They Like Jesus but Not the Church

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Use/Lead/The+Like+Jesus+promo+and+sermon.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan

Vince mentioned in the class last week that I had sent him some interesting on-line resources for our discussions on "They Like Jesus, But Not the Church".

Next week's discussion will pick up the discussion on the topic of "Is the Negative, Judgemental, and Political"?

From class we learned that there are 5 common perceptions outlined in the book about Christianity and the Church - the church is judgmental, negative, and politically motivated; the church is homophobic; the church is male dominated and oppresses women; Christians arrogantly think they’re right and all other religions are wrong; Christians are fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally.

Here are some points from the author's on-line sermon

1. Should Christians Point Out the Sin of Others and Make Judgments?

This statement of Jesus occurs in his Sermon on the Mount in which he takes to task the hypocritical religious leaders of his day (see, for example, Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). These men judged others with a critical heart and condescending spirit, based on their own opinions and wrong motivations. Jesus tells his hearers—and us—that judging someone like this without caring for the person is wrong. Judging someone by human standards (outward appearances) and opinions instead of by the Scriptures is wrong. Only God truly knows what’s in someone’s heart. Jesus says that our hearts should be broken and filled with humility whenever making any judgment on another, because we are all guilty of something.
However, Scripture notes many examples of calling out sin in other Christians. In 1 Corinthians 5:4–5, for example, we see the apostle Paul taking a public stand on the issue of immorality within the Corinthian church. In Galatians 2:11, we see him correcting Peter personally about a certain teaching. And he instructs Timothy to take a stand against false teaching in the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3–7). The apostle John also makes a similar warning (2 John 8–11).
But we have biblical guidelines for this type of “judging.” Jesus himself instructed believers about correcting other believers when they are in intentional sin (Matthew 18:15–17). Galatians 6:1–5 offers additional guidance on confronting sin, with the goal of restoring the person. The Scriptures teach that church leaders should be open to correction (1 Timothy 5:19–20) and that friends should sharpen one another with corrective criticism (Proverbs 27:6, 17).
Bottom line, Jesus taught that we should not rush to judge others without knowing their hearts, nor should we judge with an arrogant or condemning spirit. Jesus did not say to ignore sin (“anything goes”), but he (and other writers of Scripture) gave instruction on how to lovingly confront it. How we do it makes all the difference.

2. Correct Approaches of Approaching Another Christian Who May Be in Sin
• Matthew 18:15–17—Correct ways for one Christian to correct another Christian = the motive is love and restoration. One-on-one to another believer or two before taking the situation to the church community.
• Galatians 6:1–2—Correct ways of restoring another Christian when they sin = the motive is love and restoration

3. Should Christians Point Out the Sins in Other People Outside the Church?
The apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church that there is a difference between judging Christians and judging those outside the church. Read 1 Corinthians 5:12–13. Who does it say should judge those outside the church? Who does it say should judge those inside the church? What is the difference between the two?
Very clearly here the Scriptures say we have no right to judge those outside the church. Too often Christians spend time judging these people and their actions, when the Scriptures teach that right belongs to God alone. We often unrealistically expect non-Christians to act and be like Christians, then judge them if they don’t live up to our personal expectations. It’s only to be expected that non-Christians, without the instruction of Scripture or the guidance of the Holy Spirit, have some unique values and act differently than we do.
Some brief words about “organized religion” and “politically motivated”
• Being organized is not a bad thing. Our bodies are organized, our families have organized responsibilities to care for each other. Helping the poor and marginalized needs organized effort. So being organized as a faith is not a bad thing. But it can become negative if it becomes a stranglehold and the organization crushes life and relationships and creates an unhealthy hierarchy.
• Politicians have used Christians and their hot buttons to sway votes. So it is understandable why people can assume there are political agendas in churches and among Christians. But Jesus was not Republican or Democratic. So we must separate the subtle trap of seeing Christianity as a political party.