tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post8767790066171928525..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: Not yet. We're getting there.Phil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-64198094361687393142010-05-24T19:10:42.898-07:002010-05-24T19:10:42.898-07:00Woah! Lots of stuff here. I don't have time to...Woah! Lots of stuff here. I don't have time to absorb it all yet, but, there seems to be quite a lot of questions I want to ask! This should be interesting.Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-66099469033815992242010-05-24T18:43:59.588-07:002010-05-24T18:43:59.588-07:00Drew said: "So the gospel is reaching people ...Drew said: "So the gospel is reaching people from the gutter like me? That sounds pretty successful to me. Thank you Mr. Pharisee =)"<br /><br />Sure is supposed to reach people in the gutter - and lift them out. A 'gospel' that leaves you in the gutter - more than that, encourages you to wallow in your gutterness - may be a wee bit different from the actual gospel (see Eph 4, 2 Peter, Jude, etc).<br /><br />Mr B said:<br />"This is a man I've had dinner with. Did you know that he doesn't cuss around me? Did you knowhe doesn't cus at his wife or son?"<br /><br />So you're saying he's more careful/respectful/upright in his mundane speech than when he is supposed to be preaching God's Word to the flock entrusted to his care? That is quite possibly the harshest accusation anyone in this thread has leveled against him.<br /><br />Oh wait, you meant that in his defense? Wow. Just, wow.trogdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-3647569832522195002010-05-24T17:17:55.377-07:002010-05-24T17:17:55.377-07:00The biggest problem is that he thinks you can crea...The biggest problem is that he thinks you can create theology.<br /><br />He "created" his theology by contextualising a song.<br /><br />Now some of you have said he gets it mostly right, but what would have happened if his favourite song was less theologically tight? I like to call it <i>chinese whispers theology</i> <br /><br />When we go anywhere but the Bible for our theology we are going to get into trouble, particularly when we let our theology override clear commands of Scripture, such as James 3:10.<br /><br />Michael HuttonMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01504277207295036311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-22710478522292236982010-05-24T14:10:55.005-07:002010-05-24T14:10:55.005-07:00reformed1
Yes, the Holy Spirit does put a governo...reformed1<br /><br />Yes, the Holy Spirit does put a governor on our mouth. My point in wondering whether the gospel has taken hold here, especially with the glee that he take with his theology.<br /><br />MorrisMorris Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18083884122271855154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-87222947783463443072010-05-24T12:53:50.497-07:002010-05-24T12:53:50.497-07:00Good use of the "Pharisee" card - it'...Good use of the "Pharisee" card - it's the Christian equivalent of Godwin's Law, it seems. Ad hominem is a sign of a weak argument.<br /><br /><i>"(...However, I don't really get the point of the scriptures you are posting..."</i><br /><br /><b>Eph 5:4 "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking"</b><br /><br /><b>Col 3:8 "But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth"</b><br /><br />The point of these Scriptures is so obtuse that you can't figure it out? Really? Or is it rather you don't like its implications?<br /><br />Shouldn't believers in general, and pastors in particular, be held to a higher standard? Or is it perfectly acceptable for Christian workers to engage in filthiness and obscene talking? As categories, filth and obscenity are not that fluid.<br /><br /><i>"and the attitude behind them is . . . not very . . . couth.)"</i><br /><br />...uh...you were saying something about "impuning" reputations without getting to know people first...pot...kettle.... <br /><br />Others have already mentioned it, but it bears repeating: Stuff put out for public consumption is fair game, and not subject to the reconciliation process alluded to in Mt 18, which deals with private offenses. (Paul acknowledges such a distinction in his treatment of Hymenaeus and Alexander, as well as his very public rebuke of Peter for his hypocrisy.) <br /><br />Those that can't stand the heat ought to get out of the kitchen.wordsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13694767852556204886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-48834006249630398402010-05-24T12:33:17.267-07:002010-05-24T12:33:17.267-07:00I have read all of the comments posted up to the c...I have read all of the comments posted up to the current time. I would like to thank Frank Turk for his honesty and transparency. I am a recovering vulgarian myself and appreciate hearing I am not alone once in a while. <br /><br />I would also like to thank Brad Williams for your comments. I was challenged and convicted by the truth you spoke and am thankful for the Spirit of conviction and truth. Thanks for allowing yourself to be used to say it!reformed1https://www.blogger.com/profile/02057458166320668530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-56863157279948464612010-05-24T10:41:04.183-07:002010-05-24T10:41:04.183-07:00"It is then that the world is made to listen ..."It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes." Mike<br /><br />And the hatred is a fact, according to our Lord in John 15.