On the BaptistPlanet blog, Steve DeVane gives concrete substance to the question of “What would Jesus do?” in Baptistland.DeVane is responding to the recent comments of Ed Stetzer, president of the LifeWay research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Stetzer wrote about the “ongoing decline” in Southern Baptist membership, and suggested that Baptists should react by asking “What would Jesus do?”
Stetzer said Baptists need to make "a serious self-examination” and suggested they consider four questions:
- Do we value the kingdom as He did?
- Do we love sinners as He loved them?
- Do we serve as He served?
- Do we remind our neighbors of Jesus and tell them of His gospel?
“Good questions,” responds DeVane, but he proposes some additional ones. And DeVane’s questions don’t carry the loosey-goosey gloss of religious-sounding talk. Instead, DeVane’s questions are grounded in the uncomfortable realities of Southern Baptist life. For example. . .
- What would Jesus do about pastors who use titles they haven’t earned?
- What would Jesus do about actions toward women that “fall short of biblical standards”?
- What would Jesus do about a former convention officer praying for the deaths of the president and members of Congress?
- What would Jesus do about executives who won’t reveal their salaries?
- What would Jesus do about church autonomy protecting predators?
Read the rest of Steve DeVane’s questions and comments on the BaptistPlanet blog.
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2 comments:
I would not want to hear anything about Jesus or His gospel from someone who prayed for the death of our president, whom we are commanded in the Bible to pray for. I would not want to hear about Jesus from someone dishonest, deceitful, treated women as inferior, protected predators, condoned or allowed abuse by church ministers and did nothing to stop it, etc. If the greatest sermon ever preached could be done without words and we are to be like Jesus, I have sure seen the opposite in churches, particularly ones involved in clergy sexual abuse. No wonder the church is in decline. Some leaders have fallen in love with power, prestige, position, and money and the world sees it. We are accountable to God but some think they are accountable to no one and seek to please themselves. It is a sad situation.
Jesus would do the same thing He did once before. He would make a whip and drive them out! Where is the "Jesus-man" who will do this?
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