Why is it that the Church doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do?
Why is it that we, the Church, lock each other up and tie each other down with man-made ritual and rules and regulations and religion?
I read someone’s testimony today, to save them from any embarrassement I won’t say whose it was but they said something which I have heard or read many, many times from different people and it made me so sad and so angry at US.
To paraphrase: “I got saved and everything was great for a while but then I slipped away from the Church and from God because I got a job which made me work on Sundays.”
Yes, sure, you can attack the person for being weak in their faith and not keeping their eyes fixed on God when they couldn’t make it to a Sunday service but really, NO!
People shouldn’t have to go to a Sunday service to be part of the body of Christ, but all too often our church systems are designed so that they do.
The problem here is the Church. You see, we have two jobs:
- Tell the world about the free gift of Salvation and the wonderful love of our savior.
- Support each other in doing #1 and surviving in this fallen world.
It really doesn’t get much more complicated than that. Yet we create these systems wherein to get any kind of support, nurture and encouragement, you need to be ‘in church’ on a Sunday morning. The net result of this is that we have thousands, maybe even millions of people out there who are maybe not conciously moving away from their faith but are slowly doing it anyway because their job or something in their lives means that they have to be somewhere other than in a church building on a Sunday morning. Consequentially, they have completley lost their support and encouragement system and have been left to fend for themselves in the darkness.
I’m trying not to get too emotional and angry as I write this but, to be honest, I am just so incredibly frustrated.
Thankfully the lady in question doesn’t work Sundays any more, is back in Church and is on fire for God but what happens if her job changes and suddenly she cannot be there on a Sunday? Will she suddenly lose all support and fellowship again?
Guys, The Church is a family, it’s a bunch of people. It’s not a Sunday service, it’s not a meeting, it’s not a good sermon. It’s a family. A family created to help each other walk along the path that God has laid down for us.
The Church is people and there are people out there in your town, maybe even in your street who are disconnected from the rest of the family (that would be you) for whatever reason – and it’s your job to help them.
Get out there and rediscover the Church. Rediscover the people who are saved by the same grace as you but have been hurt or rejected by the same system that you love following so much.
BE the Church not just on a Sunday morning but every minute of every day wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
Before you go saving the lost, how about saving your brothers and sisters who are drowning. it will be far easier to reach the lost when they see that you truly care than if all they see is that you want to make them into little drones to fit into your system.
Well, I must say. It is I that you speak of, and you read an old post. Yes, I am on fire now! I had to get refined, I had to learn TRUE SURRENDER!! It hurt like Hell, but God grew me in amazing ways! I invite you to read on and see how I have overcome many many things. Yes, our churches are very broken and messed up, but they are still needed. God love the Church very much, but many times we do get it wrong. I am glad that I belong to a church that has a clear vision and mission of living surrendered for Christ. My frustratin today is watching Christians be at the place that I once was. I am so tired of Luke Warm Christians who don’t take their relationship with Christ seriously. I am tired of whinny Christians who don’t walk in surrender and obedience. Living for Christ is hard, Surrender Hurts, so not too many want to get refined; but it’s what God calls us to. You had made the comment “Thankfully the lady in question doesn’t work Sundays any more, is back in Church and is on fire for God but what happens if her job changes and suddenly she cannot be there on a Sunday? Will she suddenly lose all support and fellowship again?” I can tell you that God has strengthened me and transformed me in such radical ways, experienceing His presence that He has allowed me to now serve in my Church an my comunity. I feel very deeply for the local church and would not put myself in a position again to be away from it; God is actually calling me into Ministry, so being with the Body is where He has called me to be. I think the “church” is a very important place. I think we all need to be enlightened by Pastors who can teach us the depths of the Word of God; but yes, it is the Spirit of God who transforms us. I have been transformed sooo much that God is now calling me to go to seminary. I have so much that I have blogged about in my walk, I can’t possible explain it here, but just keep reading, know that I am made strong in Him by daiy surrender, prayer, being in His Word out of a desire and need to be in a constant relationship with Him, and yes to be along side beleivers who we all need to help us in a fallen world who needs to hear the gospel of Christ by the way we walk out our faith. God bless you, Robin
Hi Robin,
Thank you for taking the time to reply in detail, I much appreciate it.