<br /><br /> "They who wish to be exempt from persecutions must necessarily renounce Christ." -John Calvin (From Tabletalk)donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-92215952818214284792010-05-24T10:03:47.659-07:002010-05-24T10:03:47.659-07:00Forgive me for repeating myself, but I think Mr. B...Forgive me for repeating myself, but I think Mr. B's comments offer a fantastic opportunity for light to be shed on how those advocating a "missional" philosophy of ministry misunderstand and misuse Acts 17 and 1 Corinthians 9. <br /><br />Again, I recognize that a host of those who would dub themselves missional and spend time thinking about contextualizing the gospel would rightly reject this nonsense out of hand. But what I fail to see is how Mr. Kim's antics do not line up entirely with the principles touted by the missional/contextualization folks. They make the exact same arguments (e.g., this makes sense for his context, he's meeting people where they are, etc.), but just don't apply them as extremely as Kim and Mr. B do.<br /><br />The difference between this and the conservative missional movement is one of degree, not nature. And that's bad.<br /><br />Martyn Lloyd-Jones <a href="http://gospelpedlar.com/articles/Christian%20Life/beatitudes.html" rel="nofollow">put it</a> so well:<br /><br /><i>The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. <br /><br />That must also be true of us as individuals. It should not be our ambition to be as much like everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not a Christian as we can possibly be. Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better, and the more like Him we become, the more we shall be unlike everybody who is not a Christian</i>.<br /><br />Amen.Mike Riccardihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06748453197783538367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-40953324195678125192010-05-24T09:31:18.696-07:002010-05-24T09:31:18.696-07:00BTW, I am rarely offended by strong language becau...BTW, I am rarely offended by strong language because I spent a good deal of time around foul-mouthed folks at my last job. So I understand that many people speak and communicate this way even on a day to day level even without meaning to be offensive. I can think of several guys who used the F-bomb for every part of speech not as an expletive, but simply (and I mean no insult to these guys) because they had a genuine lack of education and vocab.<br /><br />HSAT, as a Christian I must understand the far-ranging effects of the Gospel message and the way it is communicated. If I know that the way I communicate (and not what I am trying to communicate) can and will offend other Christians, then I shouldn't say it because that is a Gospel issue. It is a Gospel issue precisely because the unity and love between myself and other believers is supposed model the unbelievable power of God's grace in reconciling sinners to Himself and to each other in Christ Jesus! It's not 'capitulating to fuddy-duddies'- it's taking the Gospel seriously and putting above my desire/temptation to be like this. FWIW, it'd be much more powerful and Gospel-communicating for a black guy and white guy (or an Arab and an American, or a Jew and a Samaritan) to purposely commit loving and supporting each other in Christ within the context of working/living amongst unbelievers than Sam's f-bombs could ever be.Chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606292899155249285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-16834724484768385492010-05-24T09:20:47.421-07:002010-05-24T09:20:47.421-07:00Mr B.,
While it may be true that the tone of some...Mr B.,<br /><br />While it may be true that the tone of some comments can be overboard, I would like to point out that Pastor Sam posted this on the internet. It's wide open public knowledge and therefore open to public critique. Matthew outlines personal issues. Sam has spoken contrary to Scripture, not against Phil; Matthew doesn't apply here. Don't like public critique? Don't post sermons on the web.Chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606292899155249285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-35209295531797352232010-05-24T09:08:51.656-07:002010-05-24T09:08:51.656-07:00"So . . . "They shall know we are Christ..."So . . . "They shall know we are Christians by our love." Where is the love here? I don't see it or feel it."<br /><br />i hear this plenty, and am frustrated at the silliness.<br /><br />Love the Lord God with all your heart soul mind and spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself.