If You Don't Have a Philosophy of Ministry, Get One

Everyone who has been in ministry for any length of time has a philosophy of ministry. Whether they have thought through it thoroughly, or articulated it fully, they still have one. A philosophy of ministry is what you believe ministry is about, what you believe ministry is to accomplish, in essence it is your raison d'etre (reason for being). It is the mindset behind why you do what you do.

A philosophy of ministry is your guiding light, and will inform and be the foundation of all that you do. It will guide you in how you do church, from choosing curriculum and staff members, to structuring worship. It will influence every decision you make. It is your vision of what you want to accomplish in your ministry.

That is why it is important to take the time to think through what you believe about ministry and why, and then write it down. Tinker with it and adjust, make sure it reflects what you really believe. Of course, when related to the church, it needs to be based on biblical principles, and reflect biblical values. It is not a doctrinal statement, but will reflect doctrinal beliefs. 

If you are planting a church you need to have thought this through. If you are applying for a pastoral position, you need to be able to provide this to the search team. If you are choosing a pastor, you need to know this about the applicant, as that is how he will conduct his ministry; and if he does not have one or cannot articulate it, then pass him by.

I am sharing mine below as an example. 

Philosophy of Ministry

We want our people to:

     Know God  (Jeremiah 9:23-24, I John 4:16)

            So that they will be secure in their faith  (Isaiah 43:10, I Peter 1:2, John 4:42,

            II Peter 1:2, 3:17-18, Hosea 4:6))

     Love God  (II Corinthians 5:14-15, Deuteronomy 11:13)

            So that they will be sincere in their faith  (I Timothy 1:5, Hebrews 10:22)

     Glorify God  (Matthew 5:16, Romans 15:6)

            By being steadfast in their faith  (Psalm 112:7, I Corinthians 15:58)

     Know and Understand the Word  (Psalm 119:11, 27; I Peter 2:2)

            So that we can learn to think with the word (Romans 12:2, Psalm 119:24)

            So that we can view life through the word  (Psalm 119:14-15, 24)

            So that we can live life by the word  (Psalm 119:32, 59, 105)

We believe this is best accomplished by expositional preaching and teaching.

We want our people to corporately participate in and experience:

     Fellowship--which is the body sharing in the things of Christ, the work of Christ, the

     love of Christ, and ministering to one another to build each other up in love.

     I Thessalonians 4:9, II Thessalonians 1:3, Hebrews 13:1, I Peter 1:22-23, Psalm 55:14,

     Acts 2:42, I Corinthians 1:9,  12:12-14, 18, 25-26, II Corinthians 13:14,   

     I John 1:3, 3:14

     Praise and Worship—which is the exaltation of God alone, and is a witness to the

     believer and non-believer of all that God is through Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

     Deuteronomy 11:16, I Chronicles 16:29, Psalms 2:11, 21:13, 22:22-23, 29:2, 30:4, 12,

     Psalms 33:10, 66:4, 95:6, 99:5, John 4:23, Exodus 15:2, Deuteronomy 10:21,

     I Chronicles 23:5, 29:13, II Chronicles 5:13, Nehemiah 12:46, Hebrews 2:12, 13:15

     Prayer—which we believe is one of the great callings of the church. It is corporate

     prayer, not only when the church is gathered together, but also when the church

     members pray individually for a common concern and for kingdom issues that the

     church is the most unified and spiritually effective.

     Matthew 6:9, 19:13, 21:13, 22, Mark 11:17, Luke 1:10, 18:1, 10, Acts 1:14, 2:42, 3:1,

     Acts 12:5, 16:13, 16, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:19, 4:6,

     Colossians 4:2, I Thessalonians 5:17, 25, II Thessalonians 3:1, I Timothy 2:1-4,

     James 5:16, I Peter 3:12, 4:7, Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4

We want to provide our people with:

     Spiritual Leadership—which should guide, guard, and feed the flock, and also be     

     an example to the flock. Leadership should also be concerned with the spiritual

     development and training of younger men to provide continuity in church leadership.

