For
a record that changed the course of musical history, "Anarchy In The
UK" achieved the very modest chart position of 38. For that, we can
thank EMI’s panicked reaction to the public notoriety that punk was
whipping up: they pulled the record and binned the band. Musically this
single remains a landmark and the first in The Sex Pistols’ immortal
quartet of 45s, followed by God Save The Queen, Pretty Vacant and
Holidays In The Sun. The bubbling stew of provocative ideas in the song
were supplied by Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood and graphic artist
Jamie Reid, brilliantly distilled by Rotten and sound-tracked with
violent panache by Matlock, Cook and Jones and the producer Chris
Thomas. And yet, if there is a craving for mayhem at the core of Anarchy
In The UK, nobody involved in the project foresaw the scale of
pandemonium it unleashed. As the debut release by British punk’s
unquestioned figureheads, "Anarchy In The UK" opened deep divisions in
the land. What’s surprising in retrospect is how traditional its
rock’n’roll values were: the Pistols were Mott The Hoople with a
haircut. The true revolution here was one of attitude. The day this
record came out, you were either with the Resistance or the
collaborators. "Anarchy in the UK" Was released on the Sex Pistols debut
album that was released the same year.
Right! now
ha ha ha ha ha...
I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it
I wanna destroy passerby
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
No dogsbody
Anarchy for the UK
It's coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop at traffic line
Your future dream is a sharpie's scheme
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
In the city
How many ways to get what you want
I use the best
I use the rest
I use the N.M.E
I use Anarchy
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
It's the only way to be
Is this the M.P.L.A or
Is this the U.D.A or
Is this the I.R.A
I thought it was the UK
Or just another country
Another council tenancy
I wanna be Anarchy
And I wanna be Anarchy
(Oh what a name)
And I wanna be anarchist
I get pissed, destroy!
John Lydon told Mojo magazine July 2008 about writing this song: "It flowed quite naturally to me. These are just long, long-term motivations that are there and you can't, can't, can't ever underestimate the sheer driving energy poverty will bring you. Being denied everything and access to everything. Government, schools, the lot, tell you that you don't count. You are scum. Go with flow or else. That's an incredible driving energy, to be better than their estimation of you." To be better than peoples estimation of you. The song has a reaching quality, it bursts at the seams with drive and forward trajection, its the kind of song that does not settle for anything less, "Anarchy in the UK" holds out for freedom, holds out for loosing the chains of oppression and the ushering in of a new era, a new way, a new vision of the way life could be. This is the Gospel of John Lydon. This kind of talk is what Jesus was sharing with his disciples in Matthew 28. In Mark's gospel and chapter 16:15 we also find the commission. Luke the great doctor of the New Testament also gives comment to it in Luke 24:47-48. John also has a way of stressing the same thing in John 20:21. Jesus' words in the gospels were just as revolutionary as Anarchy in the UK. He was encouraging a new vision, a new dimension of life, a new people, and a new world. With all the feeling and drive that Johnny Rotten sings about.
ha ha ha ha ha...
I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it
I wanna destroy passerby
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
No dogsbody
Anarchy for the UK
It's coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop at traffic line
Your future dream is a sharpie's scheme
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
In the city
How many ways to get what you want
I use the best
I use the rest
I use the N.M.E
I use Anarchy
'Cause I wanna be Anarchy
It's the only way to be
Is this the M.P.L.A or
Is this the U.D.A or
Is this the I.R.A
I thought it was the UK
Or just another country
Another council tenancy
I wanna be Anarchy
And I wanna be Anarchy
(Oh what a name)
And I wanna be anarchist
I get pissed, destroy!
John Lydon told Mojo magazine July 2008 about writing this song: "It flowed quite naturally to me. These are just long, long-term motivations that are there and you can't, can't, can't ever underestimate the sheer driving energy poverty will bring you. Being denied everything and access to everything. Government, schools, the lot, tell you that you don't count. You are scum. Go with flow or else. That's an incredible driving energy, to be better than their estimation of you." To be better than peoples estimation of you. The song has a reaching quality, it bursts at the seams with drive and forward trajection, its the kind of song that does not settle for anything less, "Anarchy in the UK" holds out for freedom, holds out for loosing the chains of oppression and the ushering in of a new era, a new way, a new vision of the way life could be. This is the Gospel of John Lydon. This kind of talk is what Jesus was sharing with his disciples in Matthew 28. In Mark's gospel and chapter 16:15 we also find the commission. Luke the great doctor of the New Testament also gives comment to it in Luke 24:47-48. John also has a way of stressing the same thing in John 20:21. Jesus' words in the gospels were just as revolutionary as Anarchy in the UK. He was encouraging a new vision, a new dimension of life, a new people, and a new world. With all the feeling and drive that Johnny Rotten sings about.
