Temple Thinking vs. Jesus Thinking
After several months of being without a laptop or way to blog about the things Jesus, and my pastor, have been teaching me, I am so excited to share with you the one thing that was the most mind-blowing and eye-opening for me. It's from a recent Northpoint Church series called Brand New that our pastor shared last month. The reason behind the name "Brand New" is because Jesus came to Earth with a brand new covenant. Yet, so many of us are still trying to live under the old covenant, and the old rules. Andy talks about something called the Temple Model, and explains how our thoughts about God and Christianity have been influenced heavily by it. So, what is the temple model? Basically, it is a model of religion that most of today's churches are founded on, where sacred men, in sacred places, with sacred texts, do sacred things. And there are usually scared, or scarred, followers who don't know any better and are therefore very dependent on these sacred men. These men are in a "higher position" than we are, supposedly, and they bring us the word of God and usually scare us into believing it. Fear is a major component in this model, as is guilt. These sacred men read and interpret the sacred texts for us, and do sacred things to cleanse us of our sins. Most of us grew up with this in the churches our parents took us to, and perhaps we didn't feel anything for God in our hearts and didn't feel like we knew him personally, but we went to church every week and therefore felt devout. Perhaps we sacrificed things to God to be in good standing with him. Perhaps we didn't (and maybe still don't) want to go to church, but were told we should. Maybe we feel guilty about not wanting to go, and so that's the reason we go. Perhaps we opened our Bible for a certain number of minutes or days each week because we were supposed to, but didn't really take anything from it. Perhaps we engaged in a ritual we felt would clear us of our guilt and our sins, so that we could go back to our lives and do things pretty much exactly the same as before. But it was okay, of course, because we had confessed those sins to a priest. Perhaps we got our children baptized so they wouldn't go to hell, but then didn't raise them to follow Jesus or to know him. But it's okay, because they were baptized so surely they would go to Heaven. You might feel like you yourself couldn't talk to God directly because you weren't holy enough, and that you needed some kind of middle man who was in better standing with God than you. You might've felt that you were a miserable sinner who was doomed to go to hell, but now you go to church on Sundays and say some prayers at night so surely you aren't anymore. Temple thinking.
(If you're feeling offended right now, please don't be. Almost all of us have felt this way, myself included, but I want you to know the truth of the matter so just keep reading...)
Religion is very powerful and therefore it can be very dangerous, mostly because it is fueled by superstiton and fear. It is also very powerful because it is rooted in our conscience, even those of us who don't consider ourselves Christians or followers of Jesus. Our consciences often drive our behavior. Conscience can be connected to truth but it can also be connected to error - which is where things get hairy. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say, because this is important. Our consciences determine our religious realities whether they reflect reality or not. Wow. You can see this clearly with things you used to feel guilty about that maybe you don't anymore, or things you feel guilty about now that you never did. Unfortunately, for most of us, our consciences have been shaped by a version of Christianity that is a combination both of what Jesus taught and what the temple model taught us as well. And here's the bad news: just a little bit of temple has the potential to ruin the whole thing. We are seeing the result of that in our churches and outside of churches around the world. People often don't want to go to church because someone made them feel like they aren't good enough, and they don't want to feel that way. Someone made them feel that they sinned so bad that they couldn't possibly "get right" with God again (goodness, someone so close to me had this happen and I can't tell you how my heart breaks for her and how I wish I could undo the harm done by one of these "sacred" men). Perhaps they have felt judged and hurt by the very Christians who claim to be all about loving others. They see Christians as hypocrites, or as people who do one thing and say another...which is very often the truth...and this needs to change. Our churches need to change, but in order to do that, we need to discover if there's a little bit of temple is us (and there is), and then seek to practice what Jesus came to teach us instead.
So, are you thinking that maybe you aren't the victim of temple thinking? Well, here's the questions Andy asked us that I would like to ask you:
Have you ever wondered how close you could get to sin without actually sinning?
Temple thinking.
