I believe every Christian would benefit by spending time in modern Israel. There, I said it knowing some will disagree. There are multiple good reasons why many cannot and/or will not ever make the trek (from health to financial to apprehension about safety and others). But it is immeasurably beneficial to read the scriptures or hear a sermon and in one's mind be able to see the layout of Capernaum, to recall the experience of the Dead Sea, to have gazed over the waters of the Sea of Galilee, or to have walked the streets of the Old City. We have those with our congregation who have traveled with us to Israel that talk about listening to the Sunday sermon and subconsciously their senses recall the sounds and smells of the sermon’s site.
These experiences create depth, understanding and perspective. They make connections between intellect and emotion and help to imprint the textual precept to our very souls. After returning from my first trip to the Holy Land, several friends and congregants noted that I was different somehow, from the way I respond to others, to the way I preach. I believe it helped mature me without the use of years.
Because I know that most of my congregation (and most Christians) will never experience the land of Scripture, I have come to believe it to be extra important to identify and teach the Hebrew roots of our faith. I have come to believe it to be difficult (I am tempted to say impossible) to understand the words and writings of Hebrews without understanding Jewish context. There are dozens and even hundreds of passages that become clearer once one allows oneself to begin to think like a Hebrew.
The common theology is this: the Gospel is simple and plain enough for any people, from any continent, from any culture to understand well enough to bring anyone not just to salvation, but significantly into the process of Christian maturity. Beyond that, there is a deeper understanding of spiritual truths that is achievable with a perspective that takes into account the idioms and nuances of the culture of the writers. A perspective that gives insight into the very personality and character of of God.
So, if you are wondering why I so often dedicate a portion of my preaching to historical, cultural, and situational background, it is because I want the truth seekers in the pews of First Baptist to discover more than casual theology, as important as that can be, but also to encounter a depth that genuinely changes and preserves.
Some helpful websites: hebrew4christians.com, jerusalemperspective.com
These experiences create depth, understanding and perspective. They make connections between intellect and emotion and help to imprint the textual precept to our very souls. After returning from my first trip to the Holy Land, several friends and congregants noted that I was different somehow, from the way I respond to others, to the way I preach. I believe it helped mature me without the use of years.
Because I know that most of my congregation (and most Christians) will never experience the land of Scripture, I have come to believe it to be extra important to identify and teach the Hebrew roots of our faith. I have come to believe it to be difficult (I am tempted to say impossible) to understand the words and writings of Hebrews without understanding Jewish context. There are dozens and even hundreds of passages that become clearer once one allows oneself to begin to think like a Hebrew.
The common theology is this: the Gospel is simple and plain enough for any people, from any continent, from any culture to understand well enough to bring anyone not just to salvation, but significantly into the process of Christian maturity. Beyond that, there is a deeper understanding of spiritual truths that is achievable with a perspective that takes into account the idioms and nuances of the culture of the writers. A perspective that gives insight into the very personality and character of of God.
So, if you are wondering why I so often dedicate a portion of my preaching to historical, cultural, and situational background, it is because I want the truth seekers in the pews of First Baptist to discover more than casual theology, as important as that can be, but also to encounter a depth that genuinely changes and preserves.
Some helpful websites: hebrew4christians.com, jerusalemperspective.com
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