<br /><br />how much this accepts that somehow it is all about us, not just diminishing God, and inflating humans, but actually reversing the two. And since we do not have a definition of the word, without the nature of God as reference, what arrogance to attempt to rework it now so that we can defend out pet poison.mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10436809417566796558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-73378167626323730122010-05-24T07:13:43.012-07:002010-05-24T07:13:43.012-07:00What bugs me isn't the slightly veiled cursing...What bugs me isn't the slightly veiled cursing, it's the fact that his context doesn't make any sense.<br /><br />Theology is the study of God. So he's saying his study of God is @#!'d up. <br /><br />Well, I'd agree with that. But that's not what he actually means.<br /><br />And I wouldn't even include it with anthropology because it's not the 'study of...' man that he's saying is @#!'d up. It's the <b>state of man</b>.<br /><br />If he wants to make sure people understand just how '#@!'d up' we are, maybe he could have simply explained what Isaiah 64:6 is actually saying alongside Leviticus 15:19, etc. since it's not simply a dirty towel Isaiah is referring to.<br /><br />No cursing necessary and I think it drives the point home even better.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09126745884558642905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-79516500055402292382010-05-24T06:20:35.315-07:002010-05-24T06:20:35.315-07:00I'm wondering what version of the Bible has Pa...I'm wondering what version of the Bible has Paul saying our righteousness is filthy rags in Romans 3.<br /><br />I have noticed a trend among the edgier hip preachers to play as fast and loose with Scripture as they do with their anecdotes, and I think it's related to the cussing. First, cussing replaces verbal precision. Second, those who cuss have made the listener sovereign rather than God and it comes out as disrespectful to God in other ways, like not being precise with the words of Scripture.DLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00775191828560028746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-10613126742540026622010-05-24T05:27:33.255-07:002010-05-24T05:27:33.255-07:00"I think it isn't a stretch that Jesus cu..."I think it isn't a stretch that Jesus cussed at people, too." -B<br /><br /><br />That's a bad mind set my friend. Take heed.<br /><br />And the Scriptures teach us that there will be false disciples, teachers and prophets in the Church, and we need to be discerning, and note those who are not preaching the pure Word.<br /><br />Sam is begining noted, which is Scriptural.<br /><br />Is he a fasle teacher? I don't know. I don't think Phil is saying that. <br />But Sam is going agianst the Scriptures. I think that's clear.<br /><br />You won't see it that way, and that's your privilege.<br /><br />Preachers that are out on video, as Sam is, can be listened to, and then critiqued. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact it's good to do, knowing that Satan, the angel of light, will have his righteous servants trying to deceive and cause division.donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-91228573370504656312010-05-23T23:47:57.277-07:002010-05-23T23:47:57.277-07:00Not sure if anyone noticed, but, he gave the wrong...Not sure if anyone noticed, but, he gave the wrong reference just before he started his mild cussing rant around 6:30. He said that in Romans 3 Paul said that "all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags".<br /><br />Not surprised he doesn't know he made a tremendous error. This is not faithful Gospel preaching this is nigh unto abandonment of Gospel preaching.Apologiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02413429928999689878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-86130515173528408202010-05-23T21:46:11.953-07:002010-05-23T21:46:11.953-07:00Since we're in Colossians:
3:12-17
If what P...Since we're in Colossians:<br /><br />3:12-17<br /><br />If what Pastor Sam is doing and saying is NOT of God, it will fail. Time will tell.<br /><br />Colossians 4:2-6<br />Funny enough, 180 Church made a movie called "The Open Door" which is a testimony of one man and how this church and especially Pastor Sam had an influence on bringing Jesus to his life. This movie has been used on several college campuses in NYC (I don't know how many, I think at least three), and because of it, more conversation has started about Jesus in those campuses than there was ever possible before.<br /><br />Again, time will tell if this is of God. Ten years from now, we won't be having this discussion.Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-6871683634267778722010-05-23T21:35:40.079-07:002010-05-23T21:35:40.079-07:00And would someone please explain to me what Ephesi...And would someone please explain to me what Ephesians 5:4 and Colossians 3:8 have to do with unbelievers? As far as I'm aware, those were letters to groups of believers. Using them to say that you can cus around unbelievers is a bit of a stretch.<br /><br />Then you come across Colossians 2:20-23. (See what I mean about this not really getting anywhere?)<br /><br />I like this: "Reader's Digest version!"