Giving, Lying, and Dying

I’ve been in church all my life. Literally. I’ve heard many sermons on giving. Too many! I remember when my best friend’s family stopped going to church when I was in middle school. When I asked him why, he said “The last Sunday we went, my dad said, ‘If that pastor talks about giving again, it’ll be the last time we go.’ He did.” 

You may have grown up in a church that pressured or guilted people to give. Or perhaps one that equated giving with being spiritual or promised blessings in return from God. Maybe they passed the plate or had everyone come forward to give publicly. I know some of you who have seen pastors give special preference or access to people because they had money. That's sad. I wonder what they do with James 2?! 

Money has become a big deal in American churches because money is the American Idol. It seems that we’re more about money than the Holy Spirit...or disciple-making...or helping others. In the 1200s, Thomas Aquinas and Pope Innocent II, walked through the beautiful streets of the Vatican to the opulent study of the Pope where a large sum of money was spread out. The Pope boasted, “You see, the Church no longer has to say, as Peter did, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” Aquinas replied, “True, but neither can she say to the lame, ‘Rise up and walk.’” Certainly that would apply to the church in America. We are the wealthiest nation in the world and big, beautiful churches are on every other corner it seems. With all the focus on wealth, giving, buildings, conferences, and highly paid pastors (some with multiple homes and private jets), it also seems the American church is powerless. Our priorities seem wrong. And the focus on money just feels icky to me. Idolatrous, even.

There was a time in church history when money was something to be shared freely with those who had needs. It was at the very beginning. But it didn’t take long for that to be corrupted. Of course the Bible says “Money is the root of all of evil.” Right? Actually it doesn't. Because money in and of itself is not evil. Actually here’s what it says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1Tim. 6:10). Unfortunately, I have witnessed this! It’s a very real danger, and this “love” can affect both rich and poor. What’s amazing, however, is when love of God and others eclipses our natural tendency to love money. It’s miraculous, really, especially here in the US! And it’s a freedom! Money CAN be a tool. A tool for loving God and others. A means to a much better end. See, it takes money to do ministry and missions. It always has—and it did in Acts.

We’ve been reading about the amazing first days and weeks of the church. After Jesus went up into heaven, the Holy Spirit came down to live in Jesus’ followers, giving them power (we who have received Christ have the Holy Spirit who lives in us, too!). We’ve seen the amazing life and growth of Christ’s church—which is simply the “called out” community forgiven sinners who have been made righteous through belief in Christ. Something happens when you are saved. God is your Father. That means other saved people are now your brothers and sisters, and you share a love that transcends all other human designations. That sense of family results in giving!  Look at Acts 4: 

³²Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.  

As we’ve seen before, this isn’t communism or socialism—there’s no gov’t forcing people to give up their money—no mandated redistribution. No, you see, something happens when we surrender to God: we recognize that he owns everything. We find our greatest joy in bringing him glory. We want to be used by him. It’s not my stuff anymore, it’s his. So when I see a need and the Holy Spirit urges me to give toward that need, it’s my joy to do so. Extrapolate that to a whole community of surrendered, transformed people, and it’s remarkable what happens!

³³And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 

This is what happens when a large group of people are regenerated. Notice several things: 1.) Poverty is eradicated. Why? Because Holy Spirit-filled people offer loving hands up to those who are down and offer instruction in wisdom and accountability.  2.) Those who have been blessed with extra give with joy. They realize they can’t take it with them, and others’ good becomes more important than selfish gain. 3.) There was trust in the leadership. The phrase, “laid it at the apostles’ feet,” is an idiom that simply means they humbly gave up control to the leaders whom they trusted would be good stewards. Notice the leaders were a plurality. Notice the leaders distributed it according to need. These are all good things. 

Next, Luke shows us two examples of people who gave. The first is a good example. The second...not so good. I think this is going to really help us (21^st century Americans) as we grow in this whole understanding of spiritual growth and generosity.  

³⁶Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. 

Several observations here: Luke wants us to see some things about Joseph. He has a nickname: Barnabas. He was one of those guys who was always positive and encouraging. Have you ever known anyone like that? I have. Barnabas was a Levite. That’s the priestly tribe, which means he was born to be a priest. It doesn’t take much imagination to compare him to a preacher’s kid today. An interesting thing about Levites, according to the Old Testament they weren’t supposed to own property! But Barnabas apparently did. Hmm. Could it be that he was the rebellious priest’s kid who lived in Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean, who had perhaps fled his duty in order to seek wealth? And is it possible that meeting Jesus was the turning point—when he saw the vanity of pursuing worldly gain and the glory of being on mission with Jesus? I think it’s plausible! 

That’s the good example. 

But the LOVE of money is A root of all KINDS of evil, isn’t it? And we’re going to see that in the next example. And with it we will witness the death of feel-good Christianity, and the end of innocence in this Jesus-movement we call the church.

