Robbing Peter to pay Paul

Don’t misunderstand my article last week, I was not saying it is a sin for preachers to take compensation from a church.  All I am saying is that 1 Corinthians 9:14 cannot be used to defend the practice of paying a regular ongoing salary.

Taking a salary as a minister is a choice, as is deciding not to take a salary. Each person must decide for themselves which way of living will be of most benefit to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the people whom they seek to serve.  

Maybe the command was not primarily for the one preaching the gospel, but for those who were receiving the benefit from the teacher. That is, the command is for the hearers. Certainly generosity plays a significant part in this equation. A local congregation was indeed expected to provide for someone, particulary a visitor, doing the teaching. If the one doing the teaching and preaching turned down gifts, that was fine, as Paul the Apostle did. 

There were times when the Apostle Paul experienced extenuating circumstances beyond his control where, due to the likely dire nature of the situation at hand, he was forced to accept support from local Christians, who for the most part in that time and age were impoverished people.  One could call such support “wages”. This was clearly not his normal operating procedure and he considered this support to be akin to “robbery”. Strong words, and words we rarely ever hear in the discussion of compensation for the preaching ministry.  

Paul was clear about his feelings on the matter when He said, “I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service”.   Notice what he says in 2 Corinthians 11:7-9...

(7) Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? (8) I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. (9) And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. 

Some argue that Paul used the word “robbery” here because it was the Corinthians responsibility, not the Macedonian's responsibility to support him. Not the case at all. 

Paul's strong general teachings against collecting money from the church simply does not support this view. Also, some argue that 1 Corinthians chapter 9 is referring only to a special isolated case or a special set of circumstances where Paul took extra care not to offend the Corinthian church due to alleged unique problems that were going on with this church, that if not for these problems, Paul would have gladly collected money from them. They claim that this was his normal way of operating. Not so. Paul's teachings on the subject of collecting money from churches demonstrate the exact opposite and he provides an excellent example for all churches to follow.

All in all, Paul expounded and lived what we could call, “the better way”. We know from other Scriptures that Paul was not lazy as are so many so-called “pastors” today. 

He was not a nosy busybody poking around in everyone's personal business, meddling in things that were none of his concern. Within his God-given calling, the Apostle Paul was not like so many modern day ministers who operate outside of their scope of pastoral authority, which is supposed to be to care for the flock by watching, warning and preaching the truth from the Bible – not creating or promoting man–made doctrines and commands, especially so when such “commands” are directly beneficial. 

Even a brief perusal of the New Testament Epistles shows that Paul worked hard to support himself, to be generous and have something to share with others, not to take from others as is so common today. It is also clear that he only accepted sporadic financial or material help from the brethren when he was in serious need or where his work in preaching the Gospel truly required some extra help. 

Paul exemplified poise and balance in the area of receiving money or material assistance as a Christian minister. Paul was a rare man of God in his own time and such committed men are even rarer in modern times.

So although there is a power or right to accept a sporadic or regular income from the Gospel, the good minister, the most faithful and trustworthy among us will simply not use this right unless there is a dire need and only after they have exhausted every other means of support at their disposal.  

In our day and age we see men “going into the ministry” as a church career with a regular income and retirement in mind.  Well this might be very normal as far as the modern church is concerned, but this is far from normal for a good minister according to what the Bible teaches, a minister who wants to present Christ in the best light and not hinder the Gospel. 

So instead of isolating verses such as 1Corinthians 9:14 out of context, as if this were some kind of mandatory “command” for preachers to receive an income from the church, Christians need to read the whole passage in context. If they have “eyes to see and ears to hear” they will hopefully understand that this is not the case at all, but rather that those who preach the Gospel have a right of support under certain special conditions or extenuating circumstances, and that to abstain is the better way so as not to hinder the Gospel. 

We have the heart of God on the matter - Jesus speaking through His Word and basically saying that He loves us and will not allow those who preach the Gospel to starve, which could be a hinderance to the precious Gospel. Through the example and inspired words of Paul, we are admonished to forgo compensation for preaching the Gospel.  Love can see this view. Greed cannot. This is one of the reasons it is so important for Christians to approach the Bible from the right perspective or they risk deceiving themselves.

By no means did Paul approve of collecting an income from the church, let alone a regular ongoing income. Paul was no hired hand and would not compromise the Gospel to appease the wishes and desires of those who might have paid him “wages”. He did not settle-in to a community, expecting a comfortable income from church members. In times where he may not have been able to find work for his hands (he was a tent maker by trade) or where various urgencies may have come up and his traveling schedule may not have permitted him to work, etc., he accepted help yet obviously would have done so very reluctantly.

