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.

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.