The Moscow Mood for DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed | Reformation And Revival

he went on to describe the notable institutional output coming from this little northern Idaho town but then he turns to say that the mood cultivated here is going to Bear bad fruit spiritually speaking but how does that square with our Lord's teaching about men not Gathering figs from Thorns I smell a false dichotomy between good cultural fruit and good spiritual fruit but why must we choose and doesn't the latter lead to the former every now and then the Lord teas one up for you and this he is done in Kevin D Young's critique of the Moscow mood you have certainly heard of this piece by now in which D young exemplifies his careful analysis and honest assessment which really boils down to yes the Moscow thing has done some good but I'm very concerned about the long-term spiritual effects of the Moscow mood a mood which pretty much doesn't comport with Christian virtue I say that the Lord has teed this one up because D Young's critique is both quite PL plausible to a good portion of the reformed and Evangelical world and it is at the same time a critique that has significantly missed the mark and exposed problems in that slice of the reformed and Evangelical world that appreciates his critique when something like that happens we really do need to discuss it but first let me point you to some key responses Toby Sumpter and Joe rney have both responded because they cover a good bit of the terrain I am going to focus on one central theme in my reply I do highly recommend you read those responses which field and reply to Kevin's critiques about the serrated edge and too much funny business going on rather than sermons and doctrin straight up the middle those are plausible critiques from D young which are ay handled by Sumpter and rigny I would normally address more of Kevin's critiques but I think these other replies have done the job so I'm pressing in another Direction here here is my reply plain and simple Kevin could not be more wrong about his supposed detrimental and long-term spiritual effects of the Moscow mood because I know the world from which he writes quite well I understand how plausible that critique may sound but in truth the Moscow mood is something for which to be grateful it has had good spiritual effects for some time and it looks to Beyond a trajectory to continue to Bear some great long-term spiritual fruit indeed I commend this Moscow mood to that Community formerly known as the young restless and reformed that Community which attempted to do something like Doug has done in Moscow but failed miserably it seems to me that humility dictates you thank God for good examples showing honor where honor is due D young honestly failed in this regard I recall going to together for the gospel conferences and I recall attending a Gospel Coalition Conference I remember looking on with Intrigue when the Gospel Coalition showed its first signs of Decay as it gave VOD bacham the left hand of dysf Fellowship when he began to say too many true things about Ferguson I recall also watching The Gospel Coalition crumble into a platform promoting weird singleness articles and deep insightful analysis of Taylor Swift's debauched evenings with men who used her the goal at the outset was to establish true piety in the city but the result was that Babylon bent the young restless and reformed over her knee and spanked them like an angry stepmother now I moved to Moscow two years ago and I find genuine piety Psalm sings Hospitality generational faithfulness sacrificial patriarchy happy women Bible reading plans regular old Evangelical men's prayer meetings like you'd find all over the country the Arts Herodotus and thusi boach and handle a flourishing downtown due to the entrepreneurship of the people of God and a good deal of Mirth and cheer in the face of gangas Khan being at the gates of this formerly Christian Nation there are people who will wrongly bind on to something like Moscow of course we look to correct that kind of thing when it happens but that was not Kevin's critique Kevin's critique was that the mood cultivated in Moscow is one that does not comport with Christian virtue which is to say that Kevin has discovered that grapes really do come from Bramble bushes Luke 6:44 but grapes don't come from Bramble bushes Kevin himself said that Doug quote offers the world and the church an angular muscular forthright Christianity he added that quote his family loves him and loves Christ he went on to describe the notable institutional output coming from this little northern Idaho town but then he turns to say that the mood cultivated here is going to Bear bad fruit spiritually speaking but how does es sare with our Lord's teaching about men not Gathering figs from Thorns I smell a false dichotomy between good cultural fruit and good spiritual fruit but why must we choose and doesn't the latter lead to the former related Kevin laid out two roads two options for Doug to take quote he could use the eighth decade of his life to devote his considerable writing talents to persuading unbelievers to consider Christianity to passing on the reformed faith and to offering a deep penetrating cultural analysis I believe he could do all of this if he wanted to or he can pepper his writing with naughty words play with blowtorches and make fun of Southern Baptists that's the other option it will be hard to take both approaches at the same time but here's the thing Doug has been taking both approaches for decades I repeat his approach has been getting the job done and the good news is it has been getting the job done without Doug having to spend any time in purgatory D young evidences yet another false dichotomy good cultural analysis and Doctrine pure and simple or right like w house and play with fire in November but I have good news for you you don't have to choose you can have both but piety and a flamethrower go together quite nice I would add that I commend both to you I not simply saying that you can have both I'm saying there's something to having both piety and the flamethrower is accommodation that Kevin insists you cannot enjoy but I'm telling you that they go together like cheese and wine like peanut butter and jelly in short mood matters I believe Kevin knows this he started his critique by saying that the attraction to Moscow is visceral more than intellectual that doctrinal changes like that of postmillennialism are lagging indicators rather than leading indicators he writes as if this is wrong but there is nothing wrong about it humans are embodied creatures not rational computers if we are to avoid the influence of mood ethos or Aroma then why are the Saints called to be an aroma of Christ 2 Corinthians chap 2:1 15-17 and for Pete's sake why are we to Adorn the gospel of God Titus 2:10 don't Adorn it isn't it perfectly true enough without you wooing people to it with some mood draped all over it rules for reformers I said that D Young's peace exposes problems in a certain slice of the reformed and Evangelical World let me see if I can boil them down for the notet takers that world thinks that classical Christian education can't pair with flamethrowers that ministers can't write like w house that piety cannot pair with poking fun at Southern Baptists Folly that the language of the Old Testament prophets cannot be paired with a new testament Ministry that the Puritans prayers cannot be paired with Puritan political theology that justifying faith cannot be paired with obedience insert FV charge here that a shoulders loose narnian Spirit cannot be paired with Ezra weeping over the Famine of God's word that heaven cannot be paired with Earth that the spirit cannot be paired with the body that the Great Commission cannot be paired with the Dominion mandate that Doctrine cannot be paired with application and that reformers cannot be paired with actually reforming anything many books come to mind that would remedy all of these false dichotomies but the best place to go if you want to Moscow mood even harder is rules for reformers highly recommended in conclusion spurgeon's point about reformers is just as true today as it ever was we admire a man who was firm in the faith say 400 years ago but such a man today is a nuisance and must be put down call him a narrow-minded bigot or give him a worse name if you can think of one yet imagine that in those ages past Luther zwingley Calvin and their companions had said the world is out of order but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great route and get ourselves into disgrace let us go to our Chambers put on our night caps and sleep over the bad times and perhaps when we wake up things will have grown better such conduct on their part would have entailed upon us a Heritage of error age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps and the pestiferous gobs of error would have swallowed all these men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on it is today as it was in the reformers days decision is needed here is the day for the man where is the man for the day

Channel: Jared Longshore

Views: 9,168

Keywords:

Id: gytjICQqfRs

Length: 8min 44sec (524 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 06 2023