Again, I am not saying that churches should not financially help a genuine minister in times of genuine need. I am arguing against incomes, regular salaries, retirement schemes, etc., based on the teachings of Scripture and Paul's excellent example. 

What Does the Bible Really Say About Salaries for Preachers?

Has God really commanded that preachers be paid a regular on-going salary for serving congregations of His Church? 

Well this is what most preachers will tell you that the Bible teaches, basing their defense on passages in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. The question that should be considered is this... has God commissioned that gospel-preachers receive financial and material support from a church family? Is that support to be an ongoing package of compensation and benefits or occasional gifts only when and if necessary?  

To begin debating this touchy subject, I would suggest reviewing what may well be the most misquoted of all Bible verses on this subject, at 1 Corinthians 9:14. It says...

In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 

Paul does appear to be saying that God has commanded that certain people should get paid to preach the gospel.  Most Christians believe this verse is a command to the church to provide a regular ongoing income for an evangelist – the preaching minister. 

However, is that what the passage is really saying?  I would suggest it is not.  Lets consider the entire context and you can then decide for yourself after examining the evidence.  

First, the phrase “those who preach the gospel” does not automatically refer to a pastor, evangelist or preacher. Yet it is not unusual, in fact, it is incredibly commonplace for preachers to quote this verse as if it applies exclusively to them. 

They claim that this verse is God's express command that not only empowers them, but entitles them to collect a regular income from church members, construed as mandatory, therefore church doctrine. The argument includes verse 13 which says...

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

On the surface these passages may sound like a compelling command, but is this really what the Apostle Paul is referring to? 

Actually... 1 Corinthians 9 cannot be used by preachers to defend the practice of receiving a salary. These passages are talking about traveling missionaries and other leaders who have left their home and jobs to teach and support other Christians in other towns. Since they will typically only be in a city or town for a few weeks or months, they are dependent upon the hospitality of local people in that city or town. 

Ideally, even these spiritual leaders should have “mobile professions” if possible, so like Paul, they do not have to depend on the financial aid of other people, especially when it was known that most 1st century Christian communities were poor to impoverished.

Paul does not say anything that would allude to a doctrinal command that “resident preachers” are to receive support or that the church is commanded to give such support in the form of regular compensation. 

We cannot ignore the critical cultural, historical, and biblical background material that must be considered to properly understand, interpret, and apply Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:14 that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel. We need to understand the role of hospitality in the Hebrew and Roman culture and economy, we need to understand the law in Deuteronomy about borrowing a neighbors oxen, we need to understand the the role and purpose of traveling preachers, and above all, we need to properly understand the full scope of the gospel.

Considering the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 9, it gives us insight into Paul’s true feeling and concern for preaching, as he was doing, of the gospel.   Paul is expounding that it would be lawful [justified] for him, and he would certainly be deserving, to accept a living from the gospel as some others were doing at the time.  But, he did not avail himself of that right or exert pressure to that end, because to do so would actually hinder the gospel.

The clincher in Paul’s reasoning comes from preceding verses 11-12, which say...

11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?  But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.  

Many will quote verse 11 and sometimes include the first half of verse 12 to try and support receiving a regular income from the church, while completely omitting the second half of verse 12 which states: “...we did not use this right.’ On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.”

You cannot ignore part of verse 12 to support the position that Paul is saying preachers are entitled to compensation.  Not surprisingly, verses 15-18 are almost never mentioned. These verses offer even more proof of Paul's strong stand against using this basic right to pressure for any level of financial support.  Here’s what he says...

15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 

Paul's view culminates in verse 18:

18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

To be clear, in the second half of chapter 9, Paul puts the compensation issue from the first half of the chapter in context, focusing on evangelists/preachers having to endure all things in complete submission to the gospel, not accommodating one’s personal right to reap material benefits and make a living from the gospel.

In the context, Paul says that although it was “his right” to receive financial help from the Corinthians believers, he turned it down so as not to hinder the gospel (vs12). The responsibility is on the hearer to offer support in the form of generous gifts rather than on the teacher to demand it or even expect it.  

Paul went further, in word and deed, setting himself as an example, to clearly demonstrate that he believed one’s personal right to compensation for preaching the gospel ends where the gospel of Christ begins.  Specifically, Paul explained in the second half of the chapter that exercising rights to compensation would not only “hinder” the gospel, but also be a financial “burden” on the church.