<br /><br />A. You are impuning a man's reputation without first getting to know him, and finding out for yourselves whether or not this man is doing anything wrong. (One sermon on youtube is enough to convict a man of heresy?)<br />B. None of the commentors thusfar had (biblicly) sought out Pastor Sam if he has offended you.<br />C. Quoting scripture back and forth only makes people look like petty pharisees. (Yes, I know what it is useful for. However, I don't really get the point of the scriptures you are posting, and the attitude behind them is . . . not very . . . couth.)<br />D. Debating the HOW and not the WHAT and the WHY things are taught is taking out the more important parts of what is being taught.<br />E. The extra traffic to the church's website and youtube channel is much appreciated. Thank you very much for helping 180 Church reach more people that we otherwise would have been able to. (There's no such thing as bad publicity!)Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-4483287331417421992010-05-23T21:35:25.652-07:002010-05-23T21:35:25.652-07:00"And for all you who are calling this blog &q..."And for all you who are calling this blog "pearly white" and stuff like that, have you ever looked into who Phil Johnson is?<br /><br />I would encourage you to see who this brother is. He is a fine pastor, teacher, and good brother in Christ."<br /><br />No, I don't know. If he is, I am fairly sure he DOES know how to rebuke a brother who is wayward. Picking Pastor Sam out, and putting it on ther internet for all to see doesn't exactly follow the procedure fairly clearly outlined in the Bible. (Go to the brother, then taking a witness or two.) THAT is NOT cool. It requires the acuser to GO TO that brother. This has not been done. None of you here have GONE TO him. He's not hard to get a hold of. You can email him. You can IM him. You can visit him. He's readily available on Facebook. If you're going to play by the rules, play by them. <br /><br />You may not have to be like a sinner to save sinners, but you sure can't save people by looking down at them. How did God save us? By sending his Son DOWN to earth. He REACHED for us HERE. Where we ARE. I think it isn't a stretch that Jesus cussed at people, too. You may recall Him in the temple. You don't think what He said was considered a rebuke, and in the idiom of the time, He may have even been considered cursing those whos tables he overthrew and scattered? Did He not do that in his Father's house? (These are genuine questions, not snarky ones.)<br /><br />So . . . "They shall know we are Christians by our love." Where is the love here? I don't see it or feel it. Since words are so important, where is the love? Stern rebukes ring hollow when they come from an unknown source. You do not know the man, so, how can you rebuke him? The internet makes it too easy for people to judge others simply because it removes a person from the situation they are criticizing.<br /><br />I have heard people speak the Word of God with such vile and disdain that it has turned my stomach. Is that right? Is just saying the words what matters? Or is it HOW you say them that matters? Is it WHY you say what you say matters? I submit that it is ALL of those things.<br /><br />To bring this into a context most of you might be more familiar with, here are the main themes of what Pastor Sam has been preaching for the 6+ years I've known him: "All have fallen short of the glory of God. You have been saved by Grace, not by works. Apart from God, you can do nothing. Living without God's purpose will lead to nothing. Life isn't about how great you are, it is about how great God is in your life. Jesus is the solution to all your problems. Jesus loves you. You need Jesus."<br /><br />He throws in more scripture, too, but, that's really what he preaches in just about every sermon. Why? Because he's filled with the conviction to bring God's truth to this city, and eventually the world. This isn't a flash in the pan thing. This is his purpose, the vision given to him by God, his mission.<br /><br />It has been mentioned that being "missional" is a bad thing. How is that possible? We are called to be soldiers in the army of God. If a soldier doesn't carry out his or her mission, that soldier is a very bad soldier, a danger to his comrades, and just really useless as a human, except possibly as cannon fodder. I'm not going to sit around and quote scripture back and forth. I'm not good at it, for one, and it never gets anywhere in these kinds of situation since both sides start trying to prove they are "right" instead of having a real conversation and figuring out hat God wants us to do in the situation, and NO, Jesus never said "Go forth and quote scripture at people." I'm pretty sure of that. He gave a command! (Two actually, and then "The Great Commission.")<br /><br />Continued . . .Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-42317283753524484712010-05-23T20:55:50.010-07:002010-05-23T20:55:50.010-07:00Mr. B,
...they'll walk away from you with a pu...Mr. B,<br /><i>...they'll walk away from you with a puzzled and concerned look on their face...</i><br /><br />Like the people who walked away from Jesus after he spoke on several occasions?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-123542875580066002010-05-23T20:48:21.938-07:002010-05-23T20:48:21.938-07:00Mr. B, You said:
