In the last few months I’ve been reading and re-reading “Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)” by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck.

It’s been a very helpful book in thinking through how we do church in a post-modern culture, and dealing with the current challenge of the “emerging church” movement.

I used a couple of quotes from the book in my sermon, “What Christ Wants for His Church (Rev2-3)” in our current “re:LAUNCH re:LOADED” series, and thought I’d post them here for your reflection.

It is sad but true. Theologically astute churches and theologically minded pastors sometimes die of dead orthodoxy. Some grow sterile and cold, petrified as the frozen chosen, not compromising the world, but not engaging it either. We may think right, live right, and do right, but if we do it off in a corner, shining our lights at one another to probe our brother’s sin instead of pointing our lights out into the world, we will, as a church, grow dim, and eventually our lights will be extinguished.
– Kevin DeYoung (p.244)

[We] need to catch Jesus broader vision for his church – His vision for a church that is intolerant of error, maintains moral boundaries, promotes doctrinal integrity, stands strong in times of trial, remains vibrant in times of prosperity, believes in certain judgement and certain reward, even as it engages the culture, reaches out, loves, and serves. We need a church that reflects the Master’s vision – one that is deeply theological, deeply ethical, deeply compassionate, and deeply doxological.
– Kevin DeYoung (p.248)