Friday, November 30, 2007

The Baal Network Pt. 2


But what are ya'll doing in the hood? It's a frequent and expected question to those who've embraced biblical theology and seek to spread that theology to black churches and the black community. And for the most part it's a good question. A biblical understanding and promotion of the gospel must move us into adopting a lifestyle of service for a lifetime (see Eph. 2:1-10 esp vs. 10). Unfortunately far too many seem to forget the 'biblical understanding of the gospel' part. The underlying assumption in the question is that of all the needs in the hood theology just isn’t one of them.
I wonder, why is it that we’re so quick and eager to accept that what you believe about scripture, God, humanity, sin, salvation, Jesus Christ, the church etc. are barely relevant to how you view life and the choices you make. How is it that there can be so much talk about ‘holistic’ ministry and yet as soon as someone utters the first syllable of forbidden ‘T’ word he or she is told how irrelevant they are?

Let me give another example from The Baal Network. This time while at the in-laws my mother-in-law got a phone call from a friend urging her to turn on one of their favorite Baal priests. She quickly hung up the phone and did so. Having heard enough of this garbage before I remained in another room trying to block out the flood of blasphemy spewing from this priest’s mouth. After the usual ‘just speak it and it will happen mantra’ (btw can someone please tell me why people sit week after week and day after day to hear the same tired phrases? One would think that if you haven’t got what you want after speaking into existence for the last ten years you’re probably not going to get it, but I digress) I nearly fell into the fireplace when he said ‘you know why I’m not going to hell? Because I speak against it!’ Upon hearing that I jumped up and once more warned my mother-in-law that she’s listening to blasphemy. This man just said that he will avoid God’s anger against sin not by the sinless life, sacrificial death and powerful resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ but by his own spiritual power and fortitude.

If that weren’t enough (and if it’s not we’ve got much, much more serious problems than I thought) there’s the whole issue of the ‘you must speak and create the reality you want’ theology. Did you notice how this theology moves the church away from pursuing justice and community involvement? Think about that for a moment. If I believe that one’s quality of life is directly related to his or her own personal faith then why would I bother with the work of addressing structural or cyclical injustice? My theological worldview tells me that their problems are due to their own lack of faith not broken homes, failing schools or lack of opportunity. If they don’t want to be poor and sick anymore then they need to start speaking and believing health and wealth for themselves. As one well known preacher used to declare ‘remember you don’t have any problems, all you need is faith in God’.

Wait there’s more. The leaders of the new Baal temples are convinced that they must set the tone and example of success for their followers. How many of us truly believe that the wolves who prowl The Baal Network live anywhere near the hood or encourage their people to do so? How many of them use the pennies of the poor to buy McMansions far out in the burbs? From houses, to cars, to clothes and whatever else he or she wants these grinches steal resources from the hood to use for themselves and themselves alone.

You don’t think theology is important? Next time your unfriendly neighborhood Baal priest drives away in his Lexus after once more looting the poor take a good look around your community and think again.

To Him Who Loves Us…

Pastor Lance

5 comments:

Lionel Woods said...

Hey Pastor Lance you said:

[quote]"wonder, why is it that we’re so quick and eager to accept that what you believe about scripture, God, humanity, sin, salvation, Jesus Christ, the church etc. are barely relevant to how you view life and the choices you make. How is it that there can be so much talk about ‘holistic’ ministry and yet as soon as someone utters the first syllable of forbidden ‘T’ word he or she is told how irrelevant they are"[/quote]

I just got into one of these discussions the other day. Theology takes a back seat to "true ministry". I believe an improper view of God, sin, and salvation is the primary cause of some of the issues in the hood. We have "just come to church" mentality and that what is fed to us from our parents and preachers, then when that life of "church" becomes irrelevant we result to a life of crime (which is the next best thing in the hood).

My heart is heavy and burden for the sheep of God who have sold all they have for a lie. People give and give and what they get is empty promises that will never quench the thirst with Godliness. Christ (the true thirst quencher) is exchanged for the goods and services of this world. I wonder how many of them will quote the great writer who once said "I count all a loss, to the suprassing knowledge of KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord"? This would not fit into their worldview so passages like this and Philippians chapters 1-2 are ignored like a man with a deadly plague on a plane. Thanks so much for this.

BTW, can you podcast your sermons? I can download them from Sermon Audio but it takes forever, I am loving the Genesis series!

Anonymous said...

While we are on the subject of the Black Church, as we frequently are on "Blaque Tulip," I just watched an MSNBC message on Carlton Pearson. I remember seeing this cat when I was like 11 with my grandmother. Anyway, the expose stated that he is officially a heretic, because he now preaches a "gospel (lowercase "g") of Inclusion." Meaning, no one is going to hell; rather, hell is here on earth. This man, this African American, Pentecostal, Oral Roberts traditonalist came on national television and said "Hitler is in heaven." This is what we face - Stephen the Levite said it best in the "Heresy Whistle" when he stated that once the arguments of all false religions is quashed, there remains one foe; the opposition risen within the Christians. Arm and Arm Pastor Lance, that's how we move. Please forward a note to brother Lionel - "brother, I have peeped a couple of your spills, and appreciated your defense (IN LOVE) of Brother Anyabwile on "Between Two World." Keep writing brother, we are listening and encouraged."

nate

Pastor Lance said...

hey brother lionel. i also get that alot. the church needs to remember that our primary call is to make disciples through teaching.

re: the podcast you might be able to get them by clicking on the link on our sermonaudio page. the link is in the upper right corner. from there you should see a drop down menu for a couple of different podcast formats.

let me know if this helps, if not I'll just begin sending you the cd's in the mail.

peace
pastor lance

Lionel Woods said...

No need to send CD's I will get in on my podcast immediately.

Nappily Evah Aftah said...

Lawd Help US!!!
When you wrote that you "nearly fell into the fireplace", my head almost fell onto the keyboard, when I read my man's reason for not going to hell. Is he kiddin' me?

The tragedy is that so many Christians don't have a grasp of basic theology. So when these slicksters with fangs, speak venom (and we're not talking about anything too complex, just basic, sound doctrine), many don't have the antidote — The Word of God.