The Trap: I'm a Sinner But You're Worse.

I think that if the seating chart of our Churches were to be written out on paper it would look something like this : Matthew the Sinner / Joe The Legalist / Susie the sinner / Joe The Self Righteous (and so forth.) What I'm trying to tell you is that for every sinner who is being penetrated and changed by the word of God there is a self righteous soul fighting the battle between faith and works. These people are being robbed of joy by their hardened hearts, and it's usually because of what they've been taught. For every one that shows up and holds a door open there is another who is trying to pull it shut. Without coming off too strongly I want you to know that I believe most of those teetering on the fence of legalism mean well they've just been misinformed at some point in their lives. Let the truth be told a thorough knowledge of the Bible won't make up for someone's blindness of love. Just as you can't outwork a bad diet, you'll never impress God with knowledge while having a limited capacity to love and nurture others. So if we're going to change the Church we need to start with ourself. Further, it's time to stop pushing blame onto the Pastor for the condition of his sheep. Here are some practical ideas you can think and pray about to make sure you're helping build God's church and not tear it down:

When you focus too much on other people you forget who you are.

I cannot tell you the amount of times I've talked to a member of the Church who says something so anti Christlike my eyes almost roll back into my head. For the sake of throwing anyone under the bus I won't cite specific examples but let me tell you one thing - the most lost people are the ones you'd least expect. They may have it all together on the outside and can quote scripture but it's not flooding their hearts resulting in an outpouring of compassion and grace. We have ears to hear and minds to interpret but if the heart is not being changed by the message then what good is it? I've noticed that some Church members spend an awful lot of time focusing on other people and in the process they forget who they are. You can easily see how focusing on others results in self righteousness and a misinterpretation of Christ to people who don't know him. John 8 tells the story of an adulterous woman who was caught up in sin and exploited publicly because of it. Jesus made it clear that while this woman's sin was made visible there were others present who had just as much sin it was just hiding within themselves. It is a waste of time to chase down and exploit the sin and peoples lives because we lose our focus and forget who we really are. Instead of harassing others and making them feel left out let's embrace them. Sin is sin and we all have it. Don't worry about taking the place of God and trying to scare and embarrass people into repentance. Rather walk in a spirit of love and on your walk with Christ. People don't change people - God does.

The Church is full of people who aren't like you.

Jesus didn't want to create a clique or clubhouse mentality he wanted to create a safe haven for the lost and restless. I think of Jesus calling Matthew from his tax collectors booth (Matt. 9:9-13). Immediately the Pharisees made note of Jesus dining with sinners. In other words how can someone who's supposedly so clean and pure associate himself with someone so dirty and the detestable. Friends this is what we're called to do every day - to welcome the hurting and to comfort the broken. In order to be who we're supposed to be in Christ we must allow him to break through our self righteousness so the word of God can soak into every fiber of our being. When we think too much of how we want things to be and stop seeing it how God does, everything becomes pointless. Truth be told every seat in the church is filled with someone who is much like Matthew. When Jesus saw Matthew as an object of grace instead of a walking heap of sin Matthew responded well and invited Jesus inside his home. Some of us are counteracting the work of God by thinking like a Pharisee instead of like Jesus. We are all different in our sins and stages of life but the common thread of Christ holds us together.

Other key points to think about:

Your knowledge of the scriptures won't make up for your lack of love.

You're not dancing with the devil if you eat with sinners.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're less of a sinner than someone else.

Jesus saw people as objects of grace, even the most messed up....do you?

Think of one person you've judged or mistreated and the impact the opposite behavior could've had on their life.

Until we take responsibility for our own selves and desire to see Church through the lens of Christ nothing will change. One of the most dangerous things you can do is to think that you're less of a sinner than someone else. I beg you to steer clear of the trap of self righteousness. It not only limits the growth of yourself but others around you. I believe if we focus on love (the greatest commandment) and die to our self righteousness we will see change. Just as Jesus approached Mathew and turned the hard hearts of sinners we can do the same. When we do, people will come to Christ who normally never would have before.