Is Your Church Butt Naked? Question: Do any of your remember Dana Garvey s somewhat famous church lady from the 1980s and 90s? For those of you too young to remember, I ll have a link in the show notes, but for those who do remember, would you like to hazard a guess how he came up with that character? Dana grew up Lutheran, and his family would miss a few church services from time to time. When they did, there were a few older women who would find a way to make a judgmental remark like, I guess some people come to church when it is convenient. That made an impression on his young life that made him famous. By and large, when unchurched people are asked what they think the church is all about, they nearly always say it is a place where hypocrites go or a place where people judge everyone outside. Do you suppose that is true? Are we raising a new generation of selfrighteous believers? There can be any number of reasons new people seldom darken the door of your church, and we have addressed a few in the past hundred or so podcasts. One we have not touched on until now is the culture of your congregation. Is your church an inviting place? I don t mean do you have greeters? That is great. Do you have coffee and donuts or small groups? All good. What I am getting at, is, do people coming through your doors sense that they are immediately accepted? Now, before you answer, I don t mean people who look like you. The vast majority of churches throughout the world are largely comprised of people in similar economic, racial and age groups. When people who are significantly different than your average church member take a chance and come to your service, are they genuinely
welcomed and appreciated the same way those who look and act like the majority of your members are? In Genesis, we read a very curious story about Noah. After the flood, Noah and his family began to repopulate the world. Scripture tells us in Genesis --- that Noah planted a vineyard, and over time he harvested grapes. Noah used his knowledge to create wine and got rip-roaring drunk. He was so plastered that he fell in his tent butt naked. The Bible says that his son Ham came in the tent and started to laugh at how ridiculous his father looked. He went outside and called his two brothers to join in the mockery. Instead, his two brothers took a blanket of sorts, and walking backward, refused to look at their father s derriere. Instead, they covered him and went about their business. Later, Noah awoke with a hangover and proclaimed a curse over his son Ham and his children. His reaction seemed pretty harsh, and it was, but God is speaking through this event to pastors thousands of years later if they are willing to listen. I suggest to you that this event in Genesis holds the key to why churches flourish or die today. Let s review the situation here in Genesis. Noah is God s chosen spiritual leader. He is fall-down drunk. He has disgraced and humiliated himself. Was this God s will for his life? Of course not. Throughout this account, however, we don t read of a single instance where God pronounced judgment over Noah even though he was clearly in sin. The main focus is the severe judgment of Ham for mocking Noah s sin. Let that sink in for a moment. If you were to characterize the people in your church, would you put them in the Shem and Japheth camp or the Ham camp? Are people pretty happy
with attending a nice church where everyone is like them, or do they genuinely carry a burden for lost people? If social media is any indicator, most Christians have become better at judging the unchurched than reaching them. So many use social media to condemn abortion, sexual sin, politicians, and the bad habits of people caught in sin. They think they are taking a stand against unrighteousness, but are they really any different than the Pharisees of old? We all know the following story. Religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus for one purpose: to pronounce judgment. I have always wondered how they actually discovered this woman in the act of adultery, but that is obviously another story. They throw her down in front of Jesus and are already armed with stones to execute her. They only want to know if Jesus will join the party. We all know the ending. He that is without sin should first cast a stone a stone at her. Everyone drops their rocks and leaves the scene until only Jesus and the woman caught in adultery remain. Jesus asks, Where are your accusers? None, she replies. Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. Catch that. Jesus did not endorse adultery, but he did not point out her nakedness. Like Shem and Japheth, he turned his back and covered her nakedness. One reason many churches plateau and then decline is that the members become very satisfied with their lives and look down on people who are not like them. Now if you asked them if they do that, of course, they would deny it vehemently, but listen to their conversations. They speak about people they know outside of the church as if they are unreachable. They excuse themselves by saying, Well, that person is living with her boyfriend. That person is a drug addict or homosexual or someone who only goes to church at Christmas or Easter.
