The Gospel in a Few Minutes

Is it possible to share the gospel in a few minutes?

I have seen a few recordings on You Tube, of the Gospel in a few minutes, by people who are noble and reliable.
As I am considering these forthright and genuine proclamation talks—I am thankful for them. But as yet, I am undecided about what they really convey. Is it the gospel? Can it ever be? Is it a snapshot of the gospel? Is it a truncated gospel?

I a reminded of Karl Barth's saying that 'no one ever heard the gospel from the lips of another person' — meaning that it is Christ Jesus himself who preaches to a person, and reveals himself to them. 'Faith comes by hearing', and hearing by the 'preaching of Christ'. (Romans 10).

That is, the Ascended Jesus preaching to a human heart, through 'the words' (the agency) of a person like me, or you.

I am also reminded of Geoffrey Bingham's comment that "John 3:16 is not the gospel in a nutshell! Only a nut would think that!"

So, I ask again, is it possible to share the gospel in a few minutes?

On the one had, there is a Word to speak, all the time, that bears witness to Jesus Crucified and Risen, and the grace of God, we know in him, by the Spirit. So lets speak of the good things we know.

However, what of this gospel, can it be summarised or located or identified?

I recall that C. H. Dodd tried to summarise all the elements of the "kerygma", the early Christian preaching. Others have discussed this, and found that, yes, there are common elements, in speeches and content, but, the 'magic words' - as such are unable to be isolated, (pinned down) amidst all of the unique relational talks with real people in real settings, Jews, Gentiles, unbelievers, and believers, pretenders and listeners.

So we note that:

A. Jesus, the centre of the gospel, came 'when the time had fully come' (Galatians 4:4).
B. And yet the gospel was declared to Abraham 'beforehand' (Galatians 3:8).
C. And it is stated, that there is 'an eternal gospel' (Revelation 14:6).

To gather these thoughts. I am thinking that the gospel, in a few minutes, would need to include some setting forth of:

1. Creation, its plan and purpose to Edenise the world
—and the tragic, irrational entrance of sin
2. Abraham and the Promise—God's Covenant of grace
3. Christ Jesus and the significance of his life, death, resurrection and current reign

I think that number 1 and 2 are often neglected a bit, so we have ...a baby without a cradle!

So, rather than just be critical, I might even have a try one Sunday, to pack "the gospel" into about 5 minutes—ready for uploading along with others of genuine heart and noble purpose, yet another attempt to unfold the gospel... on You Tube! Praying of course, that in it all, Jesus himself speaks!
Cheers. Trevor.

Enjoyment

You really need to read Koheleth. Go to Ecclesiastes in the Bible, here is a sample:

18 ¶ This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot.
19 Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil--this is the gift of God.
20 For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.

(Ecclesiastes 5:18-20)

Music and the Gospel

MUSIC AND THE GOSPEL

The following quote is from P. T. Forsyth [numbers added]:
(1) There is at once a compelling grasp and a pervasive idea in great music, which lifts us, if we seek something more than mere amusement, into the vision which sees all things as working together for glory, good, and God.
(2) Music is a universal speech, not only in the sense of coming home to almost all hearts. In that sense it is true only of simple and homely music. But great music is universal in a deeper sense than the simple, as Christianity itself is. Its nature and destiny is universal. It sweeps over us with a wave of emotion, which is humane, universal, and submersive of our own petty egoism.
(3) It exists to purify and organise the selfish emotions, not simply to soothe them, excite them, or indulge them. It lifts us into a world of things which includes our little aches and joys, laps them in a diviner air, and resolves them into the tides and pulses of an eternal life.
(4) It raises us to our place, if but for an hour, in the universal order of things, and makes our years seem but moments in the eternal process. It is not then our personal welfare we think of, or our private enjoyment.
(5) Music, like Scripture and Nature, is of no private interpretation. We feel then that our passions and affections, however real, are but rills and streams in an infinite world of love, sympathy, and consummation. (Forsyth, Christ On Parnassus, p. 209-210).
(6) ‘…we have in a piece of great music the world’s order in miniature.’ (P. T. Forsyth, Christ on Parnassus, p. 212)

Adelaide Berean Community Church

Our congregation - NWCC - is linked with the ABORIGINAL BEREAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. They are an Aboriginal Congregation, primarily. Formerly an AEF - Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship congregation. Their name is taken from Acts 17:10-11.

"The brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and they, on their arrival, went to the synagogue of the Jews. The Jews at Berea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated."

This congregation is of a noble disposition!

It is great to meet with them.
And you know what?

We are one in Christ, reconciled. What a great practical beginning to living as a reconciled people (after all that has happened in Australia, in these last 200 years).

A work of grace, is a work of grace - given by God, established in Calvary, wrought through forgiveness. Formed by the Spirit of God. Grace: Black and White - One in Christ.