So examining Paul’s words and actions on this issue in full context, it seems obvious that Paul wanted no part of anything that could be viewed as personal gain, including the exercising of his personal rights that could possibly harm the gospel message and be a financial burden on the church. 

And for those who point to 1 Corinthians 9:14 and say, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel,” the word “commanded” is also translated, “directed” in most prominent translations. Not to mention that if the Lord did in fact command such ones to e compensated, then the man He personally ordained as an Apostle and minister of the gospel – Paul – decided to make the Lord’s command just an option?   It couldn’t be sensibly argued that this is the case. Paul would never “add to or subtract” from the Lord’s commands.

The bottom line is this: If a preacher quotes 1 Corinthians 9:14 as a way to justify that the people he ministers to should pay his salary, he is using 1 Corinthians 9:14 in exactly the opposite way that Paul was using it.  Paul writes 1 Corinthians 9:14 in the context of explaining why he does not take money from the people he serves. The Apostle Paul chose to pass on his right or power to accept [exert pressure] a regular financial living from the gospel so as not to hinder the gospel. This view is simply not taught today in most Christian circles. 

Not to be missed, verse 18 also shows that Paul infers that those who collects money as a preaching minister as being those who CHARGE for the gospel. 

Think back to a time when your preacher or congregation leadership offered a fair and balanced discussion on the entire chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians?  Can’t remember? Probably because its never happen, and you have only heard the passages sited which support the view that its a congregations commanded duty to pay a preacher.

Preaching has become a lucrative profession for many who have the skills to perform in this role.  Many are either poorly qualified, falling prey to greed or quickly ensnared by the dependence that comes from “secular-like” compensation packages, that ultimately strain church finances and focus more on the “man’s needs” than the gospel.

Does paying a preacher really impeed the gospel?  Some would argue that without a preacher the gospel will suffer in a local community.  Who will preach and teach?  Others would say that the resources used to compensate a preacher would be better spent in outward evangelism which would increase the spreading of the Word.  Its pretty hard to make an argument that would discredit the use of financial resources more completely in preaching the gospel (Acts1:8).  After all, every Christian is to be preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gospel knows no boundaries... to the ends of the earth we are to go.  

Sadly, most of us don’t do that at all or not very well, because we have abdicated that Biblical command (Matthew 28:19-20) to a paid preacher.  Christians have made it evangelism by proxy.

Next time... So if salaried compensation is not commanded for a preacher, what should we do to help them?

Thoughts on a Fractured Society & Culture

A world view is a set of presuppositions and beliefs that someone uses to interpret and form opinions about his humanity, purpose in life, duties in the world, responsibilities to family, interpretation of truth, social issues, and so on.  A Christian should view all these things, and more, guided by the light that is provided by the Bible.

The Bible has much to say about the nature of man, the world, purpose, truth, morality, etc., and so does the world. More often than not, the secular world view is in conflict with the biblical world view.  For example: Where the world asserts that man evolved, the Bible says he was created and ultimately responsible to God.  Where the world says that morals are relative, the Bible says they are absolute.  Where the world says that there is no need of salvation and redemption, the Bible clearly states that all people are in need of deliverance from their sin.  The contrast is obvious and profound.  Both cannot be true.

The secular world exalts man to the apex of evolutionary development, the sovereign over all he dominates, though only another animal.  God is relegated to the belief systems of the uneducated and superstitious.  Such opposing views will clash.

The fruit of the secular world view can be seen all around us.  As we observe society, it is evident that not all is well.  Television has degenerated into a bordello of violence, soft-pornography, anti-family sit-coms, commercials that appeal to immediate gratification, and senseless children's cartoons that are full of violence, occultism, and disobedience to parents.  It often portrays religious people as insecure, ignorant, inflexible and bigoted.

The News is extremely biased and when covering areas where religious and secular morals collide, it uniformly presents information with loaded words.  Instead of "pro-life" we hear "anti-abortion rights."  Instead of "conservative" it is "right wing fundamentalist."  Other words are used such as "Bible thumpers," "censorship," "intolerance," "bigoted," and worse.  God fearing people, Christians, are thought to be weak minded, easily duped and confused.

"According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the average TV watcher sees 14,000 references to sex and the average child "watches 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence by the end of elementary school."  Not my grandchildren, they see none of it.

