Five Core Values of a Gospel People

[Crabtownboy]

From a small booklet by the same title, published by the Baptist Union of Great Britain:

1- A Prophetic CommunityFollowing Jesus in...
confronting evil, injustice and hypocrisy.
Challenging wordly concepts of power, wealth, status and security.

2- An Inclusive CommunityFollowing Jesus in...
Transcending barriers of gender, langauge, race, class, age and culture.
Identifying with those who are rejected, deprived and powerless.

3-A Sacrificial CommunityFollowing Jesus in...
Accepting vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice.
Seeking to reflect the generous, life-giving nature of God.

4-A Missionary CommunityFollowing Jesus in...
Demonstrating in word and action God's forgiving and healing love.
Calling and enabling people to experience the love of God for themselves

5-A Worshipping Community...Following Jesus in...
Engaging in worship and prayer which inspire and undergird all we are and do.
Exploring and expressing what it means to live together as the people of God, obeying his Word and following Christ in the whole of daily life.

I would that all our Christian communities accepted and lived these values.

 

[TCGreek]

Nice list. But where would Contending for the Faith fit in?

 

[Crabtownboy]

Nice list. But where would Contending for the Faith fit in?

I am not sure what you mean by 'contending for the faith," but it seems to me that if we really believed and followed these core values we would be living the faith. Would that be 'contending for the faith.' Enlighten me. Thanks.

 

[dan e.]

Nice list. But where would Contending for the Faith fit in?

Why do we assume we must "contend" in the context of debate, protest, etc? Why can we not just LIVE our faith, so that our lives are so obviously contrary to all that which is worldly?

 

[TCGreek]

I am not sure what you mean by 'contending for the faith," but it seems to me that if we really believed and followed these core values we would be living the faith. Would that be 'contending for the faith.' Enlighten me. Thanks.

What are we to do with Jude 3 and its significance for the church today?

 

[TCGreek]

Why do we assume we must "contend" in the context of debate, protest, etc? Why can we not just LIVE our faith, so that our lives are so obviously contrary to all that which is worldly?

What are we to do with Jude 3 and its significance for the church today?

 

[guitarpreacher]

What are we to do with Jude 3 and its significance for the church today?

When ungodlyl people worm their way into my church and say that grace allows them live immoral lives, then I'll apply Jude 3. Is there something else you think I should be doing with it?

 

[TCGreek]

When ungodlyl people worm their way into my church and say that grace allows them live immoral lives, then I'll apply Jude 3. Is there something else you think I should be doing with it?

The church has a responsibility to contend for the faith. That's all I'm saying.

 

[gb93433]

When ungodlyl people worm their way into my church and say that grace allows them live immoral lives, then I'll apply Jude 3.

Your description of the church fits anyone who is not making disciples.

 

[J.D.]

The church has a responsibility to contend for the faith. That's all I'm saying.

TC, the statement actually covers that - notice:

"1- A Prophetic CommunityFollowing Jesus in...
confronting evil,"

But the rest of the statement seems to define "evil" in ambiguous terms.

Challenging wordly concepts of power, wealth, status and security.

Could be interpreted in favor of those with a leftist political agenda.

 

[guitarpreacher]

The church has a responsibility to contend for the faith. That's all I'm saying.

We all know you're saying it, but you refuse to define what you mean by it.

 

[guitarpreacher]

Your description of the church fits anyone who is not making disciples.

It doesn't describe my church.

 

[TCGreek]

We all know you're saying it, but you refuse to define what you mean by it.

The faith is common knowledge.

 

[OldRegular]

Why do we assume we must "contend" in the context of debate, protest, etc? Why can we not just LIVE our faith, so that our lives are so obviously contrary to all that which is worldly?

Living our faith is meaningless unless that faith is correctly defined, that is Biblical. Jude, the brother of James, wrote: Jude 1:3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

I am sure that the Islamic terrorists would say that they are living their faith, some even dying for it.

 

[TCGreek]

TC, the statement actually covers that - notice:


But the rest of the statement seems to define "evil" in ambiguous terms.

Could be interpreted in favor of those with a leftist political agenda.

Defining realities always poses problems.

 

[gb93433]

Living our faith is meaningless unless that faith is correctly defined, that is Biblical. Jude, the brother of James, wrote: Jude 1:3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

An ill defined faith is not faith in the God who is. Too many Americans are seen as gullible. While the church in America is on the decline we have those who will continue to debate theological smoke while they do not know their Bible very well. The antagonists love to quote the theological nonsense of those who should know what the Bible teaches.

 

[Timsings]

1 - A Prophetic Community. Following Jesus in . . .
Confronting evil, injustice and hypocrisy.
Challenging wordly concepts of power, wealth, status and security.

2 - An Inclusive Community. Following Jesus in . . .
Transcending barriers of gender, language, race, class, age and culture.
Identifying with those who are rejected, deprived and powerless.

3 - A Sacrificial Community. Following Jesus in . . .
Accepting vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice.
Seeking to reflect the generous, life-giving nature of God.

4 - A Missionary Community. Following Jesus in . . .
Demonstrating in word and action God's forgiving and healing love.
Calling and enabling people to experience the love of God for themselves

5 - A Worshiping Community. Following Jesus in . . .
Engaging in worship and prayer which inspire and undergird all we are and do.
Exploring and expressing what it means to live together as the people of God, obeying his Word and following Christ in the whole of daily life.

This is a good list. It shows the community of believers setting an example for Christian living that infuses the whole of society instead of letting people in need languish while we waste our time in needless bickering over fine points of theology that we could along without.

Tim Reynolds

 

[sag38]

It sounds like a declaration from you typical emergent leaning church.