The command to make disciples of all nations — "The Great Commission" passages are frequently summoned to give value to countless discipleship and evangelism programs, ideas and practices, often ignoring the real wealth of the texts. It's as if we expect that planting the Great Commission flag at end of a sentence will immediately get us to the summit of our mission agendas. One way to remedy this poverty of our interpretation is by reading the Great Commission in light of other biblical commissions. Depending on how we count them we there are at least five commissions, one in the Old Testament and four in the New. The four commissions in the NT are actually variations of the same mandate (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:48-49/Acts 1:8; John 20:21), each issued by Jesus, emphasizing a slightly different aspect of what it means to be a disciple. The operative verbs in these NT commissions are: make disciples, preach, witness, and send. They are gospel-driven commands. The OT commission, frequently referred to as the creation or cultural mandate, was issued by God before the Fall of humanity, emphasizing creative activity with the following verbs: be fruitful, multiply, rule, and subdue (Gen 1.27-28).
A surface reading of these Old and New Testament texts places them at odds with one another. In Genesis it would seem that the purpose of humanity is to produce people and culture, whereas the Gospels appear to advocate pulling away from people and culture. As a result, many have chosen one reading over the other, soul-winning or culture-making, disciple-making or social action. These readings call for reinterpretation, one that that allows both Genesis and the Gospels to speak. In fact, reading the gospel commissions in light of a cultural focus will reveal a multi-layered, missional mandate. Moving beyond proof texts and into the wealth of the biblical commissions, this morning we will reflect on the differences between the texts. This will require confrontation with the Bible's demands to make culture and disciples, to care for creation and be agents of new creation. As a result, there is a challenge to understand and embrace discipleship as more that "spiritual disciplines" or an evangelistic program. We will see that Scripture calls us to missional discipleship, a following after Jesus that requires transformational engagement not just with souls but with creation and culture.
The Gospel of Matthew: Totally Distinctive
Part of what makes the Great Commission great is its scope. When Jesus said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" he was directing a primarily Jewish audience towards a multi-ethnic mission. The commission is not calling Christians to Christianise nation-states, but to evangelise ethnic groups. We get the word, "ethnic" from the Greek word for nations, which refers to non-Jewish ethnic groups. Christ does not advocate Christendom, a top-down political Christianity. Instead, in affirmation of the cultural mandate, he calls his followers to transmit a bottom-up, indigenous Christianity, to all peoples in all cultures. The command is to make disciples of all nations not from all nations. The Great Commission is not about soul-extraction, to remove people from their culture, but instead, to make disciples within their cultural context. Conversion to Christ does not produce a bland universal citizenship: it produces distinctive discipleship, as diverse and variegated as human life itself. Christ in redeeming humanity brings, by the process of discipleship, all the richness of humanity's infinitude of cultures and subcultures into the variegated splendor of the Full Grown Humanity to which the apostolic literature points (Eph 4.8-13). What we should strive for is distinctive discipleship, discipleship that uniquely expresses personal faith in our cultural context. Disciples in urban Leeds will look different than disciples in rural Africa. These differences allow for a flourishing of the gospel that contributes to the many-splendored new humanity of Christ. According to the Gospel of Matthew, distinctive disciples are those who who, in following Jesus, refuse a one-sided, soul-centered gospel, and instead live out faith in context. The distinctive disciple retains the image of Adam — a culture maker — while growing in the image of Christ and becoming a disciple-maker.
Part of what makes the Great Commission great is its scope. When Jesus said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" he was directing a primarily Jewish audience towards a multi-ethnic mission. The commission is not calling Christians to Christianise nation-states, but to evangelise ethnic groups. We get the word, "ethnic" from the Greek word for nations, which refers to non-Jewish ethnic groups. Christ does not advocate Christendom, a top-down political Christianity. Instead, in affirmation of the cultural mandate, he calls his followers to transmit a bottom-up, indigenous Christianity, to all peoples in all cultures. The command is to make disciples of all nations not from all nations. The Great Commission is not about soul-extraction, to remove people from their culture, but instead, to make disciples within their cultural context. Conversion to Christ does not produce a bland universal citizenship: it produces distinctive discipleship, as diverse and variegated as human life itself. Christ in redeeming humanity brings, by the process of discipleship, all the richness of humanity's infinitude of cultures and subcultures into the variegated splendor of the Full Grown Humanity to which the apostolic literature points (Eph 4.8-13). What we should strive for is distinctive discipleship, discipleship that uniquely expresses personal faith in our cultural context. Disciples in urban Leeds will look different than disciples in rural Africa. These differences allow for a flourishing of the gospel that contributes to the many-splendored new humanity of Christ. According to the Gospel of Matthew, distinctive disciples are those who who, in following Jesus, refuse a one-sided, soul-centered gospel, and instead live out faith in context. The distinctive disciple retains the image of Adam — a culture maker — while growing in the image of Christ and becoming a disciple-maker.