     I Timothy 1:11, 18; 3:1-7, 6:20, II Timothy 1:14, 2:2, Titus 1:3, 7-9, Acts 14:23: 15:2,

     Galatians 2:7, I Thessalonians 2:3-12, I Peter 5:1-3

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: Pleasing God

O, church, whom are you pleasing?  A good question, and a question that every church leader and every church member should ask themselves. Healthy and honest introspection is good. It is good to ask yourself hard questions about yourself. It is good to have a season of self-examination. This is true also for the church, and it should be done by its leaders and its members.

There is a catch phrase that I have heard and read over the last few years, and it is in context of "doing church." It is, "It is not about me." Now this is used to mean that the church service is not for church members, but for those whom the church is trying to reach...the seekers, the unconverted, the non-christian.. It is used as a reason or excuse for the church doing what it feels is necessary to reach the unchurched. It is the undergirding of the philosophy that drives how the church conducts itself, and in particular how it conducts its Sunday services.

Even though it is true that church is "not about me," the application of this truth has been misplaced. It has become "it is all about them," which refers to the unconverted and unchurched. What has been missed here? It is simply this:  it is not about me, nor about us, nor even about them....it is about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit.

We have taken the focus in our churches off of God, and placed it onto those who are ungodly. We have ceased focusing on pleasing God, and are now striving in every way imaginable (and there is great imagination used) to please those who are enemies of God. When God gives the command in Hebrews to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, He did not mean for the church to come together so as to focus on those outside of its self, to focus on anyone other than Him. The minute that the church starts trying to entice the unbeliever, it must start seeking to please the unbeliever in order to draw him or her in; and must conduct its service so as to please them in order to bring them back.

The hard question the church (its leaders and members) must ask its self is this, "In the way we conduct our services have we placed pleasing the ungodly over pleasing God; in our attempts to not offend the ungodly are we offending God; in our attempts to attract the ungodly have we made ourselves unattractive to God?" Has the church placed its affection and adoration on the ungodly and taken it off of the Lord? This is a question that I am afraid is not getting asked.

Here are a smattering of Scriptures that speak to this.  Notice how unimportant man is in these references.

Isaiah 2:22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life in in his nostrils; for why should he be esteemed. (O church, why regard man if there is no area, no arena, in which he can be esteemed in God's eyes?)

Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. (O church, even the nations are nothing compared against the great and mighty God who has given us life, breath, and all things!)

Psalm 144:3-4 O Lord, what is man, that you take knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that You think of him?  Man is like a mere breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. (O church, have you elevated man above where God has him?  Have you elevated man above God?)

I Corinthians 7:3 You were bought with a price; do not become the slaves of men.(O church, whom do you cater to?)

I Corinthians 8:6a yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we exist through Him.
( O church, for whom are you existing?)

II Corinthians 5:9 Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (O church, is your highest ambition to please Him?)

I Thessalonians 2:4 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. (Church leaders and members, if God examines your heart to see whom you are seeking to please, what would He find?)

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. (O church, have you become the bond-servant/slave of the ungodly by trying to please them?  And in trying to do so have you left your first love and fallen to a lesser spiritual state?)

Leviticus 10:1-3 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on  it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the Lord spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.'" (O church, by seeking to please the ungodly have you neglected to treat the Lord as holy before them?  In seeking to be attractive to men have you substituted honoring men over honoring the Lord?) 

“It is to be feared that thousands are selling Jesus for a less price than Judas received. A smile from the world has been a bribe sufficient to seduce many”

Charles Spurgeon

In the final analysis, there is only One to please. As His body the church is to be a God-pleaser not a man-pleaser (Galatians 1:10). Instead of trying to be pleasing to the ungodly the church should be teaching them what is required to please the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). O church, remember that it is the Lord Christ whom you serve, not man (Colossians 3:24). O church, examine yourself honestly and rigorously, and make sure you are living to please Him, for it is Him for whom you exist.

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: Consistency

Consistency, sounds pretty boring doesn't it? And, actually, many times it is. However, when considering traits that should be present in pastors and spiritual leaders, this is usually one of the most overlooked.

There should be a consistency of character, a consistency of philosophy, a consistency of theology, a consistency of mission, a consistency in his walk, a consistency in his preparation, a consistency in his growth, a consistency in how he makes decisions, a consistency in how he deals with others, a consistency in how he communicates, and a consistency in how he expresses himself. In other words, there needs to be a thread of consistency that permeates who he is, and therefore what he does.