Have you ever felt guiltier about missing mass, church or confession than you did about how you treated someone else?
Temple thinking.
Have you ever feared for the eternal destiny of your son or daughter based on whether or not they were baptized?
Temple thinking.
Do you believe that there is a ritual that makes you right with God and removes your responsibility to make restitution to someone you have harmed?
Temple thinking.
Do you have religious views that get in the way of you loving or accepting another person just like you?
Temple thinking.
There are so many more examples, but you get the jist. For me, the one about a single ritual or act wiping my slate clean was very convicting. I grew up with confession in my life and I'll tell you, it didn't really change anything about my behavior. It was something I stressed over, and felt guilty about, but I was always amazed that just praying a few hail mary's could wipe my slate clean! How easy, and then I would go back to my normal behavior. Hence the problem. God isn't interested in empty acts, he's interested in your heart, in how you show him love, and in how well you love others. There is plenty of scripture in the Bible about confessing our sins to one another and how we should, but I believe that scripture was warped into something it was never meant to imply. We are to help hold each other accountable, yes, and we are not supposed to hide our sins out of shame but share them with others to show what God has done in our lives and how he has turned us from them. Sharing our sins is meant to give God the glory, not a man in a box. But that's another topic altogether, and I'm not here to tell anyone what to believe so much as to open their eyes to temple thinking and what it has done to influence their beliefs, and what that might be doing to hurt others. The question that was most convicting for me was, have you ever felt guiltier about missing mass or confession than you did about how you treated someone? For me, that answer was, and sometimes still is, yes 100 times over. How sad. And this was the point of Andy's whole series of messages. A little bit of the wrong thing has the potential to ruin the whole thing, and it has.
God looked down and saw that his people were not living in a way that would make him happy. They were offering burnt animal sacrifices to him to stay in good standing with God, but then turning around and murdering, stealing, lying, gossiping, and worshiping other idols. It was not what he intended. What may be the biggest problem with temple thinking is that it is completely YOU-centered. Is begs the questions, "What must I do or believe to make things and keep things right between God and me?" This is not what God intended, so he sent Jesus back into the world with a new command (to love one another), and to save us from our sins. Jesus did that, a priest doesn't. "For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. But that is exactly why Jesus came. We needed a savior. Because in truth, you can't confess or hail mary your way out of the death you rightfully deserve. Actually, it's even much simpler than that. All you have to do is accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and invite him into your heart. "Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). John tells us that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." The only thing you need to do is accept Jesus into your heart and seek HIS forgiveness. His is the only forgiveness that you need. And once you've done that, he comes to live in your heart and reveals to you all truth. So perhaps things that used to seem right won't anymore, or a way you used to treat people won't fly. He'll renew your mind day by day and change your heart, and your life, from the inside out.
In truth, this idea of one-time forgiveness and grace was the hardest part for me to accept when I became a born-again Christian. It seemed too simple. And it is simple, but in truth, it's far more demanding. So many people are so busy trying to follow the 10 Commandments that they don't really care how they treat people. Others are fighting the whole way to church and the whole way home. Seems ironic, doesn't it? And the world is full of this. Our churches are full of people trying to get right with God, but in truth, that's not what God is concerned with. Once you accept him into your heart, you and God are fine. He has forgiven you and he loves you more than you could ever imagine. Let me repeat: you and God are fine. So it's actually very self-centered and totally unnecessary to spend your Christian life focusing how you can make things right with God, and how you can get his attention, and get him to answer your prayers. This style of thinking will lead you astray rather than drawing you closer to his heart and spiritual maturity. It leads you to loophole thinking, and wondering how much you can do wrong and still be okay with God, or how close to sinning you can get without actually sinning. And that leads to the Christian hypocrites people around the world have been hurt by and as a result hold religion and Jesus at arms length...which makes God so sad. The old testament was all about the vertical (you and God needed to be good, and it didn't really matter how you treated others). Following Jesus is an invitation to leave all that focus on you behind and to focus more on the you that's beside you...even if that's your enemy. Throughout the new testament we are invited to love people the way our heavenly father loves them and that's what it's all about. We know this because God actually says that "if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go and be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24). God is placing others, his people, in front of himself, which is exactly what Jesus invites us to do as well. When he came to Earth, Jesus brought with him a new commandment that he said was greater than all the rest.