Acts 5: ¹But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ²and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet [as if he was bringing the whole amount—as we will see]. ³But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 

It’s obvious here that Ananias was dishonest about his gift. He had heard about guys like Barnabas and wanted to be seen as spiritual (and wealthy)! He went to some lengths to raise his reputation in this popular new movement. For the sake of illustration, let's say he sold the property for $50k and pretended to only have sold it for $20k, keeping $30k for himself! Peter said he didn’t have to sell it in the first place, and when he did he could have kept the money! See, it was the hypocrisy that angered God, just as it greatly angered Jesus (see Luke 11:37–54, 20:45-47, Matthew 23:1–39, and Mark 12:35–40). And God made an example of him.

⁵When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. [Whoa!] And great fear came upon all who heard of it. [I bet!] ⁶The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 

What if that happened today?! What if every time a church-goer pretended to be spiritual they fell down dead? It might wipe some churches out! Meanwhile, Sapphira, has been at the mall spending some of that $30k.

⁷After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” ⁹But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” ¹⁰Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 

What we have here is the first-ever scandal in the church! It’s really disappointing isn’t it? Scandal always is. I’ve been watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. It is such a disappointment to see the politicization and corruption of the senate judiciary committee and the media covering it. The whole thing has been a travesty. It makes me lose faith in our government. The effect is the same when scandal and corruption happen in the church. That's why God makes an example of these dishonest actors and first hypocrites in the church.  

¹¹And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. I bet! 

What’s the big take away? 

If you don’t sell your property and give it ALL to the church, you’ll die. 

No.

Let me put it more accurately like this: 

If you love your image or your money more than God 

you will spend eternity in hell.  

It’s true. Jesus taught this. A lot. Like in Mark 8:36 when he said, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"

So what?

1. Respond well to scandal. 

People are thrown by scandal, and that’s exactly why Satan loves it so much. Don’t let scandal cause you to lose faith in the church. There are churches in town that have been rocked by scandal, and I pray that God will preserve us from it. 
But I’m not naïve. We, too, are susceptible. Because we human beings are sinful. Sometimes God allows scandal to purify his church. I pray that’s what’s happening in the Catholic church, and that God will reform the culture of abuse—perhaps even show them the root problem: adding to the Bible things like requiring priests to be celibate and elevating clergy authority. Prov. 30:6 “Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” But we protestants can’t cast stones. We have our share of scandals. Acts is proof that scandal will come—the big question is how we handle it? How about we do it like Peter: with truth and humility. He simply and publicly told the truth. There was no cover-up. Then humility gripped everyone as “great fear came upon the whole church.” Fear can be good! God sometimes makes examples of people and I don’t want to be one. I want to be wise and learn from the lessons of others with fear in my heart!

2. See money as a tool with which to worship and serve God.

Money is to be a means to and end, not an end in itself. Some people think God is a means to money. No. That just indicates that money is your God! But God sees money as a means —a tool to worship and serve God. You know what’s crazy? That’s actually how you can find real blessing! I’m not talking about more money (although that happens too, sometimes). I’m talking about satisfaction money can’t buy. I’m talking about real joy! But when you worship money and possessions, you find emptiness. Money is a terrible god. It will destroy your family, your friendships, and your heart...before sending you to hell. I’ve seen it! Some of you have some money. Do you think God gave it to you for you to enrich yourself? Or so that you can be a part of his mission? You will find joy when you see (and experience) the latter! Specifically? Once you find a church led by a plurality of honest and godly leaders, release control of that money to be used for ministry and missions. “But," you might be thinking, "I won’t get credit for helping people myself, through my own goodness.” Yep. And that gives God credit. And that's the point. 

And by the way, God doesn’t want your money. He wants what it represents. He wants you. 

3. Have a sincere, unpretentious, honest faith. 

I regret that I have to say this, but that doesn’t excuse unchristlike behavior. I’ve heard people say, “I’m just going to be real” and then take license to cuss, or to be crude, or justify gossip, or a certain view on sex. Not cool. It's not what Christ wants. Absolutely not. What this does mean is being transparent. When you mess up, own it. When a blind spot is revealed to you, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and help you overcome. When you commit sin, repent. When you struggle with discouragement, tell someone. More importantly, tell God. In the south we fear sincerity because we don’t really want to change what’s wrong about our lives. We want to pretend it doesn’t exist. In our social media culture we present this image of perfection because we worship ourselves, not God, who alone is perfect. Aren’t you tired of playing games? I’ve got news…you can’t play games with God. So why try? Don’t you appreciate it when someone confesses sin and shows honesty about their mistakes? Why don’t you do this—whether others appreciate it or not. 

Know that God does. And he’s the one who really matters.

What Jesus Hates Most

As I write, it just became 2017. It's New Year’s Day. Besides bowl games and hangovers, the most common ritual of this holiday is “making resolutions.”  A resolution is basically a vow to change in a specific way. Usually people resolve to stop or start doing something. Stop eating junk food. Stop drinking alcohol. Start working out. Start managing money better. Start having a daily quiet time. It’s a good custom! New starts—whether a new semester in school, moving to a new city, a new relationship, or a New Year—are all opportunities for us to consider the direction and/or habits of our lives and chart a course ahead. It’s good to evaluate and improve. I hope you’ll make meaningful resolutions! 

