Post by Ɖσмιиιc on Jan 14, 2022 20:38:29 GMT -7
The Problem with Verse by Verse Teaching
By Mike Genung
The following is a chapter from my first rogue book, The Rogue Christian. The point of this chapter is to reveal why verse-by-verse teaching alone misses the mark when it comes to carrying out the Biblical imperative to equip the sexually broken to be overcomers, along with many others who are struggling in other areas.
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
-Acts 20:26-28
The What??
Some of you read this title and you're ready to throw this book across the room. In some churches, verse-by-verse teaching is the Holy Grail—"our church doesn't skip around; we go through the Bible, word-by-word, line-by-line, chapter-by-chapter." Verse-by-verse teaching is their claim to fame; the thing their Sunday morning services are built on. What could be wrong with going verse-by-verse through the Bible?
I'll begin to answer that question with a look at the first four verses of Isaiah 61.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah foretells the coming of Christ and provides the purpose of His mission, which includes good news for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, setting captives free, and comfort for those who mourn. This is the why behind His time on earth and is, by extension, the church's mission.
Jesus affirmed His why in Luke when, at the beginning of His ministry He quoted the first two verses of Isaiah 61...
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
-Luke 4:20-21
Just minutes after Jesus made this proclamation in the synagogue, the religious people kicked Him out of their church, drove Him out of town, and pushed Him to the edge of a cliff with the intent of killing Him. In the big picture, Satan was attacking Jesus through the Pharisees to thwart the Son of God's mission to set captives free. Jesus' reading of Isaiah 61 was a declaration of war. Setting captives free isn't an interesting concept for Bible study, but a mission to fight for those in bondage to sin or bound by strongholds. Christians who go to war place themselves in the line of fire, as this scene shows.
After the resurrection, Jesus gave us this imperative:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
-Matthew 28:16-20
Fast forward to the book of Revelation. Jesus is in His glorified state and has appeared to John. Christ's appearance is so terrifying that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, who was so comfortable with the Lord that he leaned against Jesus' chest during the last supper (John 13:23), drops to the ground "as though a dead man" (Revelation 1:17). Jesus has appeared to tell John what will happen at the end of human history, but first, He gives John a message to relay to seven churches. Let's look at what He said to two of them; Pergamum and Thyatira.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: "The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
"'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
-Revelations 2:12-29
Jesus confronts them for allowing the stumbling blocks of eating foods sacrificed to idols, (participating in feasts held in a temple of idol worship), practicing the sexual immorality that Balaam taught, and tolerating Jezebel, who was seducing God's people into sexual sin. Jesus threatens to war against them with the sword of His mouth, throw them into great tribulation, and strike dead some of "Jezebel's children" (Christians who are practicing sexual immorality). These are intense warnings with severe consequences. Repentance and holiness are serious matters to God.
In His comments to the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira, Jesus named the specific sins the people of that day were struggling with, including those of a sexual nature, and went so far as to give names of groups (Nicolaitans) and individuals (Jezebel).
Think about the process of repentance that Jesus is demanding of them. To repent is to turn away from sin, which often involves ongoing, brutal battles with the flesh and the enemy. Our sexuality is woven into the depths of our soul, making sexual sin one of the hardest to break free from.
God's heart for His people is restoration and healing, but if the church doesn't show them how to repent, it has done them little good. We could even make it worse by saying "it's sin, don't do it" and leave out the "how," which can produce shame and discouragement when the person repeatedly tries to walk away from sin and fails. This is why the Great Commission includes the commandment to make disciples, which includes, in part, showing God's people how to break away from sin so they can live as overcomers and fighters.
Let's tie these pieces together.
Jesus came to set captives free. He named the specific sins of the day to which His people were in bondage, including sexual sin, and demanded repentance, with severe consequences if they did not. He commands us to make disciples, which includes equipping His people with the knowledge of how to overcome.
I'll focus on sexual immorality since Jesus went there with the two churches we looked at. Today, two-thirds of Christian men and about a third of Christian women are viewing pornography. Many are committing adultery with another person (porn is adultery, albeit with a fantasy). Sexting and promiscuity are prevalent among Christian youth; so are the struggles with same-sex attraction (a teacher at a Christian school told me she took a survey of her class, and 10% admitted to struggling with same-gender attraction). If I'm a pastor, my "why," or purpose, is to join with Christ in His mission to set men and women free who are in bondage to lust and show them the way to healing and restoration.
Here's where the breakdown comes with verse-by-verse teaching:
1. If a church is working its way through a book of the Bible that has little or nothing on sexual issues, or if they're going through it slowly, it may be years before the church gets around to ministering to the sexually broken.
