Accountability

This was a short study that I originally presented at Trinity Baptist Church in Moscow, Idaho in our "Young Married's" class. Because our class lasted about an hour and a half, I instituted an accountability portion to our class...we would have prayer requests and praises and then spend about a half an hour or so going around the room and sharing what we'd been reading in the Word and we also challenged one another to memorize the Scriptures. Everybody agree to memorize certain portions of the Bible and then we'd share what we'd memorized. After this we would dive into our study and spend the next 45 minutes or so in that.

After a month or so I noticed that some people were no longer coming to class and some that were there started to say that I was being a legalist and that there was an oppressive atmosphere in our class. Needless to say I was very disappointed and hurt by this so I decided to address it in class. The following is therefore the outline of what I shared with the class on that day...which was probably about seven years ago or so.

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Accountability: Why not?

Question:

What is the purpose of holding one another accountable and what are some objections people sometimes have to accountability programs?

The main complaint we have heard recently is that accountability makes Scripture reading and memorization an obligation rather than an act of devotion.

Allow me to say the following:

It is not what we think we should do, or what others say we should do, or even what we feel in our hearst that we should do that is important. Only that which the Word commands us to do matters...anything and everything else is foolishness!

So, does accountability frighten you?

Why?

Do you think that we should refrain from holding one another up to the highest standards?

Why?

Should we, as Believers and servants of Jesus Christ, be embarrassed to share with one another and to challenge one another?

Discuss Reformation v. Transformation

Who has heard of AWANA?

What is it?

What expectations does AWANA have of children? (memorization, reading of the Word)

What do you think of those standards? Are they wrong?

Brothers and sisters, if they are not wrong for our children, why are they wrong for adults?

Read Romans 1:16-17

What does Paul mean by this verse?
How do we act ashamed of the Gospel?
Is it dishonorable to God for us to spend time with Him?
To hold one another accountable?
Does it bring honor to God when we willingly, and ashamedly, admit our failure before our brothers and sisters in the Lord? YES!!!!!!!

Only when we submit completely to God's will can we bring Him full honor! Only when we let go of our own inhibitions can we be molded into the likeness of Christ!

What will happen if we are ashamed of our faith?

Read Mark 8:34-38

The penalty is severe! How many of you take lightly the possibility that Jesus may be ashamed of you before the Father?

If we do, then we are unworthy of being His people!

Ask: How many of you were discipled when you first became Christians?

What kind of commitment was demanded of you?

Do we still belong to groups such as that?
Why or why not?

Are we not all brothers and sisters in the Lord and therefore more than able to continue to expect faithfulness from one another?

Ask: You are walking along at night in the park...you see me walking with a young lady, holding her hand...or you see me at work taking money from the register and putting it in my pocket...what would you do?
Approach me, I hope!
In doing so, what are you practicing?

Accountability!

Thing about this, however: Would it not have been more effective to hold me accountable before the sin took place?

A Believer involved in the Word, whether to uphold a commitment or because of love for the Word itself (it takes time), cannot help but be transformed by the Word of God, which is the power of God!!

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17

How many of you believer what I just read?
What does it mean?
The Word of God is our learning tool. God will shape us into His image through our knowledge of His Word!
Why, then, should it be wrong for us to exhort one another to read it?

John Charles Rye:
"Let us know, above all, that growth in grace is not only a thing possible, but a thing for which all believers are accountable. To tell an unconverted man, dead in sins, to grow in grace would doubtless be absurd. To tell a believer, who is quickened and alive to God, to grow, is only summoning him to a plain scriptural duty. He has a new principle within him, and it is a solemn duty not to quench it. Neglect of growth robs him of privileges, grieves the Spirit and makes the chariot wheels of his soul move heavily. Whose fault is it, I should like to know, if a believer does not grow in grace? The fault, I am sure, cannot be laid on God. He delights to give more grace; He 'hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servants' (James 4:6; Psalm 35:27). The fault, no doubt, is our own. We ourselves are to blame, and none else, if we do not grow."

Emphasize the following:
1. I DO NOT call anyone to legalism. Legalism is adding to the Word.
2. I DO ask for commitment.
3. I DO ask for faithfulness to the Word.

We serve a Mighty Lord, a Wonderful Master...His standards are high, and He calls us to reach towards them, through His grace!

Does it seem burdensome to spend time in the Word which the Lord has given us?
Are we uneasy with sharing with one another our struggles and our pains?

Brothers and sisters...there is only one person in this room that HAS to be here. Myself. As the teacher of this class I have comitted to coming to class every Sunday and preparing a Bible lesson for every Sunday.

I only ask that you come and join me in finding out how best to serve the Lord.
We have one thing in common, and that is Christ. This bond should mold us to one another like nothing else could ever do! So, please...if this class is not to your liking, there are many others you can choose from. I WANT you here, I will not lie that it hurts when people speak ill of me w/out approaching me instead. But if you choose to join me in this study, realize that we WILL hold each other accountable...but this can only be done when we agree to be open with one another and when we realize that there is absolutely nothing legalistic about doing so. Let us pray.

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The response I got to this lesson was mixed...some people started coming only very rarely, yet there were those who approached me afterwards and expressed excitement about the class. I will not lie...our class shrunk after this day, but we always had a core group of three or four couples that met regularly for study. I could have had a huge class by teaching touchy feely lessons..but I chose to obey God rather than man...and, please, I don't mean this in a proud manner...I say this as an expression of my trust in God alone, for when abandoned by people we always have God, and so long as we know we have been faithful to Him, what does the censure of men mattter? Amen?

AMEN!!!!