Pastor David Keuss - Hope without Compromise

C hristianity Today came out with an article on the value of a true community in a church. It points out how in American culture, the danger of a "me-centered" individual works against the dignity of the whole. As a working thesis, the author holds that the New Testament and Old Testament lay out a model of church that involves community. In the Old Testament, the family unit was so important that you deferred to their needs. (He doesn't go into depth, but there are many OT texts that say just this kind of self-denial in the Law of Moses). In the New Testament, a Mediterranean family model is emphasized (brother, sister, Father, child, inheritance). Culture has hijacked Christ today so that he is a divine therapist aiding -- the individual -- Christian to seek their own spiritual quest. This is evident in church hoping, when an individual Christian never stays at a church very long in our day. Persons who are involved in one church for long enough will see this. After a

T he Lord Jesus teaches people who hear the Word of God have one of several outcomes. The first is they are led to forget the Word of God. The second is people receive the Word of God with joy, but then when persecutions come they turn away from it. The third possibility he lists is a falling away when concerns of the world choke out the Word of God. The fourth response is the Word takes root in the heart via understanding -- and -- a return comes out of the change. It is always an encouragement when doing outreach to understand that spiritual warfare is real. We must pray for those we are trying to reach with the gospel. Further, as much as is possible, we should make those who profess Jesus aware that persecutions do come, and that Jesus was not a millionaire while he was on earth. If possible, this encounter through the Word with a more accurate view of Jesus may save them from destruction as they are spiritually changed in the heart. The last option is the most encouraging. When ev