graceinthechurch

For all of you who perceive me as being a little too serious, I'd like to tell you that right now my new favorite book is called "Dancing Corn Dogs in the Night" pretty serious sounding huh? It's a book on "reawakening your creative spirit." It's written by a guy named Don Hahn who was the producer for The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.

I'd like to read a small section in which he talks about how as a society we love labels. Like, He's a teacher. He's an insurance salesman. She's a liberal. They're church people. He writes this:

"A few years back after watching Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, I became fascinated with the Native American way of selecting names. It seemed so honest and forthright to have a name like "Runs with the Wind," or "Dancing Bear." It was much more poetic than the names that the people in my neighborhood had: Our insurance man was simply called Fred Field, and our family stockbroker had the utilitarian name Steve Johnson. Why couldn't they be like the Indians and have a little poetry in their names?: Like, Fred Fiddles with Actuaries or Steve Runs with Bull Markets.

At work I encountered my colleague, a famous animator whom I now call 'Walks with Donut' and his assistant who commuted to work, I would dub 'Drives with Travel Mug.' The staff secretary, "Whopping Big Hair' says hello to me on her way to set up a meeting with her boss, 'Runs with Giants' and an executive from a well-known studio, 'Yells on Cell Phone.'

I now apply my same Native American yardstick to my dad, who is now, 'Drives with Turn Signal On' and my neighbor who would be 'Peers Through Windows' and her husband 'Laughs No More.' I wave hello to my good friend down the street who takes his poodle for a run each morning. His name is 'Jogs with Pooping Dog.'

You'll be happy to know that concludes Don Hahn's roll in today's teaching. But, it did get me to thinkingif society were to give a Native American name to the churchnot this church, necessarily, but the church in general, what might it be?

Would it be 'Models Love to the World?' or 'Reaches out Unconditionally?'how about 'Loves Unconditionally?' Would it be 'Goes out of it's Way to Help?' or 'Always Practices what it Preaches?' I think some people would give it Native American names like, "Full of Hypocrisy' or 'Talks out of Both Sides of Mouth'. Some might call it 'Wants Your Money', 'Holier than Thou' or 'Keeps to Themselves.' What do you think?

When I thought about the topic of Grace in the Church, I thoughtIt would be great to start with a childhood memory that marked me forever that typified and clearly communicated what grace in the church was all about. ButI don't have oneYou see, I didn't grow up in the church. I didn't really go to church until I was an adultwith a family. But, I did think about what church looked like from my perspectivegrowing up outside the churcha seekers perspective, if you will. If you're here today having grown up in a healthy church family, I invite you to come with me for a few minutes while I look at it from a different perspectivefrom the perspective that this church is all about.in other words, what does grace in the church look like through the eyes of the unchurched?..(here we go.)

My grandparents on my dad's side lived and died in Peru Indiana. They were born at the turn of the century. They were simple folks. They never owned a car. My grandpa walked everywhere in town for whatever they neededin the heat of mid-August, he briskly walked the bricked sidewalksa cream colored vented fedora with a paisley band on top of his silver hairhis dark ox blood colored lace up oxford dress shoesa pin-striped dress shirt completed by a brown striped windsor knotted tie, topped off with an oval silver tie tack. He was the only man I knew who worked in the garden with everything I just mentioned, minus the tie.

From my earliest memories, one of the things that stuck out the most about Grandpa & Grandma Young was that they were church goers. You noticed the fan laying on the tablethe square one that's about the size of a dinner plate, that had that picture of disciples in long flowing robesthe kind of picture that looked more at home at a corner lot on black velvet. And of course, it had the sculpted tongue depressor handle. You could look around their house and see similar pictures in small frames. Grandma had taught Sunday school for years and Grandpa was good friends with the minister and everyone else over 55 in the church and had served on countless boards over the years.