Question: have you kept the ones you made in previous years? I confess, some I haven’t, but many I have. The most successful are those I privately asked God to help me with and dedicated myself to him. The biggest failures are those I made for the wrong reasons—lose weight to impress people or rashly announce that I would run a marathon or something. Here’s what not to do: follow the crowd, seek others’ approval, do something for attention, or try to make yourself enviable in the eyes of others. It’s what is SO tempting in this Facebook/Twitter/Instagram era. But even before social media, it’s always been tempting to compare ourselves with others and seek to “one up” everyone else. What’s Jesus think about that? That’s what we see today. 

Jesus is headed to Jerusalem where he knows he’ll die, so he’s taken the gloves off. If your idea of Jesus is a soft, unoffensive, politically correct, nice guy, you’re in for a surprise. Luke 11: ³⁷While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. ³⁸The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Ew, Jesus forgot to wash. Just an accident? “Oh, my bad, I guess I should, after hanging around crowds and shaking hands and such.” No, first, this isn’t washing for hygiene but is the Greek word, baptizein = “to dip or immerse” a ceremonial washing Pharisees practiced (as they did everything) to SHOW that they were serious about following all aspects of OT law—and more. Second, he didn’t forget. He deliberately didn’t do this hand-dip ceremony in order to pick a fight and make a point. Look: ³⁹And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. Whoa! There’s some nice dinner conversation! I’m sure THAT wasn’t awkward! What Jesus is saying here is this: Be sincere. Follow God from the heart. He sees the inside and the outside. If you just care about the outside—what people see—you are a fool, a hypocrite. What you should be most concerned about is the inside: your true self. That’s what really matters. Give God your motives—your heart—and your deeds will follow. If you’re clean on the inside, you’ll end up clean on the outside. 

Painting by Tintoretto, an Italian painter and a notable exponent
of the Renaissance.

We do this, don’t we? We care about what others see. Church can be a notorious place for this! Especially in the South! One of the things that disgusted me about some churches I’ve been in is the discrepancy between the way people act, talk, and look on Sunday mornings and the way they live the rest of the week! Another problem is that churches tend to want to “clean up” the outsides of people new to the faith. Yes, new believers are messy. They may say a cussword accidentally. They may not know what to wear (or NOT wear). I’ve been in churches that had unwritten codes of behavior. That’s one reason why we try to focus on the inside. Being real. Because Jesus hates hypocrisy. Are we perfect? No. I can speak for myself—I am far from it. Truth is, it’s a temptation for me to present a front that hides the truth. There are 7 things Jesus hates about hypocrisy that we see in Luke 11:37-12:3.  

1. Hypocrisy cares about the outside—what people see rather than what God sees. 

Jesus didn’t let up, in fact he starts using Old Testament prophet language—and in particular a word we don’t often use: Woe. He’s says, “Do you like the Old Testament? Let me speak your language.” 

⁴²“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 2. It focuses on minor matters and forgets the major ones. Yes it is important to tithe—He makes that clear! But even more important is caring about those who are mistreated and overlooked. More important is loving others! These pharisees were going in their spice cabinets and measuring out a tenth of their cinnamon, oregano, cayenne; and gave it at the temple (because that looked super spiritual to all the important people), while treating less-important people with contempt—even cheating them! 

⁴³Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 3. It desperately wants to promote self. This, too, is something we need to be aware of. We want to be seen as wealthy or cool or being in the in crowd. Jesus (obviously in Luke) cared about being with the nobodies! A pet-peeve of mine is Pastors who want to be called “Reverend” or “Doctor” or want a special parking place—the BEST place. There’s a church I know that has a young pastor with portraits of that pastor hung throughout the building. Is that like Christ? No. And the whole world knows it except him. I know pastors who at gatherings try to hobnob with the important/wealthy/famous people. That’s just vain. 

⁴⁴Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” This is a funny idiom. Jews believe it ceremonially defiles a person who is in contact with a dead body. Of course, the Pharisees, as was their habit, took this OT guideline too far and said that even the graves were unclean and by touching them a person was unclean. Jesus uses this belief as an analogy: “You guys contaminate people who don’t even realize it!” 

What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 4. It is highly contaminating of others. Something I’ve noticed. When hypocrisy gets rooted in a church or a family or organization, it becomes a part of a culture that reproduces itself. I remember going to CN as a freshman and being shocked by the way the popular Christians who lived on my hall weren’t who they seemed to be in public. These were leaders, who spoke in chapel and could pray and sing so well. But when they were in the dorm they talked about girls and sex more than any locker room or construction site I’d been in! Some were as racist as anyone I’d ever known. They would lie, gamble, drink, and cuss with the best of ‘em. Don’t get me wrong. I’m only naming those things because they’d never do them around their parents or pastors. And they’d even preach against them! Problem is, I called them out on it (probably not with the right tone) and they didn’t like me because of it. As time went on, I noticed the younger guys started doing the same things. Hypocrisy is contagious! It can infect a church and a family! Those uninfected must beware lest they become unclean, too!

