June 2, 2015
A few weeks back, Pastor Andy Stanley, whom I respect and enjoy listening to because of his 'relevant' approach to today's world issues, made a statement that drew quite a bit of attention, mostly negative from the more conservative leaning Christian community. ... His statement, in essence, implied that the Church should be considered the "safest place for 'gay' young people." ... My first reaction was essentially the same as the rest of the conservative opinions ... that it was just another young leader 'selling out.' ... But somehow, as the days passed, I couldn't shake this thing and since have come to a completely different thinking on it.
Oh Oh, you are saying! ... Brother Red is falling into the proverbial trap that so many others have ... but before you pass judgement on me, like I originally did concerning Pastor Andy, let me explain ....
As most 'thinking' Christians would do, we know we must turn to the Bible to get the real answer to any question or dilemma .. so .. that is exactly what I did. ... Here's a quick synopsis of what conclusion I've come to. ..... First Jesus teaches that we must follow Him and His teachings in order to be His true disciples. ... Knowing this then, what did He do when confronted with sin? ... Let me share three examples ...
*In Matthew 9, the Pharisees asked His disciples this question .. "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners?' " (vs. 11) ... "On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' " (vs. 12-13). ...
*In Matthew 18, Jesus warns against looking down on others in the teaching of 'the lost sheep' ... "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go back for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." (vs 12-14) ...
*In John, chapter 8, Jesus forgives an adulterous woman. .. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and according to Mosaic law,she was to be stoned to death. .. On being questioned about this, Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (vs 7) ... Vs 9-11 concludes with this ... "At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.' "
Hmmmmmmmmmm ... So unlike many of our church families today! .... In fact, it would seem that the 'common sense' church has all but disappeared from the American Christian landscape. .. It seems we have either gone off the deep end and have accepted the fact that ALL sin is just fine and there is no such thing as Hell or consequences for a biblically-defined sinful lifestyle ... or ... we have become so inward and judgmental of anything and everything that we have shut out that lost sheep that so desperately needs to be reached! ....
In keeping it simple, let's go back to the third example for just a moment ... What was the closing statement Jesus made? ... "Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." .... So what happened here? ... No, He did NOT approve of her sin but He did show her love and an example of what love is! ... He saved her life and showed compassion for her! .. Should it be any different for our modern-day sinners? ... No, we cannot and should not accept sinful lifestyles as OK, but by the same token, we can't just push them all away without showing them that we DO care and that we also love them. ... What chance do they have if we don't show them the true nature of Jesus? ...
I have no idea what Pastor Andy Stanley's position is concerning the issue of homosexuality, but I DO applaud him for saying that the Church needs to show love to the sinners of the world, homosexuals being just one of the categories. ...
OK .. I'm done. ... Just give it some thought and prayer. ... Does your fellowship show love to those who are lost? ... Do they actually reach out to the fallen? ... If not, that fellowship is NOT following the example shown to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ... Just sayin' ...
Until next time,
Red