"Why I Write" - Extracts from Andrew Lansdown

Andrew Lansdown is one of Australia's very gifted poets, and writers:
From his article: 'Why I Write', the following are his eleven reasons:

1. Writing is a means of discovery. ...the work becomes something different from and more than I had imagined at the outset.
2. Writing is a means of clarification.
3. Writing is a means of paying attention and attributing worth.
4. Writing is a means of expressing praise and gratitude.
5. Writing is a means of keeping record.
6. Writing is a means of expressing interest and love.
7. Writing is a means of protest and protection.
8. Writing is a means of communication.
9. Writing is a means of exploring and enjoying language.
10. Writing is a means of achievement and satisfaction.
11. Writing is a means of satisfying a compulsion.

(These 11 are just the headlines. And good headlines at that. The details appear in his book: Andrew Lansdown, 'Abiding Things', Studio, 1996, p. 86-88.)

I too like writing, but have been busy writing theological teaching papers, of late, and have neglected a little enjoyable scribble, of thoughts, and insights. Have a try at writing! You may get a nice surprise!

Shallow View of Evil

Our society has a shallow view of evil.
We know about Terrorists.
But we miss the human condition, and the present outworking of the curse on creation.
And we deny, or miss, or ignore, or laugh at - the action, in destruction, of 'the evil one'.

N.T. Wright says:

Firstly, we ignore evil when it doesn’t hit us in the face.
Second, we are surprised by evil when it does.
Third, we react in immature and dangerous ways as a result.

Let's come to terms with a more nuanced view!

Charlie Wilson's War

My wife won some free tickets to see the movie "Charlie Wilson's War". Unfortunately we sat a bit too far towards the back, where the theatre got a tad hot, and I was quite uncomfortable - and sleepy. However, Tom Hanks played his roll well - a drinking, womanising, low morals, mover and shaker American congressman - the usual.

Charlie was a bit of a hero - in the way he gave short shrift to the fundamentalist 'Christian' who could no longer have his nativity scene in a public place... "... take it to the Baptist church a mile down the street - 'everybody lives!')

*** Note: Everyone laughs at the Yanks, because they think they are so, so wrong, and humanitarianism ideals are so, so, right). Post-modern mindset people naively think: "we can do it, if only more people, were without 'Christian' or other God-morals and god-values"].

Charlie Wilson managed to "win the war", by utilising his contacts, and his sharp political manoeuvring. A true story according to the intro. I fell asleep a couple of times - the start was a bit slow. But I think this is how it went (could have a detail or two wrong - sorry but):

Now, Charlie needfully socialised with the Moslem nations, Pakistan, Egypt and so on - and even Israel lent a hand. Funny socialising occasions! They chipped in billions to get the Communist Russians out of Afghanistan. They purchased and supplied these extra-fancy bazooka type anti-aircraft guns, so that the poor Afghan people, could drop the destuctive, horrifyingly good Russian helicopters out of the sky. They did it. And the Russians lost a real battle to invade, for the first time in a long while. (And it stopped that domino effect, for other nations... etc.)

The emotional, moving, part was when Charlie - the US congressman - agreed to sit down in the dirt and really feel the plight and pain, of the maimed kids, innocent victims of war.
The Russians, you see, were just carelessly slaughtering women, kids and men, from the safety of their unreachable sky transport. The innocent victims picked up bombs and were maimed. Sad. Very sad. Anyway, Charlie fixed it.

The Russians retreated. Communism (... now in decline, ) being defeated here, ... precipitated the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall! Ah Charlie!)

And the reason Charlie bothered to help the Afghanistan people?
Because he was asked to sit with the suffering ones? He was moved.
So were we. It appeals to our poor view of our own will, ... that we could somehow do it right, if we had the chance..
Yes, in it all, the 'dumb' Americans were managed to be portrayed as such.
Then came the twist.

The Afghans wanted money for a new school!
"No, was the reply - Why? - coz no one give a toss about them!"
Irony. Blame back on the dumb USA - again! (Always a good scapegoat for all other nations!)

Amidst all this was the yarn - wise advice of a Zen Master - a spiritual man: "We'll see".
The yarn:
A boy was bought a horse? Good hey? Reply: "We'll see".
He fell off and was paralysed? Bad hey? Reply: "We'll see".
War broke out in Vietnam and he did not have to go? Good hey? Reply: "We'll see".

As with the yarn, so with the politics and hopes in humanity for the Charlie Wilson's of the world to do more good...
Reply: "We'll see".

Now, for the few conclusions, I am drawing..
You see... one bloke left the movie thinking ... that was good, but...
Now we've got a bloody religious war (in Afghanistan).
Underlying message ... if only it was all left to sensible, left, liberal minded people, we could fix it.
Underlying message of movie ...shallow. Politics can fix some things, But mostly it comes down to "We'll see".
No conclusion. No hope. No destiny. Just more of the same. Up. Down. Defeat. Triumph. Politics - good. Politics - not so good. And one big "We'll see".

I say 'no'. I say, 'there is a cross'. There is a theodicy. There is a Sovereign hand. History, in itself is not our hope. Christ is. And he is. And he will. And he has. And he does. Reconciliation. That is the plan, the outworking of the cross. Redemption is the action, working up our futile answers. And "We'll see" is a futile conclusion - if that is all there is.

Not - "we'll see", but our God reigns, from the place of deepest suffering, to the place of greatest triumph. Christ is Risen.
It is his war! And he is Victor. And we are the objects of his grace. All races. Wow!