Shoot the Messenger

Here I am, back writing sooner than I thought I would be.

As you know I am interstate looking after a church while its pastors are away on holidays. I had four sermons to preach and I planned to use the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost sons from Luke 15 as their underlying theme.  The four messages were to focus on (1) the loving and forgiving father, (2) the behaviour and fate of the two sons, (3) a more appropriate response from the elder brother (personal mission) and (4) the mission of the local church.

In my first message I aimed to paint the biggest picture of God I could and to invite the church to paint their own personal biggest picture.
I preached about the correct meaning of "prodigal" and how the father was so prodigal in his attitude and behaviour - recklessly extravagant with his love, forgiveness, grace, restoration, etc.
I applied this to God, while pointing out that most Christians don't see God with such prodigality as Jesus' parables paint Him.
To illustrate, I briefly described Calvinism and Arminianism, and showed how these two most common Christian positions fell short in their views of God compared with the views expressed in Luke 15.
I then shared my own view of God as a God of unconditional love and sovereignty who could and would do whatever was necessary to ensure that all of his children eventually returned home.
I finished by encouraging the church to create their own biggest view of God.

The response was interesting.
Several people clapped when I finished speaking.
Several others came and thanked me for a message they "really needed to hear".
A couple came and asked questions because the thought that God might eventually get all of his children home was new to them and they wanted to know more, and a couple of others came and politely said they disagreed with that view.
The elders requested me to attend a meeting as they said many people were upset with this idea, it had caused division in the church and some were not going to return to the church until I was no longer in the pulpit to share such ideas.

At the subsequent elders meeting, which was cordial and respectful, I was told I could not continue my preaching assignment and indeed, it would be better for the congregation if I didn't even attend the church in the remaining time I was in town.
After agreeing to these, and since there had been no discussion up to this point of my offending view, just that it had caused problems, I asked if we could discuss the view, or at least if I could share the Biblical basis for my view and was politely, but cautiously, given a short time to do so.  Disappointingly, one elder, in reluctantly giving assent to my request, also said that whatever I said or showed him would make no difference to his opinion -  a sad opening statement to a study of the Scriptures by the spiritual leaders of the church.

One elder recorded the verses I shared, one other said he would like to give them some more thought, the others remained fairly silent.  I was asked a few questions, one of which was how this view of God and his possible success had changed my life, and I think they were surprised that my answer included my increased motivation for sharing the gospel with those who are currently lost.  (I will put the verses I shared with the elders in a separate post, as this one is getting too long.)

The whole episode has been a sad and disappointing one, and given that "the length of time wayward children might spend in hell" is hardly a core belief-issue for Christians, I guess I was as surprised as I was saddened by the elders' dramatic response and the course of action they took without even discussing the matter with me.

I would have expected such a strong reaction and subsequent course of action if I had shared an idea that belittled God or discounted the work of Jesus on the cross in some way, but getting that response after sharing an idea that enhances our concept of God's love and grace and which gives Christ's work on the cross its fullest possible scope and effect really surprised me in a Christian church, and especially one that so openly and frequently preaches grace.

Why am I sharing all this with you?

As much as you may be convinced of the love and sovereignty of God, and of his success in restoring all his creation to himself eventually, there are many who find more comfort in a lesser and less successful God and will emotionally and vehemently defend that position no matter what. 
If you are brave enough to publicly state your belief that Jesus does indeed save the world, as He came to do, be prepared to duck for cover if there are good Calvinists or Evangelicals nearby.

Personally though, although I have been so saddened and disappointed, I have had this incredible peace on the inside, which just has to be God's doing.  Barry