sbc IMPACT!

Stumbling Blocks

January 29th, 2008 by David Rogers
Posted in Culture, David Rogers, Evangelism, SBC Issues, Unity |

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! Matthew 18:6-7 (NASB)

We all know that the baptism rate within the Southern Baptist Convention is dropping. A lot of the blame for that has been placed on believers in Baptist churches not being bold enough in their personal witness. I am most definitely NOT saying that is not a part of the problem on which we need to work, especially in light of the findings of the new Lifeway study suggesting that non-believers are more open to our individual witness than many have suspected. At the same time, though, I have a very strong suspicion that a boatload of the blame can be laid somewhere else: stumbling blocks.

The Greek word for ‘stumbling block’ is the word ‘skandalon’. And sadly, as Southern Baptists and Evangelicals, we have not been free from scandal. We are all familiar with the stories of those who have fallen into sexual sin or wrongly used their ministry position for material gain. And, whenever we point the finger at those of other faith traditions and denominations, we need to remember there are three fingers pointing back at us. But, in addition to these obvious stumbling blocks, I would like for us to think about a few others…

A couple of days ago, I had the joy and privilege of receiving the visit here in the Memphis area of a new friend of mine, fellow blogger Paul Grabill. Paul is pastor of the State College Assembly of God in State College, Pennsylvania, and a leading advocate, both locally and nationally, for the practice of unity in the Body of Christ. Having a good part of the day to fellowship together, I decided to take him to see one of my favorite places in Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The walk through the museum exhibit is a highly impacting experience, one I highly recommend whenever you happen to be in Memphis.

At one point in the visit, Paul turned to me and commented: “How sad that because of racism and discrimination, so many people have been kept from seeing Jesus for who He really is.” The saddest part for me is how, as the exhibit pointed out, on so many occasions, the Bible and Christianity have been used (or abused) as a pretext for propping up slavery, racial hatred and bigotry.

Some people say that racism, by and large, is no longer a major issue among us. Thankfully, we have indeed made some major strides forward (see, for example, here, here, and here). But, as Southern Baptists, I do not think we can afford to ignore the words of people like Dwight McKissic, when they remind us there is still more we can do that has not yet been done to counteract the despicable legacy of bigotry that has stood in the way of so many seeing Jesus for who He really is.

Closely related to the matter of race relations is the question of disputes and divisions along denominational lines. Many, many pages have been written on the question of denominations, the danger of doctrinal compromise, and the ‘ins and outs’ of how to faithfully work towards greater unity within the Body of Christ. I am not going to go into further detail on this subject here except to remind us that Jesus said “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). The undeniable truth is that division in the Body of Christ comprises one of the most significant stumbling blocks today still standing in the way of lost souls being reconciled with God through Jesus Christ.

At the risk of being controversial, I am going to come out and say here that I believe that political involvement in the American church has become a major stumbling block as well, especially since the development of the Religious Right in the last thirty years or so. I personally am totally committed to the defense of the sanctity of human life, and believe that, as Christians, we should do everything within our grasp to save lives and defend the innocent. However, as Evangelicals, I believe we are just shutting our eyes if we refuse to recognize the correlation between our involvement in secular politics and rising skepticism and indifference towards us on the part of the unchurched.

Of course, each of us is going to have our own perspective and opinion on any number of issues up for public debate. And, our relationship with Christ need not preclude maintaining and expressing them in a Christ-like manner. But, I think we must be very careful to avoid making issues on which the Bible is either silent or ambiguous a part of a rubber-stamped pre-approved Christian agenda. Jesus loves the people in the “blue states” just as much as those in the “red states.” And, nowhere do I read in my Bible: “Come unto me all who are weary, become good Republicans, and I shall give you rest.” Okay, maybe we have never directly said that. But, for some reason or another, it seems like a whole lot of people have gotten that general impression. And, in the end, what’s more important—winning elections or seeing lost souls come to Christ?

Although there are certainly many more stumbling blocks of which I could make mention, I will limit myself here to one more: irrelevant traditions in our churches. Many of you have, no doubt, already seen at some time the classic comedy vignette, Mr. Bean Goes to Church. Although it definitely makes for a good laugh, I think it also gives us good cause to reflect and consider just how it is that everyday unchurched people may respond to many traditions that we as “church folks” have come to accept as normal fare.

Although no one should be “given a free pass” regarding false doctrine or unbiblical methodology, I think we should be very careful before “throwing stones” at those who are trying to be more “seeker-sensitive” in their approach to ministry and evangelism. As Ed Stetzer discerningly commented in response to the previously referenced Lifeway study: People on the outside see the church as candles, pews and flowers, rather than people living out their love for God by loving others. Such skepticism can only be overcome by churches and believers who demonstrate the unity and love for which Jesus prayed. There will always be the stumbling block of the cross. Yet our study shows that many are tripping over the church before they hear the message of the cross.

All this leaves us asking, if such is the case, what can and should we do about it? It is practically impossible to make up for centuries of stumbling blocks and offenses perpetrated in the name of Christ in one 30-minute “witnessing opportunity.” Does that mean we should just be silent? Of course not. Our silence will not do anymore than our offenses in helping lost souls find Christ. But I do think that, when we share Christ with others, we cannot afford to do so in a way that acts as if these stumbling blocks did not exist. They are very real. And they are getting in the way of many, many people coming to faith.

As such, I think that, first of all, we all need to ask ourselves: “Am I, in my own lifestyle and attitudes, potentially being a stumbling block to someone else?” Next, we need to be prepared to humbly admit our shortcomings and failures as Evangelical Christians, and ask people to forgive us, even if we ourselves have not been directly involved. It won’t hurt us, and it could make a difference of eternity for someone else. Finally, each of us needs to do everything we can, and contribute our grain of sand, towards seeing as many of these larger-scale stumbling blocks as possible alleviated, corrected, and eventually taken totally out of the way.

As our Lord Jesus said, “it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”