The tussle for transparency

"Peace, peace, when there is no peace" — Jeremiah 6:14

"MINISTERS ARE FEARFULLY GUILTY if they intentionally build up men in a false peace" Charles Spurgeon.

Read more in his 'Blast of the Trumpet against False Peace'

www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0301.htm

Cards on the table, none of us wants to be labelled as the insensitive fundamentalist screaming down a loudspeaker to some poor defenseless bystander!

When I first arrived in Dublin to establish a Gospel frontier post(and in the process a church) I made the point of telling everyone I was from Co.Derry (we never called it Londonderry!) and that I was not a 'Paisley type' bigot or narrow minded sort! All true, but the point was that we live in a country blighted by religious stereotypes the perceptions of which had left me back-footed trying to explain what I 'was not' rather than what I am and believe. It takes time to establish trust and I hope that has happened...and that I too have grown up to be less 'perceptions' conscious and more God conscious, less of a man pleaser and more of a God pleaser!

Spurgeon's trumpet blast here is an outcry against Christian people, especially leaders, who have believed the Gospel and received Christ as their Saviour but do nothing to challenge the religious stereotypes of people around them....and in doing so leave people with 'false peace'

Religious stereotypes are nothing new. Jesus had to face them from Jewish leaders who refused to listen to his truth claims and rejected Him for who He truly was ('the Saviour' sent by God to reconcile men to God) This is a great tragedy that continues to happen in our day. Rejecting Jesus' truth claims, hiding behind stereotypes and a 'form of godliness' but denying the need for a truly God saved and tranformed life leads to current and eternal separation from God (in a place that Jesus called Hell) - and dare I say it, a wasted life.

I'd say thats a tragedy worth getting brave for, persevering with stereotypes for, and laying our lives down for.

WWW.SOUTHCITYCHURCH.ORG