Courageous Orthodoxy
Watch this teaching by Pastor Michael Petrila
Transcription.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” - Ephesians 4:14-16
Studying God and the things of God cannot be a side issue for the modern mind. While we may be preoccupied with the constant stream of content from streaming services or our phones, the timeless truth of God is always waiting to be uncovered like a precious pearl in an empty field. It is not attractive, nor is it obvious.
To name our cultural moment, we are in the post-modern, and in America, the post-Christian age.
God is no longer assumed to be true, as our ancestors assumed.
Nor is God assumed to be dead, as the New Atheist movement so desperately tried to prove.
We find ourselves in a time where God, if “they” exist or not, is approached with the attitude of the more Gnostic approach.
Currently: The idea of a god is welcomed, but whether religious or not, each person has had access to some “secret knowledge” and has pieced together a worldview confirmed by their own internet search history. Tradition has lost its weight and meaning, and access to infinity has created millions of curated religions with gods that cannot seem to bring any real change.
Where is truth? How can we know what is true? Without truth, we have no solid ground, and we are left free-floating in space.
However, even in the vastness of space, there is a center, and if we are close enough, we may find ourselves being pulled toward it. In the high anxiety of life and culture, there is a way to find peace and clarity. It comes from truth. The kind of truth that isn’t used for power but the kind of truth that brings humility. It can be found, but it won’t be dressed up and demand attention. It requires patience and thoughtful consideration.
Throughout church history, there have been great minds who have gone out to prove God.
C.S. Lewis is one of those minds, and I appreciate his work.
Others include St. Augustine or Aquinas.
We aren’t called to be philosophers, theologians, or apologetic minds who argue others into the faith. We are called to be DISCIPLES. I believe that as leaders, we must become intentional in understanding what is orthodox Christianity, meaning what is faithful Christianity.
What is faithful christianity? Are we talking about whether or not we should greet eachother with a holy kiss, or if the drums are too loud, or if women should wear head coverings?
We are talking about what Gerry Bershears in what he calls the Levels of Certainty:
Die for
To deny them knowingly would demonstrate that you are outside the boundaries of gospel orthodoxy and perhaps not in living relationship with Jesus.
Trinity, Jesus’ humanness & goddess, resurrection, etc.
Divide for
We are Christians, fellow members of the body of Christ, but we won’t be in the same local fellowship.
Calvinism. Holy Spirit. Charismatic. Women in Leadership. LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Debate for
we are in the same church but we will wrestle (sometimes heatedly) with these issues.
Age of the earth. Evolution vs. non-evolution. Hell
Decide for
These are the kinds of issues addressed in Romans 14-15, the areas of belief and behavior about which there is no law.
Should we be on social media, head coverings, meat, vegan, etc.
At Garden, we are here for unity, liberty, and charity. But as leaders, I don’t want you just to come and accept what we believe, and you can’t push back. This is a place where you must come and wrestle with the truth yourself. But we have landed on what we believe is die for & divide for issues. How we are choosing to live faithfully. My longing is that you are able to grow in that.
Practice
Set a timer for one minute. Now press “Start” and write down the five sermons you have heard that have most drawn you closer to Jesus. No overrunning on time! Now reset the timer, and in one minute record the five experiences that have most drawn you closer to Jesus. Finally, take one minute to name the five people who have most drawn you closer to Jesus.
Isn’t it interesting that we so easily remember people who have drawn us closer to Jesus? You, as leaders, will be the primary source of people’s spiritual growth.
How does this impact House Churches?
The riches of truth are not waiting for a new code to be unlocked. Rather, under years of forgotten dirt, there is a beautiful and incredibly valuable gem waiting to be discovered.
A few months ago, Garden released a statement of our essential beliefs to our leaders. As leaders, you shouldn’t come to us waiting for us to tell you what to believe. A journey towards truth means that we all take ownership of our faith.
This doesn’t mean, you have to go out and read every book on every topic. Because even books are not the source itself. The way we fight lies for infiltrating the church, especially in our House Churches. We must do a few things.
1. Abide in TRUTH.
In the pursuit of truth, we have landed on the one who claimed to be the truth: Jesus (John 14:6). In Jesus, we have found solid ground to stand on. Peace in the midst of chaos. Clarity among noise. Hope surrounded by despair.
2. Rooted in Truth.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16
You need to read the Bible, and learn how to read the bible.
3. Raise up in Truth
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. - Acts 2:46
The curriculum we have, the courses we offer, and these family nights are all intended for us to align.
Beyond Scripture, there are also guides to assist us. I’ve mentioned a number of helpful voices already in this book, including C. S. Lewis, N. T. Wright, Scot McKnight, and Carmen Imes. Ancient apprentices to Jesus—writers like Irenaeus, Augustine, and Thomas à Kempis—remain helpful. The works of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster are already modern classics. Contemporary authors like Tim Keller, Tish Harrison Warren, Esau McCauley, John Mark Comer, and Richard Villodas are thoughtfully equipping many. Creative Christians are using emerging media to reach an ever-expanding audience: Andrew Peterson (through his music and books), Tim Mackie and Jon Collins (The Bible Project videos and podcast), Phil Vischer and Skye Jethani (The Holy Post podcast), John Dickson (Undeceptions podcast), and Justin Brierley (Unbelievable on Premier Christian Radio).
This is not for us to DO MORE. But for us as leaders to raise others in truth, we must then choose how to spend our time and resources wisely. We have no trouble accessing information, but it is our responsibility to receive REVELATION. Revelation leads to transformation. We then bring our transformed selves to those around us.