All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
XXXChurch
What comes to mind when you read that title XXXChurch? Well do you think of something good or bad? Let me tell you what it means to the people who run it. " In 2002, we showed up at a porn show. Not outside with signs and megaphones. We showed up inside because we care. Ten years later, we are still showing up in your world because we still care about you" - Unknown XXXChurch is a ministry to help those who both look at it and work in the industry. They have helped many woman get out of the industry and with God's help become born-again Christians and never look back. They go into the events industry events where people from the industry walk around talking and walking and giving out prizes and dressed not so nice and the people from XXXChurch so love, grace, and mercy to the people in the conventions and just want to be there friends. They just want to show them the love of Christ. They even go so far as to hand out bibles that say on the covers "Jesus Loves Porn Stars." Also they will pray with people if they want prayer. So what do you think of this? The people who run this say that they do this because they feel that they are going into places that Jesus would go.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Greg Wischoff on
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They go to the conventions and do outreach ministry.
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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I will use the comment, with minor adjustments, I made in the forum on "Strip Clubs" as it would appear that this and the "Strip Club" question have a lot in common.
Should solid Christians who have been trained to enter such an establishment where they will encounter at time people who will reject them and the presence of the enemy warring against them be accepted by the church. I believe the answer is yes with some understanding.
If they are walking with God they are agents of light. Going into such establishments with the goal to present the gospel and to snatch some of these people out of this industry and out from under the control of pornography and from the control of the enemy is a good thing. Is it for everyone? Of course not, but God using the right people can make a difference. Jonah was sent to Nineveh and two angels were sent to Sodom. Both cities were about to be destroyed. One repented and one was not. I use these two examples because the wickedness or problem in these two cities was grievous enough that God was preparing to destroy them, yet He gave them one more chance. Some could argue that the angels were not there to preach, but we know they were going to the center of town and were encroached upon so that Lot pulled them into his house. I believe there was a chance for Sodom, but that chance was lost.
Does such an activity soil the church? It depends. It depends on the actions of the team going in. If they stick to their purpose of showing love and sharing the gospel there is no soiling, but if by their actions they in any way should demonstrate any form, degree or type of condoning the activity that takes place in the facility they would be going too far and causing the church to be negatively affected and viewed.
Thus, if they can reach some, not be affected personally and not cross a line to where they in any way condone or support the activity that takes place there I believe we would have to stand with them and pray for them in this mission to rescue the lost.
Where does this leave us? There are some who will disapprove of this type of ministry. If that is your view I would encourage you to follow your conviction and do not pray or support it. If you have no issue with this type of ministry and believe it has kingdom value you should seek to support a ministry of that type if your conviction is to get behind it in prayer and resources.
These are my views after spending a decent amount of time looking into the other subject that is similar seeking to find in Scripture whether this type of ministry is good or unacceptable. It is easy to find Scripture to bend to a preconceived idea, but when we look at Scripture attempting to not see it through our preconceived views I believe the weight of Scripture supports the reaching of the lost without condoning sin.
I also will state that my comments have nothing to do with XXXChurch specifically. I know too little about them to endorse or reject.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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LT,
What would be wrong with praying for them even though you may not agree with their methods or practices?
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--" 1 Timothy 2:1.
We can always pray for people, can't we, and not have it mean we support what they are doing but do have respect for their lives, realizing that most Christians are acting on what they believe and believe they are in God's will? We can misinterpret God's will and leading, for sure. That's even more reason for praying for people. Do you mean not pray for success in their ministry? Or not pray for blessing on them? I don't understand.
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Amanda,
If a person feels what they are doing is wrong they will not pray for God to bless a ministry that they feel is in error. If one views that this ministry is wrong they can pray that God will open the eyes of the ones involved in that ministry.
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That's why I asked if you meant not pray for them or not pray for their ministry. I understand not praying for the ministry but still praying for them as they are maturing in Christ or possibly still need to find Jesus.
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Grace,
I would point to Romans 5:8 to underscore that God does love the sinner. He demonstrates His love for the sinner by dying in advance for them/us. What we also must remember is that God's attributes do not work independently of one another, nor does one operate while another lies idle. Thus, God is able to love and judge at the same time. We also know that God's desire is for all to come to repentance. Who an what method God may use to reach the lost can vary. Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles and we know that prior to Jesus coming and dying on the cross this was viewed as taboo by the Jews. Even after Jesus rose again Peter struggled with being called to Cornelius' home and even withdrew from Gentiles due to peer pressure at one point. I believe a strategic ministry can be developed and employed to reach places that most would view as very dark. I believe they can engage while standing on the Word, presenting the gospel while not sinning or condoning sin. The goal is salvation and life transformation.
Rom 5:8 NIV84 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Grace,
For me the problem is we need to differentiate between a church that goes by the name XXXChurch and the concept of being able to enter a porn convention with a designed purpose and task, one that is designed to remain true to the Word and designed to present the gospel, not advocating sin or condoning it, but addressing it. I really don't know much about XXXChurch and thus cannot speak intelligently on their practice, but I can speak to what I see as being within an acceptable biblical frame work.
Thus, I agree with what you have said regarding hearing about repent and believe the gospel. If these elements are absent and there is no call to repentance then can we even call it ministry. How aggressive one may be to present the gospel may be debated, but we cannot accept its exclusion nor would we accept that sin is acceptable in any situation.
I tried to keep this brief so feel free to dig deeper or expand and I will gladly share from what I understand and perceive in this situation.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Grace are they not human as you and me? DO they not need Jesus as much as you did and I did the day we accepted HIM?
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Greg,
Some of our comments are spilling over from another forum that has a similar premise as this one. No one, including Grace, is questioning the value of the individual, but rather the method and links the church should go to reach them. Some view there are alternatives and others view this kind of ministry can function with certain parameters, and I am sure some think its all good.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Permalink Reply by adam chung on
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God does love sinners. He loves you, He loves me, He loves everyone else. Just by reading John 3:16, we can see this. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Before Jesus came He loved the world. So much so that He sent Jesus to die for us. ALL of us. He didn't send Jesus because He loved and wanted to save a select few. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). We were all dead due to sin, and He wanted to save us and give us all the choice to follow Jesus. I am not a porn star or a drug dealer, but I am a sinner just like the rest of them, and so is everyone else. Does God love me more than He loves you, or more than He loves them? Wouldn't that make God bias?
God does not love sin, but He does love the sinner. To say God loves some people and not others goes against His true and perfect nature. He is the only one capable of unconditional (agape) love.
God does not only love them, but He calls us to love them as well. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, which He says is the second greatest commandment. "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31). God does not call us to love only our friends, family, people with senses of humor, successful people,etc., but also those who are hard to love- the poor, the thief, the murderer, the porn star, and so on.
Hope this helps you :)
God bless!
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