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In response to “Will This Beer Bother You” I appreciate the comments concerning my blog and in light of some of the comments I have received, I feel the need to clarify a couple of points. Freedom in Christ is never the chance to do what you want to do but more importantly the ability to do what He has called you to do. I am now in my second decade of ministry and I have seen a scary trend develop over that last few years (yet it has been going on since the infancy of the church). That trend is the lone-ranger ministry.
While I will never dictate what God will call a person to do, I will say we have to apply many scriptures to what we feel our call is and apply them all. If one causes us to fail the test, our method is wrong. What am I saying…most people quote 1 Cor 9:19-23 as there excuse to “become all things to reach all people” Let me spell this out for you…Paul used to word “as” on purpose, more importantly his point was to become relatable…approachable. I know of people who really try to become who they are trying to reach as if that is what is needed…and it is not. The minimal success of their ministry has nothing to do with them (as it has nothing to do with us).
In our ministry it is vital that we check all of the stops to be sure we are not walking out of God’s ordinates for ministry. We cannot choose one verse that allows us to do what we WANT to do and ignore the verses that speak against it. Here are some scriptures that all ministers of the Gospel must be able to look dead in the eye:
Tit 1:15 To the clean in heart all things are clean: but to those who are unclean and without faith nothing is clean; they become unclean in mind and in thought.
1Co 9:19 For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To those who are under the Law, I became as under the Law, so that I might gain those who are under the Law. 21 To those who are outside Law, I became as outside Law (not being outside law to God, but under the Law to Christ), so that I might gain those who are outside Law. 22 To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I might be partaker of it with you.
2Co 6:17 Therefore come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing. And I will receive you 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body.
1Co 8:8 But food does not commend us to God. For neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol temple, will not the weak one's conscience be lifted up so as to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 And on your knowledge the weak brother will fall, he for whom Christ died. 12 And sinning in this way against your brothers, and wounding their conscience,
1Pe 2:15 For such is the will of God, doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men; 16 as free, and not having freedom as a cover of evil, but as servants of God. 17 Honor all. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification, for you to abstain from fornication, 4 each one of you to know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor 5 (not in the passion of lust, even as the nations who do not know God), 6 not to go beyond and defraud his brother in this matter (because the Lord is the avenger concerning all these, as we also have forewarned you and testified). 7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.
Scripture makes it obvious (as previously stated) that there is very little we cannot do outside of the stated forbiddens…but it is also equally obvious that we should always consider if what we feel free to do will in some way cause weak Christians to stumble. Ministry can never ride a sanctification fence. We are told to literally flee any environment (not just the act) that sexual immorality takes place…that is why there will never be a ministry where men go to strip clubs to reach the strippers. There are successful ministries where men go into Casinos but in no way to they take part of the gambling.
I am aware of successful barroom ministries but in no way do the ministers take part in the activities. We are children of light…Jesus did not go into bars to hang out…as I have heard stated before…he went into bars to clean them out. We are not to test our own limits of withstanding temptation while ministering…we are to stand in the light of God no matter how dark the room we find ourselves in and invite others into the light. I will not offer an opinion for a single person unless specifically requested…but brothers and sisters lets be mindful of this fact.
God is the discerner of our hearts and minds and reads our thoughts in detail…nothing can be hidden from Him and if we take the freedom He has earned us and abuse it then tag a ministerial license on it we are walking on broken ground. If you are confused into thinking that by acting like the lost will help you reach the lost…you have missed the point. I am a street kid from NY…a bunch of country bumkins reached me with the unadulterated truth of the love of Jesus Christ and that truth attracted me to the cross and has helped me carry it since. Anyone that tried to act like they were just like me I considered a punk…and still do. Christians in this day lift people like me on a pedestal with this new testimony fad…as if my years on the streets is a miracle cure to reaching the lost…it is utter foolishness and the failure of the people it reaches to commit to the Lord for life is unbelievable.
