, not a single person will be saved because the gospel will not be preached.

Cure every single case of aids but the people still die in their sins.
Teach every single child to read and they still die in their sins.
Reduce infant mortality to zero, and they still die in their sins.

Empower women and develop partnerships for development, give everyone clean water and air, save the planet with evironmental policies and everyone still dies in their sins....

....because the gospel isn't important enough to be part of the program.

Just a bunch of liberals doing things to make themselves feel better about themselves.

blah, blah, blah.

Come Lord Jesus

peace to youraying:

 

Serving Christ is not an either/or situation but both. What you stated can certainly happen but the other side can happen when people do not pray and ask God for men and women to disciple. They can listen to intellectual preaching week after week with little effectiveness because they are not doers of the word. Jesus was criticized for picking grain on the sabbath.

Several years ago I was involved in World Changers and had a lot of doubts about its effectiveness. In fact I would not have gotten involved unless someone had asked me. What I found amazing is that every home we worked on we were able to share the gospel with the people.

 

Be careful when judging something based only on a news snippet

Dear Canadyjd,

I was at the CBF General Assembly, in fact, one of the speakers. I celebrate with you, your commitment to the Great Commission. I also encourage you not to judge other brothers and sisters without more information than a short news piece can give.

Many of your critiques were addressed in the portions of the service not covered in the article. It was repeatedly made plain that the MDGs are secular goals by a secular organization. CBF's commitment to helping reach those goals are rooted deeply in its commitment to Christ and his gospel. One speaker even noted that if we fulfill every MDG but have not the love of Christ, we have nothing (a beautiful paraphrase of Paul's words to the Corinthians). The CBF's endorsing of the MDGs serves as a point of dialogue between CBF and other people around the globe. Dialogues in which we long to be, and pray to be, the presence of Christ for a world in need of the gospel.

The great commission has always been and continues to be a vital part of CBF's reason for existing. I am always blessed and challenged by conversations with CBF missionaries who are taking the gospel into some of the most challenging places on the globe. But as the article makes clear, in no way do we ever want to divorce the Great Commission from the Great Commandment.

Remember, it wasn't CBF preachers who made up the answer to the young man's question in Luke 10 - "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" It was Jesus who encouraged him to go and love his neighbor as himself.

 

When I took a counseling class while I was in seminary the professor asked the class about what we would do if someone came to us and asked us what we would do if someone came to us and asked us how to inherit eternal life. There were all kind of answers but not one that Jesus gave. Jesus knew the heart of people and he reached their heart.

 

Again, why would you partner with the U.N.? I wouldn't even want my church's name associated in anyway with the U.N.

Plus, I'm waiting for Crabby's answer to the separation of church and state answer.

 

So it is your position that salvation comes by loving your neighbor?

 

Oh, my goodness. We have been preaching the wrong message all these centuries that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Now, all I have to do is to love my neighbor. Talk about taking a verse out of context!

 

That is what you get with utilitarian religion.

 

Just maybe Jesus was showing him he hadn't kept the law as perfectly as he said he did... Of course Jesus said we ought to love people, but this was hardly the message Jesus told us to take throughout the world.

Of course, that may be the message the CBF is spreading.

 

Dear Aggiepreacher:

Welcome to the Baptist Board:wavey: Perhaps you can clear up my misunderstandings of the CBF?

The CBF is committed to separation of Church and State. Why are they partnershipping with a political organization for anything?

How can committment to secular goals by a secular organization be deeply rooted in Christ and His gospel?

I greatly appreciate Paul's words in Corinthians. He also stated that it was pleasing in the sight of God to bring people to salvation by the foolishness of the message preached, i.e. Christ and Him crucified.

You are not going to bring people to Christ by a committment to fulfill MDG, no matter how much love you think you have.

Pehaps you can show me that passage of scripture where we are to be the presence of Christ in the world? I thought we were to preach the gospel and proclaim His death until He comes again.

Perhaps you could explain what your view of the Great Commission is?

Actually, Jesus told him to love the Lord, his God with all his heart, soul and strength and to love his neighbor as himself.

