Friday, March 6, 2015

both-and

http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/watch-listen/messages/building-a-both-and-church-rather-than-an-either-or-church/


I listened to this Rich Nathan audio teaching today while driving about town.  Loved so many points about being a both-and church.

Nathan talks about the past's Great Divorce of evangelism and social justice, and he spends time talking about the Church coming back to holistic, Biblical Christianity. He used some great examples from Scripture about the vertical and horizontal relationship of both-and.

In 1 King 18, Elijah confronted the fake prophets about idolatry (vertical sin) and then in 1 King 21, Elijah confronts King Ahab about stealing land and murdering Naboth (horizontal sin).  The prophets address idolatry and injustice.  Both-and.

In Micah 6:8, towards people we are to act justly and love mercy.  Towards God we are to walk humbly.  Both-and.

Jeremiah 19:4..  "For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods (vertical)..and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. (horizontal)"  Idolatry and injustice.  Both-and.

Love God.  Love people.  Both-and.

R. Nathan spends time talking about how great revivals and missionaries have always been about both-and, and then he finishes with two parables from the New Testament that depict the both-and nature of God's call and provision for us.

The Prodigal Son                                            The Good Samaritan

He was a victim of his own sin.                        He was a victim of the sins of others.

He modeled personal sin.                                 He modeled social sin.
God loves the lost.                                           God loves the least.
He was rescued by forgiveness.                         He was rescued by charity and justice.
Some refuse the call of evangelism.                   Some refuse the call of social justice.

The Church can offer Good News for those who are in bondage by their own sin and those who are also in bondage due to other people's sin.  Both-and.

Take a listen...he speaks well of a holistic Gospel.





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