He said, in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” That's it folks, that's all the matters. But actually, it's much harder than just slaughterning and offering an animal, giving your money to a church, or sitting in a box telling a priest your sins. This commandment is FAR more demanding, even though it's much simpler. Because truth be told, it's hard to love others. It's hard to love people when they hurt you, when they lie to you, when they are more concerned with themselves than you, when they judge you, when all they ever want to do is talk about themselves, or when they attack you for your beliefs or make you feel bad about yourself. But this is what Jesus asks us to do. Time and time again in the new testament he showed us examples of how he wants us to act. And even after all that, as he sat with his disciples (those who knew more about him and his teachings than most) at the last supper, they were literally quarreling over who would be the greatest among them. So what did Jesus, the Savior of the world, do? He got down and washed their feet, which was unheard of at the time. He painted the ultimate picture of love, humility, and service. We are called to love and serve one another, and by doing that, we honor God and show him that we love him. Yet even after all this, after Jesus died, the temple model continued to thrive. The apostle Paul was so sad about this and spent most of the new testament preaching on it. He could not have been more clear when he said, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6 says "For the enire law is fulfilled in keeping this ONE command: Love your neightbor as you love yourself" (Galatians 5:14). This represents a complete departure from temple thinking. But it wasn't acceped then, which we see countless examples of throughout the new testament, and it's not easily accepted now. It sounds too simple to just accept Jesus into your heart and live for him. It doesn't sound devout, something the temple model is built on. But again, it's actually much harder even though it's simpler. Because it will require much more of you than just sitting in a church on Sunday, or confessing your sins, or tithing the correct amount, and then going back to your old behaviors and living your life for yourself.
A great thing Andy said to help us get this into our heads, and to understand the real reasons why we shouldn't do certain things versus why we might think in our consciences or have grown up believing. So, do you know why you should tell the truth? Temple thinking says you should tell the truth because that's what the text says. The Jesus model says its because when you lie, you hurt someone else. The Jesus model says it's because when you lie, you are covering yourself at someone else's sxpense. You are saying that you are not worthy of the truth, and that whatever is best for you is second to what's best for me. And that's the reason Christians shouldn't lie. Another example: Do you know why you're supposed to be generous and give money? Most people would say it's because we are supposed to, or because when we give a dollar God will then give us ten back (which, by the way, is not what scripture says). The reason we should give is because it helps people! Do you know why you shouldn't gossip? Because when you do, you elevate yourself at someone else's expense, and because it hurts people and their reputations.
The new testament imperatives, literally ALL the stories, are examples of how to demonstrate your love for God by loving others. They are not there for your benefit, although it will benefit you. They are not there for God's benefit, although this will make him happy. They are there for the benefit of the lives around you, and to thereby bring about God's ultimate plan - to have all of his children back with him. So next time you're standing in the face of a decision, maybe to lie or to gossip or to not give money at church or to yell or be prideful, ask yourself this question: What does love require of me? And if this sounds like Andy is dumbing down Christianity and getting rid of a lot the Bible says, then listen to this. The Jesus model is less complicated, yes, but it is far more demanding. At the epicenter of the Christian faith is a man believed to be the son of God who died covered in his own blood and the saliva of other men. That's what this looks like. That's how far this goes. That's what this requires. Because honestly, it is easier to find a place to hide in the temple approach to Christianity, excusing your behavior by interpretation of the text or pointing out what you think are contradictions in the text. AKA loopholes, loopholes that let you off the hook. But it is hard to find a loophole in "love your enemies and be good to those who hate you," and "Be merciful just as your father is merciful to you." When following Jesus, there is no place to hide. Because intuitively, when we ask the question, we already know the answer. "What does love require of me?" THIS is the essence of following Jesus. If you think this is watered down or easy, just remember that when your heavenly father asked this question, it cost him his son. And when Jesus asked this question, it cost him his life. So when you ask this question, it will probably cost you something too. Maybe time, maybe your pride, maybe some money, maybe your job. Ask the question and try to act on the answer to the question in any situation. Can you imagine what would happen in our families, in our churches, and in our world if we tried to live this way, asking and acting on the answer to that question? Wow.
