Unchristian

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” —Brennan Manning

Text: When Christians Get It Wrong, by Adam Hamilton. Chapter 1: When Christians Are Unchristian

Setting: Our life.

Focus: The ways in which we sometimes fall short of the love that Christ commands us to share, and the resulting pride, arrogance, selfishness and judgmental attitude that negatively affects our witness to others.

Based Upon a Survey of nearly 1,300 young adults who are current or former churchgoers…

87% felt Christians were judgmental
85% felt Christians were hypocritical
75% felt Christians were too political
70% thought Christians were insensitive

Discussion Point: How do you feel about the findings of the study mentioned above? Can you give some examples?

What Should Christians Avoid?

Do not advertise your faith: Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18, Matthew 23:1-6

Do not focus on the sins of others: Matthew 7:1-5

Do not be judgmental: Luke 6:37, 43-45

Do not focus on rules in the absence of love: Luke 11:37-42

“It is so easy to do the right things for all the wrong reasons. It is so easy to point out the sins of others while ignoring our own. Most of us are experts at ‘majoring in the minors.’” – Adam Hamilton

“WHEN CHRISTIANS are judgmental, hypocritical, insensitive, and mean-spirited, they are acting in ways that are unchristian.” – Adam Hamilton

How Do Christians Get It Right?

Matthew 22:36-40 - “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Galatians 5:13-25 - You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1 Corinthians 13 – Read this every chance you get!

Discussion Point: John 13:35 – “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  How can we live this out in our lives?

Parting Shots: The Church exists to serve the world. The Church exists to love the world. The Church exists to be a blessing machine and to proclaim the good news, not through agenda or coercion, but through love. “Being a Christian” is NOT about ”fire insurance” or “eventually getting somewhere else.” God’s love is available to everyone.  Christians should be working to bring God’s Kingdom HERE, and to share God’s love to all.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave…

Further Discussion:

1. In Dave Burchett’s book When Bad Christians Happen To Good People, Dave coins the abbreviation WJSHTOT. What do you think this stands for? We’ll discuss it further after you guess it correctly or I tell you what it means.
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.” What do you think about this? 
3. Consider the lists below. The first of these is typically abhorred by the church, while the second might be more serious and is often ignored. Why?

{drugs, drinking, smoking, sex outside of marriage, pornography,
cursing, homosexuality, immodest dress}
{gossip, greed, slander, selfishness, materialism, anger, bitterness, pride, judging, racism, envy, lust, hatred, sexism, lying, indifference, idolatry, homophobia, gluttony}