What defines an Evangelical

Disclaimer: I originally posted this on 6/18/2013. I am reposting with some minor edits.
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I once stumbled my way into a large church Sunday night hoping to experience Jesus through worship and to hear God's Word being preached. I recall the worship being excellent. The experience attempted to engage all of my senses. So far so good. Then came the preaching. The guest speaker was a noted author. Like worship, he was equally engaging. Stories were animated and his points connected to my heart. What I did not hear from the speaker was truth. He held a Bible in his hand but never used it. No Scripture references. He picked a topic but never qualified it with God's Word.

I reflected on this experience shorty after the service and it got me thinking: what makes me an Evangelical? Generally speaking, Evangelicals are known for their use and care of God's Word, but what else defines an Evangelical from a Catholic or other Protestant faith traditions?

In an effort to provide clarity about Evangelicalism, I've listed some core doctrines below. These distinguishing marks illuminate which churches (and individuals) are, and are not, Evangelical. 

Three main tenets

• An emphasis on a personal relationship with God. To say it in the common vernacular, a individual needs to be saved. A Catholic professor I once spoke to about my Evangelical faith challenged my theological commitment toward salvation by faith, insisting on a liturgical need that involves a community for someone to be a Christian. We agreed to disagree but the conversation did highlight the difference between my Evangelical faith and his Catholic faith. 
• The inerrancy of Scripture is the most attacked Evangelical position. If the inerrancy of Scripture is successfully refuted, then all matters of faith become questionable. For example, if Mary was not a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus then the divinity of Jesus is questionable. If Jesus did not walk on water—and miracles in general are questioned—how would Jesus be able to rise from the dead?
• Evangelization by the local church and by individuals in the local church.This point is not necessarily historically distinct but in the 21st century, it appears Evangelicals are out of place with other Christian denominations. Nonetheless, Evangelical churches are missional and want to be a part of proclaiming the Gospel.
• The Gospel is preached early and often. When I initially wrote this blog I could not decide where to put this tenant. I put it here because the gospel of of Jesus Christ has become "water-downed" or nonexistant in churches that have traditionally herolded the gospel. 

Other "rules" for what makes an Evangelical have been suggested or stated differently. David Bebbington offers his four tenets: biblicism, crucicentrism, conversionism, and activism (See, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s). His points provide additional clarity for defining Evangelicalism. Other points where Evangelicals find common ground with Christian traditions include:

• Christ is the center of all interpretation in the reading of Scripture and application of Scripture. The Bible—Old and New Testament—are understood Christologically and through this kind of interpretation Christological application is made. This type of hermeneutic has guarded against an over-emphasis on the history behind the events described by Scripture and keeps the focus on Christ revealed between Genesis and Revelation.  
• A sense of activism (a historical and modern reality). The Bible says a lot about morality and it should influence culture. According to Evangelicals, activism is important because people are in culture. Abortion is case and point: The Bible says something about the unborn and therefore actively defending the unborn is a moral issue.   
• Justification by faith. Justification by faith alone is a Reformation principle preached every week in Evangelical churches. Again, many see this as a primary point (and rightly so), but justification is shared by liberal Protestant churches—albeit from a nuanced perspective.

We live in an increasingly pluralistic-thinking world where ideas and truths are often muddled. Obviously, additional essentials can be named, but hopefully these beginning thoughts bring a little clarity.

Monday Morning Recap

Monday Morning Recap on a Friday!!

The Rest of Nehemiah's Prayer

I mentioned during last weeks message that an explanation of the rest of Nehemiah 1 would be on my blog. So here it is! I have lifted my notes from a sermon draft and pasted it below. 

The context of Nehemiah 1: 8-11 comes on the heals of Nehemiah acknowledging God, praying for the sins of Israel, and praying for the sins of him and his family. The remainder of his prayer focuses on Israel's inability to keep the commandments. 

8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’

As Nehemiah continues to reflect, he realizes that there are consequences for actions. In my head right now I struggle with the legalism that this passage could project, with words like: commandments, statutes, and rules. However, I do not think this is legalism. The primary battle for Israel (and for the church today) is about who we worship. Israel was a casualty to idolatry. If you read many of the prophetic books they warn against Israel who was committing idolatry. When we create an idol out of sex, money, prestige, the idol becomes the direction of your worship.

So when Nehemiah prays for Israel and himself to keep the commandments of God it is because these commandments protect us from idols and allow us to focus on Jesus as the central object of our worship. In others words commandments are not a means to tell people what not to do, but to help align our actions which reflect the worship of God.

10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 

The God of Nehemiah and the God of the church is the God of redemption. Only the God of the Bible has the power and the “strong hand” to redeem people. Without God’s “strong hand” of redemption, Israel and the church are left floundering on their own. No other idol, or other god that ultimately functions as an idol, is able to redeem, is able to clear individuals of their sins and bring about healing.

11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”  Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah ends his prayer saying that he delights in the fear of the Lord and success is only through the Lord. Nehemiah knows that the success of his calling and the construction project of the walls and gates in Jerusalem are ultimately up to God.

After praying about the news Nehemiah received, he prayed. His narrative continues in chapter two with Nehemiah soclitiing the king to leave for Babylon.

In summation, Nehemiah's prayer (1: 4-11) is a heart-felt plea to God. How does Nehemiah respond? By taking his request to the king and he ultimately ends up in Jerusalem as the foreman for the rebuilding of the walls and gates.