It is easy for church leaders to look only to their left or just to their right to avoid the mistakes of others. What I learned from seeing Tim Keller was the importance of looking both ways. Therefore, man always seems to have a “third way. “Offer.
When the theme turns to ministerial philosophy or ecclesiastical practices, it is the tendency of 9 Trademark Writers like me to look left towards the slight tendencies of classical evangelism, it is a response to the evangelism of my youth, always eager to avoid going too far to the right towards a kind of authoritarian fundamentalism.
- Many things in life are binary and there is no third option.
- But I believe that there are mistakes to the right and left of the biblical philosophy of ministry.
- To the left the mistakes of pragmatism and to the right the mistakes of authoritarianism.
- What surprises me most is what they have in common.
At first glance, they’re quite different. Pragmatism is flexible. He says, “Let’s try this, this or this!” Authoritarianism is rigid. He said, “Do as I said now!” Pragmatism respects the autonomy and role of consent, even if things get a little confusing. Authoritarianism respects order, efficiency and realization. Certainly, pragmatism and authoritarianism are not identical twins.
Still, they’re twin brothers. Look beyond the surface and you’ll find a surprising amount of similarities:
Pragmatism and authoritarianism are fixed in the results
Both define success as an external or visible change, so they subject their methods to any variety of standards for measuring visible fruit.
Both rely on human ingenuity to do their job; depend on the brain, brute force or beauty to achieve its ends; someone’s strong arm. Someone else’s charm.
In the field of Christian ministry, unlike authoritarianism, pragmatism does not assume that there is a “good form”. To do things, but God has left us these things. Shamefully, he concludes: “My path is as good as any other, I think. “But this, ironically, is not totally detached from the path of authoritarianism: “Does my form disappear?Both can underestimate God’s “way. “
Pay attention to any pragmatic sermon (?Seven steps to a healthy marriage?) Or an authoritarian sermon (?Do you regret it, if not?). What can you hear?
? Both exploit the flesh (either out of fear or appealing to appetite) to motivate actions rather than appeal to the new man in the gospel.
? Both begin with the imperatives of the scriptures, not indicative of what Christ has accomplished.
? Both impose a heavy burden on the will, doing all they can to ensure that the will chooses correctly, as well as considering where the will is planted: in the desires of the heart. Shame and moralism are the preferred tools of both methodologies.
? Both require external compliance rather than heart regrets; in doing so, they create Pharisees.
? Both go beyond the limits on which the Bible has given permission to go, either by expanding the scope of collective worship and the Christian mission, or by placing mandates where they do not exist. Both paths validate consciousness where the gospel does not exist.
? Both are impatient and want decisions made “today!”Because they do not recognize that decisions ultimately are based on the desires of the heart, they feel successful wherever they produce the right decision, whether that decision is forced and manipulated or not.
? Both rely on their own strength rather than resting in the Spirit through faith.
Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with relying on human wisdom and strength for certain purposes, especially in the absence of divine revelation. How do you promote your coffee?How to win in football matches?How do you keep your teeth healthy?
However, with regard to Christian ministry, the main error of pragmatism and authoritarianism is its dependence on natural methods for achieving supernatural ends. Loans from Paul David Tripp and Timothy Lane, they stick apples in the trees instead of watering and caring for the trees.
How to feed and water trees? This brings us to the third way: Christian ministries have full confidence in the word of God’s gospel and in the Spirit of God.
The evangelical ministry has the following attributes
? It’s by faith. He believes that the Spirit of God always has the power to transform, and that he will if he decides to do so.
? It is based on the word of God’s gospel. True change occurs when the eyes of a person’s heart are open to the truth of the word of God’s gospel, accepting and hugging it; they see their truth for themselves. It is not strength or beauty that attracts them, but God and His Word.
? He recognizes the role of authority: Jesus has authority, the word of the gospel of Jesus has authority, the church of Jesus and its leaders have authority, but each of these authorities is different and has different mandates, prerogatives, jurisdictions, and sanctions. The evangelical ministry is very sensitive to these differences and never confuses one authority with another.
? It helps people think about what they really want before telling them what to do.
? He appeals to Christians at the basis of his place in the Gospel, not on the strength of his flesh. A Christian pastor or counselor shouldn’t say things like, “Do I expect more from you?”Or are you better than that? Instead, he will say, “Do you realize that you were dead and risen with Christ?You’re a new creature. Now, what should that mean?A Christian authority will give orders (e. g. 2 Thessaloniki 3. 6, 10). , 12), but these orders will be adopted because they belong to the Gospel, which appeals to the new realities of the Spirit; imperatives must always follow the directions of what Christ has given.
? He is extremely patient and tender, knowing that only God can give growth (1 Corinthians 3. 5-9). An immature Christian may need to take a hundred steps before reaching maturity, but a wise shepherd rarely needs more than one or two steps. An example in this is Jesus. I said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, that I am meek and humble in heart; Will you find rest for your soul?(Matthew 11:29). To take one’s yoke is to become a disciple and learn, but he is soft and humble in heart and his yoke is light and soft (11:29-30).
? He also wants to draw lines and make requests that he knows we can’t find. A good doctor not only asks questions carefully, but identifies cancer when he sees it. Similarly, a church or old man should not use his authority to obscure the realities of God’s gospel, but enlighten them. The power of keys, for example, should be used exactly for this purpose.
In short, Christian ministry works by the power of the Spirit and the Word, not by the power of the flesh.
But as a pragmatic approach, it attracts people. Ask for your consent. He recognizes that a true act of faith cannot be coercive.
However, as an authoritarian approach, he recognizes that Jesus is the king and has authority, the real actions of faith come not from autonomous actors, but from manipulation, but from manipulation, but people must lovingly submit to his word of king.
Christian ministry loves and confronts. He honors and challenges. More than anything, perhaps, are you talking?
Translation: Matheus Fernandes. Crítica: Yago Martins. © 2016 Faithful Ministério. All rights reserved. Website: MinisterioFiel. com. br: In the face of pragmatism and authoritarianism
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