Vineyard Church | Weekly Update April 3, 2024

The last blog of our Defiance series… a time to evaluate what we will take on as an addition to our identity as the Vineyard, as the Body of Christ, what didn’t stick, and what might only be for our current season. Monkey see, monkey do will sustain us for a while as we continue to explore what it looks like to be a discipled and discipling community, and the template of how Jesus defied religion and culture will continue to help us forward. These two points, working in tandem and mutually supporting, will make us look different from the world around us and provide us with an opportunity to offer refuge for those chewed up by the discord of the season our national culture is transiting. 

One final example of the defiance template as we look to close out this series and move into what Jesus has for us next is both culturally deficient and an example of how we can fulfill the commandment to love God and love others as ourselves. Two passages from the Gospel of Matthew point to a posture and process that are countercultural and an example of doing the stuff that Jesus did.

One of the most countercultural activities we can engage in is the cycle of accountability, reconciliation, and restoration. While the world around us looks to destroy and discard, we are called to a place that, with submission and repentance, never disqualifies us from relationship. 

We start with this example of accountability and conflict resolution: 15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)

So much about this defies culture. Confronting conflict with the example of our culture usually makes the conflict worse and pushes relationships to the breaking point. What Jesus teaches here is not what secular culture exemplifies. First, after an offense, the direction to go privately…. 

This is a lost art in our culture. Often, there is no “go.” Rather than going face to face, technology has made confrontation easier, so the “go” has become text message, social media message, or social media post. These avenues are easier than face-to-face conversation, but they are rarely effective and often make the situation worse. Also, it is difficult to keep the text message and social media messages private. The situation often becomes competitive defensiveness with low prospects of a healthy outcome. 

When we are in committed relationship with each other, as we ought to be when we are joined as the Body of Christ, the sin committed against us offers something that reflects Jesus, the opportunity to turn an offense into an invitation, evidenced by the end state of winning the person back--such an awesome picture of relational victory. If this victory is not achieved through the go privately, Jesus gives us an escalation strategy that offers opportunities to the victory as well as a consequence for those unwilling or unable to submit to the defiant template of Jesus. An offense turned to victory is only possible when we are willing to fight for the process Jesus taught us rather than fighting for revenge and reciprocity, countercultural as countercultural can be.

The next passage to consider can be applied to the one above as it relates to offenses and how we interact with them: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

Honest self-evaluation is a hallmark of discipleship, the ability to ask if you are holding another to a standard that you don’t hold yourself to.… Often, I have found myself looking for grace and mercy from others when, if the situation were reversed, I would be looking for judgment and reciprocity. In the past, I have wanted to be seen for my intentions and motives (which were ALWAYS positive and healthy, trust me…. Insert sarcasm here) while I judge others on their actions. Am I holding others to the same standard I hold myself to? Am I willing to be held to that standard? If I want people to see how bad behavior might be tied to my wounds, am I willing to see the wounds of others in the offenses they commit against me?

The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.… This is a sobering reality, and it makes me want to be more like Jesus so the standard I use and experience is His standard. All of this reflects a template of defiance.

As the culture around us is spurred on through a cycle of offense, revenge, rejection, and broken relationship, we can follow the path that Jesus left for us and mutually submit, confess, repent, and repair. This monkey see monkey do will change the world around us.

Adam Greenwell
Pastor  |  Billings Vineyard Church
www.BillingsVineyard.org