7 The Preference Driven Church

Intro:

Autopsy

We have been diesceting deceased churches to learn what we can do to avoid their mistakes.

Slow Erosoin

The past is the Hero

The Church refused to look like their community

The budget moved inwardly

The great commission became the great omission.

Today, we move to chapter 7, The Preference-Driven church

Q1 What are some unfortunately common areas where church members insist or demand their own preferences? Why do you think that happens?

Fear of losing what they have

loss of control

loss of what attracted them

loss being important

Feelings of being neglected

Their needs loom large in their minds

Mistakenly elevating preferences to level of Biblical convictions

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary a conviction is (1):

CONVICTION, noun 1.The act of proving, finding or determining to be guilty of an offense charged against a person before a legal tribunal; as by confession, by the verdict of a jury, or by the sentence of other tribunal, as in the summary convictions before commissioners of the revenue.

2. The act of convincing, or compelling one to admit the truth of a charge; the act of convincing of sin or sinfulness; the state of being convinced or convicted by conscience; the state of being sensible of guilt; as, the convictions of a sinner may be temporary, or lasting and efficacious. By conviction a sinner is brought to repentance. Men often sin against the conviction of their own consciences.

3.T he act of convincing of error; confutation; the act of compelling one to acknowledge his error, or the truth of what is alleged; as, the conviction of a heretic may induce him to abandon his errors.

We can see from these historic definitions that the description of the word conviction in each had something in common. They all involve the convincing and acknowledgement that an error or sin has taken place when examined in the context of the law, standard of proof, or acknowledged truth.

Biblically speaking, the word

conviction or convict (elenchō) means to “confute, admonish:- convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove”(2). In various forms of the word, the idea of conviction or rebuking for wrong doing is realized in light of God’s Word.

What is a preference?

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary a preference is (3):

PREF’ERENCE, noun The act of preferring one thing before another; estimation of one thing above another; choice of one thing rather than another.” The knowledge of things alone gives a value to our reasonings, and preference of one man’s knowledge over another’s.

Biblically speaking, the word

preference or prefer (proēgeomai) means “to lead the way for others, i.e. show deference :- prefer (4). In various forms of the word, a personal choice is made based on one’s own knowledge to choose one thing over another.

Difference:

The key to knowing the difference is based on the reasoning that led to the choice.

In the case of a conviction, the choice is tied to the understanding and conviction of what God says is the right choice vs. the wrong choice.

A preference does not necessarily have to have any Biblical influence. Instead, a preference is left up to the individual.

Simply stated, a preference may or may not involve a Biblical influence, but a conviction must always have a Biblical influence.

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/conviction-versus-preference-whats-the-difference/#ixzz5Vo7fKaSp

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/conviction-versus-preference-whats-the-difference/#ixzz5Vo7fKaSp

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/conviction-versus-preference-whats-the-difference/#ixzz5Vo6xgTUM

Read 47-49

Me, Myself and I

Members focus shifted from others to themselves.

Read 49

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2:

Pg 50

q 3 How does the attitude of Christ compare with the attitude of a selfish and entitled church member?

In a preference driven church

In a preference driven church

not many members with a self sacrificial attitude

Many were self-serving, self-giving, and self-entitled

The Love Dare

Remember the movie Courageous?

Read pg 51 middle par.

1 Corinthians 12:12–31 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Cor 12:

Q2: How does relate to how we are to have the right attitudes and actions in our church?

Prayerful Commitment

read 52

The Commitment:

Lord, open my eyes to the needs of others. Show me how to live more like Your Son, who always put others’ interests first. And especially show me that attitude as I serve my church.

Conclusion:

If we insist on getting our way with our preferences, to the exclusion of others felt needs and preferences, we are becoming preference given.

Good news!

We can change!

I don’t think God is honored with extremely narrow preference driven churches.

If we set it up to meet the preferences of left handed blonde haired green eyed people with a limp, we are excluding the rest of the world.

I cannot imagine why a church would rather die than open up to as broad a spectrum of people as possible.