The Bleeding Church- Modern Relevancy

Some of our pastors, churches, and congregations have bought into an egregious lie. In a movement pioneered by the formation of America’s “mega-churches,” churches have been restructuring their attitudes in an attempt to become more “user-friendly” for a world whose culture poses a stark contrast to the traditional church. Fundamental Christians have been labeled “extreme” to the point where even the word “fundamental” now has negative connotations. Our religious leaders fear coming across as abrasive to the culture that they are enveloped in. I am in no place to judge the motives of various pastors, but whether their intentions were bent towards evangelism or simply to grow their church, the effects of such actions are dangerously the same. There are sizable churches in my city that have removed crosses and crucifixes because studies showed that they are “offensive symbols.”

We Christians are too concerned with offending the people around us with the judgmental abrasiveness of the scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul refers to the message of Jesus as a stumbling block and foolishness to the world. Jesus says in Luke 12:51-53 “⁵¹Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; ⁵²for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³"They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

2 Corinthians 6:14

¹⁴Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

¹⁵Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁶Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
¹⁷"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord.
"AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

What fellowship has light with darkness? We have been called to separate ourselves from the world. Now this does not mean that we should all practice pietism and retreat from the world, isolating ourselves. Mathew 5:10-16 portrays a perfect example of what Jesus expects of His followers.

¹⁰"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

¹²"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

¹⁵nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

¹⁶"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Being an ambassador of Christ means that we will be persecuted, but God tells us that we are to go out into the world anyway. The world will not like us, nor will they be accepting of the implications that the presence our faith brings, following us everywhere we go. Pay close attention to the words of John in chapter fifteen verses eighteen to twenty-one; "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master ' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. We should not feel comfortable in the world. Our lives should be a living reflection of Christ, showing that “now they have no excuse for sin.” Romans 12:2 says “do not be conformed to this world,” and Romans 12:9 tells us to “abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” We cannot be accepted by evil if we abhor it. Our churches cannot house Christians living in sin if we consistently spoke God’s truth. If, in your personal life, you find it easy to live your life in the world, then reevaluate it. Like I said before, I accuse the reader of the same things that I accuse myself, and personally, I am dismayed by how close I am with the world.

James 4:4

⁴You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Restoring Those Who Have Erred: By Spurgeon

SPURGEON’S COMMENTS ON JAMES 5:19-20

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

It was not merely that he fell into a mistake upon some lesser matter which might be compared to the fringe of the gospel, but he erred in some vital doctrine--he departed from the faith in its fundamentals. There are some truths which must be believed, they are essential to salvation, and if not heartily accepted the soul will be ruined. This man had been professedly orthodox, but he turned aside from the truth on an essential point.

Now, in those days the saints did not say: ‘We must be largely charitable, and leave this brother to his own opinion; he sees truth from a different standpoint, and has a rather different way of putting it, but his opinions are as good as our own, and we must not say that he is in error.’

That is at present the fashionable way of trifling with divine truth, and making things pleasant all round. Thus the gospel is debased and another gospel propagated.

I should like to ask modern broad churchmen whether there is any doctrine of any sort for which it would be worth a man’s while to burn or to lie in prison. I do not believe they could give me an answer, for if their latitudinarianism be correct, the martyrs were fools of the first magnitude.

From what I see of their writings and their teachings, it appears to me that the modern thinkers treat the whole compass of revealed truth with entire indifference; and, though perhaps they may feel sorry that wilder spirits should go too far in free-thinking, and though they had rather they would be more moderate, yet, upon the whole, so large is their liberality, that they are not sure enough of anything to be able to condemn the reverse of it as a deadly error.

To them black and white are terms which may be applied to the same colour, as you view it from different standpoints. Yea and nay are equally true in their esteem. Their theology shifts like the Goodwin Sands, and they regard all firmness as so much bigotry. Errors and truths are equally comprehensible within the circle of their charity.

It was not in this way that the apostles regarded error. They did not prescribe large-hearted charity towards falsehood, or hold up the errorist as a man of deep thought, whose views were ‘refreshingly original’; far less did they utter some wicked nonsense about the probability of their having more faith in honest doubt than in half the creeds.

