How to Protect Yourself (And Your Church) From Heresy
Heresy.
It’s the great fear of churches of all sizes and stripes. It’s particularly feared whenever you talk much about releasing the church to be the church in small, relationally focused groups (house churches).
Who will protect the people from heresy? What if someone believes something that isn’t in the Bible and starts teaching it to others? To those who have grown up under a strong biblical teacher or someone who has watched someone go into error, this is enough to scare people away.
Our house church network has had to deal with this issue over and over again. Small groups of Christians meeting together where anyone can share are prime places for people with weird views to show up. Heretics, both of the doctrinal and lifestyle varieties1 have tried to insert themselves into what we’re doing. But in the nine years that we’ve been doing this one thing has consistently guarded us against heresy: relationships.
That may sound weird if you’ve never been part of a relationship-centric church. But over and over again I’ve watched as deep, abiding relationships around the word of God have rescued others from biblical error. Whenever a heresy has sprung up, it was dealt with not through authority and bible-beating, but friendships where one person has lovingly challenged another about a particular belief not being in the word of God.
We’ve also noticed that the number one indicator of someone who comes into our fellowship having the potential to be a problem has been whether or not they are in relationship with others. Those who come as believers in Jesus but have terrible relationships with other parts of the body of Christ (by their own admission) have over time shown that they are after their own interests, not Christ’s. Again it comes back to relationship. Having a healthy relationship with Christ necessitates having a healthy relationship to his body.
The crazy thing is Jesus and the apostles believed in this relational element to the truth. Jesus says, “Anyone who receives you receives me…” (Matthew 10:40). John, the Apostle, says, “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us,” (1 John 2:18-19). I could go on.
The point is real, biblical truth is designed to flourish in community, not in isolation. And more importantly, real, biblical community is designed to protect the truth of Christ in the hearts and lives of His followers. Do you want to protect yourself or your church from heresy? Enter in to true relationships around God’s word.
1 I’m indebted to Neil Cole for pointing out that there are two types of heresy which the New Testament speaks of. When we speak of heresy, we usually refer to heresy of doctrine, which is obviously important to avoid. But the New Testament speaks equally about heresy of the life, where we live a life of error that doesn’t point to Jesus. While both doctrinal and lifestyle heresy are common, our discussion of heresy tends to focus on doctrinal heresy (i.e. believing Jesus is the Son of God, understanding how a man can be saved, what is the role of the Holy Spirit) while ignoring lifestyle heresy’s such as greed, legalism, or adultery. I believe Jesus is concerned with both doctrine and practice and to a certain extent, our practice is our doctrine (see Titus 2:1-13).
We Are Now Part of the Show
The stage of the Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington, Indiana.
Every week, two or three of the guys in my house church eat breakfast at an inner-city McDonald’s to pray for the lost, talk accountability, and discuss what we’re reading in the Bible.
Because this is a McDonald’s of the inner-city variety, there’s always something entertaining going on: The janitor walking out of the bathroom reacting to the mess he’s found inside, some kind of fight breaking out in the lobby, or a guy on a hover board riding back and forth through lobby while never buying anything. We’ve come to call our Sunday McDonald’s experience “dinner and a show.”
What’s happened as we’ve continued to meet there week after week is we’ve become some of the regulars. Not only that, but we’ve found if we make ourselves available, we regularly have chances to share Jesus with the men and women who come to McDonald’s on Sunday mornings. As you might guess, most of the people who are there at that time aren’t believers.
So a few days ago we were sharing the Gospel with a new friend at McDonald’s. We weren’t yelling by any means, but because of the close nature of the building, you could hear what we were saying pretty clearly if you wanted to. I was sure others heard us. And I realized something: We had become part of “the show.” We are the guys who are always sharing Jesus in the midst of this already unconventional restaurant. We had become part of the unusual cast of characters that gather here.
This isn’t a bad thing. Quite the contrary, Jesus called us to be “salt and light,” (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt, in addition to be a preserving agent, is also something we use to bring out the flavor of our food. We actually make things better and more interesting as we live out our lives a salt and light. Instead of blending in or hiding, my friends and I are starting to embrace the drama we’ve been called to be a part of. We’re the Jesus guys at McDonalds on Sunday morning. My point is that instead of blending in in this environment (whether people like it or not) we stand out. Our hope is we not only get to be salt, but that in time our light will break through the darkness and people will be changed.
How about you? Somewhere, in your life, you are called to be salt and light. Neither salt or light go unnoticed. They don’t blend in; they stand out. They change the environment they enter. Aren’t you tired of sitting in the seats watching? Somewhere, it’s time for you, in your own way, to become part of the show.
Will you join me?
Photo Credit: Indiana University Auditorium Stage by Joey Lax-Salinas
I Forgot
I forgot.
I forgot for a season of my life who I was and what I was called to. It wasn’t intentional. Forgetting never is. But when people who didn’t know what they were called to be began to be intimidated by me, I stepped back. I sat down. I buried my all my money in the sand for fear of losing it (Matthew 25:14-30). I turned on my flashlight but stuck it in my pants pocket (Matthew 5:14-16).
And so I forgot who I was. I forgot what I was called to. I forgot that the flashlight wasn’t just for me, but for others to find their way, too.
I also forgot about one of my heroes. He was this guy who got knocked off his donkey by a blinding light on the way to kill Christians. After being blinded, he repented and was told the path of the rest of his life. And over and over again he kept telling people that he had to complete the calling that he received when he was saved. It was the laser focus of his life. He would also tell others to not forget their calling. He even told me time after time after time: “Your calling is important. Finish it.” (See Acts 9:1-19, Acts 26:12-23, Colossians 4:17)
But now I’m remembering. I’m remembering that I cannot let people’s reactions sway me from the heavenly vision. I can’t be disobedient to it. A little older, a little wiser, I’m learning to pursue my calling while simultaneously not sacrificing others its altar.
But make no mistake, this is not some Christianized version of self-actualization. Being missional means knowing your calling. You cannot help advance the mission of Jesus if you are walking in someone else’s calling. A soldier in the wrong place during battle will not help win the war. The same is true in Jesus’ kingdom. Only a people who are intent on fulfilling their calling will spread the Gospel far and wide like my hero.
Know your calling. Fulfill your calling. It’s important. Souls hang in the balance. Remember. Don’t forget.
Photo Credit (Top): Don’t forget… by Bernd Baltz
Photo Credit (Inset): Don’t forget to be awesome by Star Athena
Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 