Illegitimacy is on the rise . In 1970 babies born out of wedlock were 10% of all births.  By 1991, it was 30%, by 2012, the latest analyzed data, nearly 41%.  Rape is increasing as is violent crime, venereal disease, drug usage, and prison populations.  States are moving towards legalization of certain drugs in pursuit of tax revenue windfalls.  At what cost to the population?

In many American schools the New Age and the Occult are being promoted through subtle programs and “open-minded” textbooks.  Some programs have students being taught that they alone are the ones who should decide if drug use is good or bad.  Many school textbooks teach anti-family values, promote homosexuality, teach moral relativism, encourage sexual conduct, and, of course, promote evolution as a fact. In addition, they condemn the notion of a Christian God even being mentioned. Consider the following examples:

1) "When 10-year old Raymond Raines bowed his head and silently said grace over lunch in a St. Louis public school cafeteria, he was placed in detention for a week and told that he must eat in a room by himself if he continued to pray."

2) "When 30 Texas high school students gathered to pray at the flagpole before school one morning, the principal politely told them not only to leave, but to pray out of sight."

3) "In Illinois, a high school principal sent police to break up a similar prayer group.  Two students were arrested."

Obviously, America (and the world) is in desperate need of the life changing gospel of Jesus.

Is the gospel is progressing in America?  No doubt its being preached and taught by faithful adherents to Christianity.  Depending on the source of statistics, there are more Christians in the world now than ever before.  That is true, since much of the developing world has responded to the gospel.   In the 1700's less than 20% of the American population went to church, it peaked in the last century and has falled to not much more than 37% who say they attend church with some regularity.  Not much change in 300 plus years. 

More people have heard the gospel than ever before, and Bibles are produced en masse and being sent to nations all over the world with unprecedented reception.  The Gospel is preached on Television and Radio. Millions are coming to Christ in third world countries and a new Christian awakening is working its way through Russia and Africa with China becoming the new Christian frontier.  But not much in America, or Europe.

Nevertheless, the Christian community has a great deal of work left to accomplish.  To fully carry out the mandate of winning the world for Christ, Christians must adopt a biblical world view in all aspects of life and present to the world, biblical perspectives on every niche of our existence.  This includes everything: education, medicine, the arts, politics, science, contemporary issues, ethics, and more.

To God be the glory, and tell someone how Christ has changed your life!

What Goes Around, Comes Around... Karma, Right?

"What goes around comes around" or "as you sow, so shall you reap" is the basic understanding of how karma, the law of cause and effect, works. The word karma literally means "activity." Karma can be divided up into a few simple categories -- good, bad, individual and collective. Depending on one's actions, one will reap the fruits of those actions. The fruits may be sweet or sour, depending on the nature of the actions performed. Fruits can also be reaped in a collective manner if a group of people together perform a certain activity or activities.

Everything we say and do determines what's going to happen to us in the future. Whether we act honestly, dishonestly, help or hurt others, it all gets recorded and manifests as a karmic reaction either in this life or a future life. All karmic records are carried with the soul into the next life and body.

Karma is a popular concept these days. It finds it origins in eastern mystical religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, and are an essential part of how adherents of those eastern religions live their lives.  Dictionary defines karma as “the totality of a person’s actions in any one of the successive stages of that person’s existence, as for determining the fate of the next stage.”  So, one has to accept that karma is the cornerstone of the concept of reincarnation.

In other words, how you behave in this incarnation determines your state of life in the next incarnation. People who believe in karma won’t do certain things in this life because they fear they will have to pay for them in the life to come; by the same token, they do certain things in this life thinking they will be rewarded for them in their next incarnation.  After all who wants to comeback as a cockroach?

Many Christians think the Bible teaches karma, but it doesn’t. However, the belief in karma is basically a distortion of a biblical principle that we see taught throughout Scripture: What you do comes back to you. In other words, you reap in this life what you sow in this life.  And it teaches that what you do comes back to you in terms of your prospects for eternal life. In other words, you reap in eternity what you sow in this life.  

Life here and now, until the day you die or Christ returns, is about choices, actions and the ensuing CONSEQUENCES of what we do in this life.

Here’s what the Bible says with regard to our life... Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  Galatians 6:7

Does that sound like karma?  One could certainly argue that it does, that “reaping what you sow” could have repetitive long-running consequences. However, the Bible teaches that you live and die once, and after that comes “your” judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There are no successive incarnations as one journeys toward Nirvana [no such thing or condition] you have one life to live, and we all must make the most of it.