⁴⁵One of the lawyers (yes, lawyers like today who prosecute or defend people in court—but these were more because their law was the Old Testament. Under Roman rule, Israel was still a theocracy. So these lawyers were very prestigious and educated in religion.) answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” And Jesus’ reply is basically, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply…let me be more specific and inclusive, just so you won’t miss it. ⁴⁶And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. These men, like our politicians (lawyers) added to the law even more regulations making it harder on people what was already not easy! What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 5. It makes following God a real burden. Hypocrisy loves legalism. Jesus continues: ⁴⁷Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. ⁴⁸So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs.⁴⁹Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, ⁵¹from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. Whoa! Like the U.S. government in the 1960s that worked to subfert MLK Jr. but then established a holiday after his death, these lawyers raised money to honor the very prophets their ancestors killed! What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 6. It prentends to honor whom it really opposes. We do this, don't we? We say glowing things to important people we don't like because we don't want to be rude. We sometimes drop names of popu.ar people we don't like because we don't want to be rude. Se sometimes drop names of popular people past and present because it makes us look better. Problem: those who do this to Jesus–who's MUCH MORE than a prophet–will pay for all of humanity's hypocrisies. Not just their generation, ours! Because only Jesus takes away sin. Reject him and you miss your chance of forgiveness and face judgment for sinning against an infinitely holy God. You reject the offer made available by Christ–the ultimate prophet, priest, and king–when he died on the cross in your place. That's not good.

 ⁵²Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” By “key of knowledge” he means their place as the doorkeepers to God’s word. They were the experts. They alone claimed to have a corner on the right interpretation. Problem is, they were wrong. Worse than anything, they were wrong about Jesus and missed him. And they caused others to also. What does Jesus hate about hypocrisy? 7. It makes dangerous doorkeepers out of fools. Application? We must be careful about who we allow to lead and who we listen to! Especially regarding spiritual things. Should you examine my teaching, my lifestyle, my family, my habits and judge whether I'm worthy to listen to? According to the Bible, Yes. And every other spiritual leader. Shouldn’t you be a part of a church with a plurality of leaders where accountability is institutionalized? Yes. Should we speak truth to those claiming to be spiritual leaders who refuse accountability and have questionable doctrine or practices? Yes. Should we root out hypocrites? Yes. Because the WORST hypocrites are those who claim to love and speak for God! The two local “ministers” who were caught trying to have sex with underaged girls. Ted Haggard, at the time President of National Association of Evangelicals, a few years ago admitted to buying meth and having a 3-yr affair with a gay prostitute. Oh, he’s pastoring again. More recently (last month) stories came out about Clayton Jennings, an up-and-coming evangelist/author/poet who has apparently had numerous accusers come forward. Of course, I could name many more. How does the world react? Here’s a quote from Jay Michaelson of The Daily Beast entitled, It’s A Sin: The Real Christian Preacher Sex Scandal Is How Many There Are. It begins: "Another week, another bumper crop of Christian sex scandals. And it's not going to stop any time soon. Exposing religious sexual hypocrisy is, as the cliché goes, like shooting fish in a barrel. ...Literally every day there's a new story of religious conservative leaders philandering, downloading illegal pornography, cruising for gay sex on the down low, or, by far worst of all, sexually abusing minors or other vulnerable people."
Of course he exaggerates—a little. What he doesn’t say is that sex isn’t the only thing. Financial impropriety, lying, dictatorial leadership, manipulation, dangerous heresies, plagiarism, and more are not uncommon. It makes me sick and it makes God angry. Jesus called out these religious leaders and he wants us to do the same. Yes, it goes against our feel-good culture. But ignoring it is killing us. And Christ hates it. When a pastor/preacher/spiritual leader has a moral failure or brings a scandal on himself, he should be removed from leadership. Period. Of course he can be restored in fellowship to the church and of course he can find God's forgiveness, but serving as a leader in Christ's church is a privilege not a right, and we can disqualify ourselves by (among other things) having sex outside our marriage or even simply losing our status of being "above reproach." We must start holding these leaders accountable or these incidences will continue unabated. 

 ⁵³As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, ⁵⁴lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. I have to think Jesus was ready for the challenge!

Luke 12:¹In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, (here’s the conclusive statement:) “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ²Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ³Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Did you catch that? Everything will one day be revealed. Scary, huh?

So what?