I no longer consider altar calls as the validation…what are they doing and where are they serving in 10 years tells the true story. The message has not changed in 2000 years neither is it supposed to…the methods will adjust…but the methods cannot blind the message. If you walk like a duck, talk like a duck, eat like a duck, and drink like a duck…you are a duck. We are ambassadors for Christ in a world we are mere travelers in. If we take on the traits and habits of this world, we are guilty of treason. I am stating all this knowing I am stirring up heat and losing popularity…but the Man I serve was killed. Truth is truth. Do I doubt that there are those called into barrooms, absolutely not…do I doubt there are those called to minister to strippers and sexually immoral people…absolutely not.
But in all ministry, there is to be accountability (someone had better sent you and be keeping in communication with you) and there better be a standard of holiness that is unquestionable. I will never be intimidated or judgmental to a person I am witnessing to for any reason I can think of…but I will never take part of any activity that will hinder the purity of the message I am trying to convey nor will I allow any believer who may see me stumble in his or her perception…and I have seen many people come to the Lord and they are still serving them. In our attempts to reach the lost, we must remember that there are those watching who will also be hurt if they see us…even if we are targeting a different group.
All of this being said…someone will find offense in any given church for any reason and that cannot be avoided. But I could detect hints of rebellion, and maybe my perception is wrong…but if someone feels the need to aggressively defend an action they are taking…something is not right. In my ministry, I find myself in the heart of New Orleans surrounded by junkies, prostitutes, drunks, immoral people, homosexuals, liars, slanderers, adulterers, and empty religious people…as do most of you. So I cannot sit here and pass judgment, but I have made a lot of mistakes when it comes to how far ministry should go…and it has almost cost me everything important so I apologize for my passionate response but I know the future of unaccountable ministry and with all of my heart I want to deter anyone who will listen from it. |
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| Always fascinating to read passion. Here are the key statements I'll stand with (NOT that I could find anything to stand against):
"I no longer consider altar calls as the validation…what are they doing and where are they serving in 10 years tells the true story."
"We are ambassadors for Christ in a world we are mere travelers in. If we take on the traits and habits of this world, we are guilty of treason."
Good reading. |
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I see people using the "all things" scripture constantly as an excuse to do what they want. It's good to hear from someone who lives in the heart of sinfulness and knows the destructive powers, especially to those who serve Christ. We as Christians are most susceptible when we place ourselves in potentialy high risk ministry locations without proper authorization and preparation. Accountability is a must!
I will pray for your ministry and ask others to do the same. If I can be of assistance, please let me know.
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Just to follow up on one really important allusion you made and didn't come back to... (watch out--I've got a concordance and I'll willing to use it! ;-])
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves."
Matthew 18:19 "I tell you that if two of you on earth agree..."
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Mark 6:7 "he [Jesus] sent them out two by two..."
Mark 11:1 "Jesus sent two of his disciples..."
Mark 14:13 "So he sent two of his disciples..."
Luke 7:18-19 "Calling two of them, he [John]sent them..."
Luke 10:1 "After this the Lord...sent them two by two..."
Even angels follow this principle:
John 20:11-12 "she [Mary] bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white..."
Acts 1:10 "suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them"
And on and on it goes...
I like the Lone Ranger. We used to fight over who got to be the Lone Ranger. I used to watch Clayton Moore on TV and think how cool he was. (I even "met" him once, in that sad period before cable had taken hold and he was reduced to doing personal appearances at toy stores and such. At least they told us it was him--he was wearing a mask, you know. I met "Robin" under similar circumstances. Tights on a guy is definitely only cool on TV.) Admit it, guys, we all wanted to grow up to be the Lone Ranger.
But why is it that in our memories Tonto and Silver only show up in jokes? He wouldn't have been The Lone Ranger without them--he'd have just been that nameless guy who overestimated his own abilities and died senselessly. (Clint said it best, "A man's gotta know his limitations.") All those little boys screaming "Don't go in there!" at their screens weren't the same as one faithful companion providing warning and/or rescue. There's just no replacement. And cool doesn't really matter when it's your bacon that needs savin'!
"Two by two" is the best guard against a lot of what you're talking about. It's definitely a ministry model worth keeping. |
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| PastorDan, very well said. |
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