The Gospel of Mark: Completely Worldly
Mark's commission reads: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" Where Matthew emphasises the action of making distinctive disciples, Mark stresses the importance of preaching to all creation. When Jesus used the word "preach" he did not mean converse. The Greek word for preach always carries a sense of urgency and gravity, as though what is to be proclaimed is of great importance. (A drive like in the song "Anarchy in the UK" In this case, it is the gospel that is of utmost importance. This gospel is a worldly gospel — a message that is culturally relevant and creation renewing. The Greek word for "creation" can be used both broadly and narrowly, referring to the cosmos or to people. Here it should be taken broadly, referring to the world, its peoples and its cultures. Preaching the gospel of Christ has cosmic implications. So it is with Paul: "this gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Col. 1:23). Paul perceives himself as an announcer of a worldly Christ-centered gospel, that through Jesus all things are reconciled to himself, whether on earth or in heaven (Col. 1:20). Paul preaches with Mark's great commission emphasis — preaching for the redemption of all creation. While this worldly gospel saves, it also condemns. In Mark, Jesus explains that not all will believe this grand Story or receive its great Saviour: "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16). Mark's commission reveals the divisive nature of the gospel. For some it brings life; for others it brings death, but all are to be given the opportunity to be written into the story of God's redemption of all creation. As with Matthew, the scope of God's redemptive action is important. From the beginning, God's design for creation was for it to flourish and become inhabitable. Outside of Eden, the earth was uninhabitable. Humanity was charged with the task of caring for the earth and creating culture, making the uninhabitable habitable. Adam failed to trust God with this task and sought to rule not only over creation, but also over God. As a result, the creation project was subjected to sin and calamity (Rom. 8:20). Israel would follow in Adam's footsteps. Then came Jesus. Jesus preached a worldly gospel, a restorative message that put the creation project back on track. His glorified, resurrection body is clearly proof of the new creation to come. Just prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus told those who believe that they will be given power to heal the sick, restore the demon-possessed, and to speak new languages (Mk. 16:17-18). This worldly gospel is for the redemption and renewal of the earth, the body, the heart, the mind, and the cultures of the world. It is a saving message that rescues people from their unbelief, not their world, and reconciles their alienation from one another, their world, and their Creator. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus died to bring life to all creation, to restore the environment, renew cultures and remake peoples, spiritually and physically. We are called to preach a worldly gospel.
Mark's commission reads: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" Where Matthew emphasises the action of making distinctive disciples, Mark stresses the importance of preaching to all creation. When Jesus used the word "preach" he did not mean converse. The Greek word for preach always carries a sense of urgency and gravity, as though what is to be proclaimed is of great importance. (A drive like in the song "Anarchy in the UK" In this case, it is the gospel that is of utmost importance. This gospel is a worldly gospel — a message that is culturally relevant and creation renewing. The Greek word for "creation" can be used both broadly and narrowly, referring to the cosmos or to people. Here it should be taken broadly, referring to the world, its peoples and its cultures. Preaching the gospel of Christ has cosmic implications. So it is with Paul: "this gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Col. 1:23). Paul perceives himself as an announcer of a worldly Christ-centered gospel, that through Jesus all things are reconciled to himself, whether on earth or in heaven (Col. 1:20). Paul preaches with Mark's great commission emphasis — preaching for the redemption of all creation. While this worldly gospel saves, it also condemns. In Mark, Jesus explains that not all will believe this grand Story or receive its great Saviour: "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16). Mark's commission reveals the divisive nature of the gospel. For some it brings life; for others it brings death, but all are to be given the opportunity to be written into the story of God's redemption of all creation. As with Matthew, the scope of God's redemptive action is important. From the beginning, God's design for creation was for it to flourish and become inhabitable. Outside of Eden, the earth was uninhabitable. Humanity was charged with the task of caring for the earth and creating culture, making the uninhabitable habitable. Adam failed to trust God with this task and sought to rule not only over creation, but also over God. As a result, the creation project was subjected to sin and calamity (Rom. 8:20). Israel would follow in Adam's footsteps. Then came Jesus. Jesus preached a worldly gospel, a restorative message that put the creation project back on track. His glorified, resurrection body is clearly proof of the new creation to come. Just prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus told those who believe that they will be given power to heal the sick, restore the demon-possessed, and to speak new languages (Mk. 16:17-18). This worldly gospel is for the redemption and renewal of the earth, the body, the heart, the mind, and the cultures of the world. It is a saving message that rescues people from their unbelief, not their world, and reconciles their alienation from one another, their world, and their Creator. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus died to bring life to all creation, to restore the environment, renew cultures and remake peoples, spiritually and physically. We are called to preach a worldly gospel.
