Sesame sticks may have more to say if he attended Sunday. Thanks DMD25. I agree that Andy is unique and in fact would add to that extraoridnary as a teaching pastor and I have found very little in the 10 years with which I disagree, especially related to his message in the service. Decisions like inviting FLOTUS are so difficult, and as I said I appreciate that the church up until now has remained apolitical. To the report: I asked all the people around me (imagine six people adjacent in every direction) whether they heard about and then whether they had attended. Members had heard, one had attended. Non-members (two older adults visiting with their son in his 40’s-roughly my age) hadn’t heard but were impressed, even while stating they hadn’t voted for Obama - they keyed in on the health threat of the message and weren’t politically put off as I and many on this website may be - it was a non-issue from that standpoint. Most thought it was a positive,even when I voiced some concerns we’ve shared here.
When the service started during the announcements, one of the associate pastors (not Andy) did mention it in what was most likely an explanation to address those who had voiced concern. He explained the rationale being that many in the audience were non-church goers and it was a significant outreach opportunity and he highlighted the hour long program with music, and the taped announcement from Brenda Wood (a local NBC anchor (African American) who attends NPCC at the buckhead campus) that described the church and its mission. The host then explained that he an many others on staff met people after the event who didn’t attend church and who hadn’t heard of NPCC but might come back. He asked for a show of hands if people were visiting (as a way to acknowledge them) and several hands (10-15 out of the whole crowd I could see) did go up.
That was about it, as far as discussion of the visit. What occurred to me as a result of this whole event is that the church is trying to reach all people, not just conservatives (that may seem like a no-brainer, but what I mean is they’re not using a political lens, while I am) and if for the purpose of discussion 20 people come to Christ as a result of this event, but the church has inadvertently endorsed FLOTUS (and by extension her husband) so that POTUS and FLOTUS become more popular and manage to gain more of the popular vote as an indirect result, is that a fair trade?
More to the point, does my mission as a Christian or my patriotic concern for the demise of America come first as my duty? That is only a rhetorical question, but the example I created is not completely out of the realm of reality, given the influence of NPCC.
I will conclude by saying the message was awesome! Andy has talked about Galatians chapter 5 many times in the church, and he visited it again in the message, but in the context of the early first century church and how timeless the acts of the sinful nature (human nature) remain. In recounting and explicating the acts of the sinful nature, he went much further than Rick Warren and certainly Joel Olsteen ever do, but in a way that reflected humility and empathy for our fallen condition. It was classic Andy and those who put NP in the same group as Joel Olsteen are not listening often enough (no offense to members of Olsteen’s church, just a different intent of the message). What I have loved and continue to love is that Andy’s message compels us to bring our christian beliefs and behaviors into every day (as he says - how we act on Monday through Saturday) to serve as an example of why the Christian life is exceptional and worthy of following. Andy has always and continues to do that better than any I have ever seen.
While I must ultimately disagree with the invitation to FLOTUS, I do not think it has done irreparable harm to NPCC or its message. Thanks to all, for your concern. And I encourage you to listen to the messages, ether as podcasts, or by downloading them to ipod or mp3. They will speak to you and improve your life. Please visit them at:
www.northpoint.org/messages and click on the big CHURCH album cover to view the current series(that will make sense when you get there), or scroll across the covers to view many of the past messages. If you want a terrific description of how Islam, Judaism, and Christianity merge around Abraham, and separate because they are incomplete of inadequate (including the out-of context reference from and earlier post-er)and would like one of the clearest descriptions of Mohammed I have ever seen, you can view or listen to “The Star, the Cross and the Crescent”. It is four parts and the first two are historical, and the third is a converted Jew’s testimony (great story) and the fourth is a converted Muslim’s story (also great). Thanks all.
I am not impressed by a show of hands of 10-15 people as proof of a successful outreach program for a church that boasts 20,000 people weekly; that’s the norm for visitor numbers if not a lot less and makes me feel even our newbies are being USED.
Andy, by his own words, condemns what he allowed. The entire second half of his sermon from Feb 6 can easily be said to be slanderous of all who might oppose him on this. Even so, he paraphrased his talk about what laws, of the 613, James said must be followed by the new converts by saying “they ought to abstain from offending Jews and from sexual immorality.” The Online Free Dictionary by Farlex states the definition for sexual immorality as: “the evil ascribed to sexual acts that violate social conventions” and lists as as example this statement: “Sexual immorality is the major reason for last year’s record number of abortions.” Andy also used as his examples of inclusivity Jesus going to the house of a tax collector and about His socializing with an adulteress — note neither example has Jesus lending the synagogue podium to the adulteress or tax collector for their own purposes nor does either example have Jesus promoting those purposes on the synagogue website.
Not only was the pulpit handed over to a politician, it was handed over to a pro-abortion politician. Not only was the pulpit used by a sexually immoral politician as define by modern-day standards, it was used to say we can beat obesity ourselves—no God needed. Reports on the event nor the Let’s Move website point others to Christ as hope for change. Reports and the website, do however, continually promote the size of our church as validation for her program.
I am Not, I so appreciate your update. I was not able to be there yesterday. Like you, I have appreciated Andy’s accuracy and lack of arrogance in the past. I wish you well, and thanks again for the update.
I, like you, have found very little (if anything) that I have not agreed with Andy about regarding his messages (actually and other decisions he has made--I really appreciate his wisdom).
I really do not get the decision to have FLOTUS there--but I am not sure I am smart enough to wrap my mind around it. Andy's and NPCC's track record is stellar. I will continue to carefully listen to Andy's messages "searching the Scriptures" along side him to make sure his teaching aligns with my understanding of the teaching of Scripture.
I, too, love “The Star, the Cross and the Crescent.” I have recommended that series to a number of people in order to gain a clearer understanding of history and of God's provision for us. I probably need to listen to it again.
Here are other favorite series:
God and Your Bod
Character Under Construction
Defining Moments
Breaking with Tradition
Taking Responsibility for Your Life
I am going to go back and listen to the Feb 6 sermon. I don't recall being alarmed about what I heard at the time, but it will be interesting to listen knowing what took place in the days after.
Thank you all for the interesting discussion.