Cute little comments to solicit a response

[HAMel]

How many of you in the ministry have ever made little comments just for a positive response? Such as, "God made Adam & Eve - Not Adam & Steve". Anytime a comment like this is made in any church the respose will always be the same. It's just a catchy little comment. Right?

I attended a meeting last night at church where this visiting Preacher began his topic and it soon went in a direction totally opposite of what he had intended.

During his presentation he told of early in his preaching ministry (1980's) he had been invited to speak at a Bible Conference. He went on to tell that in these types of meeting it was customary for all the Elder Preachers to take up the front pews and it was his job to not only impress his elders but to preach a message to all the lay-people in attendance but most of all, he needed to impress all those in attendance with his ability and insights.

In order to break the ice and relieve some of the stress he was under and, to correspond with the message he had planned, he commented that, "God made Adam & Eve - Not Adam & Steve", at which time the Amen's echoed from one end of the church to the other. In short, he had hit the right button and by the end of his service, all were pleased with his preaching.

Fast now forward to 2005. He told of this one particular day when he had received three phone calls from his family all of which brought bad news. I'll spare those details but after arring home that evening and dealing with each of his family members over their respective bad news..., his son comes in and sits down.

Immediately he realized that his 17 year old son had a burden and encouraged him to share. The son broke down and after regaining his composure said, "Dad, I think I'm gay".

He told of being absolutely devestated with this news and after regaing his composure..., his mind flashed back to that earlier comment about "Adam & Steve". He told of hugging his son and the two of them sobbed.

He went on to say that one of the biggest things lacking in today's Churches is praying for one another. For sure, all churches have the "canned prayers" to offer up at every service and he speculated that our Lord is not really impressed.

How many members of your own churches are hurting? Those who won't really share their personal problems but we know they have them. Those dealing with family members who have dropped off the radar screen? Are we concerned about these folks?

Are we praying for these folks? Or are they being left to their own devices? Or, are we just acting the role to make an impression?

The speaker did not expound on his son's current situation so we can only assume he is still in that life-style. What a tragedy. As Christians, we miss the mark.

 

[annsni]

In our old church, no one struggled. Everyone had their lives together perfectly. It makes one wonder who to talk to when we need help!!

But in our new church, people are real. It's so refreshing to hear of the struggles of even the pastors and to know that sometimes life stinks and even as the best Christian ever, we still will have doubts, struggles, anger, etc. I definitely love the "real" people and feel that they can identify with me and I with them. I agree with you that we too often put up a front and forget the reality of the soul.

 

[quantumfaith]

In our old church, no one struggled. Everyone had their lives together perfectly. It makes one wonder who to talk to when we need help!!

But in our new church, people are real. It's so refreshing to hear of the struggles of even the pastors and to know that sometimes life stinks and even as the best Christian ever, we still will have doubts, struggles, anger, etc. I definitely love the "real" people and feel that they can identify with me and I with them. I agree with you that we too often put up a front and forget the reality of the soul.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

 

[abcgrad94]

How many members of your own churches are hurting? Those who won't really share their personal problems but we know they have them. Those dealing with family members who have dropped off the radar screen? Are we concerned about these folks?
Are we praying for these folks? Or are they being left to their own devices? Or, are we just acting the role to make an impression?

AMEN!! God bless you, HAMel, for having the GUTS to say this! It needs to be said, and it needs to be heeded.

I will add that too often, people are AFRAID to share their trials for fear the church members will either look down on them or, as has even happened here on the BB, try to silence people who have been harmed by hypocrites in the church. It's so much easier to judge people and accuse them of gossp or bitterness instead of actually loving them and showing kindness.

Thank God there are a few REAL Christians in a few real churches left. I can't stand fakes.

 

[matt wade]

I don't understand what the entire "Adam and Steve" part has to do with this. Are you saying that we shouldn't teach against homosexuality because our children might fall into that sin and if they do we will have hurt their feelings?

