I remember a quote from a dear friend when his wife was stressing over the redecorating of their house. She had enlisted the help of some family members and was complaining about the situation. As he thought about her ingratitude for the help being offered, he remarked, “Why does she have to turn a blessing into such a pain in the ass!” We often do that. We turn what God has designed for good into a pain because we neglect to see things from God’s perspective. One of those blessings is the church.
The church should be a great blessing but it is turned into a pain in the ass when we do it the world’s way and neglect God’s design. Several ways we do this are:
1. We focus on people as numbers.
When we look at the congregation it is plus, minus, division and multiplication. We add to the congregation program after program to busy their lives with endless activities. This keeps the flock at the building and away from the true mission field, home and neighborhood. This adds to the stress and quenches the joy of building meaningful relationships. We subtract from essential doctrine to appeal to the flesh. If we neglect the truth that God has given us then what are we feeding the flock? People need to hear about the supremacy of God, the depravity of man, the great grace of God and the veracity of the Bible. This is not self help but life changing truth. We seek to multiply our numbers in our own strength instead of allowing God to bring the people. We cause division by riding our own hobby horses while lassoing church members into our control. We are told to be witnesses and to teach not to control and manipulate. People need love, care, openness, and encouragement not formulas and programs.
2. We follow the business model over the family unit.
We seek to grow the church using business and marketing strategies. Church becomes a money making enterprise with the goals of expand, grow, and monopolize. This pursuit does not rely on the Holy Spirit or the principles laid out in the Bible. The pattern laid out in the Bible shows God’s people relating to others in love as a family. This is what will witness to the world for they will know us by our love. Forget the marketing schemes and rely on prayer. We are not co-workers at a job but family. Follow the leading of the Spirit not some worldly agenda.
3. We neglect our spiritual gifts.
Scripture teaches that we have spiritual gifts but many don’t use them. Many do not know what they are or which gifts they have. Many don’t have the opportunity because they sit in the pews watching the paid professionals do all the work. The pastor is to be the equipper not the one doing all the work. As a church we should be working together not against each other. We should look at each other with the desire to see each doing the work that God has called and gifted each of us to do. The goal should be to find our spiritual gifts and use them as well as to encourage others to do the same. In this, we can appreciate God’s diversity and unity in the body of Christ.
4. We get locked into a pattern.
Tradition are good to bring us together and remind us of God’s goodness and faithfulness but they can also strangle the progress of ministry. Phrases like, “We have always done it this way” and “This is what such and such church is doing” should not be our guide to making decisions. The pattern laid out in the Bible is prayer, fasting, faith and the Spirit’s leading. Instead of doing what has always been done or seeking some other church’s model let us seek God’s direction through prayer, fasting and obedience to His word.
5. We hide in the Christian subculture.
The christian subculture is a world where people are always at church or christian get-togethers, people only listen to christian music and hang out with only Christians. There is no interaction with the world! This world is fake, simplistic and just like the world but dresses different. Jesus never commanded us to leave the world but he commanded us to not act like the world. It is hard to live within this subculture because it demands a certain appearance. One cannot struggle with sin therefore confessing our sins one to another is impossible without fear or gossip and slander. One cannot engage the world or he or she is labeled “worldly.” We are to be in the world but not of it. Let us be in the world by being engaging in life (music, movies, recreation, get-togethers) with our neighbors, co workers and family members. Let us not be of the world by living in the grace and godliness of walking in the Spirit.
6. We have created false expectations of Christianity and church.
People are sinners. People WILL disappoint and fail. Do not expect perfection out of others. Do not expect perfection out of yourself. As Christians we are new creatures in Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit, yet we have many years of practicing sinful behavior and the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are all in this together. So let us extend grace to each other as well as yourself. Grace is not an excuse to act sinfully but an understanding of our spiritual condition and a catalyst to glorify God because of his love, work and presence in our lives.
I find that those who focus on the situation and not on the solution bring worry and frustration. The situation is messy but the solution is Jesus. If we look to Jesus we will see his love for people, his model of family, his great work in each believer, his direction and leading, his involvement in the world, and his overwhelming grace. Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” or not a pain in the ass.
Michael, great post. I agree with your observations about the church. It was also great hanging out with you.
Scott