If you do right you will be paid for doing right; if you do wrong you will be paid for doing wrong.  Simply stated as “consequences” are the wages we receive for the crops we sow and harvest. This is a rule to live by—a principle to build our lives on. If we believe this principle, and live accordingly, then our lives will reflect the results.

So, what is the difference between karma and what Scripture teaches? The Bible teaches that what we do in this life comes back to you in this life. There is no future reincarnated life. There is no carry-forward, no future manipulation or cascading consequences piled on us from previous mistakes and bad choices as the faulty concept of karma would suggest.

If you do right, you will be paid for doing right; if you do wrong, you will be paid for doing wrong. If we believe this principle, and live accordingly, then our lives will reflect the results. In Colossians 3, Paul highlights three areas where we can see this principle at work in our lives. 

First,  What you do, comes back to you in your personal life.  Paul the Apostle speaks to this point in the context of ones immediate family.  Here’s what he says in Colossians 3:18–21... Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Paul begins this passage by saying something that has become quite controversial in recent years: “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

Today, Paul’s words are politically incorrect. The truth is, they were politically incorrect in his day as well, but for a completely different reason. In Paul’s day women were considered possessions. They were, quite frankly, expendable. When a man died, his inheritance went to his son, not his wife.  A man could have as many wives as he wished, but a woman could have only one husband. A man could divorce his wife for any reason at all, but a woman could not initiate a divorce from her husband. Women weren’t allowed to hold political office or pursue a career. They were, in pagan Roman society, second-class citizens. A slave could be given his freedom and eventually become a Roman citizen with full rights of citizenship, but a woman could not.

Then, along came Christianity, and the role and status of women in society changed. Christianity offered a radical view of humanity.  Christianity’s influence made a positive difference for women in the first century. 

That said... Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands, but goes on to admonish men when he says, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” He then tells children to “obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” And to fathers he says, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

In other words, our relationships should be defined by two things: 1) We should act with integrity toward others; and 2) We should treat others with respect. Failure to do this results in sour relationships, because what you do comes back to you. A wife who sows strife with her husband reaps a rocky marriage. A husband who is harsh and unloving toward his wife finds himself in a desperately unhappy situation. Children who disobey their parents become unhappy, and fathers who embitter their children eventually discover that their children don’t want to be around them.

The way you treat others impacts the relationships you have with them. If your relationship is defined by love and encouragement, it will prosper. If it is defined by anger and disapproval, it will fall apart at the seams.

The second point Paul made... What you do comes back to you in your work life. Here’s what he says in Colossians 3:22–24...  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

If you take out the word slave and insert the word employee, you will discover all you need to know about being a good employee in today’s complex and competitive economy: Do your job well even when no one is watching.

Paul isn’t saying, “Work hard to impress your boss.” He’s saying, “Work hard, even when your boss isn’t looking.” Verse 24 tells us who is watching our actions and attitudes in the workplace... Christ.

On the other side of the coin, Paul issues a challenge to masters (or employers) in Colossians 4:1 when he says... Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Whether you are a “master” or a “slave,” your approach to your job should be characterized by two things: 1) Do your job with integrity regardless of who is watching; and 2) Treat the people who work with you, for you, or above you with the respect they deserve.

Read how Paul summarizes the proper work ethic in verse 23: “Work with all your heart, as [if] working for the Lord.” Even if your boss doesn’t have the sense to give you the reward you deserve, God does and will in due time.

Paul’s final point... What you do comes back to you in your spiritual life.  Colossians 3:25 says... Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.  You cannot sin and get away with it. There will be a day of reckoning. Some may say, “Wait a minute. What about forgiveness? What about grace? What about mercy?”

When we ask God for forgiveness, he forgives us—without fail. The Bible is clear on that matter (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:2). But don’t mistake escaping the penalty of sin with escaping the results of sin. That’s those PESKY CONSEQUENCES none of us want to own up to. Sin brings about its own punishment, and the results of sin cannot be avoided.

For example, if you cheat on your income tax, God will forgive you when you come to him in repentance. However, you’ll still have to deal with the IRS. If you cheat on your spouse, God will forgive you for breaking his law, but you still have to deal with the effect your infidelity has on your marriage. If you neglect your children and abdicate your responsibility as a parent, God will forgive you, but you still have to deal with the damage your actions have caused.