I certainly agree that we should pray for fellow church members. We should be available to counsel and talk with them when they have burdens. I just don't understand what the "Adam and Steve" part of your post has to do with any of it.

 

[Tom Bryant]

There are lots of hurting people in our churches, especially about this area. We can preach convictions and truth with love. That doesn't mean we tread lightly about issues the Bible is clear about, it means that we preach about sin with a broken heart for the effects of sin and not just to get a loud response.

 

[HAMel]

I don't understand what the entire "Adam and Steve" part has to do with this. Are you saying that we shouldn't teach against homosexuality because our children might fall into that sin and if they do we will have hurt their feelings?

matt wade, what he was referring to is just how easy it is to "judge" others not understanding the complexity of the matter..., until it hit in his own family.

 

[matt wade]

I don't understand how the statement "God made Adam & Eve - Not Adam & Steve" is any less correct when it affects your own family.

Should we preach less aggressively on sin that affects our own family?

 

[Ruiz]

The statement, "Adam and Eve, and not Adam and Steve" seems to make trite a very serious situation. Like many modern t-shirts that seeks to take a grave situation and treat it in such a way that makes it less grave, we should let the weight of this situation sink into our thoughts and mind before saying such things.

This statement is the same. This statement does much to grab some applause, but it lessens the severity of this situation and the real life implications involved. We should preach against homosexuality, but address it with the gravity of the situation, and not relegate it to trite sayings.

 

[Crabtownboy]

When I hear comments like "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" it does not matter if I agree with the statement or disagree I consider the speaker to have a shallow mind and/or a shallow understanding of the subject and this makes that person incapable of discussing the matter at depth. It is a way for shallowness to try to grab the moment, but written off most of the audience IMHO.

 

[Scarlett O.]

In our old church, no one struggled. Everyone had their lives together perfectly. It makes one wonder who to talk to when we need help!!

But in our new church, people are real. It's so refreshing to hear of the struggles of even the pastors and to know that sometimes life stinks and even as the best Christian ever, we still will have doubts, struggles, anger, etc. I definitely love the "real" people and feel that they can identify with me and I with them. I agree with you that we too often put up a front and forget the reality of the soul.

You know, it used to be a common teaching in my neck of the woods to "leave your problems in the car when coming to church - you can always pick them back up when you leave the sanctuary".

I was reading someone last spring - I can't remember who it was - and she said that this is not Biblical. If we are under a burden or need prayer or need to confess sin or need guidance, then we SHOULD bring our problems with us into the church. If not, we get so good at faking that "I'm OK - you're OK" that we finally convince ourselves that we don't need God's deliverance and that we shouldn't be bothered with any other church member who needs God's deliverance.

We walk out of the church services unconvicted, unrepentant, unburdened, and uncompassionate.

We might as well stay home.

 

[Winman]

This might be off topic, but you have to watch what you say. Our insensitivity might come back to bite us.

My first job out of High School I worked for a small company. Every day at lunch our boss would come out on the floor. Well, Memorial Day was coming up the next Monday, and several of my co-workers (also young) urged me to ask our boss for Monday off. When he came out, I did ask him. He glared at us and said,

"We don't take days off for the dead around here."

Needless to say, we never mentioned it again.

Anyway, that Friday before Memorial Day his 9 year old daughter got off her school bus and walked in front of it. The bus driver did not see her and ran over her, killing her instantly. The news quickly got around to all of us.

That Monday, Memorial Day, we were all at work. But our boss was not there, he was burying his daughter that day. We all wondered if he remembered his insensitive remark a week earlier.

You have to be careful making insensitive remarks, you may regret it.

 

[HAMel]

This might be off topic, but you have to watch what you say. Our insensitivity might come back to bite us.

Indeed we do need to watch what we say! I would think we are all "guilty" of such. Criticism of others is so easy and instantaneous at times and we never take the time to consider or realize that our tongue can cause much pain. For sure the Christian Community in this nation is in need of a Heaven sent Revival and an Awakening.