PTM WEEKLY UPDATE -- JUNE 23, 2008
"I may not be church material"
Q. I wrote an article about tithing for our church newspaper. My conclusion was, like PTM's, is that "tithing" is an old covenant practice. I see nothing in the New Testament that gives any Christian church or pastor the authority to demand 10% from Christians. Well, long story short. I am no longer attending. But after I left, the pastor of that church gave a sermon about money and at the end he looked straight at my wife (she still attends) and said "there are those who won't agree with what I am about to say but I believe in the 10% tithe. " She said she knew he was talking to her (or more specifically, me!) .
The church has also found a way to not publish any more articles that I would write -- effectively silencing me. I have left the church and have no plans to return. On Sunday mornings when my wife is at church, I listen to CWR and in this way I can still worship on Sunday mornings. I sent one of the pastors an email explaining why I wouldn't be back. I have a lot of respect for this pastor. The email contained 17 things that the senior pastor was doing wrong and how he was not doing his job (according to the Bible). This pastor told my wife that she was going to respond but she was still "mulling over things" to be sure she said things just right. She still must be "mulling" because it's been three weeks now and I've heard nothing from her. I told her that maybe I just wasn't "church material" and maybe I'm not. However it is like I told my wife, my salvation is not performance based, such as going to church. My salvation depends on faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone. Your words and teachings have influenced me to the point I am now quoting you and I quote you because I know you are right in what you preach and say. I can honestly say I have learned more from you and PTM than I ever did going to my former church. (Hope you don't mind me quoting you).
When religion tries to threaten, intimidate and bully us, then I simply request that we invite the religious source/entity/power figure to turn to the Gospels, and cite any example of Jesus attempting to browbeat anyone into submission to some program or behavior. No such examples can be found, of course.
Your recent two-part CWR sermon series titled, "What Is the Gospel?" contained so much useful information that I downloaded the mp3 files and am transcribing the sermons onto paper. It will take a while to get through the two sermons but I will have a lot of useful information when I am done -- information I can study and refer back to.
I am happy that I've left the church and I am now free to worship in the manner I choose -- and not to worship in a manner someone else thinks I should. Thank you and PTM for always being there for me.
A. 1) First of all, I thank God for the insight and courage he has given you. I don't think Christians should look for fights with religion, but when it comes, we should not be afraid to "stand up, stand up for Jesus" (a classic hymn sung, ironically, in many churches that are in bondage to legalism!).
2) When religion tries to threaten, intimidate and bully us, then I simply request that we invite the religious source/entity/power figure to turn to the Gospels, and cite any example of Jesus attempting to browbeat anyone into submission to some program or behavior. No such examples can be found, of course.
3) Interesting that you told the pastor that you just might not be "church material." Well, as you now know, you are definitely not "religious material!" However, on the other hand, you are the church. Jesus has made you part of his church. No human being can take the crown of Jesus' righteousness, given to you by God's grace, away from you. They can fulminate and thunder and spit and holler, but at the end of the day, we fear no man. We fear no religion. We serve Jesus. Period.
4) Welcome to CWR as one of our friends. As you know, we prefer not to use the term "member" because it can imply ownership to some -- we don't own anyone whom we serve. Jesus does, but we don't. We just try to point the way to Jesus. I will keep you in mind, along with so many others as I prepare and tape sermons for CWR -- knowing you are yet another one who is "out there" in our worldwide congregation.
5) I am in the final stages of my next book Unplugging from Religion -- Connecting With God -- as soon as we can send that to the printer, I will start working on the next book, which will include manuscipts of many CWR sermons. I say this so that you will know that many of the sermons I have given will wind up in printed form -- but that book may not be available until the fall of 2009. If you can wait, we'll have that available, God willing. It won't include every sermon, but many of them. In the meantime, copy away, and share with anyone you wish to.
6) PTM is humbled to be able to serve you. We are only able to do what we can by God's grace and by his mercy. My decades of experience with bad news religion, and the amazing rescue and turn-around that God granted to me, waking me up in a patient and loving way, enable me -- and PTM at large -- to proclaim good news to the captives! Thank you for allowing us to be of service.
in Christ
Greg AlbrechtRETURN TO PTM WEEKLY UPDATE CONTENTS PAGE
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