This is not God’s way of getting even; it’s simply the way the world works. Your actions have consequences. If you do right, you will be paid for doing right. If you do wrong, you will be paid for doing wrong. What you do comes back to you, what goes around, comes around... like the proverbial boomerang!

Depending on how you live and the choices you typically make for your life and relationships, you may consider this principle a promise, or you may consider it a threat. 

If your life is devoted to doing good, you can rest assured in God’s promise to reward you with an inheritance. On the other hand, if you are [willfully] doing things that could come back to haunt you, then change your attitude. Stop doing what you’re doing. 

Today, you can begin to make things right. What you do will come back to you; so today, if you begin to do right, God can begin to bless you. Don’t let fear hold you back. 

Instead of thinking of this principle as a threat, see it for what God intends it to be: a promise of a good life on earth and an even better life to come. God wants to fill your life with good things. Make it possible for him to do that. Make a commitment to do good in every area of your life.  

"Christian Youth" leaving the Church in Alarming Numbers???

3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church

By Jon Nielson

“What do we do about our kids?” The group of parents sat together in my office, wiping their eyes. I’m a high school pastor, but for once, they weren’t talking about 16-year-olds drinking and partying. Each had a story to tell about a “good Christian” child, raised in their home and in our church, who had walked away from the faith during the college years. These children had come through our church’s youth program, gone on short-term mission trips and served in several different ministries during their teenage years. Now they didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. And, somehow, these mothers’ ideas for our church to send college students “care packages” during their freshman year to help them feel connected to the church didn’t strike me as a solution with quite enough depth.

The daunting statistics about churchgoing youth keep rolling in. Panic ensues. What are we doing wrong in our churches? In our youth ministries?

It’s hard to sort through the various reports and find the real story. And there is no one easy solution for bringing all of those “lost” kids back into the church, other than continuing to pray for them and speaking the gospel into their lives. However, we can all look at the 20-somethings in our churches who are engaged and involved in ministry. What is it that sets apart the kids who stay in the church? Here are just a few observations I have made about such kids, with a few applications for those of us serving in youth ministry.

1. They are converted.

The Apostle Paul, interestingly enough, doesn’t use phrases like “nominal Christian” or “pretty good kid.” The Bible doesn’t seem to mess around with platitudes like: “Yeah, it’s a shame he did that, but he’s got a good heart.” When we listen to the witness of Scripture, particularly on the topic of conversion, we find that there is very little wiggle room. Listen to these words: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) We youth pastors need to get back to understanding salvation as what it really is: a miracle that comes from the glorious power of God through the working of the Holy Spirit.

We need to stop talking about “good kids.” We need to stop being pleased with attendance at youth group and fun retreats. We need to start getting on our knees and praying that the Holy Spirit will do miraculous saving work in the hearts of our students as the Word of God speaks to them. In short, we need to get back to a focus on conversion. How many of us are preaching to “unconverted evangelicals”? Youth pastors, we need to preach, teach and talk—all the while praying fervently for the miraculous work of regeneration to occur in the hearts and souls of our students by the power of the Holy Spirit! When that happens—when the “old goes” and the “new comes”—it will not be iffy. We will not be dealing with a group of “nominal Christians.” We will be ready to teach, disciple and equip a generation of future church leaders—“new creations”!—who are hungry to know and speak God’s Word. It is converted students who go on to love Jesus and serve the church.

2. They have been equipped, not entertained.

Recently, we had “man day” with some of the guys in our youth group. We began with an hour of basketball at the local park, moved to an intense game of 16” (“Chicago Style”) softball, and finished the afternoon by gorging ourselves on meaty pizzas and 2-liters of soda. I am not against fun (or gross, depending on your opinion of the afternoon I just described) things in youth ministry. But youth pastors especially need to keep repeating the words of Ephesians 4:11-12 to themselves: “[Christ] gave … the teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Christ gives us—teachers—to the church, not for entertainment, encouragement, examples or even friendship primarily. He gives us to the church to “equip” the saints to do gospel ministry in order that the church of Christ may be built up.

If I have not equipped the students in my ministry to share the gospel, disciple a younger believer and lead a Bible study, then I have not fulfilled my calling to them, no matter how good my sermons have been. We pray for conversion; that is all we can do, for it is entirely a gracious gift of God. But after conversion, it is our Christ-given duty to help fan into flame a faith that serves, leads, teaches and grows. If our students leave high school without Bible-reading habits, Bible-study skills, and strong examples of discipleship and prayer, we have lost them. We have entertained, not equipped, them … and it may indeed be time to panic!