We walk a fine line as Christian leaders. We are called to set a standard for righteousness, yet be a welcoming church for those caught in the deceitfulness of sin. All too often, churches pick a side. Either they become judgmental and exclusive, or they become open and affirming, unwilling to offend anyone. Is there a balance that is pleasing to Christ? What do you do for example with a couple that comes to you who claim to be Christians, and yet are sleeping together without the benefit of marriage and see nothing wrong with it? Often, as leaders, we are put in a position to either pick up a stone and make a judgment or minimize the importance of that person getting right with God. Perhaps we have taken the wrong approach. What if the same couple came to us and told us; we enjoy this church. How can we get more involved? Rather than saying, repent of your fornication you filthy sinner, why not say, that would be great. I want to help you get more involved here, but more importantly, to develop a closer relationship with Jesus. Could you do me a favor? Would you mind doing a small assignment for me and then lets meet next week. The assignment might be several scriptures talking about marriage, or a book you can recommend speaking about proper relationships. The point would be for that couple to discover for themselves what scripture calls them to do. We re often caught in a bind when people come to us and legitimately want to get more involved in our church but manifest a lifestyle or practice that we know is at odds with God s word. Rather than confront them straight up; why not ask them to do an assignment and then discuss what they found. When I think about Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, he did not endorse or excuse her sin. He valued her as a person and called her to live differently. He had every right to pick up a stone and finish the job, but didn t.
Our members need to become people that welcome sinners without judgment and serve them without restraint, yet point them in a better way. An old friend of mine pastored a church here in town many years ago. His church was always growing, and it surprised me. He wasn t a great preacher, teacher or speaker. Conflicts would develop from time to time that split his church down the middle with various factions leaving. However, within a few weeks, his church would fill up with new people, excited to serve the Lord. I could never figure it out until I got to know him better and watch him in action. What I noticed is that his church was genuinely open and affirming in the right way. The people in his church weren t comprised mostly of successful or beautiful people. Several were extremely overweight; others not particularly attractive for one reason or another, but that did not matter to this pastor. He celebrated everyone who came through the door and made them believe they could do anything by trusting in the Lord. He became a real example for me. Whenever you came to his church, no one judged you based on your clothes or looks or race or sin. He preached a balanced message and filled the altars nearly every Sunday with people repenting of their sins and giving their hearts to Christ. The church developed a culture of loving people sight unseen. Ham brought a curse not only on himself but his children by choosing to mock the weaknesses and sins he saw in others. In effect, he looked at himself as righteous and his father as a joke. I believe this attitude is something God despises. That is a key reason he was so harsh with the Pharisees and scribes. They considered themselves righteous, and he said they were blind leaders of the blind. Is your church butt naked in its attitude and approach to the community you serve? Is it the last place most unchurched people would think of going because they know they would not fit in? Does everyone in your church
look the same, act the same and basically fit one race of people? If so, something needs to change, wouldn t you say? As a leader, what can you do to influence the culture of your church to reflect Christlikeness? It feels like a bit of a cop-out to say this, but probably the most powerful way to influence your congregation is in your own behavior. Paul told his protégé Timothy 4:12 to be an example to the flock in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. No pressure, right? When he urges Timothy to study to show himself approved, it is not all about getting his doctrine perfect, but making certain his character reflects the fruits of the spirit. Some practical ways for leaders to do this are to serve people in small ways, make heroes of those no one notices and always demonstrate the behavior you want to see in others. One leader recently told me he disqualified a potential leader in his church as they approached the front door of their building. On the walkway was a piece of paper that someone either dropped or had blown in from the street. He watched as this leader just walked on top of the paper and went into the sanctuary. Right then he knew this person was not ready to serve. Leaders pick up trash. Leaders notice newcomers to the church and stop talking to their friends so they can serve. Leaders think about other people. I don t mean to preach at you. I realize you know these things. The late David Wilkerson, who built a church in NYC and authored the book, Cross and the Switchblade became famous on a worldwide scale. One reporter waited in line to speak to him and noticed a wealthy socialite waiting in line in front of him. All the while, David was speaking with a homeless man and spent 15 or so minutes with him until he was finished. He did not make time for the wealthy socialite even though his church needed financial support. He focused on what God called him to do which was to preach the gospel and reach the hurting.
If people have lost their vision of what it means to serve Christ, they will gossip and judge other people. When any Christian finds the nakedness of someone in sin amusing, they unwittingly bring a curse on their own lives. We need to raise up humble people who cover those in sin understanding that they could one day be the one in need. As always, I end each podcast with a quote especially for you. This one is from a man we call, St. Augustine who said, It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Do you enjoy the podcast? Would you help me by sharing a quick, honest review on itunes? This goes a long way to helping us get the word out. Thanks!