What "No perfect people allowed" doesn't mean

We've recently been criticized by a few people who say our motto (no perfect people allowed) is nothing more than an empty slogan. The criticisms have come as a result of us confronting a couple of people in our church regarding their sin (which we thankfully rarely have to do). The sin we confronted was out in the open for all to see. It was sin the couple agreed was occurring. It was sin the couple refused to turn away from and receive any help with. It was sin that was creating some divisiveness in our community of faith.

The criticism is: What right do we have to exercise church discipline on sinners? Our sign says, No perfect people allowed. We're all sinners, right? Who do we think we are confronting people and calling them to repent of their sins? And what right do we have to ever ask someone to leave our church if they refuse to repent after a period of time?

First, the Bible calls us to exercise church discipline when needed. There is Biblical teaching that clearly outlines the process church leaders are to follow. Read Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:6-13; Galatians 6:1; Titus 3:10; etc. We not only are called to do this in the Bible, but we leaders are held accountable to God if we don't! Our motive for this is always love--to help the person(s) turn from sin and live the kind of life that God blesses.

Second, our motto "no perfect people allowed" isn't an excuse to sin boldly. It doesn't mean we go light on sin or say "whatever" when those around us sin. It means we acknowledge that we're all sinners. It means we all humble ourselves before God and each other, striving to become more like Christ. It means we come out of the closet, admit our sin, turn from it, get help, and grow. It doesn't mean I come out of the closet, refuse to do anything, and expect everyone to let me do my thing.

In John 8:1-11 Jesus shows us how to deal with others who sin. He cared about the woman caught in adultery. He treated her gracefully. But note what he said to her in vs. 10: "Go and sin no more." Jesus called her to leave her life of sin. He expected her to make a change. We are to do the same for each other.

Here's my formula:
Struggling with sin yet open to exploring God's counsel...OK.
Refusing to deal with blatant sin...not OK.

Culture Shift

Every church has a culture. Our "culture" refers to who we are or what marks us. There are so many things I love about the culture of Crossroads. Want a few examples? I love the culture of change here. Change is a given. We embrace it. We're not afraid to try new things (and bury them quickly if they don't work). I also love the culture of generosity at Crossroads. We may not be the richest church, but the sacrificial giving at Crossroads is off-the-charts. I could go on...

One of the things we want to add to our culture is to be people of The Word. People of the Book. People who value the Bible enough to read, reflect, and apply it to our lives on a daily basis. The book we'll be studying soon in Meal Groups (The Divine Mentor) is going to challenge us in this area. I'm so excited. As we get into God's Word and God's Word gets into us, we will be changed. Not just our culture, but our lives and our church.

PLEASE, get in a Meal Group. Meal Groups are where we're going to learn how to get into The Bible on our own. Meal Groups are where we're going to hold each other accountable to prioritize time in God's Word each day. Our next Meal Group launch happens on January 26-27. It truly is the start of something big here at Crossroads.