"If you tell most people in ...Mr. B, You said:<br />"If you tell most people in Manhattan, "You have fallen short of the glory of God," they'll walk away from you with a puzzled and concerned look on their face"<br />You know, I live in Oklahoma, what has been known in the past as the "Buckle of the Bible Belt" and you would get much the same reaction here as well. We are seeing here evidence of a generation that has no "biblical" heritage, this may even be a second generation that way. So the only difference between unbelievers in NYC and OKC is geography, their condition is the same. With that being said, I don't, in fact can't resort to the type of "evangelistic" methods as your pastor. To do so would bring about much ridicule and scorn from unbelievers who know enough to realize that type of behavior is not consistent with the proclaiming of a God who is infinitely holy. Instead it simply reinforces the stereotypes of churches being full of hypocrites.<br />A final note, I too am in the ARNG, AGR in fact (that means active duty for the non military readers) and even in that culture, the type of words and language your pastor advocates would not be acceptable, none that I know would accept a Chaplain speaking that way, even if it is their routine language patterns.<br /><br />At the end of the day, scripture is clear, Eph 5:4 "And coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks." Then there is 4:31 which says, "All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you,..." Then again there is Col 3:8 "But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth."<br />Do you get the pattern, we may hit our "reset button" and sin in one of these ways but to deliberately and willfully pursue them in the name of evangelism, that is simply treasonous rebellion against our Lord. I pray that your pastor sees the error of his actions and words, repent and then persist in presenting the gospel to NYC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-57708451709889779022010-05-23T19:48:33.261-07:002010-05-23T19:48:33.261-07:00Reader's Digest Version of Mr. B's comment...Reader's Digest Version of Mr. B's comment:<br /><br /><i>Eph 5:4 and Col 3:8 are irrelevant and immaterial, since Mr. Kim is a cool dude with a sincere desire to reach the lost by being "missional."</i><br /><br />...uh...okay, yeah, sure, uh-huh....wordsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13694767852556204886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-38171808408607853902010-05-23T19:36:07.302-07:002010-05-23T19:36:07.302-07:00"He's preaching to jaded, world-weary, sk..."He's preaching to jaded, world-weary, skeptical, depressed, purposeless New Yorkers. I don't understand why you all don't get that?" -B<br /><br />That makes no sense. He should be preaching the Word to God's children. To encourage them, and edify them.<br /><br />If Sam was an evangelist in "Pig-town", a portion of Baltimore City, where I have visited, or so many other communities that have no presence of a local church, then perhaps he could use foul words. But even then, he would have to sin, in order to share the love of Christ. <br /><br />You really don't have to be like sinners to save sinners. In fact, this may may be a subtle ploy of Satan.<br /><br />And for all you who are calling this blog "pearly white" and stuff like that, have you ever looked into who Phil Johnson is?<br /><br />I would encourage you to see who this brother is. He is a fine pastor, teacher, and good brother in Christ.donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-9398330967242008342010-05-23T19:14:42.820-07:002010-05-23T19:14:42.820-07:00His messages aren't directed at your family. T...His messages aren't directed at your family. They aren't directed at your wife, your young children, yourself. He's preaching to jaded, world-weary, skeptical, depressed, purposeless New Yorkers. I don't understand why you all don't get that? Would I speak to someone 20 years old the same as I would a 4 year old? Would I speak to my grandmother the same way I speak to my friends? No. Communicating effectively is about having ideas and concepts reach the other party. If you tell most people in Manhattan, "You have fallen short of the glory of God," they'll walk away from you with a puzzled and concerned look on their face, ready to dial 911 or spray your face with mace. If you haven't experienced this, you may not believe it. I live here. I know. <br /><br />I expect you to probably disregaurd this as someone who has been "duped" by his "outrageous, offenseive, base, misunderstood" teaching, but if you are THAT stuck on tearing a man down whom you've never met, I suspect you may never "get it." That's OK. You aren't the ones he's called to reach. You can't preach INTO the gutter, especially one as deep as the cesspool that is NYC.<br /><br /><br /><br />Don't step in. You might get your pearly white robes dirty.Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-82341001926814161032010-05-23T19:14:24.959-07:002010-05-23T19:14:24.959-07:00Hi!
