The Gripe About Methods

The Gripe About Methods, Chorus on Overheads

By Pastor Andrew Chan, PBC, Vancouver

June 2000

Singing choruses nothing new, but why is this “trend” in most churches to sing form the overhead instead of having a book, i.e. a hymnal? - Ask someone at PBC.

Will the Bible disappear also? Matt 24:35

Remember what Jesus said Matt.15:1-20

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to interview Jesus. 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions?” they demanded. “They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘You don’t need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.’ 6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far away.

9 Their worship is a farce,

for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.’ ”

10 Then Jesus called to the crowds and said, “Listen to what I say and try to understand. 11 You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be rooted up, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter asked Jesus, “Explain what you meant when you said people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

16 “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked him. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes out of the body. 18 But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands could never defile you and make you unacceptable to God!”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Is innovation good or bad? Most things are neutral, it is the abuse by people that makes it evil, what comes out of people now that is full of evil. Not mere methods! Watch the heart, eh?

ASK: Does this lead to God’s glory? (1 Cor.10:23-11:1).

Help others to know God? If it isn’t chuck it away.

Billy Graham uses innovation – and is respected - uses celebrities, contemporary music, football stadiums

Paul used innovation to reach his target group (Acts 18:4,28), public debate, reasoning,

discussions “in lecture hall of Tyrannus” for 2 years (Ac.19:9-10) so that all heard God’s word.

Acts 19:11 even used questionable stuff such as “handkerchiefs and aprons”

Techniques and trends Jesus used - objects of the day Luke 20 re: paying taxes to Caesar, parables

Caused controversy with new things he brought about - enuff that it got him killed

Resurrection of Christ now that’s a new thing- never ever happened before!

INstead we - Heb.3:13 encourage one another daily…

Rather than frowning on new things, encourage…

Faith expressed itself through love (Gal5:6) not what you do to become religious, when was last time you encourage someone... say "I love what you do"

Love your neighbor…(Gal5:13-15) called to be free don’t enslave others or yourself by what you think is

spiritual

Gal.5:26 -arrogant Christians not allowed!