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EFCA Theology Conference 2014

I’ve decided to do things a little differently this year and just continually updating this page with the new sessions in order. Would love to hear any questions or comments you might have!

A World Absorbing Text or a Text Absorbed by the World?

Dr. Richard Lints

Introduction – Cultural Saturation

Interpreting Overlapping Realities: Gospel and Culture

Misconceptions

Micro and Macro Stories

The Gospel as Theological Framework and Theological Vision

Culture as Macro and Micro Stories

Pre and Post – Modernity

Defining Narratives

Democratic Consumerism

Technological Rationalism

Social Pluralism

The Great Irony

Reading Our Times

Beginning Clues

Reading the Scriptures as a Canon

Being Read by the Scriptures

Christian Faithfulness in the Face of Ancient Cultural Challenges

Dr. D. Jeffry Bingham

  1. Christian Faithfulness in the Face of Persecution
    1. The Accusations of the Culture

1. Christians were being accused by a culture that was very religious, the culture saw Christians as atheists. This was the main motivation for Roman persecution.

2. Christians didn’t make good Roman citizens.

3. Romans viewed Christians as incestuous

4. Communion is viewed as cannibalistic

  1. The Faithful Responses of the Christians

1. They explained in literature and conversation. Showed how monotheism was something allowed even among the Romans, pointing to poets and scholars (Plato in particular) to show that monotheism was already accepted.

2. Pointed to their care for others (orphans, neighbors, hungry) as their appeal to how they were good citizens.

3. They said they were a family and that’s just the way they refer to themselves.

4. Eucharist was the reason they came together. They explained to the community what they were doing and why.

Christianity is a very gory religion, characterized by the sloppiness of blood.

  1. Christian Faithfulness in the Process of Scriptural Definition
    1. The Proposed, Erroneous Models of Scripture

On the one hand you had Marcion who cut most things out of the Bible, and then the other hand had add everything.

  1. The Faithful Responses of the Christians

The sacred text, if nothing else, included the Old Testament Hebrew Bible.

So they said nothing gets into the Bible unless it’s in harmony with the OT. And if they are universally embraced by Christians throughout the world. We don’t accept any text that doesn’t put the slaughter of Jesus as its’ focus.

Where is the Lord’s supper in your meetings?

The Opportunity to Learn from the Challenge of Race

Dr. Vincent Bacote

Mandela’s Death and movies like 12 Years a Slave show us the problem of apartheid and puts the legacy of racism right in front of us. Thought it may be in front of us, we may be tempted to avert our gaze.

  1. “Our” Issue and Our Mission: A commitment to Bible and the obligations of the gospel

Using the issue of race to enslave people is completely missing the idea of the greatest commandment: love God and love others. The Bible talks about it.

  1. Dancing with history: facing the world and society we have inherited in the modern West; why race remains a challenge for all of us in spite of improvements

These issues don’t simply disappear.

  1. Considering the Experience of Minorities: What can the church learn…and perhaps anticipate in the future.

The question of a lack of power. People become accustomed to accepting the fact that they are lacking in power. There’s also the question of hope.

  1. Considering Some Core Beliefs: How does our Christology, Soteriology and Ecclesiology lead us toward persistent and patient progress on the lingering question of race and the prospect of the evangelical church as a cultural minority?

Theology and ethics need to be seen together. Which Jesus do you emphasize? Which text do you go to when talking about Jesus? What do people experience at your church that helps deal with the issue of race?

If you’re going to be people of the book, are you considering all the book teaching us? Or are we just pragmatists?

  1. What Posture Should We Take: Faithful Presence, or something else?

Your context makes a huge influence as to what your suggestions can be.

  1. To Consider: What vision might we have for the future?

At one level, Christians out to be a counter-cultural people practicing a counter-cultural reality. People will notice this because it’s not typical for people to live with other people who are not like them.
Need to have a disposition of massive patience.

Regression happens within the church as well (the crisis of marriage is also taking place within the church)

A commitment to public engagement without messianic ideas.

Understanding the Times and Understanding the Places: Theological Localism

Dr. Fred Sanders

  1. Theology with a local accent

It’s just a matter of fitting in – the message of the cross should offend, not our way of talking about it (i.e. sports)

  1. Two methods: correlation and proclamation

Correlation: identified in Paul Tillick – philosophy raises the questions, theology answers them. Explains the contents of Christian faith using questions.