My little brother and I always spent the week of the circus at their house. It was just us and them. And some of the time, that's how it feltit was usand them. This was the early seventies. A time when Jameson and I had long hairwore early seventies clotheswhich meant groovy flowers, bright happy colors, and an occasional peace sign. This was definitely the generation gap times two. Sometimes it was like we were from different worldsIn fact we probably were. Only, the impression I got, was that they were from church and we weren't

There was something that was always therealways in the air that smacked of disapprovalmore so than it felt of love. Something that looked down their nose at us because church was foreign to us. Don't get the wrong ideathey were nice folks and I mostly have good memories of the time spent with them, but sprinkled throughout my memories of Peru, are looks of disapprovallittle verbal jabspointed discussionsand a subtle condescending attitude that was never really eclipsed by genuine unconditional love. And in a small way, my earliest memory of un-grace in the church found it's way to the basement of my memory.

For if this was what being in their club meant, I'm not sure I was interested. Because then and maybe even nowI don't care what you stand forif you don't seem to really care about me. And sure, it's possible that what I was picking-up-on had more to do with their old age, or their relationship with my dad...or notI don't knowbut they were so visibly and audibly proponents of the churchso much so that I couldn't and still can't keep from thinking, "This is what Christian love looks like?"

I've grown to understand the Christian principle, "Hate the sin, but love the sinner." For the first time, but not the last, what I saw was, "Christians hate the sin but just can't help but spilling a little bit of the hate or disdain onto the sinner." These were the undertones of un-grace that I would later get a clearer picture of.

As I grew up, I saw the church, mostly through the media lens, as generally a group that thrived on "pointing fingers"That loved to point out the faults in others.in people like mepeople who didn't go to church. They seemed so obsessed with pointing out the flaws in others, it seemed they missed the glaring sins that were right under their collective nosesHow was it that they didn't notice Jim & Tammy Fay Bakkers outlandish abuse of moneyor the infidelityI remember seeing the news clips of Jimmy Swaggertthe teary confession of one of the church's biggest finger pointers. And in all of this, what I saw was un-grace in the church.

From my perspective, I saw that church cared more about what we non-churched people did, or our behavior, than who we really were. As I grew up, the church seemed to hold it's arm out just far enough to point it's fingerand didn't seem to reach its arm out far enough to put it around me, or other un-churched people, to show us what grace was. Why would I want to be part of a group that publicly seemed to be so angry?! They were mad and inflammatory toward people who had anything to do with abortion, not to mention those who were or had anything to do with homosexuals.

As I looked at Christianity from the sidelines, I knew just enough about it for all of this to be very confusing. How was it these people believed, "Love your neighbor"but then added the unspoken clause, "As long as he's like me". How was it these people said, "God was a God of forgiveness, a God of amazing grace" they sang yet what I saw from the sidelines was condemnationangerIt looked like what I sensed in Peru only multiplied. It looked like us and them.

And this un-grace in the church was a stumbling block to me coming to Christ. For me to get the grace of Jesus Christ, I had to work through, and the people in my life who were trying to make the case for Christ to me, had to work through the thicket of un-grace the case for un-grace that had been built by Christians who had received grace themselves, but had neglected to pass it on.

I would wager that there are people in this room who are struggling with the same issues. I would wager there are people you talk to on a regular basis that don't go to church for the same reason. Un-grace is unattractive. People are simply not drawn to it. They are repelled by un-grace.

Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes made an interesting comment. He said, "I've decided I'm against abortion. I think it's murder. But I have a dilemma in that I much prefer the pro-choice to the pro-life people. I'd much rather eat dinner with a group of the former."

Now, it doesn't really matter who Andy Rooney would prefer to dine withIt does means a lot that the Christians that Andy Rooney observes seem so consumed with pro-life zeal that he can't see the grace for the rage.

"Recently I have been asking a question of strangers---for example seatmates on a plane---when I strike up a conversation, I often ask what comes to mind when I say the word 'Christian?' I hear political descriptions like 'strident pro-life activist, or gay rights opponents, or proposals for censoring the Internet. I hear references to the Moral Majority. Not onceNOT ONE TIME---have I heard a description that in any way reflects grace. Apparently, this is not the aroma Christians give off in the world." Yancey says. Ortberg agrees.