Why is this important? Because it gives stability to his church, and his ministry. It gives security to his people, his staff, and the leadership he works with, as it make him reliable, and even predictable. I once had an upper level manager tell me that his goal was to be so consistent that his people would know the answer before they asked him. Not a bad trait, in fact, it is a great trait to have. Unfortunately, there are many whose only consistency is their inconsistency.

Think about the comfort and security it gives to those who you work with, do ministry with, and live with when they know they can depend on what they know about you. Think about the frustration that is caused by having to deal with those whom you never know how they will react, or those who always seem to be changing their mind, ministry direction, or ministry philosophy. Think about the confusion that comes to the church when the leadership is always being blown in the direction of the latest cultural wind or chasing the next big thing.

Have you ever noticed how consistent the Lord is? We call it immutability or unchangeableness; but have you ever wondered what it would be like to serve a God that you were never sure how He was going to react, how He wanted to be worshiped, what His standards for holiness would be, or what His requirements for salvation would be? Would it be a little unnerving, kind of like an eternal insecurity instead of an eternal security?

I take great comfort that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, yes and forever (Hebrews 13:8); that He, the Lord, does not change His mind, and therefore I am not consumed (Malachi 3:6); that with Him there is no variation or change like the imperceptible shifting of a shadow (James 1:7); that even from eternity He is I am (Isaiah 43:13), that of old He founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of His hands. Even they will perish, but He will endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing He will change them and they will be changed. But He is the same, and His years will not come to an end (Psalm 102:25-27); that His lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him (Psalm 103:17); that He has one eternal purpose that runs through the ages that is carried out in Christ (Ephesians 3:11), and that He has declared the end from the beginning, saying, "My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10). This consistency in the character of God and the acts of God give me security in my relationship with him, it gives me confidence in my relationship with Him, and it strengthens and solidifies my trust in Him.

You see, I believe that pastors and spiritual leaders must be consistent; and it is being like the Lord that brings about that consistency. If He is consistent, then a worthy trait to be desired would be to be consistent as He is consistent. The same comfort, confidence, security, solidity, and trust that we draw from our relationship with the Lord because of His consistency is the same comfort, confidence, security, solidity, and trust that the church and its staff should have in their leadership. Consistency provides the stability that is needed in every leader, and is a key component of pastoral leadership.  As Christ models consistency, so should all those in spiritual leadership. Indeed, it is a worthy aspiration for us all.

Biblical Guidelines for Church Leadership: The Importance of Faithfulness

The Pastor and Faithfulness

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, 

who has strengthened me, 

because He considered me

faithful, putting me into service.

I Timothy 1:12

NASB

Boy, there is so much in this verse, but let's look at one particular aspect of it, and that is Paul's faithfulness. Reading through Acts and Paul’s letters, the one thing that really stands out about Paul is his faithfulness. If you think about this in relation to what the Lord told Ananias in Acts 9:16 that He would show Paul how much he must suffer for His name's sake, you come away with a deep-breathed wow; because here was a man who was shown up front how much the cost would be, and he counted it (Luke 14:27-35), lived it (II Corinthians 1:2-7; 2:4; 4:7-12; 6:3-10, 7:5-6), and remained faithful to the end (II Timothy 4:5-7).  

The question might be asked, "Faithful to who, faithful to what?" Obviously, Paul was faithful to his calling, faithful to his ministry, faithful to his friends, faithful to keep his vows, faithful with the treasure with which he had been entrusted, and faithful to the churches. But his being faithful in all of these areas was the outflow of his faithfulness to the Lord, his Lord; and he never wavered in his faithfulness to the One who had called him to suffer for His name. Even with his great learning, the great revelations he had been given, and his great gifting, his greatest attribute was his faithfulness. Without his faithfulness, his calling and all the learning, revelations, and gifting would have been for naught. Paul understood this and you can see this in I Corinthians 4:2 "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy/faithful (pistis)."  

