Ok…I can only imagine someone new walking into CLF the last two weeks and hearing these sermons. We have hit on some of the most challenging texts for the church. Dealing with our own sin; dealing with others’ sin; and then dealing with gossip/slander. These are sobering and serious texts and issues. But, as you’ve heard me say before, since these things are in the Bible, we can’t ignore them. God put them in the Bible for a reason, and He will give us the power to do what He’s asked us to do. But let’s pray that we don’t have to…these things are hard and painful. But they’re also the stuff of life in the church.
A few things from Sunday:
For me, when I realize that the glory of God is at stake and the beauty of the gospel is at stake, it heightens my awareness. Knowing that our relationships matter to God and that God has given us a plan to stay in unity for the sake of the gospel means that we should do everything we can, by His power, to obey Him.
I picked out two of the most common sins that create division in the church: gossip and slander. I could’ve done more, but those are sadly the most common sins. Scripture gives us clear guidance on handling such things, but it does take courage and God’s power to deal with something like this.
One of the issues I run into often as a pastor is that people will bring me issues they’re having with others, but they’re unwilling to confront the situation head-on. Often they’ll make some excuse like, “they won’t listen to me,” “I’m not a confronting person,” or “why should I even try.” My response usually is, “have you talked to the person yet?” I think it’s important to realize that God didn’t give us these commands, just to the Type-A personalities or to the seemingly strong…He gave them to all of us.
Maturity and Conflict:
When I was younger, I was looking for a conflict. I thought there were many mountains to die on, and I was eager to engage. Part of it was a misunderstanding of how God works in people’s lives, but most of it was my pride. I felt that if I could have the chance to speak to them, I could change their mind. I believed my opinions were so logical and correct that all it would take would be for me to explain it to them. Then if they disagreed, I would rattle off more information…and more information. Surely a good information bombing would help, right?
Through the years, I’ve learned a ton and grown a lot. Here are some of the things I learned through the years that helped me:
- The correct “information” doesn’t transform the heart or open the eyes. Only God can do that. He uses the correct information, but the right information on its own doesn’t do the job.
- God works at a much slower pace than I do (or that I like). And His timing is always perfect. He’s never late, but He’s always on time.
- My attitude, demeanor, posture, spirit, and general “air” make people more inclined to listen, hear and apply. If I get impatient, agitated, angry, or come off as self-righteous, forget it. At that moment, God is working more on me than He is through me.
- God’s word has the power, not my presentation. This is really where the ‘meat’ is at. Truth is truth, and God empowers truth. So, I firmly believe that sharing the truth, in a spirit of love for others, is where truth and power meet. But, that doesn’t always mean that the person will wind up agreeing with me or repenting of their sin. That will take God…see point above.
- Closed-handed issues are ones to die for and divide over, but I don’t have to get mad when someone disagrees with me over them. When I say closed-handed, I mean clear issues in the Bible. Virgin Birth, Jesus dying for our sins, Jesus living perfectly in our place…things like that. But a believer’s freedom to enjoy alcohol, wearing shorts at church, or what color the church chairs are…open-handed. In my younger years, I made open-handed issues, closed-handed issues. Through the years, I’ve learned that there are hills to die on, and there are hills not to die on. So, my stress level has gone down quite a bit…
This coming Sunday:
This coming Sunday, we will finish our series on Redemptive relationships by looking at John 17:20-26. We will look at bringing Jesus joy in our relationships. This will be a great culmination of this study. I can’t wait to look at this with you.
From the Cheap Seats:
- I’m not sure why people get upset at watching the Pro Bowl, wondering why the guys aren’t truly going for it. They’re there to put on a show, stay healthy, and stay healthy…nothing more. If I went through 18 weeks of 1000 car wrecks each Sunday, I’m not sure I would have much desire to do it on the last Sunday before the offseason. I’d be thinking…don’t get hurt, so I don’t need surgery so I can go on vacation.
- Maybe it’s just our family, but we don’t have much desire to watch the Olympics for some reason. Does anyone else out there like that? We used to. It was a nightly deal every time the Olympics were on. Not anymore. And I don’t really know why. Does anyone have a theory?
- Super Bowl week…I love the Super Bowl. And I especially like this one. There’s not a rival team. There’s an underdog. There’s a savvy veteran QB who’s never been on a winning team (Matthew Stafford), and it’s in a great stadium. So, I say,…let’s go!!!!
- I think the Liverpool signing of Luis Diaz was a very shrewd move. Liverpool doesn’t operate like the big clubs, even though they’re a big club. Not usual for them to make a splash. But this one is a good one. It’s going to be an exciting finish to the English Premier League.
Have a great week!
In Christ,
Dave York