I have a friend who is a musician who accepted Christ last year. Because he's a musician, he hangs out with, duh, other musicians, who are not necessarily believers. (To which I say good for him! Great "grace" move!) Since his conversion, it's not uncommon for him to get into the topic of Christianity with his friends. I asked him what was the number one sticking point that came up for not buying-in to the whole Christianity thing? What do you think his answer was? Say it out loud to the person next to youWhat did you say?Hypocrisy? That's what my friend said. I know I've said it before. In fact, have you or has anyone you've known ever said the same thing? Let's see hands if you've ever heard "hypocrisy" as a spiritual sticking point

In fact, Philip Yancey, the author of What's So Amazing About Grace?, says, "In my experience, hypocrisy is one of the most common reasons why people reject Christianity. Christians profess 'family values,' but some studies show that they rent X-rated videos, divorce their spouses, and abuse their children at about the same rate as everybody else."

Again from Yancey's book, "As I study the life of Jesus, one fact consistently surprises me: the group that made Jesus angriest was the group that, externally at least, he most resembled. Scholars agree that Jesus closely matched the profile of a Pharisee. He obeyed the Mosaic Law, quoted leading Pharisees, and often took their side in public arguments. Yet Jesus singled out the Pharisees for his strongest attacks. "Snakes!" he called them. "Brood of vipers! Fools! Hypocrites! Blind guides! Whitewashed tombs!" Jesus was not messing around! He was not being "politically correct", if you will.

So what made Jesus so hot?? You could say that the Pharisees weren't unlike a lot of Christians these days. They devoted their lives to following God, gave away an exact tithe, obeyed every law of the Torah, (which was the Jewish scriptures) and sent out missionaries to gain new converts. They held firm to traditional values, they were rarely involved in sexual sin or violent crime, the Pharisees were model citizens.

Do you see the parallel between the Pharisees and some of today's Christians? In his day and in ourshypocrisy in the church ticks God off!! And the bonus? It repels the very people God commands us to reach!

Hypocrisy is directly related to legalism. In fact, it's a little like the chicken and the eggdoes legalism lead to hypocrisy or does hypocrisy lead to legalism? I'm not sure it mattersthe bottom line is that they go hand in hand. To my recollection, I don't think we've talked about legalism before so, fasten your seatbelts! (the exists are)

The textbook definition of legalism is: a strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious code. Legalism focuses on the externalsit says that if I do the right things, I am in a good place with God. It focuses on behaviors. Examples of legalism within a church context would say things about your hairstyle, appropriate and inappropriate clothing, certain styles of music, jewelryexternals. All things that have nothing to do with the grace of God.

The reason legalism is such a threat to grace is because grace is the one thing that sets Christianity apart from the rest of the religious world. If we take grace out of Christianity, we have just another religion. Do you see that?

Gordon McDonald said, "The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot doIt cannot offer grace."

If you're here today as a seeker or if you've ever had conversations where you were trying to make a case for Christianitymake a noteall other religions of the world have to do with "doing"earning your wayor becoming a better personLike Mark taught in the first week of this series, grace is getting something you in no way deserve.

In Christianity there is nothing we can do to win or earn God's favor Legalism would suggest you get what you deserve Christianity is not about what we doit's about receiving the gift of grace that we could never deserve, and that is available to everyone. Take grace out of Christianity and you have just another religion. That is the biblical fact.

By its nature, legalism encourages hypocrisy because it defines a set of "behaviors" that may hide what is really going on "inside" us. In Matthew 12 when Jesus healed a man's disfigured hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees took a legalistic approach and condemned him for "working" on the day of rest, "breaking the rule", rather than focusing on the good work that he performed.

Here's an extreme example of just how "whacked" legalism, or just looking at the externals, can be A United States delegate to the Baptist World Alliance in Berlin in 1934 sent back this report of what he found under Hitler's regime:

"It was a great relief to be in a country where salacious sex literature cannot be sold; where putrid motion pictures and gangster films cannot be shown. The "new" Germany has burned great masses of corrupting books and magazines along with its bonfires of Jewish and communistic libraries."