My name is Matt. I am a member of 180 Church....Hi!<br /><br />My name is Matt. I am a member of 180 Church. I have known Pastor Sam (Kim) for over 6 years now. I find a lot of what has been said here much more offensive than anything he has ever said. Most of the comments here are said out of plain ignorance of the man and his heart for chaning lives. In fact, my life has be significantly changed thanks to the ministries he's started.<br /><br />I grew up in a Christian home. My grandfather is a retired Baptist minister who mostly preached in rural Maine.<br /><br />I was born on Manhattan and raised on Staten Island. I became an Eagle Scout. I joined the Army in 2004. I am not int he National Gaurd working as a Federal Technician at a local armory on Staten Island.<br /><br />I've been there and done that. Yay.<br /><br />How are most of you different than the very people you seem to be preaching against?<br /><br />What does it gain you to decimate a man's character without knowing him? No, you don't know him from watching (part of) on sermon.<br /><br />This is a man I've had dinner with. Did you know that he doesn't cuss around me? Did you knowhe doesn't cus at his wife or son? Did you know that he loves basketball (especially Micheal Jordan)? Or sushi?<br /><br />Nope. I guess not.<br /><br />You may critiscize his methods, but I will NOT stand by and let this uninformed mob tear a man, whom I love dearly, down.<br /><br />To those who think he is hypocritical: Come. See. Learn.<br /><br />Pastor Sam is neither concerned about your views or opinions on his preaching style, whatever labels you may attach to it. What drives this man to do things that offend you? What drives this man to risk ostracizing himself from the "Christian Community?" His love of the gospel; his love of his truth. No, you might not like it's packaging, but, so what? YOU are not the target of it. Why does this matter? Because you don't live in NYC. (For the record, 180 Church is based on Staten Island. The Manhattan campus is an outreach.) The target audience is generally the professionals, college students in the "elite" school, and also younger students from Middle to High School.<br /><br />Come see the members. Ask for thier testimonies. If you have any doubt that 180 engenders real relationships with Jesus, then you are simply delusional. I live with these people I comune with them. I see Christ in these people. I see the truth unraveling thier imperfections and conforming their hearts to God's purpose, love and light.<br /><br />Pastor Sam's messages, his LIFE and the way he lives it brings God's truth to the forefront of everything he does. His vision far exceeds any of yours.<br /><br />I am one of those he has reached. I am one of those who GETS what he is saying. I don't really care HOW he says what he says, because HOW he says it has reached through my thick skull in a way that 28 years (I am almost 30 now, do the math) of "right and moral" Christianity had not been able to do.<br /><br />So . . . what shall I hold to? 28 years of "righteousness" that never made me realize that I had "fallen short of the glory of God" and needed to be saved, or do I sitck with "what works?"<br /><br />Pastor Sam's messages, his life, his programs, his vision (which I truly believe to be given to him by God) all point to God.<br /><br />COntinuedMr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09779442689616187078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-34173239090941252412010-05-23T17:38:03.903-07:002010-05-23T17:38:03.903-07:00Why the asterisks? If this is acceptable behavior...Why the asterisks? If this is acceptable behavior, then asterisks are not necessary. If they are necessary, then the church excludes the people for whom the asterisks are needed.<br /><br />So who is his theology for? Certainly not my 6 year old son who needs the gospel just as much as a foul mouthed sinner needs the gospel. Resorting to such juvenile tactics is a total lack of faith in the power of the gospel of Christ, where Pharisees and harlots, the elderly or the child can here the same message and be saved.doug4https://www.blogger.com/profile/16773670125894032382noreply@blogger.com