Believers Leave His Message

Believers Continue to Leave His Message

We are to be witnesses for Christ and exhibit Biblical morality. We were never commissioned to preach Biblical morality to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. It is not only useless, and not only unbiblical, but it contains an element of self righteousness. And much of this moral melee cannot be considered a display of Christian humility. The Christian community not only is as aggressive as the unbeliever community, but they tend to pat each other on the back. It is a human construct that misrepresents the life and mission of Jesus Christ.

Now pay close attention. It isn't just the liberal theologians and the Rob Bells and the Joel Osteens who have left His message. To be sure they are heretics at best and unregenerate at worst. Only God can know that. And we must all be on guard when such alluring false teachers are on the prowl. I do not minimize the depth of their errors or the dangers they pose. But we also cannot feel satisfied with inspecting others. We must submit ourselves to our Lord's correction as well.

If you honestly look at the moral wrongs addressed by Jesus it was overwhelmingly in the arena of pride, judgment, humility, and love, or what the Scriptures call fruits of the Spirit and when rejected they become sins of the spirit. Our Lord’s admonitions concerning morality center around areas that do not lend themselves to public protests. Even when a woman was caught in the act of adultery, Jesus addressed the shortcomings of her accusers and refused to condemn her. Do not just gloss over that. She had broken one of the Ten Commandments, and yet Jesus did not condemn her. Moses’ Law said she was to be stoned! You who tout the Law of Moses or the Ten Commandments, Jesus broke them right here.

Do not just read the words. Think about the implications of that. Of course adultery is wrong and Jesus knew it. But He refused to condemn this woman and she never uttered a word of repentance. And yet today we have people who say they follow Jesus but in whose hands are the same stones held by this woman’s accusers. How can you claim to follow Jesus and yet be on the stone thrower’s side? You cannot.

Let us just take Christ’s most famous sermon as see what kind of morals He addresses.

Poor in spirit (humility)\

Mercy

Pure in heart

Peacemakers

Humble in persecution

Salt and light

Obedient

No inward anger

No adultery of the mind or heart

Righteous speech

Give even when robbed

Bless your enemies

Do not parade your good deeds

Pray (including a blanket forgiveness)

Do not save up money for yourselves

Do not worry

Do not condemn others

Obedience to God’s Word

These are the major points that create the overwhelming focus of the teachings of Jesus. Love and mercy, forgiveness and humility, and self denial were the cornerstones of His ministry, with redemption found in Him being the Chief Cornerstone. But somehow along the way we have changed the entire focus and created a faith that acknowledges Christ as Savior and Lord, but then leaves His teachings and practices and constructs a faith which is combative, moralistic, and filled with self righteousness, You can be hateful, but if you are pro-life you are a good disciple. You can scarcely pray, but if you are pro-traditional marriage you are a good disciple. You can be profoundly hedonistic, but if you are conservative you are a good disciple. And if you are a patriotic American who idolizes the founding fathers, well, you are almost an apostle.

And those who espouse things that are against those things are targeted as enemies. Morals are now the battlefield and the weapons are of this world. It is most revealing that Christ used nothing of the sort. And in His earthly ministry He did not seek out adulterers and homosexuals or other sinners who had immoral lives. In fact many sinners of questionable morals were drawn to Him. Why? Because He loved them and demonstrated that love to them. Jesus seemed to reserve His most powerful admonitions to the religious hierarchy.

But now the church views the immoral people around us as invading our wonderful culture, or changing the country God loves, or people who somehow fall below the redemptive radar. And if we uncover our attitudes and motives we will find a repulsive underbelly that has at its center - us. Our moral crusades do not represent Jesus; they represent us. By God’s amazing grace He changed our hearts and minds, and now we use those changes to castigate those who are at this time outside the grace of God. What was given to us we use to attack others.

But Jesus was accused of being a friend to sinners and keeping company with those who the Temple considered unclean. And what was Jesus’ response?

Lk.5: 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And therein lies the core of His ministry. And how did Jesus go about leading sinners to repentance (change of mind)?

Rom.2: 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Notice that the attributes of goodness and forbearance and longsuffering are mentioned in connection with repentance. You see, the church has changed the entire fabric of Christ and His ministry. We now believe that castigation and boycotts are God’s way toward sinners. But if we are completely honest, we really do not believe that these things will change a sinner’s heart. They just soothe our consciences and make us feel like warriors for truth, when in fact we are practicing things which are not God’s truth. And if by chance the country passes an amendment that legalizes only a tradtional marriage, then the church will feel oh so proud and happy, even though sinners will still be lost. What a debacle!

And in our attempt to stand for God’s truth, we have significantly drifted off the gospel message we have been commissioned to spread. And when legislation and political weight and marketplace leverage become the church’s means of attack, then there is no gospel at all. You see, the gospel is for sinners. And when you see lost and blind sinners shouting out error and practicing sin in all its forms, they are those to whom Christ has sent us. It is a deception to weigh sinners and how we approach them by how we view their particular sins.

For instance, if your sister, who is a believer, calls you in tears and informs you that her 20 year old son says he is gay, you comfort her. And you will pray for her and her son, and if you are given the chance you will speak with your nephew. But you do not go and organize a protest outside your sister’s home. And if your nephew works at UPS you do not organize a boycott. Please remember many of those in the gay community have parents who are heartbroken. Some are believers and pray for them diligently. But most of them still love their sons and daughters dearly. And most of all Jesus loves them dearly.

And some in the gay lifestyle were abused, and others were raised in heathen environments. The point is that they need Jesus and we must show them unconditional love and compassion while we are used of the Spirit to minister Christ to them. But the gay issue is just one of many that the church continues to have all wrong. It isn’t enough to have all your sins correctly defined and categorized. In fact, a focus on the sins of others almost always leads to self righteousness and a heart filled with condemnation. Condemnation hardly ever leads to redemption. Only the love of Jesus, expressed through attitudes and deeds, and shared through the everlasting gospel can lead to redemption. And when Christ was only moments away from ascending into heaven, His last commands were:

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Missing are the commands to sanitize the culture and to give back to sinners just like they give to you. When sinners attempt to force their agenda upon you, then you must force yours on them. That is the way of Jesus? What is a witness for Jesus? Is it boycotts? Is it voting blocks? Is it petitions? Is it verbal assaults? Is it patriotic rallies? Just what is a witness for Jesus?

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Now there is a verse not found in many sermon series's. The Lord of the Universe has prepared a great feast. Many of the invited guests made excuses. But the Lord has commissioned us to go into the highways and hedges and unto the uttermost parts of the earth and compel them to come in. There is only one answer and one hope for those who dwell in darkness.

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Jesus did not come to sanctify all the different, fallen cultures. He diod not come to set up any one country as His headquarters Jesus is not interested in winning moral and cultural battles. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. He will come one day and make all things right, and He Himself will rule without any democratic principles. That day will surely come. But until that day arrives, we must deny ourselves, humble ourselves, and spend our lives lifting up Jesus in thought, word, and deed. That is our calling, that is our mission, that is the church, that is Christ’s body. Let’s not just lazily drift back to His message. Let us run back to the only message that can save.