Proclamation: identified in Carl Barth

I suggest using theological localism.

  1. Taking action: Men of Issachar in every place

See 1 Chronicles 12:32. Seen in Augustine’s City of God.

  1. “Theological Engagement with California Culture”

 

Evangelicals in 21st Century American Culture

Dr. Leith Anderson

Introduction

  1. Living in challenging times

We get caught up in our time and forget about previous times issues

  1. Theology of Culture

Do you consider culture to be the friend, or the enemy of Christ?

  1. Matthew 13:24-30 – parable of the weeds

Looking back – where we came from

  1. Liberalism & Fundamentalism

Scopes vs Monkey trial in 1925, fundamentalists increasingly marginalized. Most of the world didn’t even think of fundamentalists, then along came Billy Graham

  1. Billy Graham & today

Evangelicals are now ¼-1/3 of all people in the US, so what do we do with that?

Looking around – where we are

  1. Globalization of Christianity

Now the largest & fastest growing religion. 20,000 new believers in China every day

  1. Evangelicals in America

We are the dominate Christian force

  1. Demographics

Segregation in America remains strong

  1. Theology

Homosexuality and the exclusivity of Christ

  1. Church in adversarial circumstances

Conclusion: How then shall we live?

Speak the truth, but always in love

Don’t be quick to come to conclusions

TRUST GOD

As long as people have the Bible and the Holy Spirit they’ll be ok.

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by mikethestrand on January 23, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Bible, Blog, Church, Conference, Theology
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Posted by mikethestrand on January 23, 2014

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2014/01/23/efca-theology-conference-2014/

EFCA Theology Conference 2014 Pre-Conference Part 2

The final part of the Pre-Conference from Dr. Fred Sanders

Tacit Trinitarianism

God has no unmet needs – there are no needs outside of the divine life

  1. Getting saved – an evangelical practice. The eternal son becomes the incarnate son to make others an adopted son bringing them into relationship with God.
  2. Knowing Jesus personally – generally trying to point to a deeper reality of communion with God. “ask Jesus into your heart” (Eph 3, being strengthened in your inner man) Puritans used that heart language, book My Heart, Christ’s Home. Jesus is present from heaven, it’s the Spirit who is indwelling. This means being indwelt by the Holy Spirit who makes Christ present here on earth being poured out from the right hand of the Father.
  3. Devotional Bible reading – this comes from a high view of Scripture, we know the Bible is God’s message to us.
  4. Understanding Scripture’s big story – the big story of Scripture is very evident, about how the Father sends the Son and the Spirit
  5. Conversational prayer –
  6. Evangelism –
  7. World mission –
  8. Daily spirituality –
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by mikethestrand on January 22, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by mikethestrand on January 22, 2014

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2014/01/22/efca-theology-conference-2014-pre-conference-part-2/

EFCA Theology Conference 2014 Pre-Conference

The pre-conference at this years EFCA Theology Conference is on the doctrine of the Trinity and is done by Dr. Fred Sanders from Biola. Here are the first two lectures and links to the Prezi slides that were used.

Approaching the Doctrine of the Trinity

The Trinity-try to understand it and you’ll lose your mind, try to deny it and you’ll lose your soul.

  1. Teaching the Trinity as an inviting doctrine

The word of the Trinity is not far away, you don’t need to get advanced degrees to understand.

Trinity is primarily for categorization and building up the understanding of believers.

  1. The basic component of the doctrine

One being in three persons, we don’t say God is one person and three persons, or God is one person and three persons

  1. Three key texts

Trinity is not in the Old Testament because the OT was a time of promise, we don’t find the doctrine of the Trinity revealed in the OT, but we see shadows of it. Then the New Testament is the time of fulfillment, the Messiah and the Spirit already came. The revelation of the Trinity is in the events of the Father sending the Son and the Spirit.