This series was the most amazing thing I have ever heard preached truly. If you want to hear more, the link to the Brand New series is below. I recommend watching all 5 parts, and you can certainly fast forward through the welcome and worship until Andy starts to talk. But if you can only watch one or two, I recommend part 3 the most, especially for people interested in how and where things got so messed up in the church throughout history and how that is still playing out in churches and temple models toda, and then part 4. I hope God used this blog, and Andy's sermons, to plant a seed in your heart, perhaps a seed of change. And always remember the most important question you can ask yourself: "What does love require of me?" Be blessed.
http://northpointonline.tv/messages/brand-new/
(If you're feeling offended right now, please don't be. Almost all of us have felt this way, myself included, but I want you to know the truth of the matter so just keep reading...)
Religion is very powerful and therefore it can be very dangerous, mostly because it is fueled by superstiton and fear. It is also very powerful because it is rooted in our conscience, even those of us who don't consider ourselves Christians or followers of Jesus. Our consciences often drive our behavior. Conscience can be connected to truth but it can also be connected to error - which is where things get hairy. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say, because this is important. Our consciences determine our religious realities whether they reflect reality or not. Wow. You can see this clearly with things you used to feel guilty about that maybe you don't anymore, or things you feel guilty about now that you never did. Unfortunately, for most of us, our consciences have been shaped by a version of Christianity that is a combination both of what Jesus taught and what the temple model taught us as well. And here's the bad news: just a little bit of temple has the potential to ruin the whole thing. We are seeing the result of that in our churches and outside of churches around the world. People often don't want to go to church because someone made them feel like they aren't good enough, and they don't want to feel that way. Someone made them feel that they sinned so bad that they couldn't possibly "get right" with God again (goodness, someone so close to me had this happen and I can't tell you how my heart breaks for her and how I wish I could undo the harm done by one of these "sacred" men). Perhaps they have felt judged and hurt by the very Christians who claim to be all about loving others. They see Christians as hypocrites, or as people who do one thing and say another...which is very often the truth...and this needs to change. Our churches need to change, but in order to do that, we need to discover if there's a little bit of temple is us (and there is), and then seek to practice what Jesus came to teach us instead.
So, are you thinking that maybe you aren't the victim of temple thinking? Well, here's the questions Andy asked us that I would like to ask you:
Have you ever wondered how close you could get to sin without actually sinning?
Temple thinking.
Have you ever felt guiltier about missing mass, church or confession than you did about how you treated someone else?
Temple thinking.
Have you ever feared for the eternal destiny of your son or daughter based on whether or not they were baptized?
Temple thinking.
Do you believe that there is a ritual that makes you right with God and removes your responsibility to make restitution to someone you have harmed?
Temple thinking.
Do you have religious views that get in the way of you loving or accepting another person just like you?
Temple thinking.
There are so many more examples, but you get the jist. For me, the one about a single ritual or act wiping my slate clean was very convicting. I grew up with confession in my life and I'll tell you, it didn't really change anything about my behavior. It was something I stressed over, and felt guilty about, but I was always amazed that just praying a few hail mary's could wipe my slate clean! How easy, and then I would go back to my normal behavior. Hence the problem. God isn't interested in empty acts, he's interested in your heart, in how you show him love, and in how well you love others. There is plenty of scripture in the Bible about confessing our sins to one another and how we should, but I believe that scripture was warped into something it was never meant to imply. We are to help hold each other accountable, yes, and we are not supposed to hide our sins out of shame but share them with others to show what God has done in our lives and how he has turned us from them. Sharing our sins is meant to give God the glory, not a man in a box. But that's another topic altogether, and I'm not here to tell anyone what to believe so much as to open their eyes to temple thinking and what it has done to influence their beliefs, and what that might be doing to hurt others. The question that was most convicting for me was, have you ever felt guiltier about missing mass or confession than you did about how you treated someone? For me, that answer was, and sometimes still is, yes 100 times over. How sad. And this was the point of Andy's whole series of messages. A little bit of the wrong thing has the potential to ruin the whole thing, and it has.
