I have to admit, I am a little concerned with this new trend going around in the Christian book community. Some of the hot new books being sold are calling us to remember God as a righteous judge. They claim that the church has focused too much on God's love, but ignored his justice. And there is some superiority around these "real" Christians, that have read the books, and know God's full character.
While I agree that Health and Wealth sermons are not biblical. I agree that Jesus does not call us to a life of comfort. I agree that Jesus calls us to surrender everything to Him. I do not agree with diminishing the importance of love in God's character just to prove a point.
Believe me. I get it. It is easy to attack the mega churches out there. They are a mile wide and an inch deep. They are doing it all wrong. Where's the growth? These are all valid points.
But at least they are doing something. No church is perfect. I've been in both scenarios, the mega church, seeker friendly, looking for people who don't know about God. And I've been to small churches, with spiritual people, moved by the Holy Spirit, and focused on growing deeper in the Word. If you are waiting for me to jump on one, I'm not going to.
Both are great. But neither are perfect.
They both serve a unique purpose. Both types of church provide something to people in different stages of their walk with God.
It is also popular for well intentioned ministers and deep thinkers to attack those in the church who provide a "salvation prayer." A "magical prayer" that gets people in to heaven.
Yes! We all agree that trusting Christ is more than a prayer. It is surrendering your life. But isn't praying to God, and telling him that you are putting your faith in him, part of the whole believe in your heart, confess with your mouth passage in the Bible? At least a prayer is a start. It may not be the perfect tiny package of Christianity all in one small prayer, but it is leading people down a road to Christ.
I don't want to come across as favoring one side or the other. Nothing makes me angrier than watching a pastor of a huge church on TV preach and seemingly shrink away from mentioning the existence of sin or sacrifice. And I get mad when I see small churches that haven't grown for years, sitting in their pews, tithing, but not getting their hands dirty, doing the work of God in the world.
I'm sorry if this angered you. But in some ways, I hope it got you thinking. There is no one right way to do church. Quit thinking your way is superior. You do church your way because that is how you feel comfortable, or that is how God called you to do it. That is great! But that doesn't mean it is the way everyone is supposed to do church. Christ is for everyone. But there are different churches for different people.
Let's try and find the middle road between the Health and Wealth Gospel, and Hell Fire and Brimstone Preaching.
God is love. God is righteous. But let's not diminish one to exalt the other.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Its really none of my business.
Do you ever watch an old scary movie? One you have seen before. You watch the character push open the old creaky door, walk down the dark hallway. Tip toe across the floor... and BAM! The killer jumps out.
The whole time you're watching this happen you are screaming at the TV "Don't go down there! What are you doing? The killer is around the corner!"
But the person in the TV can't hear your warning. Sometimes people in our lives are doing the same thing, walking down a dangerous path, but we decide to stay quiet.
A few weeks ago, I was at church and Andy Stanley preached about judging people. The first week of the series he talked to Christians and talked about how it was wrong to judge people outside the church because they didn't agree to the same code of laws that we did. We are supposed to love on those people. I talked about something similar a few weeks ago in "Sinners Like Us."
Anyways, the next lesson was on judging people close to us. Are we supposed to judge anyone? How do we approach people? He then brought up the point that when we see someone doing something wrong and it elicits a response from us, check our motives, figure out what's in us that is causing us to react to someone else's behavior that way.
Finally, he talked about judging people we are close to. If someone we love is going down the wrong path and making a stupid choice, and we know it is a dumb choice, and we are confident that we are upset for the right reasons, it is our job to step in.
Basically, many of us stand behind the statement, "I don't want to judge." Or "I'll just stay out of that, they didn't ask me for my opinion." I'll just "love" on that person and let them go their own way. THAT'S NOT LOVE!
Sometimes love isn't easy, it is not always the warm and fuzzy support, just encouraging people and let them go along as they please. Sometimes love calls us to get involved with people, help them, and step in when they are doing something stupid.
It is a lot easier for us to just stand back when we see a friend making a poor life choice, ruining a relationship, pushing away a family member, than to step in and get messy in their life.
"If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back." -Matthew 18:15 NLT
Did you catch that first part? Some translations don't include "against you." If another believer sins, we are supposed to confront them.
Believe me, no one likes confrontation, I regularly avoid it at all cost. I don't like drama, I don't like to rock the boat, I like to be liked. The truth is, that is not always the Godly thing to do.
There are times when a fellow believer, someone we know and love, someone we are close to, is making a mistake, and we have two choices, step in, or watch it happen and say "I don't want to judge, I'm not here to make their decisions."
We have to step in. I know its not a warm and fuzzy lesson, "Just love people." Yes, just love people, but sometimes loving people means we confront those we love when they are making a stupid mistake.
This is weighing on my heart because I know this happens in my life all the time. I see someone doing something stupid, going down a path I've been down. I remember how much it hurt me and how I wished someone would have stopped me, but I don't do anything and say to myself, "It's none of my business."
It is my business. If it is someone I love and they are making a huge mistake, if I don't step in, who will?
As followers of Christ, we need to help each other, help other believers, help our family, don't judge those outside your circle of relationship, outside your influence. Don't run up to people on the street doing drugs and yell at them, that is not what Jesus is saying.