• Be real. That’s what God wants. That’s not an excuse to be proud about your shortcomings. No. That’s an invitation to live an honest life. When your spouse or kids point out something in your life that’s not Christlike, embrace it humbly and determine that you will change! Hypocrisy is living a lie. Pride is the root of hypocrisy! Confess when you mess up. It does not make you look smaller, it honors God and is admirable. And it pushes us toward holiness. I’ve had people in sm grps or MANday who confessed hiding a secret porn addiction—and the guilt was eating them up! They were free. The only thing worse than living in sin is living in sin secretly—because now you are a hypocrite. That’s misery. Start being real by confessing sin. To God, and then to someone who will pray for you. So be real. It's all going to be known one day anyway. Why not find freedom?

• Make wise resolutions. If you make a resolution this year, make it between you and God, not to impress others. Do it because you know It pleases God and makes you more like Christ. As you do this, others will see the results and God will be glorified, not you. Here’s the truth: If you aim for glorifying self, you will only find dissatisfaction and others will resent you. But if you aim for glorifying God, you will share in his glory.

• Remember Christ’s sacrifice for you. The Lord's supper is a vivid picture that Christ gave us to illustrate how he is the Lamb of God who shed his blood that we might live and how he is the UNleavened bread—NOT tainted by hypocrisy or sin—who was broken for us that we might have life. THAT's how we find forgiveness. Believe in him (if you have not) so that you may be made clean from the inside out.

Sin in the Camp

A few days ago the people of Knoxville were shocked to hear of arrests that were made in a sting operation. It was conducted by various law enforcement entities and had been given the codename: "Operation Someone Like Me." In it 32 people were caught and charged with various sexual crimes. Among them were two “pastors.” One was a volunteer “creative pastor” who led worship at Lifehouse Church in Oak Ridge (associated with the Assemblies of God) and the other was the Children’s Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Karns. Of course the media focused almost exclusively on the two ministers. When the news broke, my phone almost melted, first from those who were making sure I had heard, and then from other leaders determining how to respond and from people wanting to ask my thoughts.

I feel I need to comment (and perhaps “vent”) a bit. There’s a cycle I find I experience when I hear this kind of news:

Anger 

Sadness

Fear

Worship

Determination

Let me explain (and hopefully encourage you who are struggling as well).

Anger:

Like the water of a creek in a flash flood, my emotions tend to rise and jump the banks whenever something like this happens. Honestly, my first response is outrage. Words like “stupid,” “hypocrite,” and “jerk” come out of my mouth. I start thinking in ways I should not think, like imagining having two minutes alone in a room with the offender. I’m a dad. I’m increasingly sickened by the drift in our culture and the church. How can someone waging the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil—yea, leading God’s people in battle—be so reckless and depraved. I'm mad enough at the world over issues like the sex trade industry, but this is the church! My blood pressure rises when I think of how these things hurt the gospel and I take it personally. However, I quickly realize that this initial reaction is wrong. If I am going to be mad, I should be angry at sin. Sin that I too commit in different ways.

Sadness:

Next I experience sorrow and heaviness of heart. Of course I think about the accused offenders’ wives and kids. How devastating. They must feel utterly betrayed. According to rumor, the Grace Baptist guy’s wife didn’t have a clue. I grieve for her. What’s worse (if possible)? Every kid thinks his or her dad is the best. He apparently has three kids ranging from kindergarten to teenager. The proverbial rug is pulled out from under them profoundly when this kind of sin is exposed, and it forms a wound that may never heal. I also think of the churches these men have served. They are right now reeling. A staff member at Grace told me everyone is quiet and numb, as if someone unexpectedly died. I also think of the setback we as the Church Proper in Knoxville will face because of this. I have already had conversations with unbelievers who promptly brought this up to me upon learning I was a pastor. Just when I feel that we are making some baby steps in becoming the humble, sincere, loving body of Christ that offers a clear alternative to the world—this happens. Already I have seen snarky comments online highlighting this as yet another example of Christians’ arrogance, corruption, hypocrisy, etc. This is indeed a setback and it saddens me.

Then, after I think of all the people these men have hurt around them, I think of them. They have essentially destroyed their own lives. They will bear the shame of perversion and corruption and self-serving immorality. They will never again work in ministry. Period. Which makes any education or experience they have gained utterly useless. All that money and sacrifice is for nothing, except to serve as a mockery. They will live with the guilt of being the ungrateful swine before whom many pearls have been cast as they have been surrounded by things of God and godly people. Their lives are also about to radically change. Prison is not a friendly place for child-sex predators or soft men in general. I’ve been there (not as an inmate). Pedophiles and child abusers hide in fear and stay in the chapel and anywhere there is supervision. They are routinely beaten and raped. Even the prisoners have an understanding of hierarchy regarding sin, and they’re considered the lowest of the low, especially among those who were abused as children themselves. They essentially exist as dead-men walking around with targets on their backs, friendless and terrified. They are to be pitied. It is sad.

Fear:

This next emotion comes unexpectedly to me. I begin to reflect on our church and our staff and our volunteers and our processes. Are we doing everything humanly possible to insure this does not happen at Providence? There are three basic aspects of this. 

