Comments on: Do We Do What We Say? http://blog.ministrygrowers.com/2008/10/27/do-we-do-what-we-say/ Plowing the Soil for Pastors to Plant the Seeds Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:57:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Steven Kippel http://blog.ministrygrowers.com/2008/10/27/do-we-do-what-we-say/#comment-2852 Steven Kippel Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:51:17 +0000 http://blog.ministrygrowers.com/?p=678#comment-2852 I don't think you can replace "Jew" with "Christian" faithfully. But it can still be a challenging passage for hypocrites like me. The overall message Paul is bringing across here is mercy and God's work of righteousness in sinners. I'm in California. Coming up to this election I hear a lot about Prop 8 in every church I go to (traveling worship band) with bumper stickers and yard signs galore. (Prop 8 would ban same-sex marriage.) It had me thinking of this exact verse, especially since it follows the only New Testament passage talking about homosexuality. I have been thinking about what the world sees. They see us condemning a specific sin. Us. The Church full of porn addicts, divorcees, gossips, slanderers, lovers of violence, and many other sins. They see hypocrisy. And Christ said to look into the plank in your own eye. Maybe we should focus on fixing our problems, and bringing the sinners into the Church where they can find the same forgiveness we have found. Clearly the Church has been charged with the task of evangelizing and discipling sinners, not condemning the world. I don’t think you can replace “Jew” with “Christian” faithfully. But it can still be a challenging passage for hypocrites like me. The overall message Paul is bringing across here is mercy and God’s work of righteousness in sinners.

I’m in California. Coming up to this election I hear a lot about Prop 8 in every church I go to (traveling worship band) with bumper stickers and yard signs galore. (Prop 8 would ban same-sex marriage.) It had me thinking of this exact verse, especially since it follows the only New Testament passage talking about homosexuality. I have been thinking about what the world sees. They see us condemning a specific sin. Us. The Church full of porn addicts, divorcees, gossips, slanderers, lovers of violence, and many other sins. They see hypocrisy.

And Christ said to look into the plank in your own eye. Maybe we should focus on fixing our problems, and bringing the sinners into the Church where they can find the same forgiveness we have found. Clearly the Church has been charged with the task of evangelizing and discipling sinners, not condemning the world.

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