The Gospel of Luke: Radical Resurrection
Luke's commission also emphasises preaching the gospel: "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:47-48). In particular, we are called to preach "repentance and forgiveness of sins." A social gospel will not suffice. Christ calls us to repent — to turn our heart allegiances away from all things other, and to receive forgiveness for betraying our Creator. But a forgiven and repentant person is not idle; they are compelled to witness — to tell the story of their transformation. Where Matthew and Mark respectively emphasise distinctive discipleship and preaching a worldly gospel, Luke calls us to witness — to tell our distinct gospel stories. No two stories are alike, but all share the same Saviour. What does it mean to be "witnesses of all these things"? Well, at the very least it means sharing Jesus' self-sacrificing offer of forgiveness, but that is just one thing. What of the other things?
We are to tell of Jesus' death, but we are also to tell of his resurrection. Consider the context of Luke's commission. The eleven disciples were discussing the reliability of Jesus sightings, when suddenly Christ appeared in the room. Thinking he was a ghost, they were filled with fright. Jesus responded: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (24:39). To make his point, Jesus proved he had a body by eating some fish and chips. In flesh and bone, Jesus charges his follower to be witnesses of his resurrection. The problem with many of our stories is that they contain all spirit and very little flesh. We communicate our mystical encounters with God, our mountain top experiences with Jesus, and our superhuman victories over sin. Many people see right through our spiritual stories, precisely because our witness is too good to be true. We fail to mention our bad, unless it is in the past, failing further to witness of resurrection, in the present. People want to touch redemption, which means they need to see resurrection power in our personal struggles. Jesus' body was resurrected as an expression of God's commitment to creation (1 Cor. 15). God does not jettison the body for the soul. His gospel of redemption is for the whole world, beginning with real "skin and bone" people. His resurrection is a bright reminder of new creation in the midst of bleak darkness, of tangible transformation in gross dilapidation. (This is what Rotten is kicking against in the song) The stories we tell should boast of Jesus' death and resurrection, of his forgiveness of sin and of his restoration of sinners — reconciled families and marriages, restored and housed homeless, renewed life and so on. According to the Gospel of Luke, we are to be witnesses of death and resurrection, to live and recount the stories of a resurrected, fleshly Jesus who lives in the midst of broken humanity offering healing and hope.
Luke's commission also emphasises preaching the gospel: "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:47-48). In particular, we are called to preach "repentance and forgiveness of sins." A social gospel will not suffice. Christ calls us to repent — to turn our heart allegiances away from all things other, and to receive forgiveness for betraying our Creator. But a forgiven and repentant person is not idle; they are compelled to witness — to tell the story of their transformation. Where Matthew and Mark respectively emphasise distinctive discipleship and preaching a worldly gospel, Luke calls us to witness — to tell our distinct gospel stories. No two stories are alike, but all share the same Saviour. What does it mean to be "witnesses of all these things"? Well, at the very least it means sharing Jesus' self-sacrificing offer of forgiveness, but that is just one thing. What of the other things?
We are to tell of Jesus' death, but we are also to tell of his resurrection. Consider the context of Luke's commission. The eleven disciples were discussing the reliability of Jesus sightings, when suddenly Christ appeared in the room. Thinking he was a ghost, they were filled with fright. Jesus responded: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (24:39). To make his point, Jesus proved he had a body by eating some fish and chips. In flesh and bone, Jesus charges his follower to be witnesses of his resurrection. The problem with many of our stories is that they contain all spirit and very little flesh. We communicate our mystical encounters with God, our mountain top experiences with Jesus, and our superhuman victories over sin. Many people see right through our spiritual stories, precisely because our witness is too good to be true. We fail to mention our bad, unless it is in the past, failing further to witness of resurrection, in the present. People want to touch redemption, which means they need to see resurrection power in our personal struggles. Jesus' body was resurrected as an expression of God's commitment to creation (1 Cor. 15). God does not jettison the body for the soul. His gospel of redemption is for the whole world, beginning with real "skin and bone" people. His resurrection is a bright reminder of new creation in the midst of bleak darkness, of tangible transformation in gross dilapidation. (This is what Rotten is kicking against in the song) The stories we tell should boast of Jesus' death and resurrection, of his forgiveness of sin and of his restoration of sinners — reconciled families and marriages, restored and housed homeless, renewed life and so on. According to the Gospel of Luke, we are to be witnesses of death and resurrection, to live and recount the stories of a resurrected, fleshly Jesus who lives in the midst of broken humanity offering healing and hope.