1. We must properly vet people before they are placed in positions of leadership. We do this in a number of ways, including background checks, looking at applicants' social media, proper interviewing, checking references (both those given by the applicant and those we dig up ourselves), and spending enough time with them to give the Holy Spirit opportunity to let us gain a sense of their spiritual health and sincerity.

2. We must shepherd them while they are leaders. This includes accountability, encouraging spiritual growth, giving reminders, and encouraging opportunities for confession of sin and grace. Yes there are some ways we can police our staff’s internet usage and computers, set policies for male/female and adult/child interactions, etc, but we should be more about the positive aspects of spiritual growth and healthy community that will allow us to see “red flags” before sin takes root.

3. We must have a plan to deal with a revelation of secret sin should it happen to us.

Of course when I think through these things I second-guess everything. I feel the worry that we are not doing enough. 

That always leads me to pray that God would spare us—starting with me—from such things. I have said this before and say it again now: I would rather God kill me than allow me to hurt the church, my family, myself, and God by some sinful scandal. I know my weaknesses and my greatest fear is that I would fall prey to some scheme of Satan to ruin my reputation and shame the name of Christ. Again, I pray that God will kill me first. And I pray that by his mercy God will spare our church from this kind of crippling scandal—be it through me or someone else. I’ve been at churches rocked by leadership scandals. They sometimes never recover. 

The scary thing is that we can do everything humanly possible to prevent these things, but human beings are sinful. And Satan is a great deceiver who has millennia of experience. So we are wise to fear. This might keep us humble and reliant on God who alone is able to preserve us and grow us and even conquer through us. This is why we should pray fervently and constantly to this end. Fear is good if fear drives me to pray.

Worship:

It is when I realize my frailty and God’s might that my heavy heart is relieved and my soul rejoices in his greatness and wisdom and glory. He is able. He is undefeated. Our God is completely in control and even uses these instances of human failure to bring about his will. He always has and he always will. My mind is right now flooding with historical examples of this! God used the scandal of Achan after Jericho (Joshua 7) to humble and focus Israel in order to conquer the Promised Land. God used the scandal of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) to purify the church in the early stages of its growth and cause “the people [to hold] them in high esteem” (Acts 5:13). God used the scandals of European popes and the church’s corruption to bring about the Protestant Reformation that saved the church and the gospel. I could go on.

The word “worship” conveys the attribution of worthiness toward someone. It literally means “to kiss toward” in homage and humility, as a lowly subject would bow before a great king and kiss his feet. I understand worship as an act of complete surrender to God who alone is worthy. Brokenness is the beginning of true worship. The fact that I am so unworthy leads me to the glorious truth that he is infinitely worthy of my awe and my all. Rejoicing springs forth from that soil. I find my worth in him who is and find my purpose in his. I find my joy in pleasing him. This is a satisfaction with which the world and Satan can not compete!

Determination:

Therefore, we can not be discouraged by news of human scandal. Angry? Hurt? Disappointed? Perhaps. But never discouraged or defeated. We are to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). The church, with all her flaws, is still Christ’s bride; and hell’s defenses cannot overcome her or her mission. We must lovingly, wisely, and aggressively denounce sin, treat the wounds of others, demand justice while offering forgiveness for the repentant offender, and positively hold up Christ as the answer.

What cannot happen? Satan can't be allowed to use his victory in the personal life of an Achan or an Ananias or a Leo X of our day to discourage and defeat the rest of us. No. The rest of us must rise up to clearly provide an alternative (accurate) picture of Christianity to the world—a Christ-picture. With measured words, we must acknowledge anger, sadness, and fear; with humility we must worship; and with determination we must carry on in our mission—his mission.

Blessed are the Hated

What if I told you that great joy is found through being poor, hungry, and sad? Not only would you not believe it, you’d probably laugh! We’ve been so conditioned to think that we are blessed if we are rich, full, and happy. Unfortunately, there are preachers who believe and preach this (and are, by the way, the vast majority (12 of 14) of the wealthiest ministers in America). 

#5: Creflo Dollar. Perfect name!

These prosperity gospel proponents are profoundly wrong. Let’s believe what Jesus said. 

Luke 6:

¹⁷And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon… ²⁰And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed [happy, fulfilled, completely satisfied regardless of circumstances] are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ^24“But woe (miserable, pity) to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ^21a“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. …^25a“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. ^21b“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. …^25b“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 

Jesus turned the world’s thinking on its ear. Truth is, as the Creator God who became flesh and shared the human experience, he knows. And we would be wise to hear him if we want to find true and lasting blessedness. He invites us to shift our thinking from what the world insists is the way to happiness to what he promises. (get previous weeks' MP3s)

But there is one more. 

²²“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! ²³Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. ²⁶“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

There’s no mystery here. No metaphors. No Greek words that need to be explained. You really don’t need me to help you understand this passage (truth is you don’t need me to understand most passages!) It’s completely straightforward. Right off it's obvious that Jesus expects this to happen to all his disciples. He does not say, “blessed are some of you who happen to be poor, hungry, weep..” as the others seem to say, but “blessed are you when people react to you negatively because of me.” Jesus uses the word “when” not “if” as if it is not a matter of “whether” you will face persecution for his sake. It will happen, it’s just a matter of “when.” 