God looked down and saw that his people were not living in a way that would make him happy. They were offering burnt animal sacrifices to him to stay in good standing with God, but then turning around and murdering, stealing, lying, gossiping, and worshiping other idols. It was not what he intended. What may be the biggest problem with temple thinking is that it is completely YOU-centered. Is begs the questions, "What must I do or believe to make things and keep things right between God and me?" This is not what God intended, so he sent Jesus back into the world with a new command (to love one another), and to save us from our sins. Jesus did that, a priest doesn't. "For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. But that is exactly why Jesus came. We needed a savior. Because in truth, you can't confess or hail mary your way out of the death you rightfully deserve. Actually, it's even much simpler than that. All you have to do is accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and invite him into your heart. "Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). John tells us that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." The only thing you need to do is accept Jesus into your heart and seek HIS forgiveness. His is the only forgiveness that you need. And once you've done that, he comes to live in your heart and reveals to you all truth. So perhaps things that used to seem right won't anymore, or a way you used to treat people won't fly. He'll renew your mind day by day and change your heart, and your life, from the inside out.
In truth, this idea of one-time forgiveness and grace was the hardest part for me to accept when I became a born-again Christian. It seemed too simple. And it is simple, but in truth, it's far more demanding. So many people are so busy trying to follow the 10 Commandments that they don't really care how they treat people. Others are fighting the whole way to church and the whole way home. Seems ironic, doesn't it? And the world is full of this. Our churches are full of people trying to get right with God, but in truth, that's not what God is concerned with. Once you accept him into your heart, you and God are fine. He has forgiven you and he loves you more than you could ever imagine. Let me repeat: you and God are fine. So it's actually very self-centered and totally unnecessary to spend your Christian life focusing how you can make things right with God, and how you can get his attention, and get him to answer your prayers. This style of thinking will lead you astray rather than drawing you closer to his heart and spiritual maturity. It leads you to loophole thinking, and wondering how much you can do wrong and still be okay with God, or how close to sinning you can get without actually sinning. And that leads to the Christian hypocrites people around the world have been hurt by and as a result hold religion and Jesus at arms length...which makes God so sad. The old testament was all about the vertical (you and God needed to be good, and it didn't really matter how you treated others). Following Jesus is an invitation to leave all that focus on you behind and to focus more on the you that's beside you...even if that's your enemy. Throughout the new testament we are invited to love people the way our heavenly father loves them and that's what it's all about. We know this because God actually says that "if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go and be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24). God is placing others, his people, in front of himself, which is exactly what Jesus invites us to do as well. When he came to Earth, Jesus brought with him a new commandment that he said was greater than all the rest.
