Yesterday in church I spoke on Galatians chapter 2:1-10. In the middle of that passage Paul says, "While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude. We didn't give them the time of day. We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you." I then mentioned to the people at church that if any of them had come to the church with the ulterior motive of trying to make the church in their image and according to their religious preferences that I would kick them out. I told them that it was my job as pastor and shepherd to guard the church from people like that who try to undermine the freedom that we have in Christ.
Later on in the evening when I had time to think PMS kicked in...that would be Post Message Syndrome. Pastors get PMS all the time. In the middle of sermon assessment I wondered if I had been harsh because I am a nice guy and don't want to hurt people and be a jerk. But then I remember what Paul said in Galatians 1: "Am I trying to please God or men?"
It then occurred to me that my mom used ALL the time when I was a kid: "If you can't say something nice don't say anything." Having a default mercy gift and then having that idiom programmed into me by my parents is a deadly combo sometimes. Add to that I am a polite Canadian.
So a lesson I am learning is this: If I have to be blunt with my people as their pastor sometimes, as long as I am speaking the truth in love, even if it is tough love, then I am simply doing my job.
After all; Jesus wasn't always nice either. I'm thinking making a whip outta cords and clearing the temple. Only thing is I can trust Jesus to do that...I better darn well make sure I think about it long and hard before I go to that extreme.
'Nuff said.
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