Contending for the Truth Pt 4 Q/A session

Mohler, Ravi, Jr, moderated by Sproul.

How do we fight the postmodern society without relying on Mohler and Land appearing on national tv every 2 weeks?

Teach our kids the Word.
Jesus is the Word (not the movie)
On the Reading of Old Books - CS Lewis (What Piper says is chronological snobbery).
Teach our kids before feeding them to the wolves.
Culture is a powerful medium. We see with our eyes devoid of a conscience. We are conditioned to believe what we see and not think about what we see. The seduction of the eye. Teach our children to guard their imaginations. Evil had an attraction in the media. Distortion and distraction. Teach your children the contexts, not sound bites.
The single greatest need in our churches today is the expository preaching the Word of God

Is P-M dead as Oz Guiness has suggested and should we be thinking about what comes next?
(directed to Ravi)
It is dying. The mood to redefine reality will always be with us. As a major movement, it is moving into sunset, but its ideas will haunt us for a while. We still live in a modern society - much less a post-modern society. We have hope in technology. It has taken deep root in morality - and people will not let it go. There is no momentum to shift back to a biblical worldview of morality.
Statism...(RCS)where the gov't gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Its authority in life is larger. Separation is now separation of church and God. Marxism fell because everyone wanted a cell phone (AM). We have the regulatory state - there has got to be rules. The bullying of the state and the academy (RZ). Dawkins' book is big right now at Oxford - students who believe in a designed universe should not be allowed in Oxford. Veith quoted a gay activist group "we have created a truly faschist organization". When words have no meaning, it is all about the acquisition of power. (Jr). They are using their power to acquire power. Sophists of the worst kind, manipulating us into state intrusion.

Since the Lord orchestrates everything that happens, why has the Lord orchestrated P-M?
(AM) His glory will be more grealty demonstrated by the church's response to this. God's sovereignity does not mean determinism. God ordains but He is not the author of evil. We have a revealed authority. God's will is exercised so that He will get the most glory. How will our obedience give Him the most glory?
The hidden counsel of God is not our business (Zech) - we don't know why - but our job is to live according to God's Word (RCS)
(RZ) - Who's sin is it (John 9) - but the work of God may be seen in this man's life. We claim to see - our guilt remains. We see what true blindness is?

How do we train our children to fight P-M?

We need to be less concerned about the culture and we should be more concerned with teaching them to love and believe God. (Jr) Dt 6. Shema We should always teach them - always! The centrality of parenting centered on the Word of God (RCS) - The Sunday School program has caused us to make it a substitute for parenting.

How is P-M affected the Pittsburgh Steelers?
(Jr) - Dt 29.29

Is there a connection between Emergent Church and P-M?
It will pitch itself as soft P-M. In order to have any connection to P-M, the bottom line is no truth. Yes, I believe in the finished work of Christ, but it is up to me. I hope we are all enemies with p-m. Affirm what the Word of God says without ambiguity. (Jr) It is just one of many movements (RCS) - growing reluctance to define oneself as evangelical. (Al) - there is hardlined P-M (McClarin - Generous Orthodoxy) - You can be everything of the polarities. NO YOU CAN'T. It is a form of drinking P-M and letting culture set the direction. We are not devoid of culture (we are wearing clothes), but there is trouble when we can't or won't answer the Truth question. Read Mohler's comments on that book here. (Ravi) - We don't know what we believe. Most of the ECers (Joel Osteen - Ravi said it not me) don't mention the Cross. We are paying a big price of the lack of proper teaching. (RCS) "I don't care who you are, what you have done, or who you have done it with, God is not angry with you." (tv preacher) Sin has got to be preached in our church. Why else would anyone need to come to church? If we don't believe in the wrath of God - why preach the gospel?

What should I be reading to understanding P-M?
(Al) Don Carson - the Gagging of God, Ravi's books, Veith - PostModern Times (15 years old), (Ravi) David Clark's book on apologetics, Gagging of God, Degenerate Moderns

How do we present the gospel without the stigma of a "white gospel"?
(Ravi) - God is already doing that. Look at the work in China and the root that the gospel is taking there. Look at the work that churches in America are doing (the Summit) to reach non-white people. In Damascus, the church is full. The gospel is being given an open door - in every where but America. We can empower these other groups. Fine seminaries to empower the people and send them out (go SEBTS). The "Global South" - Nigerians outrank Europeans in worshippers. It is a tribute to "old-time" missionaries (and the power of the gospel). Why don't we have lines outside our church doors on Sunday to hear the preaching of the gospel? (JD - this is a happy problem we are having at Riverside).

What was God doing before He created?
It is a conditioned question for those who dwell in time - God is outside of time. (Ravi)
He wasn't bored or unhappy or lonely (RCS)

Reformed theology can be intimidating to newcomers, do you have suggestions to embrace the reformed faith?
It is daunting for those who have believed it a long time (AM) - take Calvinism as an example - the institutes architecture - he starts with the knowledge of God and man, and the glory of God for the purpose of all thing. You have to have a right picture of God. No wonder it is intimidating if you don't know the God and His glory - it is not a backward theology. It starts with God. Expositional Genius of John Calvin (RCS) - great new little book. His own heart was captured by the preaching of the Word of God. There is an importance in what happens in the pulpit week in and week out. We can't improve upon the Word of God. Do not become a loud mouth and obnoxious (Jr). Wherever we are, whoever we are speaking to, we are to communicate the greatness of God - that is our GOAL. We don't construct this question to protect our dignity - it is all about God. Life is not about us (that is why P-M doesn't fit in with the gospel).