They did not believe in justification by doubting, as our Neologians do; they set about the conversion of the erring brother; they treated him as a person who needed conversion: and viewed him as a man who, if he were not converted, would suffer the death of his soul, and be covered with a multitude of sins.

They were not such easy-going people as our cultured friends of the school of ‘modern thought,’ who have learned at last that the deity of Christ may be denied, the work of the Holy Spirit ignored, the inspiration of scripture rejected, the atonement disbelieved, and regeneration dispensed with, and yet the man who does all this may be as good a Christian as the most devout believer!

O God, deliver us from this deceitful infidelity, which while it does damage to the erring man, and often prevents his being reclaimed, does yet more mischief to our own hearts by teaching us that truth is unimportant, and falsehood a trifle, and so destroys our allegiance to the God of truth, and makes us traitors instead of loyal subjects to the King of kings (C.H. Spurgeon, “Restoring Those Who Have Erred,” Words of Counsel for Christian Workers, pp. 139-142).

The Bleeding Church: The Need for Accountability

I write this as a man who is completely humbled by my absolute failure to adhere to this extremely vital portion of God’s word.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

⁹I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;

¹⁰I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.

¹¹But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

¹²For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

¹³But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

(Italics mine, Capital letters written that way by Paul)

This is a very powerful and often overlooked passage of scripture. Paul clearly states here that Christians are to hold each other accountable, even disassociating themselves from people in the church that call themselves Christians, but fail to act like it. This is not a suggestion, if you believe II Timothy 3:16 (all scripture is God breathed) than it is a commandment, an important but rarely used tool that God gave us to preserve the integrity of His church, and to keep individuals from straying.

Let’s assume that the reader has a friend “mike” who goes to church, or professes to be a Christian, but decided to move in with his girlfriend. What are the implications?

Action speaks louder than words. You can tell Mike however you want what you think of his decision, but going to his house negates your words to a degree because your action condones his decision. If your Christian friend is sexually active, they should not feel comfortable in the company of other believers. God tells us not to associate with them because He wants us to confront them. We need to not only tell, but show Mike, through our actions, that His lifestyle is not ok. Also, it provides the person confronting Mike an opportunity to stand up for what they believe in.

This is a very difficult concept of scripture to apply. 1 John 4:7-8 states “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. H who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” We must understand that this principle is not about condemnation, but about love. Mark 9:47-48 says, “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.” God is worried about His people. He does not want to see people that He created burn themselves alive by falling into sin and hardening their hearts against Him. Mark 9:47 is not a parable or metaphor, God is literally saying “hey, save your soul at all costs.” It is written (in relation to sexual immorality) “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared?” Proverbs 6:27-28. In love, confront your brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus gives us the perfect blueprints on the best way to approach a Christian in sin.

Mathew 18:15-20

¹⁵"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

¹⁶"But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

¹⁷"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

¹⁸"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

¹⁹"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

²⁰"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

(I find it interesting how Jesus closes this monologue by telling about the immense power that is spawned by a few believers humbly approaching their God together.)

My brothers and sisters, the American church is so diluted. The young Christians in our congregation are sitting next to people in pews who have a blatant disregard for the things of Christ, and are in open rebellion against Him. If we cannot stand up for the things of our Lord in our own churches, then where shall we stand? At some point we must put our faith into action, and represent our Christ as the ambassadors that He asks us to be. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Galatians 6

¹Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

²Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

³For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

⁴But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

⁵For each one will bear his own load.

⁶The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

⁹Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

¹⁰So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

¹¹See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.

¹²Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

¹³For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

¹⁴But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

¹⁶And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.

¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Please- approach, confront, and pray for the members of our churches struggling with sexual immorality; in and through love.

What Does America Think of Christians?

I found this research very relevant and interesting. This is a study that the barna group compiled in 2007

A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity

As the nation’s culture changes in diverse ways, one of the most significant shifts is the declining reputation of Christianity, especially among young Americans. A new study by The Barna Group conducted among 16- to 29-year-olds shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago.