Persecution is a vital part of the Christian experience. Period. Let me show you.

2 Timothy 3:12, Paul writes, Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” To take up one's cross is to suffer greatly before dying. Jesus says this is not optional. In Matthew 10:38, he says, "whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

There are at least 4 ways persecution is vital to Christianity:

• It proves that you really are a Christian and you’re going to heaven. 

Romans 8: ¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ^...18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

• It makes you better because it makes you more like Christ.

 1Peter 2: ^20…But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 

There is nothing that grows us like persecution. It’s when follow him most and are closest to him.

• It gives you a huge platform for influence. 

Philippians 1: ¹²I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. ¹⁴And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 

Did you notice that Paul is excited that his mistreatment is giving him more influence?

John 15:

¹⁸“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me they will also persecute you. Did they persecute Jesus? Of course they did, but don’t miss what comes next: If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Did they? Many who once persecuted became believers, like Paul, absolutely did! The point is, like Jesus, his followers will be persecuted. And as many people listened to Jesus, people will listen to those who are persecuted for their faith! 

• It increases your joy! Yes! Jesus was right! Persecution brings lasting happiness both here and eternally! 

In 2 Corinthians 1:5, Paul wrote, For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort (paraklēsis—consolation) too. We've seen that word! It's the word Jesus used for the Holy Spirit (Comforter), and is used above for the very limited comfort the rich will find by making wealth their god.

1 Peter 4: ¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice [here] and be glad when his glory is revealed [in heaven]. ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ^…16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

The suffering most of us experience does not compare to that which our brothers and sisters experience in other parts of the world, but it is still very real. And it is vital to the Christian experience. In fact, I think there is a moment in everyone’s spiritual growth when they realize persecution is an indispensable, inherent part of being a Christian. It's a mile-marker. It is big. It is when you find out your faith is for real. It is when Christ becomes your identity. It changes everything.

I remember when it first happened to me. I was in high school. Although I received Christ at 7, as middle school came, I started looking more like the world. I was a class clown, who loved the girls, sports, and being popular and cool. I knew in my heart that I was a huge hypocrite. Occasionally, I’d try to clean up, but these efforts were short-lived. This pattern continued until my parents divorced. After the initial emotional turmoil settled, I had a clear choice to make: continue in hypocrisy and sin, play both parents to benefit my own interests, or run to God. By God's grace, I ran to God. I determined to stop being a faker. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t suddenly become bold with my faith. I simply started genuinely seeking God, reading his Word, and just tried to do what was right. That was a huge challenge for me. I stopped cussing and telling dirty jokes. I changed friend groups. I was messing around with a girl who I liked for all the wrong reasons, and I stopped. I quit going to the parties. That girl and my old friends began to make fun of me. It hurt. I was used to being the one making fun of others. It seriously hurt. I often wanted to take matters back into my own hands and fight someone. Thankfully my father reminded me what Jesus said about persecution. He was proud of me, smiled, and said my persecution was a badge of honor. Another particularly memorable thing was when my English teacher—who had seen a change in my life and knew I was being jeered by my old friends—slipped me an encouraging note in class. That was a huge tipping point in my life. 

Have you had a moment like that? Have your eyes been opened to the fact that persecution is the norm for the Christian life? The converse is also true: if you’re NOT experiencing it, something’s probably wrong. 

The great John Wesley was quite familiar with persecution. While riding between frontier towns on his horse, John Wesley reportedly became concerned when it occurred to him that he had not experienced persecution for three whole...days (did you expect to read years? Or weeks?). This caused him to question whether he was outside of God's will. He got off his horse and began to pray when a man saw the preacher praying outside his town and threw a rock at him (some versions of the story say it was a brick) which barely missed. Wesley looked up and thanked God!

Point is, persecution is the norm, it is the hard, narrow path that follows in the steps of Jesus and leads to heaven. 

There are ditches on either side of this path... 

On one side is the ditch of compromise- This occurs most when you are living to please people, or to not make waves, or to acquiesce and conform to the world. People will love you! These self-proclaimed "Christians" never make people uncomfortable with their lifestyle. In this case, the ditch is easier than the path!

If you're in this ditch, please remember Romans 12:1-2 

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

When you don’t conform…you will inevitably cause people to become aware of their own sin, and they will often not like it. This is why some people hate Christians. They make them aware that there is a God and that their lifestyle is not OK. 

But there’s a ditch on the other side of the path of persecution that leads to heaven. It is victimization. This ditch contains a category of people who range from those who are easily-offended to those have an axe to grind. Some Christians are looking for ways to be offended, like those who get so miffed about the so-called “War on Christmas” or those who post political “culture war”-type-posts on Facebook. This attitude comes from a “we-Christians-have-majority-status-and-deserve-to-be-treated-with-respect” attitude. Some Christians even seem to go so far as to be purposely offensive, they have a martyr complex “chip on their shoulder" and are looking for chances to cry “foul!” To unbelievers they can seem whiny, prideful, hateful, and intolerant. This is NOT what Jesus desires. They make all Christians look bad. 

