The crazy cousin we keeped locked in the basement
Posted on Sunday 15 February 2009 by Greg @ 8:47 am
Filed under: Rants
Are we keeping our crazy cousin locked in the basement? Are we are afraid that if we let him out he will ruin our party? After all, everyone is dressed in their Sunday best at this shindig. The cake is delicious, the punch is sweet and the fellowship is great.
If we allow our fiery, spastic, and kind-of-crazy-meets-kooky cousin out of his “space” he will not only crash our party, he’ll ruin it. He will put his hands in the cake and pour the punch on our pure white foyer carpets. He may start a fire in the middle of the room, after all, he’s a pyro. That’s why we locked him up to begin with.
On the other hand, if we let him out he will have everybody’s full attention. Boredom will disappear completely as every well cultured eye will be riveted to him, waiting for his next twitch. He will add an element of much needed danger and discomfort to our over programmed and immensely predictable party that we call church.
I say that we need to be disrupted.
And there’s nothing that can disrupt a pious party like the doctrine of hell.
It makes me cringe when I hear well manicured preachers preach well manufactured sermons that gloss over the impending danger boiling deep underneath our church basements. If we could but catch a glimpse of the blaze to come everything would change. We would change and so would our priorities.
If we really believed in the reality of hell it would transform how we do church. We would relentlessly give the call to our congregations, our small groups, Sunday school classes, youth groups and children’s ministry to rescue the perishing. Yes, I just used the word “perishing”.
I guess the question I have is this, do we really believe in hell? Do we really believe that if people die without Jesus they will spend an eternity there? Do we really believe that we have the “cure” that can rescue lost souls from the hell they are headed to and the one they may be going through today?
Jesus talked about the crazy cousin more than anyone else in the New Testament. Jesus unlocked the basement door and let the party pooper out on several occasions. As a matter of fact of the 12 times the word “hell” (“Gehenna” in the Greek) is mentioned, 11 are mentioned by Jesus.
Was he using scare tactics? Of course he was! The same kind of scare tactics I use on my four year old daughter if she runs out toward oncoming traffic. We’re talking scare tactics motivated out of sheer love for others.
Does this mean that we preach “hell fire and brimstone” to those around us? No. It does mean though that we have a “hell fire and brimstone” motivation blazing in our hearts as we pray, pursue and persuade those around us, not only about the judgment to come but the audacity of ultimate hope that is rooted only in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Let’s let our cousin out of the basement. Let’s let him ruin our party. Let’s let his presence change our churches and our communities one rescued perishing soul at a time.
Greg Reply:
February 15th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Thanks for your post Jeremy. Just so you know I am not fueld with anger or rage. My heart is broken over those who are living through hell (in this life) and going to hell (in the next life.) I don’t know how people make it on this side of eternity without Jesus and can’t imagine what it will be like on the other side of eternity.
I am so broken hearted over the plight of those who are going to hell that I have and will continue to dedicate my life to rescue people from it’s flames and into the eternal hope of Jesus…as I’m sure you have too.
This is a good discussion and there is a balance in it. I’m sure you agree. Thanks again for your response.
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jeremy zach Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Hey Greg I appreciate your feedback and clarification.
I think always talking about Hell is exhausting (psychologically) not only for the hearers but for the preachers. Where is the hope in a message that kills genuine motivation to move into Kingdom action? Hearing “You are Going to Hell” again and again hijacks the ability to really believe that we are co-labors with God.
Also we have to realize students are already “thinking” they are living in Hell, NOW (here on earth). So a common response from a non-believer would be: “If I am going to Hell….Hey, it cannot get any worst, right?”
Bottom line: The Kingdom is so much bigger than the doctrine of Hell. The Kingdom is not a one issue driven movement. Jesus’ main message was not Hell.
Lets be honest preaching Jesus means we are always letting the cousin out of the basement. In your post it seems like you are alienating and elevating the doctrine of Hell as the big-bad tough guy-doctrine. I gathered from your post that if a preacher is preaching Hell, then they are really preaching and the “other” preachers are worthless and weak. I would argue that what defines a tough preacher is a preacher who can talk about the ways of Jesus and actually live it and be with and commune with the people they are preaching to.
Lastly, when you preach the doctrine of Hell you may need to present the different perspectives of Hell. Have you read Four Views on Hell? Essentially there are four scholars who present their view of how they see Hell (all views are Biblical). Let’s be honest, Hell is a confusing concept. If we are scaring kids with the doctrine of Hell, we better know what we are describing and theologizing.
In the four views:
John Walvoord argues that Hell is a literal place of smoke and flames.
William Crockett defends a metaphorical view, punishment but not necessarily literal fire.
Clark Pinnock presents conditional immortality – punishment but not forever. God puts them out of their misery.
Zachary Hayes explains Hell the concept of purgatory.
Greg I appreciate your passion and Kingdom force you bring. You are in the full time business of preaching heaven or hell. So may you do it with such gentleness, humbleness, peace, and grace.
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Nicholas Reply:
February 17th, 2009 at 10:49 am
How on earth can all four of those views be Biblical? That would mean that hell is a literal, metaphorical place of smoke and flames that does not include fire and lasts forever but ends at some point; the souls in hell have no hope of escape–except that they will either be annihilated or eventually enter heaven.
Jeremy, I think the guy with the bullhorn yelling at people does do a lot of harm. I think the preacher who doesn’t warn about hell does a lot of harm. More than them, however, the preacher who says, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” has done untold harm to the cause of Christ in the last 100 years. You need to read “The Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort. He gives a thoroughly biblical way of presenting the gospel that includes law, judgment, hell and the gospel. Modern evangelistic methods have and are failing to make true converts (9 of 10 fall away, most never even end up going to church) and it’s high time we included the reality of hell in our message with real heartfelt concern for their souls. If your mother was driving down the road that ended with a cliff you would warn her about the cliff, not tell her about “the wonderful other road.” She needs to be warned about the danger so she will be persuaded to take the other road that doesn’t end in a cliff. She needs to be convinced of the danger she is in.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Prov. 1:7
“Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” 2 Cor. 5:11
Jeff Reply:
February 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Greg,
Our Company would be interested in donating a portion of our profits to your organization. We would like to do so through your newsletter or website. Any sale we make for being featured on one or the other we will give say 20% of our profit. It,s a way to raise money while people are buying services they already would buy. if this is of interest to you feel free to email me anytime.
Thanks,
Jeff
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