A committment to the U.N. and MDG may, at some level, demonstrate love for neighbor, but it doesn't demonstrate love for God.

Again, welcome to the BB

peace to youraying:

 

Thanks for the questions

Thanks for the questions. I’ll do my best to answer them.

I think there has been some misunderstanding as to the nature of the CBF’s use of the MDGs. This will hopefully answer the question concerning separation of church and state. The CBF has no formal (or informal) partnership with the UN. No CBF field personnel are working with UN personnel on any project. Rather, the MDGs are serving an illustrative purpose. That evening in worship we were discussing the ways we could be good neighbors to a world in need. The MDGs give us some guidance as to what the most pressing physical needs are in the world around us. In the context of the Good Samaritan, it’s like asking, “Who are the wounded around us in need of a neighbor?” The MDGs are helpful in pinpointing those people.

It would be a little like if your local community government identified a great need in the community, say, a group of people who were going hungry. Now, just because it was a government that discovered the need doesn’t mean the church can’t then say, hey, we can help with that. Now, the motivations of the government and the church are very different, but that doesn’t mean the church must avoid doing that activity just because some non-Christians might also think the task important.

Dialogue with other groups who also see the MDGs as valuable goals gives us the opportunity to give the reason for our actions. What sets us apart, as several of you have noted, and I agree with, is that our motivation comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. We go forth both preaching the gospel and loving our neighbors in the name of Christ. This is a both/and situation.

The great commission after all, involves both. The making of disciples requires the preaching of the gospel – for these potential disciples must know who it is they are giving their lives to and how that happens. They must hear that though we are enemies of God, sinners, God in his deep love for us, has made a way for us to be reconciled to him. He has sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins and has raised him from the grave that we might be saved. That all who repent of their sins and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved – this is the free gift of God not a work of man. This is the gospel I proclaim wherever I go.

I also understand the great commission to include teaching these new disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded and taught while he walked this earth. Certainly, Jesus’ exchange with the young ruler in Luke 10 and his parable of the Good Samaritan is an important part of that teaching. We are to love God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. How can I teach others to do these things if I am not also doing them, even as I speak to them the gospel message?

canadyjd, I disagree with your assumption, that loving our neighbors does not demonstrate a love for God. The great testimony of scripture, both in the Old and New Testament, from the prophets of old (see Isaiah 1) to the apostles (see 1 John 4:19-21), say that worship of God without love of others is empty. One of the primary ways I love God is by loving those made in his image.

Certainly, there is a long Christian tradition of preaching the gospel in both word and deed. I am committed to both, as I’m sure you are as well.

Enjoying the discussion. Grace and peace to you all.

 

OK. Fair enough.

I read some on the CBF website. There seemed to be somewhat of a prevailing attitude that "some evangelicals" have too much of their focus on "doctrinal purity", rather than on "loving their neighbors".

Is that a fair assessment of a "prevailing attitude" among CBF's?

OK, fair enough.

I disagree with your assessment of what my assumption is.

I said a commitment to the UN and its Goals does not demonstrate a love for God, even if it demonstrates love for neighbor at some level. By your own statement, the UN is a secular organization with secular goals. Many of the things it promotes, such as abortion, are contrary to God's Word. There is no need to associate with such an organization, even by proxy. Bad company corrupts good morals.

Word and deed are both expected. However, I have never seen anyone "preach" with deeds. Preaching requires words. If you "preach" with your deeds, side by side with Muslems and Hindu, etc., you haven't distinguished yourself to the unbeliever. You are saying that the details of religion do not matter. One religion is just as good as another.

Preaching the gospel requires preaching both the wrath of God against sin and lawlessness, and the love of God found in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation.

As am I. Very nice to discuss without bitterness and anger.:1_grouphug:

peace to youraying:

 

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

 

How does this verse relate to the thread?

peace to youraying:

 

Salvation comes by grace through faith but it is always accompanied by a change in an individual. What do you think Jesus was saying when He described the Judgment in the following way?

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.