I was thinking about this while driving to get pizza Saturday. I was asking God how I can illustrate this for today, when I saw this truck which had three flags flying in the bed: an American flag, a Confederate flag, and a Christian flag. Here's a guy making a statement. I'm sure he's a good guy. But what is seen by many is this: Christians are proud racists.

A guy in our church snapped this picture of the same truck I
saw within 24 hours of my mention of it on Sunday morning!
See?! Proof that I don't make this stuff up!

Unfortunately he deserves the dirty looks he probably gets—and no, they are not evidence of persecution. They are understandable expressions of disdain for his ignorance and/or stupidity (I say with all love). As a southern, redneck, American Christian myself, let me beg those of you still fighting the Civil War: Stop it. Quit reminding everyone of a lost war that was fought in part to keep other human beings enslaved! It's dumb. God is not pleased. If you are truly a Christian, let your identity be found in Christ, not some sentimental notion of southern heritage (that's not even accurate, by the way; especially if your heritage is East Tennessee, whose population was 70% for the Union!). 

My point is, you don’t have to go looking for persecution! And you definitely don't need to provoke it. It will come when you simply live in the Spirit. Satan knows you and has a bullseye painted on your back—but "greater is he who is in [you] than he who is in the world"!

So DON’T be a Compromiser. and DON’T have a chip on your shoulder (by being an easily offended, hypersensitive, baiter—provocateur, or kooky Christian). 

Simply be a disciple…a sincere follower of Jesus. Really take what he says to heart and do it. Really live for him. Live LIKE him. And when you meet someone who is caught in a lifestyle of sin, do not judge! LOVE! Remember that you too are a sinner! Remember that God forgives. 

If you simply focus on Christ and live the truly blessed life (as we’ve discussed) You’re going to take shots from two primary sources:

1. People in the world who don’t want to see or hear anything that might make them the least bit uncomfortable about their lifestyle. Their God is themselves, and they are living for THIS world. If your God is the Lord and you’re living for the other world, you delegitimize them without even trying. There is a peace you have that they don’t understand. There is a joy you have that doesn’t depend on stuff, or money, or physical beauty or fame. You don’t have to be offensive! 

2. Others who might claim to be Christians. People who believe they’re believers. “Chad, that’s not what Jesus meant. He meant people in the world.” Au contraire. Did you catch the “Woe?” Jesus said, ²⁶Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. 

The Old Testament false prophets were popular and well-paid, usually by kings who wanted religious “yes men” to justify their actions. They hated the true prophets who usually had to stand alone on God’s Word. The mainstream “false” religious leaders led their persecution! This is how it was in Jesus’ day! The religious types were his primary enemies! Like then, some now are legalists who are more concerned with do’s and don’ts and outward appearance, than they are with love, grace, and spiritual growth. Don't forget, some who claim to be Christians just aren’t. And others are just extremely immature believers who never grew spiritually. Persecution from these can be some of the hardest persecution to understand—and some of the most hurtful! Christian history is full of Christians persecuting Christians! It even happened in America, which (ironically) was founded by Christians who came to flee religious persecution of other Christians. For example, the puritans demanded that everyone conform to their way of worship and persecuted those who did not. Read about Obadiah Holmes. Or what about the Civil War where Christians on both sides believed God was with them and killed Christians on the other side! Or how about the “Christian” KKK members (or so they claimed) who lynched and terrorized (mostly) Christian blacks in Jim Crow south. Insane! Those are extreme examples but today it's more subtle. Some "Christians" around us may judge our clothes, music, Bible translation, or political opinions. Some may say we’re not hard/loud/hateful enough on the LGBTQ community and others insist we should legitimize/celebrate homosexuality as a morally equivalent alternative lifestyle (No!—Christ showed we must love sinners and hate sin—avoiding compromise in either direction). Or persecution may come from "Christian" friends and family members who think you’re over-the-top radical for depriving your kids of R-rated movies, and unrestricted internet on phones and computers (believe me, Darla and I have received it!). Many times it comes from compromising Christians who want to justify their own actions. Don’t over-react. Don’t get the last word. Love (much more on this later). 

It’s more important to win a heart than to win the argument. 

You don’t want them to think, “That may be true but I don’t like you. And I definitely don’t want to be like you.”

What does this look like? Romans 12: 

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

This is what Jesus is saying in the beatitudes. 

There is at least one more week of our “Blessed” series. And it's big. Next we'll see the motivating principle to consistently live this way and find blessedness. We will put the period on the end by examining Jesus’ words that follow in this sermon on the plain. They contain the foundation—the core—of the Christian philosophy that sets it apart from all other systems and religions. And it is the key to living out the Christian life. Yes, it’s that big. If you want to be blessed, YOU DON’T want to miss it.