7.) Giving up on the church means we embrace a church of one. Scary.
I mourn for those who say they love Jesus, but do not believe they need the church. I don’t mourn necessarily for their salvation. I am mourn mostly because they don’t see the connection between the salvation of Christ and the bride of Christ. They don’t understand the process of sanctification. They don’t understand the gospel.
I understand some of you have been hurt. I hurt with you. I too have experienced attacks on my family and ministry. But the beauty of these attacks is God often uses them to reveal something messed up in our own heart. And without the attacks, there are levels of selfishness that would never be exposed.
God looks at me and says, “You have layers of selfishness I need to expose. And exposing them will be painful. Trust me, though. Exposing them will be liberating.”
The gospel proclaims life and freedom come through suffering. They are inextricably tied together.
This is the message of the gospel. Through pain and suffering come life and freedom. The two are inextricably wound together. They can’t be divorced or separated.
The message the church sends to the world is the same message Jesus sends to his church: The gospel is so amazing because it is both painful and wonderful, at the same time.
Everyone needs the church. Even though we can go faster alone, we can’t go farther. We can avoid heartache and failed expectations, but in the process we avoid sanctification and an authentic experience of the gospel.
Divorcing from the church means we believe we can do on our own what Christ proclaims we need others to do … be molded into his image.
This is why I love the church. The local church specifically. It transforms me into the image of my Creator. Something I could never do on my own.
8.) The church has often led the way in meeting the needs of the world.
From the earliest days of the church, people have been a recipient of God’s grace and justice. The church, unlike any other collection of people, has released the oppressed, brought healing and restored hope, to millions. This is because the church is led by the Spirit. And where the Spirit is present, justice is a priority.
So, in the roughly 2,000 years of the church’s existence, game-changing ideas like hospitals, public education and orphanages have been birthed by the church.
Hospitals, even though expressed in some forms before Christianity, were transformed because of Christians. It was Christians who expanded treatment to the poor, elderly and widowed. It was Christians who transformed public education. In fact, the first charter for public education in America was called “The Old Deluder Satan Act.” The basis behind the name? Christians believed Satan hindered men and women from knowing the Scriptures. So it was followers of Jesus who saw public education as necessary for the spread of the gospel.
The same could be said for many nonprofits, including the Red Cross. Compassion and justice have marked the church of Jesus Christ since the day she was born. And this will continue. Because justice, mercy and compassion are present where the Spirit of God is present.
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I love the church. I know she has imperfections. The church is not perfect. But I know the King is perfect. He died so I might live. He died so God’s people might be the light of the world.
And despite the brokenness of those comprising the church, I can’t stop loving the church. I can’t give up on the church. Because I love Jesus. And Jesus will never give up on his bride.
I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!
