Christ's Church vs. the World's Church

I’ll be the first one to admit I have strong opinions and high standards. It’s also not unusual for me to have a conflicting viewpoint in a conversation. Unaware of this fact, I can create problems for myself when I come head to head with a differing opinion – trust me, there has been plenty of that in my life. But once I learned to harness the behavior, it has made me be less judgmental, more open-minded, and seek the truth deeper than surface level. You might be wondering, what does this have to do with anything? In the last couple weeks, I have had 3 different conversations with 3 different people who are unhappy with the church. They are 3 very different situations, but each one of them got me thinking about my own experience with not agreeing with the Church, and how that impacted my return to Christ. (To be clear, by the church here I mean corporate entity, not the body of Christ.)

Situation 1: A church member reached out to the church for support. Basically, the prodigals have returned. She is planted in a church, and her husband will be joining her soon. She called to find out where they could be plugged in to build the appropriate support group with people who may understand their situation. Instead of compassion and support, by the end of the call she felt judged and unwanted.  

Situation 2: The Church is experiencing significant change – which happens any time someone in a position of leadership changes, but this church has had a number of leadership changes in the last few months.  Rumors are rampant, the truth is cloudy, communication has been minimal and the body is confused and in conflict. They’re unsure what the church stands for now, and many are questioning their purpose there. The big question is, do they leave too?

Situation 3: A prodigal who hasn’t returned. In a conversation, the issue with the church came up. This isn’t an issue with a particular church – but rather with the concept of the church in general. Pastors who wield their power inappropriately. The judgmental nature of the church. Legalistic viewpoints. The basic nature of the church.

While each situation appears to be an issue with the church, if you look deep enough it’s actually an issue with people. The Church by definition is just a group of people who have like minded beliefs. Ideally, in the situation of a church the foremost goal would be to follow biblical instruction found in the Bible…but the truth of the matter is the church is run by people, and people are broken and sinful…even the leaders.

In Matthew 23, Jesus is talking about the scribes and Pharisees. In verse 2-3 he says, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice.” This was fascinating to me – basically, Jesus is saying: they’re ordained by God to hold the seat they have, so listen to what they say but do not follow what they do. We’re going to equate scribes and Pharisees to contemporary leaders in general. It’s important to remember two key things: 1) the people called by God are just that – regular people; 2) God shows over and over in the Bible that he can use deeply flawed people. (Should I recount the story of David here? Adulterer, murderer – repentant soul that came to restoration with God and accomplished a myriad of wonderful things after the fact…you get it.)

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.” – Romans 3:10

So what was my response to each situation?

Situation 1: Not everyone will understand the testimony that is being built in your life right now, and that’s ok. You can’t give up, because God has ordained your purpose - not for everyone but for the right ones…and who is to say that you aren’t being built to fill a gap in your current church? The enemy will use feelings of isolation to keep you as far away from your purpose as possible – and he’s not just at work in the world, he’s hard at work in the church. Don’t take one person’s misperception or misunderstanding as the viewpoint of the whole church. Don’t let one person separate you from the body of Christ that you’ve been called into. Don’t let the enemy win. Plug yourself into your church, find places to serve that you meet other people, and find the group you want to create yourself. If God wants this to exist, he will bring them to you.

Situation 2: Change is hard, especially if the change isn’t managed well. Scripture has plenty to say about rumors and gossip, so until something happens first-person, you can’t base your feelings on hearsay. Ultimately, God has called you to the church you’re in, and when it’s time to go – he’ll let you know. But be patient…change takes time, and the fruits of change even longer. Stay involved – if you really feel like there is a problem, who is going to support the Christians that come in after you leave? How can you hold anyone accountable, if you aren’t there? Deal with the issues when they become YOUR issues, keep your eyes open to what’s going on, and stay close to God in prayer about how you’re supposed to navigate the situation. In the end, God’s will prevails; as long as you’re seeking his will for you, you will be where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there.

Situation 3: Church is about more than the legalistic views, the do's and don'ts in the Bible, hellfire and brimstone. Are there some church's that abuse their power? Yes. They aren't God's church. Are there Pastor's that have fallen into sin in a big way? Yes. They're human. Are there messages that can feel extreme or outside of what you believe? Yes. It's your responsibility as a Christian to vet what is being taught to you, rather than drink in whatever someone is feeding you and accept it carte blanche. There are tons of churches with different styles, different atmospheres, different ministry focus...you name it. You should be in a church that you enjoy, that feeds your spirit, that teaches sound doctrine (the good AND the bad), and that you can mostly agree with. And when you're in the right place for you, God will fill your soul to the brim each time you're there, and you'll know. 

When my husband and I agreed to lead our marriage group, a good friend pulled me aside. She offered encouragement for the journey we were embarking on, but also warning. God calls teachers to lead his flock, but in accepting that assignment you are accepting responsibility for the souls God puts in your hands. Christ bought the Church with his blood, and he’s serious about holding accountable those leaders who cause his followers to stumble. We work hard every day to stay on the righteous path and seek God humbly. But accepting this responsibility did not give us superpowers to avoid sin and temptation…if it did anything it put a giant target on our back and got Satan’s attention.  

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have high expectations for our leaders – but we should have tempered high expectations for our leaders. In other words, we shouldn’t be shocked if they sin or make a mistake or have poor judgment in a situation. We should be equally as gracious toward them as we would any other Christian when they repent. Pray for your leaders, and pray for the church you're supposed to be in. Before we become disillusioned with the church as a whole, we should remember that the church is made up of individuals who are equally susceptible to temptation and sin. The church requires you to reach it's full potential.

Church was created to teach biblical doctrine so that we can be full in our faith. It exists (including, but not limited) to:

• Offer guidance - So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)

• Provide healing - Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)

• Build up fellow believers - Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

• Provide fellowship - Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25)

• Minister to the lost - And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12)

• Serve the oppressed - Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

Don’t get wrapped up in the fleshly side of church. It was created for your own well-being by Christ himself. Instead, look at the bigger picture. Measure your church as a whole against the commands of the Bible. Confirm your Pastor’s message with scripture to ensure you’re receiving good doctrine. Fill in where you see unmet needs. No one says you have to agree with every single thing the church does or says – but you are there because God called you, not the people, and as long as you are there you have a godly purpose to fulfill.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5