Ministry News
Pastor's Sermon Series Leaves a Permanent Mark
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- Tuesday, 15 December 2009 17:02
Like all churches today, Gold Creek Community Church wants to stay relevant. The Mill Creek, Wash., congregation aims to stay in step with pop culture by tackling hot-button issues from the pulpit and offering a contemporary style of worship. But last month even Gold Creek's congregants were surprised at the atypical approach leaders took for a sermon series.
During the finale of a "Permanent Ink" teaching series, volunteers were tattooed on stage during different worship services while lead pastor Dan Kellogg spoke about the things in life that last. Many of the volunteers gave reasons for their decision, which ranged from memorializing loved ones to marking their faith.
"We've said from the start that we are not advocating tattoos-nor discouraging them," said worship and outreach pastor Larry Ehoff. "We think of it as amoral. It's neither immoral nor moral, it's just the choice of a person."
The previous week, the series featured video of a church member having a tattoo of Texas removed. Teaching pastors have also talked about how the Bible even mentions the markings Jesus bears as King of kings and Lord of lords. Ehoff says the emphasis isn't on tattooing, though that serves as a teaching point, but on telling the story of Jesus' lasting effect on people-albeit in an unconventional way. [seattletimes.com, 11/28/09]
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Comments
A lot of things are legalistic, and may hinder a persons learning of the Word, and may even divert a person into a road he/she may not want to explore. So, test it by the word.
May I suggest that you to go and read Matthew 24 carefully? It is sobering that when the disciples asked Jesus what the signs of His return would be, He didn't start with a laundry list of coming cataclysmic events. Instead, in verse 3, He first cautioned the men who had lived with him month in and month out, who had witnessed countless miracles, and were convinced that He was absolutely the Messiah of one thing – He said, DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Don’t you suppose before we just follow along with the latest fad we should evaluate issues like tattooing in the light of Scripture to see what implications it may have for us and for others we may effect?
If you somehow do not believe deception of Christians is possible. Then how could it be that so many entire denominations have apostatized in the last 100+ years? Frankly, it is foolish and dangerous to believe that you or any Christian is somehow above error. But it is incumbent upon EACH Christian to continually reevaluate our beliefs to make certain they are in line with the teaching of the Bible.
The entire point is that the Mark of the Beast IS coming at some point. Is it any accident that there is a nearly fanatical tattooing craze happening around us today? Why now? Christians endorsing the tattoo craze are only helping with the desensitization process of others about the acceptance of taking marks in the skin.
Tattoos themselves do not damn anyone. I have never stated that, nor have I advocated that we live by the Law in anyway. What is disturbing though is that we think we have to follow every worldly fad – especially one that is seemingly preparing people to accept Antichrist’s “Mark.” (Col 2:8, etc)
I'm afraid it's really not all that difficult to see why the Church is not a more powerfully proactive force in the US today,(with regards to critical societal issues) with all the division going on over what SHOULD be considered trivial matters!
We know exactly what we're doing - we're discussing the Word of God. I believe Jesus would favor our efforts, if not our conclusions.
If you have something constructive to contribute to the topic, please do. Judgement and condemnation really serve no useful purpose here.
Again, only my personal perspective.....
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