He said, in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” That's it folks, that's all the matters. But actually, it's much harder than just slaughterning and offering an animal, giving your money to a church, or sitting in a box telling a priest your sins. This commandment is FAR more demanding, even though it's much simpler. Because truth be told, it's hard to love others. It's hard to love people when they hurt you, when they lie to you, when they are more concerned with themselves than you, when they judge you, when all they ever want to do is talk about themselves, or when they attack you for your beliefs or make you feel bad about yourself. But this is what Jesus asks us to do. Time and time again in the new testament he showed us examples of how he wants us to act. And even after all that, as he sat with his disciples (those who knew more about him and his teachings than most) at the last supper, they were literally quarreling over who would be the greatest among them. So what did Jesus, the Savior of the world, do? He got down and washed their feet, which was unheard of at the time. He painted the ultimate picture of love, humility, and service. We are called to love and serve one another, and by doing that, we honor God and show him that we love him. Yet even after all this, after Jesus died, the temple model continued to thrive. The apostle Paul was so sad about this and spent most of the new testament preaching on it. He could not have been more clear when he said, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6 says "For the enire law is fulfilled in keeping this ONE command: Love your neightbor as you love yourself" (Galatians 5:14). This represents a complete departure from temple thinking. But it wasn't acceped then, which we see countless examples of throughout the new testament, and it's not easily accepted now. It sounds too simple to just accept Jesus into your heart and live for him. It doesn't sound devout, something the temple model is built on. But again, it's actually much harder even though it's simpler. Because it will require much more of you than just sitting in a church on Sunday, or confessing your sins, or tithing the correct amount, and then going back to your old behaviors and living your life for yourself.
A great thing Andy said to help us get this into our heads, and to understand the real reasons why we shouldn't do certain things versus why we might think in our consciences or have grown up believing. So, do you know why you should tell the truth? Temple thinking says you should tell the truth because that's what the text says. The Jesus model says its because when you lie, you hurt someone else. The Jesus model says it's because when you lie, you are covering yourself at someone else's sxpense. You are saying that you are not worthy of the truth, and that whatever is best for you is second to what's best for me. And that's the reason Christians shouldn't lie. Another example: Do you know why you're supposed to be generous and give money? Most people would say it's because we are supposed to, or because when we give a dollar God will then give us ten back (which, by the way, is not what scripture says). The reason we should give is because it helps people! Do you know why you shouldn't gossip? Because when you do, you elevate yourself at someone else's expense, and because it hurts people and their reputations.
The new testament imperatives, literally ALL the stories, are examples of how to demonstrate your love for God by loving others. They are not there for your benefit, although it will benefit you. They are not there for God's benefit, although this will make him happy. They are there for the benefit of the lives around you, and to thereby bring about God's ultimate plan - to have all of his children back with him. So next time you're standing in the face of a decision, maybe to lie or to gossip or to not give money at church or to yell or be prideful, ask yourself this question: What does love require of me? And if this sounds like Andy is dumbing down Christianity and getting rid of a lot the Bible says, then listen to this. The Jesus model is less complicated, yes, but it is far more demanding. At the epicenter of the Christian faith is a man believed to be the son of God who died covered in his own blood and the saliva of other men. That's what this looks like. That's how far this goes. That's what this requires. Because honestly, it is easier to find a place to hide in the temple approach to Christianity, excusing your behavior by interpretation of the text or pointing out what you think are contradictions in the text. AKA loopholes, loopholes that let you off the hook. But it is hard to find a loophole in "love your enemies and be good to those who hate you," and "Be merciful just as your father is merciful to you." When following Jesus, there is no place to hide. Because intuitively, when we ask the question, we already know the answer. "What does love require of me?" THIS is the essence of following Jesus. If you think this is watered down or easy, just remember that when your heavenly father asked this question, it cost him his son. And when Jesus asked this question, it cost him his life. So when you ask this question, it will probably cost you something too. Maybe time, maybe your pride, maybe some money, maybe your job. Ask the question and try to act on the answer to the question in any situation. Can you imagine what would happen in our families, in our churches, and in our world if we tried to live this way, asking and acting on the answer to that question? Wow.
This series was the most amazing thing I have ever heard preached truly. If you want to hear more, the link to the Brand New series is below. I recommend watching all 5 parts, and you can certainly fast forward through the welcome and worship until Andy starts to talk. But if you can only watch one or two, I recommend part 3 the most, especially for people interested in how and where things got so messed up in the church throughout history and how that is still playing out in churches and temple models toda, and then part 4. I hope God used this blog, and Andy's sermons, to plant a seed in your heart, perhaps a seed of change. And always remember the most important question you can ask yourself: "What does love require of me?" Be blessed.
http://northpointonline.tv/messages/brand-new/
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