Matt Chandler with a word:
I wanna acknowledge church-hurt betrayal is a real thing, but that is the most self-righteous pronouncement [for leaving Jesus] I think a person can say.
Are you serious?
Like, the disciples don’t bail on Jesus because of Judas. They got their eyes on Jesus. They’re blown away by Jesus. They’re not looking around going, “Oh man, all these people were following him, and look at, they’re inconsistent.”
You’re inconsistent. I’m inconsistent. This is the only community there is that celebrates the fact that we’re all in process.
Like, nobody’s there yet. Like to demand that you get grace and nobody else does is self righteousness. And to punt on Jesus, because some Christian you know isn’t up to your standards, is a dangerous place to stand before a living God. . . .
It’s one of those kind of generational moments where everywhere you look somebody’s dogging the church.
Gosh, she’s always been a mess. Church has always been a mess. They’re just social media now.
But accountability isn’t abuse and calling people to holiness isn’t controlling. It’s the Book. We’re losing a ton of people that are looking at the brokenness of the church like it’s brand new. No, gosh. Would you feel comfortable her if it wasn’t?
I’m not talking about toxic, abusive wickedness. There is something like that that needs to be exposed and people need to be removed and people, but man, I mean, I’ve been president of Acts29 for over a decade, man. It’s like 700 guys. They love Jesus. And then they’re doing the best they can. They’re not in this for money or power, just trying to love God’s people, and the sheep bite, man. But we don’t, we don’t talk about that. “The sheep don’t bite. They’re all just, you know, abused by power hungry people.” It’s ridiculous.
I would also recommend this video from John Piper, where a pastor asks him how he would respond to those who are tempted to give up on the church due to the failings of pastors like Mark Driscoll.
Piper makes five main points:
- We are not in a unique situation: historically, and today, we are letting Jesus down regularly.
- From a biblical perspective, God has historically been willing to use people to speak gospel truths who have motives and attitudes that are defective.
- Don’t throw out the baby of truth with the bathwater of sin. To walk away from Jesus because Jesus’s representatives are failures is to make an absurd choice. It would mean walking away from the one hope of your life.
- God must be the kind of general over his army that willingly accepts tactical defeats for strategic victories.
- If you say you love Jesus but you are giving up on the church, you are not following Jesus.