The Gospel of John: Humble Incarnation
John's commission is short and sweet: "As the Father sent me, I am also sending you" (John 20:21). Whereas the previous gospel writers emphasised Jesus' command to make distinctive disciples, preach a worldly gospel, and witness a fleshly Jesus, John stresses Jesus sending his disciples. As the text continues, Jesus makes plain that the disciples are sent as a forgiving community, offering the grace they have received from him to others. We are either goers, senders, or disobedient, but according to Jesus we are all the sent. Missionary activity is not the exclusive task of people who sell all their possessions and move overseas. All followers of Jesus are called to live as missionaries in their culture. If we are all sent into our cultures as distinctive disciples to share a worldly gospel about a fleshly Christ, how then are we to live as the sent? Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, I am also sending you." Our paradigm for living a sent life, a missionary life, is the sending of the Son by the Father. When the Father sent the Son, Jesus left the glory of his trinitarian abode and became a helpless infant in the care of humans he created. This required an accommodating humility. Jesus grew up and became a first century, toga-wearing, sandal-sporting, temple-frequenting Jew. He accommodated first century Jewish culture. So, within reason we should take on the trappings of our culture in order to relate the gospel. This can entail wearing broken-in jeans, togas, hand-made sandals or a suit and tie, or a cut off and riding a motorbike. However, our accommodation is not purely cultural; it is missional. It leads us to immerse ourselves into the humanity of our neighbourhoods and cities and sub-cultures in order relate the gospel to people and their needs. Being a local missionary requires more than relevant attire; it demands humility of heart to listen to the stories of others, to empathise with their frustration, suffering, and brokenness and to redemptively retell their stories through the gospel. To be sent by God is to follow the example of the incarnation, to engage others with hope and a humble heart. In John's commission - accommodating humility is accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not too holy for distinctive discipleship. After sending his disciples, Jesus breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). The power of missional living does not spring from cultural savvy or social sensitivity; it requires the otherworldly, utterly personal power of the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit of God can make men new. According to the Gospel of John, we have been sent as missionaries to humbly demonstrate and culturally accommodate the gospel of Christ through the power of the Spirit. In being sent, we do not abandon the cultural commission, but instead, unite it with our redemptive mission.
The Gospel of Genesis: Creation
The
"good news" of Genesis 1-2 is that God created all things to be
enjoyed, managed, cultivated, and recreated by humanity. The gospel of
Genesis 3 is that, though Adam rejected God, God did not reject Adam.
Still possessing the creation mandate, Adam was expelled from Eden, but
clothed with the hope of a new creation (Gen 3:15, 21). The creation
mandate charges us to be fruitful and multiply, to rule and subdue the
earth. This fruitful multiplication continues both physically and
spiritually through the reproducing ministry of missional disciples, who
increase in number and good works (Acts 6:7; Col. 1:6, 10). These good
works include ruling and subduing creation through the careful, creative
arrangement of the elements of the earth into art, technology,
infrastructure etc. for the flourishing of humanity. The basis for our
cultural activity is found in Genesis. Retaining the cultural impulse
of Genesis, the Gospels call us to a missional discipleship that entails
creation care, cultural engagement, social action, and gospel
proclamation. Missional disciples will not content themselves by
preaching a culturally irrelevant, creation indifferent, resurrection
neglecting message. Instead, they redemptively engage peoples and
cultures through Christ for the renewal of his creation.
Final Thoughts
By digging deeper into the great commissions, we have unearthed a wealth of cultural and theological insight. This re-reading of familiar biblical texts has shown us that God in Christ has called us not to mere soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship, to heralding a worldly gospel of a fleshly Christ who humbly accommodates human culture and understands the human condition. These commissions call us to missional discipleship — to redemptive engagement with all peoples and cultures. To a way of life that kicks against anything else and trail blazes a new way, a new heart, a new kingdom, a new people and a new world. Surely this is what "Anarchy in the UK" is stretching out for, this is not these are the long term motivations that Johnny Rotten is aiming for. albeit in a different language, the truth is the same. - FREEDOM
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