2. Even if the church stumbles on a verse or two that address sexual sin, if their purpose is expository preaching, the pastor may park on those verses for a moment, state that lust or adultery is sin, and then move on. That does not equip God's people with the "how" of overcoming sexual sin.
Some churches have made their "how"—verse-by-verse teaching—their "why." They've lost focus of their purpose, which is to set captives free—not teach doctrine—which is one of their weapons. The fallout is that God's people are given an occasional, if rare, "lust-is-sin-don't-do-it" message when it comes to sexual issues. Even if a pastor brings conviction, he leaves his flock at the altar without answers or hope.
Not long ago, I was in a church that emphasizes verse-by-verse teaching. The pastor, who was preaching in Ephesians, came to chapter five, verse three, which says, "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." He stated that viewing pornography is sin, gave his answer—"put an app on your phone"—and moved on. As I know from experience, there are many Christians with an accountability app on their phone who are still addicted to porn (I've yet to hear of a guy who couldn't get around an app when he wanted to). This pastor led them to the altar, and walked away. At least he gave it a shot; many pastors won't go that far.
This applies to many issues, including depression, pride, suicide, spiritual warfare, anger, and overeating, all of which God's people are struggling with today. Many churches that have made verse-by-verse teaching their sacred cow are not equipping their flocks with the tools they need to overcome. A tree is judged by its fruit, not by how it grew (Luke 6:44). I'm not saying that there isn't fruit from verse-by-verse teaching, but there are key branches on the tree that are left bare when we rely on verse-by-verse alone.
This is what I mean when I say that status quo Christianity has failed. One pastor told me that every marriage that comes to them for help has porn involved. What would a church leader's response be to Jesus if asked why they hadn't addressed the sexual sin and struggles in their midst? "Well, Lord, our next verse-by-verse message on sex won't be for three more years"??
By that time many more lives will have been destroyed. There must be a sense of urgency to talk openly about sex and pornography and equip people to overcome in these areas.
New Shows:
2022 Begins, with Mike's Story
Mike Genung begins the new year by sharing the story of his 20 year journey to freedom from porn and sex addiction.
Tim Peterson and Sandy England, #2
Tim Peterson, counselor and facilitator of the men's groups at Blazing Grace, and Sandy England, facilitator of the wives ministry at Blazing Grace, share stories from the people they've worked with in 2021. This is the second of two shows. Tim and Sandy provide a lot of good information – and hope – for those who are hurting.
Tim Peterson and Sandy England
Tim Peterson, counselor and facilitator of the men's groups at Blazing Grace, and Sandy England, facilitator of the wives ministry at Blazing Grace, share stories from the people they've worked with in 2021. This is the first of two shows. Tim and Sandy provide a lot of good information – and hope – for those who are hurting.
Northwest Christian School
Mike interviews Geoff Brown, superintendent, and Chris Gardiner, campus pastor, of Northwest Christian School, the largest Christian private school in Arizona. Topics discussed include what they see with youth and pornography, how the large majority of parents are unaware of what their kids are doing online, and much more.
Blazing Grace Radio airs:
In Phoenix, AZ on 1360AM Faithtalk, Fridays at 3:00PM.
In Las Vegas, NV on KKVV 1060AM, Mondays at 3:30PM
In the United Kingdom on 90.1 Hope FM, Sunday and Monday nights at 9:00PM.
You can also listen to the shows on our podcast, Spotify, Apple podcasts, or Googleplay
See the podcast page for a listing of shows - www.blazinggrace.org/podcast/
Support Us Financially
New doors are being opened for Blazing Grace, which require more finances to take advantage of. Blazing Grace is a 501c3 non-profit organization. See the donate page for more information on how you can support the ministry.
Quick Links
Blazing Grace
Blazing Grace Europe
New! 2020 Blazing Grace Radio Show
Blog
Counseling
Donate
Facebook Page
Forums
Men's 8 Week Course
Mike Genung's books
Retreats
The Rogue Christian
Store
Videos
Wives 10 Week Course
Blazing Grace's purpose is to minister to the sexually broken, encourage believers to draw closer to God, and encourage the church to effectively deal with the porn epidemic.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter.
Content from the Blazing Grace Newsletter may be posted on websites or otherwise reprinted for ministry purposes. (Please show the correct byline, and add a link to www.blazinggrace.org when posting any material electronically.) Publication for commercial use is prohibited without written permission.
I enjoy reading your feedback.
Peace to you.