I hope you were not offended by what I said and that you did not take it as a personal attack.
I do completely agree with what you say about needing individuals needing to take their walk with Christ seriously, we can’t sit and complain that ‘they’ are not walking our spiritual walk for us.
I also believe that the ‘church’ is an important place, I just wish that it would start thinking the same and open itself up to providing the important things it provides on more than just a Sunday morning.
It is awesome to see that you are on fire for Christ and I hope that many people read your comment and follow the link to your blog and are encouraged by what you write.
Note: Robins blog can be found at: girlforgod.wordpress.com
Hi Peter,
Your welcome, and no, I did not take it as a personal attack; but I think you and I share a similar frustration with The Church and trying to explain what God really desires from it and us! One thing that I am learing is that their are so many different view points on all-things Christian and church related; it can make you dizzy! Even when I was reading my pastors Dr. Dissortation recently, He shared in their how frustrated he was (a pastor) with other pastors he was trying to interview for his paper. I really got me thinking how messed up we humans are when there is so much division and differnece in those leading the churches! So many times I wonder what God must think of us. We are all so messed up, but Thank God for his constant grace and forgiveness. I know for me, one of the things that helps is just prayer. Praying for the church is so vital. We all need to pray for it more, I know there are tons of others out their like you and I who are frustrated. I don’t know what God is going to do with me in seminary,but man I really hope that I learn to model more of Christ and that all would see and want that fire! I was just talking with a church member last Sunday; and when I shared my enthusiasm for Christ, they said “yeh, I wish I had that fire back, I really need that”. Truth is, they can have it, we all can, but like I said earllier, it’s gonna cost you your comfort in every way. Not to many American Christians want to get that humble for God. Man, I could go on. So glad you posted about it today, I hope that our efforts bring God glory and make the church become all that God wants it to be! Your sister in Christ, Robin
Thanks Peter and Robin.
If the only time we feel in true fellowship is during Sunday morning, I believe that breaks God’s heart. We need to get out of the building, that’s not the church. We are.
Thanks Katdish
Well said, Peter! All of us long to have the kind of family and relationships the church is INTENDED to provide… it’s both sad and infuriating that churches so often miss the mark.
This is so true. Ministry, life, the Church, fellowship, family- it all intersects. It’s every day and everywhere we go. All we can do is keep proclaiming the truth until it gets to be a deep and personal revelation in each of our hearts.
I do better some days than others, but I definitely know where you’re coming from.
Church is the gathering of saints who are hungry for Christ, inside a building or out, with a Pastor or without. Do not let professionalism sell you down the “river of no return.”
I have spent my life working shift and seldom make it to the “Church on Sunday.” Many times when I went, I was greeted with formalism and the ever present ready modern idols to “perform and be conformed into the image of the Church.” Silly things took preeminence for discernment, as in “how well you were dressed, are you a minion of the leadership-oops I meant be under authority, are you believing in prosperity, as in a fat wallet, and the list goes on.
The shallow pursuit of Christ at times can disengage and suppress even the most ardent believer in Christ- Yet, Christ died for sinner and saint alike. In that the wheat and tares grow together and at the “end of the Age,” the angels harvest. Why? We as people are to dumb and to caught up with our own sins.
So where does this leave us? Our hope is in Christ Jesus. We learn we are incapable and rely upon the Holy Spirit to teach us, comfort us, and bring us into fellowship as one who serves, in spite of circumstance place, position, etc.
We serve Christ with our whole heart. In this, we are honest with discernment, then ask to be equipped in His love to do something about it, one person at a time, one group at a time, one church at a time. We place the blinders of obedience upon our mind, drape our heart with service and love, then obey as servants not looking to be verified by man. We learn to lose our life that we may gain in.
Purpose driven fires, eternally hungry for more of Christ, having a Shepherds heart, active as living stones one to another, armed with forgiveness, sensitive to the breath of God as He moves by His Spirit.
