True Accountability

There are 2 reasons why we need to build ourselves into a community of accountability

(1) Genesis 2-3 + Ephesians 5.8-14: Our hearts are proud and so we prefer to cover up, remain in the darkness and hide. However God comes after us to restore our purity and cover our shame so that we can once again walk in the light. The proof that we have accepted God’s work of forgiveness/covering is that we come into the light and confess our sin. Not only that, once we have confessed our sin it has no longer on us. In the darkness it has power. In the light all that power is lost and what we bring into the light is transformed by God.

Once we confess our sin and accepted by another Christian, we are once again “naked and unashamed” and it is totally liberating (since that is how we were made). It in only in confession that true life, power, joy and community come.

So why do we need accountability because….
  - Sin wants to be alone/in the darkness – but it can only be beaten in the open/light
  - As long as it remains in the darkness, it robs us of power, life, freedom, joy and true community….it has a hold of us!

(2) Genesis 3-4 + Hebrews 3.12-13: Our hearts are fickle so we are easily led away from God. How does this happen?

(1) Sin deceives us (crouches - makes itself appear small)
(2) Sin hardens our hearts (we lose sensitivity to God and others and ourselves - self-protection and self-justification come first)
(3) We become more sinful (through lots of small compromises we end up indulging in sin)
(4) We are led away from God totally (like the Israelites in the desert).

The first sign that your heart is becoming hard is that you grumble and complain. You’re always the victim. You’re full of excuses. You can point the sin out in others lives but not your own.

What is the remedy/antidote to our the deceitfulness of sin and the hardness of our hearts? A community of encouragement/accountability. People we call alongside to help us take a certain course of action. Paul Tripp helpfully says

“The Hebrews passage clearly teaches that personal insight is the product of the community. I need you in order to really see and know myself. Otherwise, I will listen to my own argument, believe my own lies and buy into my own delusions. My self-perception is as accurate as a carnival mirror. If I am going to see myself clearly, I need you to hold the mirror of God’s word in front of me”

So we need accountability because Sin deceives us….hardens our hearts…and lead us away from God. I need you to show me where my heart is being deceived, hardened and led away from God.

2 thoughts of clarification

(1) A community/culture of accountability (encouragement) - not just little groups. This is genuine church life (which then has intentional groups within it). For this kind of community to develop we will need

- Honesty (requires vulnerability for this to be genuine)
- Humility (requires permission to be given)
- Trust (requires time)

(2) The heart is the target (not the actions). We are to encourage one another’s hearts. The issue is “WHY do I do this…..what is driving me….what am I looking for?” Is its affirmation, security, identity, pleasure, attention etc. Jesus wants to give me all those things and more. We need to have our hearts changed. Jesus is winning us back as his lover. We must not look at the actions, but the heart.

Common Issues/Mistakes

(1) Truth and Love in equal measure (Grace but not cheap grace).

(2) NOT repentance – go to Jesus (not the group).

(3) NO repentance – think through what it looks

(4) Not specific – don’t ask general questions. Work out your ‘standards’ & work out the heart issues - hold each other to account!

(5) Don’t make “one issue” everything.

(6) Tell most people you’re struggling…tell a few people the details.

(7) Abused (regularly reviewed….not necessarily forever).

Questions and Discussion

(1) From the Ephesians passage, why is accountability important? What must we bring our sin into the light?

(2) From the Hebrews passage, what does it say about (a) our hearts (b) sin and (c) the Christian community?

(3) How does the whole of chapter 3 provide a helpful context for the Hebrew Christians and for us? What is the writer alluding to? Why does he quote Psalm 95? How does this add urgency and take away complacency?

(4) Can you remember a time when you confessed you sin and as a result saw breakthrough?

(5) How do we confess sin without becoming legalistic? How does the grace of God motivate our confession?

(6) What does it mean for you to build yourself into a community (and a group) of accountability? From the issues/mistakes above what have you failed to do in the past?

(7) Talk through the issues/mistakes and make sure everyone understands them.

(8) What questions do you have regarding church - and creating a tight-knit community? What questions do you have about accountability - and creating small groups for confessing sin? Are you in a group? Would you like to be in a group? Who could you ask to be in a group?

For a list of questions please see - http://www.mosaic-church.org.uk/resources/articles/ - and see near the bottom of the page