By this report, Hitler fits the "legalistic" definition of a Christian. We can clearly see the danger in this illustration of focusing on the appearances of a person, of a group of people. As Max Lucado says, "Just because a group is distributing gifts at Christmas doesn't make them Christians." Now from this perspective, it's easy to point out the flawed thinking of some Christians in the 1930's and think of it as something that's "far removed" from our lives today.

This was probably within the first year of being here and at that time, I still played drums with a classic rock band in fact with Eric, one of our guitarists. We played at Shenanigan's Pub on Sunday nights. Well, one Sunday night, in the first set of the gig, I see Chris Herr and a bunch of other guys from OakBrook come in and get a couple tables just to the left of the band. I like, did the double-take! WHO just came in? A bunch of "churchy guys" just came in and got a table in a bar?! I'm like, what is this? Do you think this was where these guys typically went on Sunday nights?! No. So why were they there?

It could be and probably was as simple as they wanted to see their new friend play drums with his band. But what I remember is that a bunch of guys that I respected, appeared to care more about me than what people might think about the legalistic implications of them being in a bar. And you know, the reason I remember this, is because they marked me that night. They made a statement about meto meAt a pivotal stage in my Christian walk they made a big deposit that was more important than "what people might think."

They made a decision that had nothing to do with Legalism and everything to do with authentic Christianity. Some guys might have put more weight on the legalistic ramifications of being seen in a bar than coming out to see a new friend.

I bring this up because as we begin to get folded into Christianity, there is a very real temptation. A temptation to look at what we are physically doing with our lives and then outwardly change our behavior without giving God the sins that are deep within us. That everyday process of giving God our sin is grace in motion. Legalism kills the process of grace because it is not an internal process. Yancey writes,

"Legalism stands like a stripper on the sidelines of faith, seducing us toward an easier way. It teases, promising some of the benefits of faith but unable to deliver what matters most."which is graceforgiveness.

Authentic Christianity, to paraphrase Leo Tolstoy, "The proof of spiritual maturity is not how 'pure' you are but rather, how aware of your 'impurity' you are. (repeat) That awareness of our sin opens the door to grace and squashes legalism."

So why are we here?why all this discussion of legalism? We aren't Hitler? Perhaps we've even had a defining moment when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior--- that's the biggest grace-filled experience on the planet!

Because the temptation of legalism is a veryrealstruggle that you may not have even been aware of before today. In many ways legalism is easier than the freedom we find in Christ.

For exampleIt is relatively easy not to murderit's hard to reach out in love; it's easy to show up for a bible studyit's hard to spit your sins out to God everyday; it's easy to give money to a worthy causeit's hard to serve the poor; it's easy to take a public stand on abortionit's hard to build an authentic relationship with a single pregnant teenager; It's easy to avoid your neighbor's bedit's hard to keep a marriage alive;

Not murdering, Bible studies, giving money to charities, saying that you oppose abortion, avoiding adulterywhat else could we add to that?attending churchgoing through all the next steps classesserving in the churchbeing a better person

The danger is if you use them to mask the serious realities that are inside you. (Remember the word hypocrisy's original translation meant "mask") The danger is outwardly doing "good" things but ignoring sin in your own heart. When we do the good external thing and use it to mask what is really insidewe become the phariseesWhen we are more concerned about being "Good Christians" than being real Christians, we become "Holier than thou" and begin to repel our neighbors that we've been trying to get to come to church for the past two years.

Being a church full of grace means being a church full of real peoplereal people who screw-upreal people who aren't afraid to let their neighbors see that they struggle too. Being a grace filled church means they we adopt a radical counter-cultural paradigmwhich is to take better care of our insidesto care more about taking our internal "junk" & screw-ups to God rather than focusing on our own image management.