  1. John 1:1-3 – takes you from the beginning of the Gospel to the beginning of the whole Bible. What we have in Jesus Christ shows us what happened before creation, which leaves us with God.
  2. Matt 28:18-20 – doctrine of the Trinity is in Scripture, even if the word itself is not. Trinity just means “threeness”
  3. 2 Cor 13:14 – the revealed character of these three persons (see also 1 John “our fellowship is with the Fathe rand the Son”

Overall idea: salvation is by & from & in & with the Triune God

  1. Heresies to avoid
    1. Tritheism – three gods (kind of Mormonism)
    2. Modalism – 1 god doing 3 things, manifests himself in 3 ways (oneness Pentecostalism)
    3. Subordinationism – 1 real god, a couple lesser gods (Arianism, Jehovah’s witness)
    4. Illustrations
      1. There’s nothing like God or God’s trinity
      2. Most illustrations are a little helpful, but mostly just show Trinitarian heresies
      3. The main things are the plain things: God the Father saved us by sending the Son and the Spirit.

The Trinity is not a distraction from the gospel, but a super-condensed explanation of it.

 

The Deep Things of God 

  1. Grace as God’s gift of himself

Grace as free forgiveness, grace as power for service (John 3:16, Gal 4:4-6, Eph 1:3-14)

  1. The two hands of God

The incarnation and atonement are the means to the end of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

  1. The economy of salvation

God gives himself as the gift of salvation

  1. The happy land of the Trinity
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by mikethestrand on January 22, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by mikethestrand on January 22, 2014

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2014/01/22/efca-theology-conference-2014-pre-conference/

Church Membership & EFCA Theology Conference 2014

I finally had the opportunity to preach again! This time, it was on the issue of church membership. For those of you interested in listening, feel free to click here.

And it’s also that time of year again, where I do my best to live blog the EFCA Theology Conference. This time it’s about “Christian Faithfulness in a Changing Culture.” I’m looking forward to this time, but it’s a 9 hour drive to get there! Should be a good time with my Sr Pastor. 

Hope the blogging world is still alive and thriving! One of my goals this year is to get back into the habit of writing on here regularly. 

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by mikethestrand on January 20, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Blog, Theology
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Posted by mikethestrand on January 20, 2014

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2014/01/20/church-membership-efca-theology-conference-2014/

Why I Use Loops in Church

This past year I’ve learned some really great ways to grow the sound of your music team through the use of loops playing in addition to your music team. I’m not sure how many people can even recognize that’s what’s going on, but I’ve found it to be an incredible addition to our overall sound as a team. So here are the reasons I use background tracks on Sunday mornings.

  1. It helps to fill out our sound. Working with volunteers can be incredibly frustrating when people don’t show up or I’m not able to fill every position every week. It also helps when I’m able to pre-record some of the lead guitar parts so I don’t need to take valuable practice time to train the guitarists on how to play each individual part.
  2. It keeps us all on the same page. Playing with loops is incredibly effective for keeping the whole band together and on the same page. I have a click track and cue track running simultaneously with the loops so everyone knows what’s coming up when a voice says, “Chorus, two, three four.”
  3. It gives me more control over the timing of songs. When we use the same loops for the songs, they’ll sound much more consistent, and we’ll ALWAYS play them the exact same way. With that, however:
  4. It allows for more variety. I have yet to have anyone play strings with us on a Sunday, or do some electronic drum stuff, and I have had trouble with a consistent bass player and drummer. When I have loops I can add these parts in, and then some. I can try some new arrangements with different instruments one week and see how it works, then take some away for a more stripped down version the next week.
  5. It’s another way that I can do music excellently. When the band is in sync, when we’re able to implement a more full sound and when we’re able to add instruments people are used to hearing it helps to eliminate distractions for the body of Christ. It even helps the music team to free them up to better worship God.

These are some of the big advantages I’ve found in using loops during Sunday morning worship. What are some ways you’ve found them to be helpful? What are some possible disadvantages to using them?

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by mikethestrand on December 3, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Blog, Church, Music
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Posted by mikethestrand on December 3, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/12/03/why-i-use-loops-in-church/

Is Jesus Greater Than Religion?

A couple years ago Jeff Bethke broke on the scene with his viral YouTube video ‘Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus‘ which has since racked up over 26 million views. This led to him being a pretty hot commodity in the Christian community and has given him quite the opportunity to share the Gospel. One of the ways he has worked the spread the Gospel is through the book “Jesus > Religion” which came out last month.