Faithfulness is manifested in many ways in our lives, and manifested it will be. In thinking about what are the really necessary qualities in a pastor this has to be at the top. It is nice if he is a good communicator, a gifted expositor, good with people, dynamic, personable, a good leader, educated, caring, and charismatic. But, again, without faithfulness all these qualities and gifts will be of no use. Faithfulness grounds the pastor, keeps him steady when tempted, keeps him loyal to his calling, strengthens him when tried, keeps him going when discouraged, keeps him looking to the Lord and not his circumstances, guards him from compromise, gives him a higher perspective on his life and ministry, pushes and pulls and prods him on when weary, keeps his focus on the Lord and not himself, sees him through the storms of life and ministry, empowers him to endure, and keeps him from looking for greener pastoral pastures. Faithfulness keeps him locked in on following the Lord and His will for his life. In thinking about it...wouldn't you want to see this in your pastor if you were a church member, wouldn't you want to see this in your servant if you were the Lord?

The Lord regarded Paul as faithful, and therefore placed him into service; not any service, mind you, but maybe the most important role of any of the apostles, certainly the most demanding role, and obviously a strategic role. And in that strange and mysterious dynamic of God working in and through men, the Lord strengthened Paul to remain faithful as Paul was being faithful.  

If we are honest, we would all admit that the struggle we have with faithfulness is whether we are going to be faithful to the Lord and His will, or be faithful to ourselves and our own selfish and egotistical pursuits. Which one will we be faithful to?  

Pastors, partakers of the pastoral calling, I want to encourage you to be faithful. Be faithful to the Lord in the living out of your calling, and call on Him to keep you faithful; and in your faithfulness you will find Him faithful to you.

Children, Youth Ministry, and Spiritual Leadership

It is not the youth ministry, nor fun,

nor their relationship with the church,

or their relationship with their friends

that will keep your children faithful,

it is their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

 


After living in our town for 35 years it is not uncommon for me to run across someone whom I have not seen in a number of years.  In our conversations we usually talk about our children and where we are going to church.  Almost invariably the reason given for where they are attending church is that is where their children had friends, and the friends were the reason the children wanted to go to that particular church, or that particular church's youth ministry had more activities for their kids.

Now before you start howling and throwing rocks, let me say that I believe youth ministry is important, very important. However, think through this with me, and lets look at what is really going on here. If you asked every one of the parents I talked with, they would tell you that they are the spiritual leaders in their home. But are they, really? When you make the decision, to go to a certain church because that's where your children's friends are, or because that's where they can make friends, or because if you don't go there your children will be upset, have you really made the decision. No, your children have made the decision for you, and you have acquiesced. In doing this you have abdicated your position as spiritual leader of the home, and your children have become the de facto spiritual leaders. What is disturbing is that this mindset is not the exception, it is the rule, and has been the prevailing mindset over the last 20-30 years.

One of the alarming statistics that has come out concerning the church is that over 70% of children raised in church don't set foot in the door of the church after they leave home. You might be tempted to say that this proves the importance of having your children attend church where they enjoy it, and where their friends are so that they will continue to come. The problem with that line of thought is that this statistic has come after the 20-30 years when one of the prevailing reasons why people attend certain churches are the reasons I mentioned above. So, obviously, letting your children go to church where they want to so that they won't have a bad taste in their mouths about church has not worked.

In choosing a church based on friendships or fun, what have you communicated to your children about the real importance of church...worship of God, learning the Scriptures, learning sound doctrine, becoming more Christlike, ministering to others in the body, and service to God? You haven't.

Parents, we are called to be the spiritual leaders in our homes, for our families. Spiritual leadership is not choosing a church because your children want to go there because it's fun or because their friends go there; in fact, in exercising your leadership, your children might be disappointed, even upset, because you aren't going where they want to go, but are going where they need to go. It is much like feeding your children. Do you let them eat just what they want to eat, or do you require them to eat what is good for them until they develop a taste for it (even though they throw a fit or pout), and that becomes what they desire and what they will continue to eat after they leave your home. The same principle applies to spiritual things.  Making or keeping your children happy or being worried about having to endure their displeasure is not spiritual leadership.  

It is not the youth ministry, nor fun, nor their relationship with the church, or their relationship with their friends that will keep your children faithful, it is their relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Exercise your spiritual leadership in choosing a church that is sound in the faith, teaches the Scriptures to all ages, presents the gospel, and is concerned about your children's spiritual growth and faith in Christ. Make sure that these are emphasized in their program, not fun and friends.

