A Culture of Acceptance 12-3-06
New Series: Creating a New Culture… in the Church 1 Cor. 3:6-7
I am indebted to John Burke’s book, “No Perfect People Allowed” for many of the basic ideas expressed in this series. It’s a great read!
Intro. Have you ever noticed how certain words seem to automatically produce a fearful response in us? When I was a kid and my mom would say, “Bobby, next week you’re going to see the…DENTIST”! Well – that would freak me out, I don’t know why, but it scared me to death. Or how about when you’re in middle school and you’ve finally gotten used to having pop quizzes and a few chapter tests…but then the teacher mentions that next week you’re going to have an EXAM. Now deep down inside you know that nothing good can come from an EXAM and so your stomach knots up and your palms get sweaty just thinking about it. Did you know that the same thing happens to business people? If you own a business and you get a letter from the government that says you’re going to be AUDITED, then guess what happens? That sick, gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach never leaves you until the audit is done.
Now believe it or not, there’s a word that causes the same kind of reaction in the church. Can you guess what it is? It’s the word CHANGE. For some reason or another, change seems to cause all kinds of negative reactions when it’s applied to the church. And yet when you read through the bible you find that God loves change. In Is.43 God says forget about the past because I’m going to do a new thing. I’m going to give you a new heart to love me, a new spirit to worship me, a new commandment to obey, a new name you’ll be known by, a new nature to enjoy, a new wine to drink and you’ll live in a new heavens and a new earth.
I’m convinced that God wants to do a NEW thing in this church. And I’m not talking about a new program, a new building or a new emphasis. NO! What God wants to change here at the Mount is our culture. He wants to change the way we think about those people who live outside of the faith. To change our culture God is going to have to change our minds, our attitudes, our styles and preferences and even our behavior inside and outside of the church.
Now let’s be truthful with each other – we need a change! Our church is not fulfilling her divine commission; we’re not reaching the community that surrounds us and that means we’ve settled for less. But you know what? I’m tired of settling for less! So I’ve decided to do everything in my power to see this church become all God created her to be. And in order to do that I’m going to have to take you on a journey with me. So for the next 3 weeks I’m going to challenge you to come alongside of me so that together we can change the culture of our church.
I realize that there are people who say - “Now wait just a minute, I don’t think the church should change…I think the culture around us needs to change.” There’s no debate that we’re surrounded by a culture in desperate need of God’s transforming power. So the question we need to ask is this – how does that change happen? Does it happen because the culture decides to come to the church or does it happen when the church finally ventures out and goes into the culture? Listen to what the apostle Paul says about that. 1 Cor. 9:22 “I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. The NASB says I become all things to all men that I may by all means save some.” Paul knew that his culture would never willingly come to him…so he made it his priority to go to them. WOW – can you imagine a church whose priority was no longer focused on themselves, but on those who did not yet know Jesus Christ? Do you think its time for a church like that in the Upstate? Listen to Barna’s warning, “Our goal cannot simply be a timid, powerless survival; it must be the role that Christ called for the Church to play, that of a loving, authoritative, healing and compelling influence upon the world…lacking such a turnabout, we might rightfully anticipate the virtual disappearance of the Christian Church in this nation”. And just in case you’re not yet convinced that our church needs to change, let me remind you that the latest statistics show that America is now considered the 3rd largest mission field in the English speaking world. Do you want me to translate that for you? That means the American church isn’t reaching our own people, much less the people of the world! So let’s face it, WE NEED TO CHANGE!
What do you think it’s going to take for our church to be able to make such a radical change? I think the key is found in 1 Cor. 3:6-7, “My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one. who makes the seed grow.” (NLT) Did you catch it? Its God’s job to change hearts, not ours. Our job as the church is to prepare the soil, to make the environment conducive for growth, to develop a culture where changed hearts become possible. I suppose many of you are wondering what exactly does that culture look like? If we’re going to be a church were God is at work changing eternal destinies, then what can we expect? Let me see if I can explain it to you with this mental image. Pretend that you’ve decided to plant a garden for the first time in your life. You’ve found the right spot in your back yard and you’re ready to till the soil. But you notice how hard, dry, cracked and barren the dirt looks. Although you’re a novice, you know something has to be done if you expect to get anything to grow in that dirt. So you begin adding certain ingredients to the soil to make it conducive for growth. That’s where we are this morning. We’ve looked at the soil; at the culture of our church and we’ve recognized that we need to add some things if we ever expect to see real spiritual growth. This morning we’re going to talk about what it takes to create a culture of acceptance. There are 3 key ingredients that we need to add to the existing culture of our church.
1). We have to develop a “come as you are” attitude.
This attitude goes way beyond the kind of clothes you wear on Sunday morning. I know that for some of you who grew up in the church, it’s hard to look past the jeans, tee shirts and shorts that are commonplace in our church. But I’m glad you’re learning to do that. The “come as you are” attitude I’m talking about goes much deeper than the various fads associated with each new generation. This attitude can be summed up in a single biblical word – GRACE.
Its peculiar how often we celebrate God’s grace towards us and yet we neglect showing that same kind of grace towards others. Grace is all about giving acceptance to those who don’t deserve it and who can never merit it. Eph. 2:8 literally shouts this truth from the housetops when it says we have been saved by grace, not as a result of works. God saves every one of us using the exact same formula – his grace applied to our messy lives = a new creation.
A come as you are church culture means that we’re willing to offer grace and acceptance to those who don’t look like, think like, act like, vote like or believe like us. When the church begins to understand that our job is not to change someone’s life, but to have an environment where that change becomes possible – then we’re set free to love people like never before. Doesn’t it seem strange that most people think of the church as a place where only good people belong? Yet that’s not what Jesus taught. Listen to this parable found in Matt. 22:2,9-10, “God’s kingdom is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on— every place filled.”