Mike Genung
All material copyright 2022 Mike Genung
You can sign up for the news letters on blazingrace.org and theroguechristian.com/
By Mike Genung
The following is a chapter from my first rogue book, The Rogue Christian. The point of this chapter is to reveal why verse-by-verse teaching alone misses the mark when it comes to carrying out the Biblical imperative to equip the sexually broken to be overcomers, along with many others who are struggling in other areas.
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
-Acts 20:26-28
The What??
Some of you read this title and you're ready to throw this book across the room. In some churches, verse-by-verse teaching is the Holy Grail—"our church doesn't skip around; we go through the Bible, word-by-word, line-by-line, chapter-by-chapter." Verse-by-verse teaching is their claim to fame; the thing their Sunday morning services are built on. What could be wrong with going verse-by-verse through the Bible?
I'll begin to answer that question with a look at the first four verses of Isaiah 61.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah foretells the coming of Christ and provides the purpose of His mission, which includes good news for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, setting captives free, and comfort for those who mourn. This is the why behind His time on earth and is, by extension, the church's mission.
Jesus affirmed His why in Luke when, at the beginning of His ministry He quoted the first two verses of Isaiah 61...
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
-Luke 4:20-21
Just minutes after Jesus made this proclamation in the synagogue, the religious people kicked Him out of their church, drove Him out of town, and pushed Him to the edge of a cliff with the intent of killing Him. In the big picture, Satan was attacking Jesus through the Pharisees to thwart the Son of God's mission to set captives free. Jesus' reading of Isaiah 61 was a declaration of war. Setting captives free isn't an interesting concept for Bible study, but a mission to fight for those in bondage to sin or bound by strongholds. Christians who go to war place themselves in the line of fire, as this scene shows.
After the resurrection, Jesus gave us this imperative:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
-Matthew 28:16-20
Fast forward to the book of Revelation. Jesus is in His glorified state and has appeared to John. Christ's appearance is so terrifying that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, who was so comfortable with the Lord that he leaned against Jesus' chest during the last supper (John 13:23), drops to the ground "as though a dead man" (Revelation 1:17). Jesus has appeared to tell John what will happen at the end of human history, but first, He gives John a message to relay to seven churches. Let's look at what He said to two of them; Pergamum and Thyatira.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: "The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
"'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
-Revelations 2:12-29
Jesus confronts them for allowing the stumbling blocks of eating foods sacrificed to idols, (participating in feasts held in a temple of idol worship), practicing the sexual immorality that Balaam taught, and tolerating Jezebel, who was seducing God's people into sexual sin. Jesus threatens to war against them with the sword of His mouth, throw them into great tribulation, and strike dead some of "Jezebel's children" (Christians who are practicing sexual immorality). These are intense warnings with severe consequences. Repentance and holiness are serious matters to God.
In His comments to the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira, Jesus named the specific sins the people of that day were struggling with, including those of a sexual nature, and went so far as to give names of groups (Nicolaitans) and individuals (Jezebel).
Think about the process of repentance that Jesus is demanding of them. To repent is to turn away from sin, which often involves ongoing, brutal battles with the flesh and the enemy. Our sexuality is woven into the depths of our soul, making sexual sin one of the hardest to break free from.
God's heart for His people is restoration and healing, but if the church doesn't show them how to repent, it has done them little good. We could even make it worse by saying "it's sin, don't do it" and leave out the "how," which can produce shame and discouragement when the person repeatedly tries to walk away from sin and fails. This is why the Great Commission includes the commandment to make disciples, which includes, in part, showing God's people how to break away from sin so they can live as overcomers and fighters.
Let's tie these pieces together.
Jesus came to set captives free. He named the specific sins of the day to which His people were in bondage, including sexual sin, and demanded repentance, with severe consequences if they did not. He commands us to make disciples, which includes equipping His people with the knowledge of how to overcome.
I'll focus on sexual immorality since Jesus went there with the two churches we looked at. Today, two-thirds of Christian men and about a third of Christian women are viewing pornography. Many are committing adultery with another person (porn is adultery, albeit with a fantasy). Sexting and promiscuity are prevalent among Christian youth; so are the struggles with same-sex attraction (a teacher at a Christian school told me she took a survey of her class, and 10% admitted to struggling with same-gender attraction). If I'm a pastor, my "why," or purpose, is to join with Christ in His mission to set men and women free who are in bondage to lust and show them the way to healing and restoration.
Here's where the breakdown comes with verse-by-verse teaching:
1. If a church is working its way through a book of the Bible that has little or nothing on sexual issues, or if they're going through it slowly, it may be years before the church gets around to ministering to the sexually broken.
