Christians Behaving Badly

When Christ followers act like complete jerks, ass___, dorks, or $%!@!@^% by eating their own or judging and hurting other believers we have "given the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel", and I am sorry.

Even the grandson of Billy Graham is taking some heat at a church he pastors in Florida. It reminds me of what happened to my friend Dr. David Cox while he was the pastor of a church here in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sounds like some of the same nutty stuff that happened to David Cox is happening again at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in South Florida. The pastor, Tullian Tchividjian, wrote the words below and it was published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

"Six members of our church recently circulated unsolicited letters and a petition voicing their opposition to my leadership and requesting a congregational meeting to vote on whether to keep me as their pastor.

The Bible says God wants the church to be a visual model of the gospel. He wants us, in other words, to live our lives together in such a way that we demonstrate the good news of reconciliation before the watching world.

The late Francis Schaeffer once noted that bitter divisions among Christians give the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel. But when reconciliation, peacemaking, and unity are on display inside the church, that becomes a powerful witness to this fractured world. "Just as I have loved you," Jesus commanded, "you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).

Whenever you see any of us who claim to be "Christ followers" behaving in a manner that is unlike Jesus, please forgive us. And please let that be a reflection on us, and not on Him. As imperfect people, we will continue to let you down and disappoint you, but Jesus will never let you down--he will never disappoint you."

--- Tullian Tchividjian, the pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

Click here to read the complete newspaper article.

Big Thanks to Social Marketing Maven Todd Rhoades for inspiring this post. Check out Todd's blog here.