A grace filled church is packed with real people who aren't afraid to begin each day face down in front Godagainpuking up the previous day's sins. And don't forget"The proof of spiritual maturity is not how 'pure' you are but rather, how aware of your 'impurity' you are. If we can remember thatit's like taking a big bite of humble pie everyday.

Another pitfall of legalism Yancey refers to that is very much a part of the Christian culture, is "tiered spirituality." He writes, "In addition to condemning the Pharisees pride, Jesus condemned the tiered spirituality that ranked some sins as acceptable (hatred, materialism, lust & divorce) and others as unacceptable (murder, adultery, breaking Sabbath rules.)"

Yancey continues, "We Christians have our own grouping of "acceptable" sins. As long as we avoid the most egregious sins, we feel pretty good about our spiritual status. The problem is, our understanding of abominable sins keeps changing. In the Middle Ages, charging interest was considered immoral, so much so that the Jews were made to do the dirty work.

Nowadays Christians enjoy credit cards, home mortgages, and mutual fund accounts without a pang of guilt. The list of seven deadly sins included gluttony, envy, and spiritual sloth, or "melancholy"---behavior that rarely attracts a sermon today.

During the Victorian era sexual sins were the most heinous. During the 1950's divorce and drinking headed the list. Now, in the modern evangelical church, abortion and homosexuality probably rank highest.

We have this cultural tendency to "grade on a curve"We are aware, if our house is better than, the same as, worse than our neighbors. We compare our carsour clothesSome of us in the front of our minds, others more subconsciouslybut we all are aware of where we stand in comparison to our friendsto our neighborsto our co-workersand the truth?It's true of meI fight it, but I do itand sometimes we can't turn it off when we get to church. Is my spirituality better than, the same as, worse than "so-and-so"? That's legalism. That's un-grace.

Grace says that there's no grading on a curvethere's only one flat horizontal lineand you and me are on itit doesn't matter how much we earnhow successful we arewhat we do for the church Isaih said, "Our righteous acts are as filthy rags---soiled undergarments" The only thing that matters to you and to me is that God is perfection and all that we do falls short of perfection---and the only way is through Graceland---and I don't mean Memphis.

I don't how many times I've been talking to people who are new to OakBrookit never failsOne of the first things they typically say is, "I really like listening to what the speakers have to sayI feel like they're talking just to me." Have you ever heard that? Have you ever said that? Read between the lines of that statementWhat people are saying is that the speakers use personal storiespersonal stories of failure in making their pointthey're saying the speaker is being reala real Christianone who failsand because we failneed grace on a daily basisJoe average guy or Jane average girl walks in here and sees grace in the churchand it's so stinkin' foreign to themit's so not associated with Christians that they don't know what to call it or what to make of itbut, they're drawn to it. As hypocrisy and legalism push people awayWe are drawn to grace like a spiritual tractor beam

As one man put it, "God holds each of us by a stringWhen we sinwe cut the stringthen God ties it up again, making a knot---and thereby bringing us a little closer to him. Again and again, our sins cut the stringand with each knotGod keeps drawing us closer and closer

Most of this morning I've talked about the church in general. I'd like to close talking about usthis church. You and I aren't probably going to change the national view of what the church is in general. But you and I have everything to do what the church in this community isBecause you-are-the-churchand I am the church. To the people you know and interact withco-workers, friends, family, acquaintancesif they know you go here on Sunday morningsto themyou are the church.

By, now you may be wonderingwhere are the 3 points of the morning? Todaythere's only one pointthe way you and I avoid hypocrisythe way you and I stay out of legalismthe way we kill the paradigm of grading on a curve and get down on a flat line with everyone elsethe way we dispense graceis to stay in the shadow of Jesus Christasking for forgiveness for ourselvescoming clean on all of the "deals" we keep tucked away from the light of day.

It's hard to earn an Indian name like "Holier Than Thou" or "Full of Hypocrisy" or "One Who Points Finger" when you're in the shadow of Jesus Christ. Wouldn't it be great if our Indian name was, "The Place Where Grace Flows"