2. Even if the church stumbles on a verse or two that address sexual sin, if their purpose is expository preaching, the pastor may park on those verses for a moment, state that lust or adultery is sin, and then move on. That does not equip God's people with the "how" of overcoming sexual sin.
Some churches have made their "how"—verse-by-verse teaching—their "why." They've lost focus of their purpose, which is to set captives free—not teach doctrine—which is one of their weapons. The fallout is that God's people are given an occasional, if rare, "lust-is-sin-don't-do-it" message when it comes to sexual issues. Even if a pastor brings conviction, he leaves his flock at the altar without answers or hope.
Not long ago, I was in a church that emphasizes verse-by-verse teaching. The pastor, who was preaching in Ephesians, came to chapter five, verse three, which says, "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." He stated that viewing pornography is sin, gave his answer—"put an app on your phone"—and moved on. As I know from experience, there are many Christians with an accountability app on their phone who are still addicted to porn (I've yet to hear of a guy who couldn't get around an app when he wanted to). This pastor led them to the altar, and walked away. At least he gave it a shot; many pastors won't go that far.
This applies to many issues, including depression, pride, suicide, spiritual warfare, anger, and overeating, all of which God's people are struggling with today. Many churches that have made verse-by-verse teaching their sacred cow are not equipping their flocks with the tools they need to overcome. A tree is judged by its fruit, not by how it grew (Luke 6:44). I'm not saying that there isn't fruit from verse-by-verse teaching, but there are key branches on the tree that are left bare when we rely on verse-by-verse alone.
This is what I mean when I say that status quo Christianity has failed. One pastor told me that every marriage that comes to them for help has porn involved. What would a church leader's response be to Jesus if asked why they hadn't addressed the sexual sin and struggles in their midst? "Well, Lord, our next verse-by-verse message on sex won't be for three more years"??
By that time many more lives will have been destroyed. There must be a sense of urgency to talk openly about sex and pornography and equip people to overcome in these areas.
New Shows:
2022 Begins, with Mike's Story
Mike Genung begins the new year by sharing the story of his 20 year journey to freedom from porn and sex addiction.
Tim Peterson and Sandy England, #2
Tim Peterson, counselor and facilitator of the men's groups at Blazing Grace, and Sandy England, facilitator of the wives ministry at Blazing Grace, share stories from the people they've worked with in 2021. This is the second of two shows. Tim and Sandy provide a lot of good information – and hope – for those who are hurting.
Tim Peterson and Sandy England
Tim Peterson, counselor and facilitator of the men's groups at Blazing Grace, and Sandy England, facilitator of the wives ministry at Blazing Grace, share stories from the people they've worked with in 2021. This is the first of two shows. Tim and Sandy provide a lot of good information – and hope – for those who are hurting.
Northwest Christian School
Mike interviews Geoff Brown, superintendent, and Chris Gardiner, campus pastor, of Northwest Christian School, the largest Christian private school in Arizona. Topics discussed include what they see with youth and pornography, how the large majority of parents are unaware of what their kids are doing online, and much more.
Blazing Grace Radio airs:
In Phoenix, AZ on 1360AM Faithtalk, Fridays at 3:00PM.
In Las Vegas, NV on KKVV 1060AM, Mondays at 3:30PM
In the United Kingdom on 90.1 Hope FM, Sunday and Monday nights at 9:00PM.
You can also listen to the shows on our podcast, Spotify, Apple podcasts, or Googleplay
See the podcast page for a listing of shows - www.blazinggrace.org/podcast/
Support Us Financially
New doors are being opened for Blazing Grace, which require more finances to take advantage of. Blazing Grace is a 501c3 non-profit organization. See the donate page for more information on how you can support the ministry.
Quick Links
Blazing Grace
Blazing Grace Europe
New! 2020 Blazing Grace Radio Show
Blog
Counseling
Donate
Facebook Page
Forums
Men's 8 Week Course
Mike Genung's books
Retreats
The Rogue Christian
Store
Videos
Wives 10 Week Course
Blazing Grace's purpose is to minister to the sexually broken, encourage believers to draw closer to God, and encourage the church to effectively deal with the porn epidemic.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter.
Content from the Blazing Grace Newsletter may be posted on websites or otherwise reprinted for ministry purposes. (Please show the correct byline, and add a link to www.blazinggrace.org when posting any material electronically.) Publication for commercial use is prohibited without written permission.
I enjoy reading your feedback.
Peace to you.
Mike Genung
All material copyright 2022 Mike Genung
You can sign up for the news letters on blazingrace.org and theroguechristian.com/