Forget your youth programs for a second. Are we sending out from our ministries the kind of students who will show up to college in a different state, join a church and begin doing the work of gospel ministry there without ever being asked? Are we equipping them to that end, or are we merely giving them a good time while they’re with us? We don’t need youth group junkies; we need to be growing churchmen and churchwomen who are equipped to teach, lead and serve. Put your youth ministry strategies aside as you look at that 16-year-old young man and ask: “How can I spend four years with this kid, helping him become the best church deacon and sixth-grade Sunday school class teacher he can be, 10 years down the road?”

3. Their parents preached the gospel to them.

As a youth pastor, I can’t do all this. All this equipping that I’m talking about is utterly beyond my limited capabilities. It is impossible for me to bring conversion, of course, but it is also impossible for me to have an equipping ministry that sends out vibrant churchmen and churchwomen if my ministry is not being reinforced tenfold in the students’ homes. The common thread that binds together almost every ministry-minded 20-something that I know is abundantly clear: a home where the gospel was not peripheral but absolutely central. The 20-somethings who are serving, leading and driving the ministries at our church were kids whose parents made them go to church. They are kids whose parents punished them and held them accountable when they were rebellious. They are kids whose parents read the Bible around the dinner table every night. And they are kids whose parents were tough but who ultimately operated from a framework of grace that held up the cross of Jesus as the basis for peace with God and forgiveness toward one another.

This is not a formula! Kids from wonderful gospel-centered homes leave the church; people from messed-up family backgrounds find eternal life in Jesus and have beautiful marriages and families. But it’s also not a crapshoot. In general, children who are led in their faith during their growing-up years by parents who love Jesus vibrantly, serve their church actively and saturate their home with the gospel completely, grow up to love Jesus and the church. The words of Proverbs 22:6 do not constitute a formula that is true 100 percent of the time, but they do provide us with a principle that comes from the gracious plan of God, the God who delights to see his gracious Word passed from generation to generation: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Youth pastors, pray with all your might for true conversion; that is God’s work. Equip the saints for the work of the ministry; that is your work. Parents, preach the gospel and live the gospel for your children; our work depends on you.

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Jon Nielson is the college pastor at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Jon is currently working toward his Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has authored two books: Bible Study: A Student’s Guide (P&R, 2013) and The Story: The Bible’s Grand Narrative of Redemption (P&R, 2014).

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WHEN PEOPLE RUB YOU THE WRONG WAY

Much of the Christian life comes down to how well we get along with other people. Scripture makes it plain that God places tremendous value on unity, which Paul the Apostle stressed repeatedly throughout his letters to all congregations from Galatia to Colossae. It goes without saying.. the ability to get along with others requires a great deal of effort. 

Our natural tendency is not to get along—even when things are going well. As we go through life, some people will rub us the wrong way.  It should be no surprise to anyone, there will be times when you yourself find that YOU rub someone else the wrong way.  Its a two-way street.

There are 22 "one-anothering" verses in the New Testament,  essentially these passages admonish every Christian to work at getting along with other Christians.  They are in fact the foundation for most of what Christ is trying to teach us. 

We accept Biblical truths, we commit our lives to him, we die to our former self in baptism and rise to a new life.  That's where the journey with other Christians begins.   What happens?  We come face-to-face with all the sordid baggage, temptations and unsavory tendencies we all have – pride, arrogance, the need to feel and be important to name but a few.    It's a tall order to live in peace in Christian community when faced with this person and that person we don't much care for.   Our prejudices toward one another boil over in anger, bitterness and all forms of resentments.   

Often, our ungodly tendencies are enflamed by deep anxieties that seem beyond our control.  In frustration we lash out at the first person available, usually the person front and center.... like the preacher or one of the pastors.  They are such easy targets to attack.... everything they say and do is under constant unrelenting scrutiny.  There seems no end to the criticism leveled against these hard working servants of a congregation.  We get embroiled in unfortunate situations that quickly spins out of control and we end up hurting someone or being wounded ourselves by a fellow Christian.

Christ knew we would suffer from these destructive situations.  Therefore, He provided a strategy based on accepting each other as we are and learning to love one another without conditions.  Easy?  Absolutely not... its one of the hardest things you will ever do in life.  Can you do it?  You absolutely can. God has given us the counsel... we just have to be humble enough to apply it to ourselves.

There are FOUR attitudes that can make living together in Christian Community bearable...