Do you know what really frustrates me? A church culture that tells the community surrounding us that you’re welcome here, but you’ve got to clean up your act first. Look at that parable again – who was invited in? The good and the bad! That’s GRACE – That’s a come as you are culture and it’s going to mean a radical change in our church. If we are truly serious about living out this banquet parable then there will be people in our church who don’t fit the mold of the normal church person. There will be people who are struggling with strange beliefs, drug addictions, sexual orientation problems, hang ups and habits that will blow your mind. BUT – if we show them the same grace God showed us then many of them will be changed into the likeness of Christ and become the future of our church. Listen to the lyrics of U2’s song called Grace. “Grace, she takes the blame, she covers the shame, removes the stain…grace makes beauty out of ugly things.”
Can you guess what’s the # 1 message the world hears from the church? It’s condemnation, judgment, hatred and hell fire. Do you know what they need to hear most? Rom 8:1-2 (NLT) “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.” A come as you are culture offers hope to people who know their life is a mess and yet they don’t have a clue where to turn for help. For most of them, the church is the last place on earth they would expect to receive understanding and acceptance. But that’s GRACE! I don’t know where I heard it, but I like this little phrase – the world needs to see grace with skin on. In other words, the world needs to see grace fleshed out in the way we treat those who have not yet believed. Isn’t that exactly why Jesus took on flesh? Remember what John said? “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of GRACE and truth.” John 1:14 (NIV) Pastor John Burke says the “most tangible out-working of grace is acceptance – that is, drawing near in a relationship with those who don’t yet know Christ, and doing it w/o condemnation.”
A come as you are kind of church isn’t designed for those who are already convinced about the Truth of Jesus Christ…it’s a church for those who still wonder, still doubt, still struggle with whether or not God could love somebody so messed up as them!
2). We have to root out the “us versus them” attitude.
This past summer I decided to do something about the ivy in my front yard. I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with ivy…but it’s a booger! You’ve got to get serious if you want to kill this stuff. So I got the biggest, baddest poison I could find – one of my friends calls it “agent orange”. It kills everything in its path. NOW listen to me – there is a subtle attitude in most churches that works just like Agent Orange – it kills every opportunity to reach those who are unchurched. It’s the “us vs. them” attitude! It’s the holier than thou syndrome. It’s the belief that we’re better than THEM, because we go to church. The strange thing is – its nothing new. Jesus described this attitude Lk.18. The bible says that Jesus told this story to those who were pleased with their moral performance and looked down their noses at everybody else. He described a scene at the temple where 2 men came to pray. The first guy was religious to the bone – he looked the part, played the part and felt good about himself. As he was praying he noticed the other man in the story, who was a dishonest tax collector. (As if there was any other kind). As this religious man prayed he thanked God that he wasn’t like THAT other man – he wasn’t a thief, a cheat, or an adulterer. In fact he was pretty good when he compared himself to that tax collector, he even felt compelled to recite some of the VERY good things he did for God, like fasting and tithing.
Then the tax collector began to pray and it was a whole different story. He couldn’t even lift his eyes toward heaven – he simply beat his chest and begged God to be merciful to such a sinner like him. Now here’s the strange twist – Jesus told the crowd that when these men left the temple that day only one of them was right with God. It was the tax collector and not the religious zealot!
It’s very easy for us in the church to look down our noses at those who struggle with blatant and visible sin. Yet we often forget that our hidden sins can keep us just as far away from God as the more visible ones that we personally abhor. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of change in the way we think about those who are outside of the faith before we break this “us versus them” attitude. But if we don’t break it, then we might as well make up our minds to be a church filled with the already convinced. Now there’s nothing wrong with already being convinced about Jesus – but we’ve got plenty of those kinds of churches in the Upstate. What we need is a church for those who are not yet sure about Jesus, God and eternity.
There’s one other ingredient that’s necessary if we want to change our church culture.
3). We have to understand that spiritual life is a process.
Here’s what I wish were true – that the moment you trusted in Christ…BOOM you’d no longer have any sinful habits. Wouldn’t that be cool? In the twinkling of an eye you’d become a spiritual giant. But guess what? That never happens! We all know from personal experience that our spiritual maturity is a long, hard process. It doesn’t happen overnight and yet our church culture seems to expect new, baby believers to act like they’re full grown and mature in the faith.
A culture of grace and acceptance understands that people’s hearts are changed according to God’s timetable and not ours. What would you do if you bought an old house and while you were rummaging in the attic you stumbled across a priceless Rembrandt? You immediately recognized that this painting was a masterpiece but it was covered with dirt and pieces of insulation. So would you grab a bottle of turpentine and try to clean the painting yourself or would you take it to an expect who knew exactly what to do and how to do it?
The people that God sends to a church whose culture is one of acceptance will probably look dirty and soiled, their lives will be a messy and entangled with sin…but in God’s eyes they are masterpieces, simply waiting for his gentle, cleansing touch. Some people will argue that a culture of acceptance is one that enables sin, as if we agree with their sinful choices. Listen – the apostle Paul had to deal with that same misunderstanding. And here’s what he said in Rom.6:15 “So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!”(NLT) Grace and acceptance doesn’t mean a license to sin…it simply means you can come as you are, but don’t stay the way you came. This kind of church culture has to let God be God, rather than trying to clean up the masterpieces that come our way.
God is looking for a church in our community that has his heart of acceptance for people. My question is – are we going to become that church or will God have to look for another?