Hey, it's lonely at the top, and a little rough at times, too. But that is why God made parents, that is the position and role God has assigned to us. Don't let your children down, for now and for eternity; but be the spiritual leaders, be strong, be spiritually courageous, and your children will one day rise up and call you blessed.

Raising the Spiritual Bar

Pastors should not be afraid to set the spiritual bar for their people as high as it is set in Bible. Of course, the bar the Scripture sets is Jesus Christ, Himself. He is the One against whom we all are ultimately measured. He is the One whom we all are being conformed into, and it is Him that we all will be like on that day (Ephesians 4:11-15, Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:28, I John 3:2). If this is true, rather, because this is true, then pastors should be concerned with the personal holiness of their people, not their personal happiness.

Pastors need to exhort their people to be great Christians. They need to lay out an expectation for them to be the best Christians they can be. They need to entreat their flock to love the Lord with all their heart, so they will be filled with an ongoing desire to please Him. They must to encourage them to pursue Christ. They need to keep the Gospel fresh, so that the joy of  salvation will not grow stale. Pastors need to extol the greatness of God, so that the people's reverence for Him will not wane. They must not hide the cost of discipleship, but encourage their people to press on. They must prepare them to be diligent and to persevere, and cheer them on to not grow wearing in doing good.They must be faithful in giving them the Word, so by it all under their charge and care may grow with respect to their salvation.

This is tough and demanding, because if pastors raise the bar for their people then they must also raise the bar for themselves. They must then raise the bar for their own personal holiness and its pursuit; raise the bar for their personal Christ-likeness; raise the bar for their preaching and teaching; raise the bar for their spiritual leadership; raise the bar for their own diligence and perseverance; raise the bar for their worship; raise the bar for their prayer life; raise the bar for how they do church. But is that not the task pastor's have been assigned, is it not the stewardship they have been given? Is it not why the warning is given in James 3:1? Daunting as that may seem, His grace is sufficient, and it is the Lord that makes us all adequate as His servants.

Pastors, press on in the fulfillment of your calling. Press on to be the best shepherd you can be. Press on to be great shepherds of the sheep, as any less of an effort is a disservice to them, a dishonor to your calling, and a disappointment to the Master.  And on that day may you all hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master."

Whom Shall I Please?

 

Those who are servants of Christ, those who are entrusted with the secret things of God, do not see themselves winning popularity contests--not even within the church's borders....There is only one Person whose "Well Done!" on the last day means anything.  In comparison, the approval or disapproval of the church means nothing. 

It is not even your own estimate of your service that is important.  Feeling good about your ministry may have some limited utility somewhere, but surely it has no ultimate significance.  You may think more highly of your service than God does; you may think less of your service than God does.  But if you are constantly trying to please yourself, to make self-esteem your ultimate goal, then you are forgetting whose servant you are, whom you must strive to please.

Don Carson

The Cross and Christian Ministry

Page 97

Galatians 1:10

For am I now seeking the favor of men,
or of God? If I were still trying to please
men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
(This includes seeking to please ourselves)

A Christian's Devotion

As Christians, our devotion to Christ

must come before our devotion to our

church or our denomination.  We must

not substitute devotion to church or devotion

to denomination for devotion to Christ; nor

should we assume that devotion to these is

the same as devotion to Christ.

This should be particularly true for pastors.

A Preacher's Aim

This is a partial repost.

God's vision for us from eternity past is for us is to be like His Son, the first born of many brethren. So as pastors/preachers should that not be our vision as well; and are we casting a compelling vision of Christ before our people so that they will aspire to be like Him? Do we present an all encompassing picture of Christ to our people as our ultimate example of what God expects us to be? Do we model Christ in our own lives? Is He our example to the extent that we are an example of Him to our people? Do they understand that this is where God is taking them through the sanctification process, and the ultimate answer to their question, "Why?"


This vision of Christ that we present to our people is to be all encompassing, affecting every area of our lives; so that, in becoming complete in Christ, what is true about Him becomes true about us.