The study of Christianity’s slipping image is explored in a new book, entitled unChristian, by David Kinnaman, the president of The Barna Group. The study is a result of collaboration between Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project.

Rising Reactions

The study shows that 16- to 29-year-olds exhibit a greater degree of criticism toward Christianity than did previous generations when they were at the same stage of life. In fact, in just a decade, many of the Barna measures of the Christian image have shifted substantially downward, fueled in part by a growing sense of disengagement and disillusionment among young people. For instance, a decade ago the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society. Currently, however, just 16% of non-Christians in their late teens and twenties said they have a "good impression" of Christianity.

One of the groups hit hardest by the criticism is evangelicals. Such believers have always been viewed with skepticism in the broader culture. However, those negative views are crystallizing and intensifying among young non-Christians. The new study shows that only 3% of 16 - to 29-year-old non-Christians express favorable views of evangelicals. This means that today’s young non-Christians are eight times less likely to experience positive associations toward evangelicals than were non-Christians of the Boomer generation (25%).

The research shows that many Christians are innately aware of this shift in people’s perceptions of Christianity: 91% of the nation’s evangelicals believe that "Americans are becoming more hostile and negative toward Christianity." Among senior pastors, half contend that "ministry is more difficult than ever before because people are increasingly hostile and negative toward Christianity."

The Set of Perceptions

While Christianity has typically generated an uneven reputation, the research shows that many of the most common critiques are becoming more concentrated. The study explored twenty specific images related to Christianity, including ten favorable and ten unfavorable perceptions. Among young non-Christians, nine out of the top 12 perceptions were negative. Common negative perceptions include that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%) - representing large proportions of young outsiders who attach these negative labels to Christians. The most common favorable perceptions were that Christianity teaches the same basic ideas as other religions (82%), has good values and principles (76%), is friendly (71%), and is a faith they respect (55%).

Even among young Christians, many of the negative images generated significant traction. Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political. One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.

Interestingly, the study discovered a new image that has steadily grown in prominence over the last decade. Today, the most common perception is that present-day Christianity is "anti-homosexual." Overall, 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity. As the research probed this perception, non-Christians and Christians explained that beyond their recognition that Christians oppose homosexuality, they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians. One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a "bigger sin" than anything else. Moreover, they claim that the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.

The ‘UnChristian’ Label

When young people were asked to identify their impressions of Christianity, one of the common themes was "Christianity is changed from what it used to be" and "Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus." These comments were the most frequent unprompted images that young people called to mind, mentioned by one-quarter of both young non-Christians (23%) and born again Christians (22%).

Kinnaman explained, "That’s where the term 'unChristian' came from. Young people are very candid. In our interviews, we kept encountering young people - both those inside the church and outside of it - who said that something was broken in the present-day expression of Christianity. Their perceptions about Christianity were not always accurate, but what surprised me was not only the severity of their frustration with Christians, but also how frequently young born again Christians expressed some of the very same comments as young non-Christians."

Changing Allegiances

One reason that Christianity’s image is changing is due to the shifting faith allegiances of Americans. Simply put, each new generation has a larger share of people who are not Christians (that is, atheists, agnostics, people associated with another faith, or those who have essentially no faith orientation). The new book refers to this group as "outsiders" because they are describing what Christianity looks like from an outsider’s perspective. Among adults over the age of 40, only about one-quarter qualify as outsiders, while among the 16 to 29 segment, two-fifths are outsiders. This represents a significant migration away from the dominant role that Christianity has had in America.

As pointed out in the Barna Update related to atheists and agnostics, this is not a passing fad wherein young people will become "more Christian" as they grow up. While Christianity remains the typical experience and most common faith in America, a fundamental recalibration is occurring within the spiritual allegiance of America’s upcoming generations.

Yet, the research shows that millions of young outsiders have significant experience with Christians and Christian churches. The typical young outsider says they have five friends who are Christians; more than four out of five have attended a Christian church for a period of at least six months in the past; and half have previously considered becoming a Christian.