In an open, real and gritty look at his life, Jeff shares  his struggles with God, but also how God has continued to reveal himself to Jeff throughout his difficult life, and with chapter titles like ‘Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?” I found myself chuckling but also very much relating to the themes Jeff addresses. When the video first came out there was a bit of discussion from within The Gospel Coalition circle on if Jesus really does hate religion. So aside from that, I really enjoyed the book. (But when Lecrae writes the intro to the book, it’s hard to not look forward to it)

One of the toughest chapters for me to read was the 4 chapter, “Religion Makes Enemies/Jesus Makes Friends.” This chapter deals with divisions in the church which is one of the issues that I face on a regular basis. The main issue he addresses is homosexuality. Only he doesn’t address it from a hypothetical perspective, but from a personal perspective. His mom was openly gay, and he struggled with how he should interact with her as a Christian.

In this chapter was one of the most profound statements in the book. Jeff says,

Last time I checked, I was my own worst enemy. No one has caused me more grief, pain, or heartache than I have. The Bible rarely tells me to fight against someone who doesn’t believe what I believe, but it frequently tells me to fight against my sin and the disease that’s drawing my away from Jesus.

The whole book is definitely worth reading, and one I would recommend for church small groups/missional communities. At the end of each chapter is some questions to work through the material in a practical way. This makes applying the book a very simple process. I’d keep it on your shelf and loan out on a regular basis.

I’d also check out Tim Challies’ review of this book.

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by mikethestrand on November 6, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Blog, Book Review, Church, Life, Theology
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Posted by mikethestrand on November 6, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/11/06/is-jesus-greater-than-religion/

Growing “Old”

Last month was a big month for me, as I hit the quarter century mark. Yes, that’s right, I’m 25. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 25. Turning 25 was incredibly difficult for me because it meant letting go of a number of childhood dreams I’d had of doing before I was 25. I’m not married. I don’t have kids. I haven’t even started seminary. I haven’t written a book. I’m not on the “speaking network” for pastors. I haven’t become a world traveler. I’m simply me. God’s taken me turning 25 to show me some things about me and I’ve had to face some things that haven’t necessarily been easy.

This hit home for me when I read the story of Jim Elliot’s brother, Bert. Yes, the Jim Elliot who was a missionary and was killed by the people he was trying to bring the Gospel to. Did you know he had a brother? I didn’t! But Bert has been a missionary with his wife in Peru for most of his life. He’s now in his 80s, has planted over 170 churches and is still serving. In his words, “My brother Jim and I took different paths. He was a great meteor, streaking through the sky.” But,

Bert was not. He did not go streaking through the sky. Nobody lined up with their telescopes to watch his life. Instead, as Alcorn puts it, he was the faint star in the distance that faithfully rises night after night, always there. Always faithful. Always doing the same, boring thing.

Will I be content to be a faint stay in the distance, faithfully rising night after night? Whose glory am I truly seeking, man or God. Do the songs I help us sing every week, the children I hug, the grandparents I talk to have an everlasting impact for God’s kingdom. I sure hope so, because the kingdom I try to build doesn’t last very long. I hope in another 25 years to look back to today and know I was a faithful star rising night after night and pointing to the Son in everything I do.

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by mikethestrand on November 5, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by mikethestrand on November 5, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/11/05/growing-old/

Divorcing the Church

As many people have said before me, divorce has become so commonplace that pretty much everyone expects to get divorced at some point in their life. Those who were willing to enter into a covenantal with each other seem all to ready to break that covenant as soon as things get more slightly more difficult. I fear in our attempt to chase after the ever elusive “easy life” we have done away with hard work and commitment to anything. We don’t want to be unnecessarily tied down to one place (which is why so many people my age either don’t work or work at Starbucks). We don’t want to be accountable to anyone (which is why so many people jump around from job to job). And we feel like we don’t need anyone else around us to help us through life (which is why we don’t get involved in a church). And for those that do get involved in a church, they typically remain only as long as that church agrees with them without expecting too much from them (which is why people refuse to become members of a church). I worry that the divorce culture has entered in to the culture of the church, and at the drop of a hat, we are willing to divorce ourselves from the church that we have committed ourselves to.

One of the first questions to ask is why do we even have church membership? Is there a difference between being a member and just going to a church?  In a word, yes. Kevin DeYoung has an excellent post about it at his church’s website, but he boils it down to 5 basic points:

  1. You make a visible declaration of your commitment to Christ and his people.
  2. It’s counter-cultural to make a decision and actually stick with something.
  3. It helps us to keep accountable.
  4. It helps those in church leadership to better know how to help you.
  5. It gives you an opportunity to make a promise.

