We were sitting in a bowling club yesterday, attending Sunday Service. The congregation does not have a home: the Church owns a house it uses as a base for student ministry and administration, but rents the club. So we were worshipping among sporting paraphernalia. And one of the elders stood up and spoke of the birth of Christ, and how this was no normal birth, and the incarnation.

The pro photographer whispered that this church rocked. Because the gospel was preached. Neat.

Which is what the Galatians had forgotten to do. In their wish to please the congregation, or the Jews, or be part of society, and seek the approval of the same. As if there is not pressure on the church at present. But the text first.

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

(Galatians 1:1-17 ESV)

Now the pressure. I’m referring to a report about UK Church growth: meeting to discuss how to do things is important, but one cannot reduce the Bible to technique, nor can we compromise on the Gospel. We need to be living sacrificially. We need to live in righteousness.

We all think that being naughty has no consequences: that if we let our discipline fall nothing will happen, for we are blind to the severity of our sin. None of us are good, and all of us have weaknesses we need to struggle with. For Christ will make us like him as we obey, though obedience is the last thing we want for ourselves.

A major issue facing the church is the challenge from changing attitudes in wider society towards homosexuality and same-sex marriage, especially as more “evangelicals” are abandoning orthodox biblical teaching. Sam Allberry gave a brilliant summary of how the church should minister the gospel to gay people, stressing that those who struggle with same-sex orientation are not being asked to make an entirely different order of sacrifice to follow Christ and live by his Word than others. Everyone who follows Christ is called to repent and give up their lives for Jesus, yet the church has failed to stress the radical demands of discipleship for everyone. Following Christ will inevitably involve sacrificial costs but also bring blessings, both in this life and also in eternity. I was especially struck by the need for the church to provide an environment in which celibate believers struggling with same-sex attraction can flourish, which will require the church to become a true family for all its members. Sadly the church has too often idolized the heterosexual nuclear family, and not been a family for singles, widows, divorcees, and those with same-sex orientation. This is a massive challenge for all our churches. Allbery has written an excellent short book, Is God Anti-Gay?, that ought to be required reading for all pastors, leaders, and church members.

Gay men are around two to three percent of the male population. Men who have sex with men perhaps, added to this, bring the percentage to five percent. But half of our marriages end in divorce, and there is no teaching or support for any man in how to live in Godly celibacy. How to seek God in the wreckage of his marriage, in the collapse of his family.

Because it is not about us. Putting our egos out front and centre can be dangerous.

(Yes, that is an active volcano: most of the time the seismic monitors on it can give people warnings to get off the hill when it is about the blow. Yes, it doubled for Mordor in LoTR)

What we need to do is follow Christ, not leaders. Our ministers need to serve the congregation, we do need to discipline ourselves and encourage each other in Godliness, Good leaders do not micromanage. But, in these days of perpetual offence, one has to pay not that much attention to complaints: if you are effective you will offend the self-righteous. For we can afford self-righteousness far less that taking the time for a selfie on an active volcano.