In conclusion, be honest with what Church is or is not. Then move on, Stop looking at what Church is or is not. Revival and truth begins with you as a standard!
In truth, we are positioned for the ladder rain, the double portion, where all the feast of truth come together in an outpouring of understanding God’s Word, of miracles, healing, all that God has as he prepares for the “last Days.” Focus on these things! I am talking about the concept of moving as a King and Priest of the Most High God, looking ahead and not behind. We are to prepare the way of the Lord!
I have learned one secret, which is no secret at all. When I become active and placed among other believers by God, my heart is to see them prosper and grow into every good work God has for them, equipped with joy, understanding their appointed task. In summary, it is not about me, but about them, and ultimately about preparing for the return of Christ.
Well said. I love gathering with my congregation. It’s an awesome experience, and I love it dearly.
Having said that, I have just taken a temp job that is going to have me working on some Sundays. I hate it, I’ve resisted it, but the fact is that my family desperately needs the money right now. And since this is the only nibble I’ve had at a job in almost six months, I don’t see that I can refuse to take it.
This is going to cause some distancing, of course … I won’t be there every Sunday. But I really don’t want it to cause me to be less of a member, and certainly not to give up any part of my walk with God.
Great post.
Randy, I must say, what you said at the very end is so key!
“I have learned one secret, which is no secret at all. When I become active and placed among other believers by God, my heart is to see them prosper and grow into every good work God has for them, equipped with joy, understanding their appointed task. In summary, it is not about me, but about them, and ultimately about preparing for the return of Christ.”
This too, is why I feel that God is leading me to go to seminary. I have learned to get off myself so to speak; trying to pray for humility every morning. I don’t have allot of close relationships at church, and this is fine. I have a good core foundation with enough of the leaders that matters. I know it’s not a social club (sadly, many too often see it this way), and I have had God move my heart for such compassion for the Church. I want to see beleievers reach their full potential! It really is becomming my passion! It is such a great adventure to be alive in Christ, and I know that in my weakness He is made strong. I pray all the time that God would use me to help advance HIs kindgdom, and that all Christians would truly live the fullness of Chrit that He died for us for! This is found in our intimancy with God and our constanst fear and reverence to Him who loves us more than we will ever know. God bless all of you, and I look forward to seeing you on the Adventure of becomming More Like Christ.!!! Blessings, and hugs, Robin
Robin, you nailed the concept!
Walking with Christ is an adventure, human drama with the Almight God of heaven and earth. It plays with a purity, with emotion, with struggle, tears, fears, joy and laughter.
Why turn on the television? Our journey with Christ involves the concept of joining a family, even a heavenly family. We become part of an Army of the Most High God. Hardship is to be embraced, yet we win in the end! Our mission, to grow closer to Christ and bring along whomsoever.
We win in the end!
That’s something we should keep our eyes fixed on!
Of course I had to mention your name on my blog today. You helped me take a look at myself.
I love this post and I love the image you placed with it. It is so very true about EVERYTHING you typed out.
I’m going to either have to print this article or more than likely tell my friend about your website and lead her to this page specificially.
Thanks Sarah, and welcome to Rediscovering the Church!
Okay, why in the world does it do those funky faces next to my name? I have twitter! And what in the heck does ‘dig it’ mean or ‘stumble it’ or ‘delicious’ next to the post. How would I use that or is that something ya’ll just use?
Ok, the funky faces are avatar’s. If you go to gravatar.com and sign up (all you need is your email address and a password) then you can upload a picture that you want to appear there instead of the funky face. It will then appear on any site which uses Gravatars where you leave a comment.
Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious and Reddit are social networking sites. What you do is register with them and then, when you find a blog post or article or webpage anywhere on the net that you like, you share it with other people through them.
For instance, let’s say you register with Digg.com and then read one of my posts and think that other people in the world should know about it. You would simply click on the Digg it icon and my post would start being linked to by digg. The more people that digg a post or page, the more likely other digg users are to see it.
I hope that helps.
God bless,
Peter