The Great Disconnect

In the Western church, more noticeably in the church in the US, we are living in a time of disconnection. A time in which there is a disconnection in so many who claim to be a Christian, and that disconnection is between what they claim to be and how they are actually living; and what is even worse, is that others who claim to be Christian see no problem with the disconnection, and in fact see no disconnection at all.

Yes, there is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon would say, as we see this same issue talked about by Paul as he says in Titus 1:16, They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." James also alludes to this problem in James 1:22 as he says, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." So yes, this problem is not new, it actually existed in Israel before the New Testament times, but it seems to me that this disconnection in the Western church (especially in our country) has gone from epidemic proportions, to pandemic. This disconnection is most visibly demonstrated in the area of sexual promiscuity, sensuality, and immorality.

Let me give you three examples that have come to my attention over the last few weeks.

#1. The vote, this week, by the Twin Cities presbytery of the PCUSA to okay the ordination of clergy without regard to sexual orientation.  This was the vote that gave the majority vote in favor of this change to their constitution.

#2. While having lunch with a friend of mine last week he told me of a youth minister in Houston who had moved in with his girlfriend.  His comment to me was that they should know better, and, yes, they should; but what bothered me was that the youth minster and his girlfriend obviously did not see anything wrong with co-habitating outside of marriage.

#3. The latest Youtube buzz about Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art."  Only a few weeks ago, at the ACM awards, she was provocatively dressed and gyrating around while singing with Steven Tyler.  It was bad enough that I turned off the television.  Obviously she doesn't see a problem with how she was performing at the ACM's or she wouldn't do it.  But does that performance, that activity, square with the profession of being a Christian?  Would she dress and perform like that at church?

Where is the disconnect here?  It is between their profession to be Christians, and their actions.  It is the difference between what the Scripture says and how they live their lives, which is also shown in the choices they make. Let's look at some Scripture that addresses all three of the examples I have listed above.

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk

(live your life, or behave) no longer as the Gentiles walk,

in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding,

excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that

is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they,

having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality

for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard

Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside

the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the

lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been

created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Ephesians 4:17-24

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the

kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,

nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

nor thieves, nor the covetous, not drunkards, nor revilers,

nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were

some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified,

but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

and in the Spirit of our God.

I Corinthians 6:9-11

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;

and sin is lawlessness.  You know that He appeared in

order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

No one who abides in Him sins (practices, habitually,

lives a lifestyle of sinfulness); no one who sins has

seen Him or knows Him.  Little children, make sure no

one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness

is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices

sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 

The Son of God has appeared for this purpose, to destroy

the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices

sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin

(practice, habitually, live as a lifestyle), because he is

born of God.  By this the children of the devil are obvious:

anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,

nor the one who does not love his brother.

I John 3:4-10

Italics mine for emphasis or explanation

Listen, the Bible is full of verses that speak to this from many different angles, and through many different scenarios.  What is the issue here?  What is the disconnect?  You cannot live the same lifestyle as the world, and be a Christian.  There is no such thing as a carnal Christian, or a nominal Christian (despite the continued misinterpretation of I Corinthians 3:3).  You are on one side of the fence or the other.  You cannot serve two masters.  There must be a consistency between your talk and your walk.  You must prove to possess what it is you profess, unless of course you fail the test. 

Another issue with the types of examples mentioned above, is that in many cases they have been told it is okay to live in this way, that as long as you have made some kind of profession you are covered...like some kind of holy fire insurance...and, if you don't accept these kind of lifestyles in those who profess to be Christians, you are being judgmental.

Scripture is the sole and final judge in these matters; and we must hold up the Scriptures as the standard for behavior for those who profess to be Christians.  We must not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God standing on the authority of Scripture alone.  To be able to do this we must know and have confidence in the Word of God.  In bringing this topic up with those who claim to be Christian it has become painfully obvious that their knowledge of Scripture is woefully anemic.  If we don't know the Scripture, we cannot think Biblically, and therefore cannot apply Scripture where needed.  And, if we do not know the Scriptures it is hard, nay impossible, to speak with any degree of authority on these matters.

The only way to combat this disconnect is for the Scriptures to faithfully, fully, and comprehensibly be taught and preached in our churches.  Yes, doing this might, in fact will, decrease our numbers; but what remains will be purer and then perhaps the church will gain the relevancy in the culture that is truly transforming.