But those people in your circle of friends. Those people close to you, that you truly love, that you respect, that you don't want to make the same mistake you did, that is who you step in and deal with.
If one of your closest friends is destroying his family, talk to him!
If someone in your family is making a terrible decision, get messy, get in their lives, try to stop them!
Stop letting people ruin their lives around you while you just "stick to your own business."
You have a responsibility to help the ones you love, its not always easy, but if you don't help them, who will?
The whole time you're watching this happen you are screaming at the TV "Don't go down there! What are you doing? The killer is around the corner!"
But the person in the TV can't hear your warning. Sometimes people in our lives are doing the same thing, walking down a dangerous path, but we decide to stay quiet.
A few weeks ago, I was at church and Andy Stanley preached about judging people. The first week of the series he talked to Christians and talked about how it was wrong to judge people outside the church because they didn't agree to the same code of laws that we did. We are supposed to love on those people. I talked about something similar a few weeks ago in "Sinners Like Us."
Anyways, the next lesson was on judging people close to us. Are we supposed to judge anyone? How do we approach people? He then brought up the point that when we see someone doing something wrong and it elicits a response from us, check our motives, figure out what's in us that is causing us to react to someone else's behavior that way.
Finally, he talked about judging people we are close to. If someone we love is going down the wrong path and making a stupid choice, and we know it is a dumb choice, and we are confident that we are upset for the right reasons, it is our job to step in.
Basically, many of us stand behind the statement, "I don't want to judge." Or "I'll just stay out of that, they didn't ask me for my opinion." I'll just "love" on that person and let them go their own way. THAT'S NOT LOVE!
Sometimes love isn't easy, it is not always the warm and fuzzy support, just encouraging people and let them go along as they please. Sometimes love calls us to get involved with people, help them, and step in when they are doing something stupid.
It is a lot easier for us to just stand back when we see a friend making a poor life choice, ruining a relationship, pushing away a family member, than to step in and get messy in their life.
"If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back." -Matthew 18:15 NLT
Did you catch that first part? Some translations don't include "against you." If another believer sins, we are supposed to confront them.
Believe me, no one likes confrontation, I regularly avoid it at all cost. I don't like drama, I don't like to rock the boat, I like to be liked. The truth is, that is not always the Godly thing to do.
There are times when a fellow believer, someone we know and love, someone we are close to, is making a mistake, and we have two choices, step in, or watch it happen and say "I don't want to judge, I'm not here to make their decisions."
We have to step in. I know its not a warm and fuzzy lesson, "Just love people." Yes, just love people, but sometimes loving people means we confront those we love when they are making a stupid mistake.
This is weighing on my heart because I know this happens in my life all the time. I see someone doing something stupid, going down a path I've been down. I remember how much it hurt me and how I wished someone would have stopped me, but I don't do anything and say to myself, "It's none of my business."
It is my business. If it is someone I love and they are making a huge mistake, if I don't step in, who will?
As followers of Christ, we need to help each other, help other believers, help our family, don't judge those outside your circle of relationship, outside your influence. Don't run up to people on the street doing drugs and yell at them, that is not what Jesus is saying.
But those people in your circle of friends. Those people close to you, that you truly love, that you respect, that you don't want to make the same mistake you did, that is who you step in and deal with.
If one of your closest friends is destroying his family, talk to him!
If someone in your family is making a terrible decision, get messy, get in their lives, try to stop them!
Stop letting people ruin their lives around you while you just "stick to your own business."
You have a responsibility to help the ones you love, its not always easy, but if you don't help them, who will?
Love
I think Christianity gets over complicated very often. People need things to talk about and they focus on rules and religion, while missing the simple truth.
I was reading 1 John, and the thought that comes through over and over is to love one another.
That's it.
Just how all sin comes from pride, all righteousness comes from love.
I'm not saying loving one another is always easy, but it is what we must do.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness." - 1 John 2:11
With that scripture, I challenge you to love those around you, and I also challenge you to forgive.
It's not hard to love people, it's hard to forgive people that hurt you. Those are the people that are hard to love.
God says to let those grudges go.
Forgive those people of what they did to you.
Holding on to grudges and fantasies of revenge only strengthens that person's hold on you and your life. It only makes the hurt worse, and pulls you both farther away.
The scriptures say to put away your hate, to forgive one another, and love one another.
If you continue to hate, you're still walking in darkness.
If you have someone in your life that you need to forgive, that you need to love, I pray that you have the courage to walk in the light and start loving that person.
I was reading 1 John, and the thought that comes through over and over is to love one another.
That's it.
Just how all sin comes from pride, all righteousness comes from love.
I'm not saying loving one another is always easy, but it is what we must do.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness." - 1 John 2:11
With that scripture, I challenge you to love those around you, and I also challenge you to forgive.
It's not hard to love people, it's hard to forgive people that hurt you. Those are the people that are hard to love.
God says to let those grudges go.
Forgive those people of what they did to you.
Holding on to grudges and fantasies of revenge only strengthens that person's hold on you and your life. It only makes the hurt worse, and pulls you both farther away.
The scriptures say to put away your hate, to forgive one another, and love one another.
If you continue to hate, you're still walking in darkness.
If you have someone in your life that you need to forgive, that you need to love, I pray that you have the courage to walk in the light and start loving that person.