First, we as Christians should always take the high road.

Colossians 3:12 says this... Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

Paul reminds us that we are God’s chosen people, dearly loved and expected to live holy lives. This is our identity, and it should determine how we act. When we relate to other people, we should say to ourselves, “I don’t know where this person is spiritually, but I want my attitudes and actions to reflect Christ.” If others want to stir up trouble, that’s their choice. We should always take the high road to solving the conflict instead of getting even.  Taking the high road is a lot easier to do when we remember that we’re not perfect. Everyone made mistakes.  You know what it’s like to need forgiveness. 

Colossians 3:13 says this...  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Does that not suggest genuine sincere humility? That’s what it means to take the high road. Show others the same mercy you have been shown by Christ. Does this mean we sweep conflict under the rug and never deal with it? Of course not. It means that we don’t resort to anger and hostility toward those who don’t agree with us. WE are God’s people and our actions must show it.

Another important attitude concerns how we respond to others. Our actions are always more important than our feelings.

Colossians 3:12 said, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  Paul used the phrase “clothe yourselves” because sometimes you have to cover your feelings by “putting on” the right behavior. Your feelings may be sending you in one direction, but you can “clothe yourself” with attitudes and behavior that move you in the right direction.

Never forget the power of Satan to cloud and confuse our reality.  We’ve been lied to about our feelings. We’ve been told that if we feel something it must be real, and that we should get our feelings out in the open so that we can deal with them.  That’s not the best course of action and almost always causes conflict.  Hostile, angry, mean, resentful words towards someone is not going to make you or them a better person, and it won’t improve your relationship. Just because you feel something doesn’t mean you have to say it, and don’t let your feelings control your actions.

Paul said, “Put on compassion, kindness, ... gentleness.” You may not feel these things, but you can “put them on”—at least temporarily. If you feel dislike for another person and show them kindness, you’re not being hypocritical, you’re being holy.

The Bible never tells us that we will be judged according to our feelings. It says we are judged according to our actions. You can’t always control the way you feel, but you can control the way you dress. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

A third attitude of great importance is how you evaluate your actions and feelings.  Do you filter virtually everything through Christ?  Do you include Christ in every conversation,  every response to others?

If you’re having a problem with someone and angry words are about to explode out of you, ask yourself, “What would Jesus say right now about this situation?”  or even better... “What would Jesus say about the person you are having difficulty with?”  You may not always know what Jesus would say in a situation, but you’ll almost always know what he wouldn’t say! 

Gossip is a killer of relationships and unity.  The definition of gossip is saying something negative about someone who isn’t present to defend themselves. Even if it’s true, even if the person deserves it, even if it is presented in the form of a private prayer request—it’s gossip. Its destructive and its sin!  We need to make sure our conversation is filled with words that lift people up instead of tearing them down. 

Colossians 3:14–16 says this... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  Paul is saying, “Include Christ in everything, think about your attitude with Godly considerations and react to others as Christ would react.”

Displaying and reacting in a peaceable manner may make you think our conversations will become nothing but fluff, and we sweep all conflict under the rug. Not so. It does however mean that when we have conflict, we should discuss it with no one but the person involved. Otherwise, we keep quiet.

Finally, all Christians should desire peace and unity.  Our primary concern must be that of pursue personal peace. The key to developing peace in our relationships is to develop peace within ourselves first. 

Gossips and Critics of others are not happy, nor are they full of the joy of the Lord. People who constantly stir up tension in relationships do it because they have no peace within themselves; and people who have peace have no desire to stir things up. 

Colossians 3:17 says simply... And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

If you have not personally experienced the peace of God,  then it’s no wonder your relationships are rocky. You can’t give to someone else what you don’t have. 

Paul also reminds us that peace is the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). If other people frequently disappoint you ... if your children get on your nerves all the time... if you notice when other people don’t do things the way you think they should, and don’t live up to your expectations... maybe the source of the problem can be traced to the fact that you aren’t experiencing the peace of God in your life – The HOLY SPIRIT is NOT active!  Once you experience God’s peace, you will lose all interest in conflict, you will lose any desire to be judgmental, and you will lose the tendency to be on edge.

Getting along with others may not always be easy, but it’s possible. It happens when you make the effort. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, and you will be less likely to be rubbed the wrong way.  Of course, you still might rub others the wrong way—even without trying. When that happens, [1] take the high road, remember that [2] your actions are more important than your feelings, [3] include Christ in every conversation, and [4] let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.