"Dangerous people"

I was reading a really good article today on www.churchleaders.com entitled: “Do you know the most dangerous person in your church?” It reminded me of a sermon I preached in February of 2009 entitled “The most dangerous people in the church”. I thought I’d summarize the points the Nebraska church planter made in his article today, then write about the text and points I had in my sermon.

Erik Raymond is the Omaha church planter that penned the article. He makes the case that this “dangerous” person is not who we’d immediately think of. He says it’s not the: unbeliever who doesn’t know the church language, or the Christian who is what he calls doctrinally anemic, or even the “Arminian sniffed out by the Calvinist in 20 seconds flat". In his estimation the most dangerous person in church is the seemingly smart bible guy who is “unteachable”; the guy who might say “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I know what I believe.” Like when my friend Phil Hoskins at his church, Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, Tn had a large issue before the church and he started speaking to what the bible might say about the issue before them. A man stood up and said something to the effect, “Preacher, we all know you know lots more about the bible than us, so don’t go bringing the bible into it!”

Raymond then gives some “signs” about why this guy (or gal) is dangerous. First, they are dangerous because he is “gospel-eclipsing” meaning he has it all figured out. Whereas the gospel calls us to continue to grow in our understanding, this guy has all the answers before the questions are asked. Second, he’s dangerous because he is “critical”. He likes to Monday morning quarterback (2nd guess) every sermon and decision made by leadership. Third, he is dangerous because his attitude of unteachableness is ultimately divisive. Fourth, he’s dangerous because in his being unteachable and constantly second-guessing leadership he robs leaders of joy (See Hebrews 13:7, 10). The fifth reason he’s dangerous is because he’s a “time waster”. Raymond says he takes the time of the staff wanting to argue what he considers the “finer points” of the gospel message and mandate.

Raymond then gives some very practical advice on how to deal with people like this. He states:
1. Pray for him
2. Minimize his influence
3. Watch him and the sheep – care for him spiritually but be keenly aware of the sheep at large and how he might influence them
4. Lovingly aim to teach him
5. Confront him when necessary

In my sermon I used Matthew 13 where the Lord gives the parable of the “wheat and tares” (weeds). I found the text fell into 4 easy points.

First, where do they come from. Jesus, in verse 39, clearly says the enemy who “sowed them” is the “devil”. Jesus said he sows weeds among the weed to destroy the crop. In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul reminds us that are battle is not against “flesh and blood” but rather the enemy is Satan.

Second, I looked at who are the dangerous folk. They in all likelihood are some of the most “religious” among the group. The have religion but not a relationship. Membership but do not know the Master. As Paul said to Timothy, they have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” In other words they are religious, love to be in church on Sundays with their bibles under arm, but are lost. This can be true of laymen and leader alike. I honestly believe at one point I hired a member of my staff at a previous church, that later, by his attitude and actions revealed he was lost.

Third, I considered what their mission might be. Jesus said the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). These folks are being used by the enemy to trip up and tear down. Given time, the weeds will always reveal their true nature.

The fourth thing I pointed out that the text explained was where they work. Jesus said the enemy came “at night” to plant the weed seeds. The devil will always try and take the path of least resistance. He doesn’t want a fight but rather to divide and conquer.

I then concluded with the same thought I want to finish this blog with, namely where should we expect Satan to do his most damaging work. One of the attributes that God has that Satan does not is His omnipresence; God is all places at all times. Satan though has to pick and choose where he will be. Having to pick where he will attack it makes sense to me that Satan will spend most of his time attacking churches that are alive and reaching people with the gospel. Why attack a “dead” church when you have them right where you want them? After all, it’s best to let a sleeping dog lie, right?

The real tragedy of the parable is that in Jesus’ account the tares never have their nature changed to that of wheat. The good news today is that anyone who has the nature of a weed, while there’s still life flowing through their body can be changed by the grace of God and receive a new nature, John 3 Jesus called it being “born-again”.