The last point is the one that people seem to take far too carelessly.

When someone commits to a church, that are committing to grow, serve, give and contribute to the life of the church for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part. If you’ve ever been to wedding before, that last part should sound familiar to you. Similarly to enter into a wedding covenant, entering into a church membership covenant isn’t something that should be taken lightly. With all the divorce happening in the culture around us, we should be even more adamant about sticking to our commitments. Yet I’ve found already in my 2 years of ministry that people take church membership far too lightly. We often have trouble getting a quorum at our annual meetings, some members have left the church instead of sticking around and working things out, and some people who are members don’t even come to church! I think it’s time for those who are in the church to make a commitment to their church and be willing to stick with them no matter what happens!

Does this mean there’s never an appropriate time to leave a church? Absolutely not. Just as in a marriage, there are times where you should not stay married (unfaithfulness, abuse). If a church begins to teach things contrary to Scripture, don’t stay there! But if it’s simply because you don’t like someone or something in the church, then stick around and make it better. The church isn’t meant to be full of consumers, but givers. What’s the last thing you’ve done that has given back to your church? In his book ‘What is a Healthy Church Member?‘, Thabiti Anyabwile says, “The health of the local church depends on the willingness of its members to inspect their hearts, correct their thinking, and apply their hands to the work of the ministry.” If we had more people who were willing to do that, I think we would have much healthier churches who are on mission for Christ and living “in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus” (Romans 15:5). So find a good church, get plugged in, become a member and be willing to work through whatever comes with them. If you can’t find such a church, maybe it’s time for you to start making a difference in the church you’re already in. If something isn’t working like it should, maybe, just maybe God has brought you to that church to help promote a healthy, Christ-centered church.

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it”

-1 Corinthians 12:27

If you’d like to learn more about this I’d suggest checking out the following books:

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by mikethestrand on October 7, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Bible, Blog, Church, Life, Relationships, Theology
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Posted by mikethestrand on October 7, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/10/07/divorcing-the-church/

I’m Sorry, That’s Not Me

I often read about ‘Christians’ who continually bash those who aren’t in the same camp as them. Complementarian, or egalitarian, cessationist or continuationist, calvinist or arminian, and the list goes on and on. Or even worse, when ‘Christians’ begin picketing different functions and telling the world that “God hates fags.” I often feel the need to apologize to those who aren’t in the church for the way Christians often behave. As Ghandi supposedly said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” While this statement rings true for everyone else, have you ever looked in the mirror and thought about it for you? According to dictionary.com, a hypocrite is: “a”a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.” So in that case, yes. I am a hypocrite, and will continue to be a hypocrite until I die. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” It’s not just a blanket statement to follow him no matter what, but to imitate him as he imitates Christ! I pray this regularly for those I lead in youth group and on the music team. There are so many areas in my life that I need God to constantly refine.

In this same vein, I just read an article on Relevant titled ‘Should We Apologize for the Church‘ that asks this very same question. We need to admit to our own faults and confess that we are just as much a sinner as “those Christians” who only listen to “Christian” music or only wear skirts, or picket different events. We are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior. We need to regularly confess of our sin, pray for the strength to not sin again and continue to become more like Christ.

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by mikethestrand on October 3, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Bible, Blog, Church, Life, Relationships, Theology
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Posted by mikethestrand on October 3, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/10/03/im-sorry-thats-not-me/

Divorcing My Phone

Last week in my regular blog readings, I stumbled across an article titled ‘Notifications are of the Devil.‘ Citing a few different studies, the writer of the blog said that we are wired to constantly be interrupted. Anytime our phone goes off we almost instantaneously check it. And why is there a compulsive urge to check it? “Recent studies show that the same neurotransmitter that fuels many other chemical addictions also is released when you get a notification from a text, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, etc.”

So what did I do in response to this? I turned off all notifications on my phone. I have found myself much more able to focus on the tasks at hand and much less prone to worry about what’s going on in the social networks. I have started to enjoy the things I’m doing much more because I’m not trying to double time on either of them. Overall, it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience in which I am incredibly grateful to be rid of that chain. How do you keep your phone in check?

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by mikethestrand on October 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by mikethestrand on October 1, 2013

https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/10/01/divorcing-my-phone/

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