"Older generations more easily dismiss the criticism of those who are outsiders," Kinnaman said. "But we discovered that young leaders and young Christians are more aware of and concerned about the views of outsiders, because they are more likely to interact closely with such people. Their life is more deeply affected by the negative image of Christianity. For them, what Christianity looks like from an outsider’s perspective has greater relevance, because outsiders are more likely to be schoolmates, colleagues, and friends."

Responding to the Research

David Kinnaman, who is a 12-year-veteran of the Barna team, pointed out some of the unexpected findings of the research. "Going into this three-year project, I assumed that people’s perceptions were generally soft, based on misinformation, and would gradually morph into more traditional views. But then, as we probed why young people had come to such conclusions, I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches. When they labeled Christians as judgmental this was not merely spiritual defensiveness. It was frequently the result of truly ‘unChristian’ experiences. We discovered that the descriptions that young people offered of Christianity were more thoughtful, nuanced, and experiential than expected."

"Some Christians fear the changing reputation of Christianity and it certainly represents an uncomfortable future. Yet, rather than being defensive or dismissive, we should learn from critics, especially those young Christians who are expressing consternation about the state of faith in America. Jesus told us to expect hostility and negative reactions. That is certainly nothing new. But the issue is what we do with it. Is it a chance to defend yourself and demand your rights? Or is it an opportunity to show people grace and truth? Common ground is becoming more difficult to find between Christians and those outside the faith. When the Apostle Paul advises believers to 'live wisely among those who are not Christians' and to 'let your conversation be gracious and effective,' (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT) he could be writing no better advice to committed Christians in America."

The book also includes exclusive perspective from 30 Christian leaders, including Mark Batterson, Chuck Colson, Louie Giglio, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Kevin Palau, John Stott, and Rick Warren. Kinnaman described their contribution as an effort "to make sense of the complex and challenging project - both why the problems exist as well as what Christians ought to do in response to the information. We looked for the biblical space in order to respond to the sharpest criticism. Beyond simply reporting the problems that we discovered among a skeptical generation, my partner Gabe Lyons and I want the book to help Christians find a way forward, to read positive examples and find hope that their life can provide a clearer picture of Jesus to skeptical people around them."

For Your Reflection

New Gallop polls show that the divorce rate among self proclaimed born again Christians is higher than the divorce rate among atheists.

Among these born again Christians polled, the divorce rate was less than 1% for marriages that prayed together every single day.

This poll implies a whole lot. The importance of prayer, the extent that the church has been watered down... you interpret the math however you like.

Implications of Reflecting Christ

Newton wisely noted that every action has an opposite reaction. This theory goes beyond physics and is applicable to veins of thought and progressing philosophy as well. Philosophical actions, or altercations and advancements to popular thought are rebutted by opposing reactions. The presence of God is evident in all corners of the earth that He created, and man is forced to constantly tweak their justification of a life without God as His truth repeatedly shines through man’s attempt to wall Him up and silence Him.

Many times throughout philosophical history, man’s attempt to escape God was merely an effort to rid themselves of a corrupt religious establishment. Luke 17:1-2 states “¹He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.” It is a shame the way God has been misrepresented by man, acting upon greed in the name of a Holy God.

Foucault proposed that the idea of truth is a tool used by authorities to justify power. This notion was his response and critique of the church in his day. Thirteenth and fourteenth century monks questioned “how do we really know things” in response to their churches inability to face questioning and confrontation. This idea led to Erathmus claiming that man is the determining factor of truth.

Max Lucado once wrote, "Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian service, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating Him who we see. To see His majesty and to imitate Him, that is the sum of Christianity." Christ in us, the hope of glory is what believing in God is all about. Galatians 5:25 states “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” In 2 Corinthians 5:20, it is written “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” I think Christians need to take a hard look at history, and learn the implications of what they say and do as representatives of Jesus. When we bend His word to fit our needs, we pollute His image to the people around us. People need God, not our impression of God. Believers must work harder on reflecting Christ to the world around them.

Sorry Guys

Crazy couple of weeks for me. I am working on a new post now

The Essence of Christianity

"Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more then seeing Jesus. Christian service, in its purest form, is nothing more then imitating Him who we see. To see His majesty and to imitate Him, that is the sum of Christianity"

- Max Lucado