Where Is The Love?
Matt 7:3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Recently, I have read some FB posts about the problems of the modern church. My friend Ben Jensen wrote an excellent rebuttal to one of them and I will refrain from re-iterating it here. Please take the time and read his statement in his blog Dear Church: People Will Always Leave You at http://lifeunstained.blogspot.com/ Read it. It is worth your time.
It is easy to go about ranting on what is wrong with the church. We, who are the church, are fallen, imperfect, etc. So there is a lot of material available. Possibly a 1,000+ volume encyclopedia on me alone and I am just 1 of millions.
I understand admonishments and exhortations are needed from time-to-time. And yes discipline needs to be exercised as well. But we need to be so careful that we do not overstep our authority and find ourselves in direct opposition to the authority of God and/or his designated authority. Let's emphasize designated. God chooses His church leaders and he places them in accountability to others as well as Himself. There are specific guidelines in His word as to how we are to interact with that authority. Love first, as we have for all of our brothers and sisters, and respect next, for their position given to them by God. Are they imperfect? Yes. Can they and do they make mistakes? Yes. Do you? We? YES! So why are we so quick to denounce or agree with those who denounce our church?
Again, there are weaknesses in the church and areas for improvement but why do we need to make a public spectacle of it? If you have a problem with your church or a church do what the word and God tells you to do. If you are a pastor, elder, or leader, take it to your church oversight and deal with it. Always, always making sure it is in love and not some soap box pet peeve or irritation that you want to correct immediately. Don't make the church, her leaders, or your local body feel like the woman who was caught in adultery. (John 8) Remember, how Jesus treated her and her accusers?
While there is only one church, there are several local bodies, each being a part of the main body of whom Christ is the head. So does this mean that if the toe gets a wart, it is OK for the hand to take a hammer and smash that toe? Simple? Yes. Not my words though. Are they?
We live in a world that hates us simply because who we have become and are still becoming in Christ Jesus. Let's not give it's false god an opportunity to strike at us because we have taken our attention off of loving God and each other as God has commanded us to trying to "fix" one another.
Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is not your job, not my job, nor is it anyone else's. God promised to fix us through His Spirit not through ours.
Phil 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
If we want to reach many churches and many church leaders with an exhortation, there are better venues than social media. When exhorting the church with problems you see in the church do not present them as a fact and a problem with all churches. Be very sure it is a deterrent to salvation or an unsound doctrine and not a choice of style. Above all else, make sure your heart is in tune with God's will before you do or state anything.
God bless you neighbor!
Recently, I have read some FB posts about the problems of the modern church. My friend Ben Jensen wrote an excellent rebuttal to one of them and I will refrain from re-iterating it here. Please take the time and read his statement in his blog Dear Church: People Will Always Leave You at http://lifeunstained.blogspot.com/ Read it. It is worth your time.
It is easy to go about ranting on what is wrong with the church. We, who are the church, are fallen, imperfect, etc. So there is a lot of material available. Possibly a 1,000+ volume encyclopedia on me alone and I am just 1 of millions.
I understand admonishments and exhortations are needed from time-to-time. And yes discipline needs to be exercised as well. But we need to be so careful that we do not overstep our authority and find ourselves in direct opposition to the authority of God and/or his designated authority. Let's emphasize designated. God chooses His church leaders and he places them in accountability to others as well as Himself. There are specific guidelines in His word as to how we are to interact with that authority. Love first, as we have for all of our brothers and sisters, and respect next, for their position given to them by God. Are they imperfect? Yes. Can they and do they make mistakes? Yes. Do you? We? YES! So why are we so quick to denounce or agree with those who denounce our church?
Again, there are weaknesses in the church and areas for improvement but why do we need to make a public spectacle of it? If you have a problem with your church or a church do what the word and God tells you to do. If you are a pastor, elder, or leader, take it to your church oversight and deal with it. Always, always making sure it is in love and not some soap box pet peeve or irritation that you want to correct immediately. Don't make the church, her leaders, or your local body feel like the woman who was caught in adultery. (John 8) Remember, how Jesus treated her and her accusers?
While there is only one church, there are several local bodies, each being a part of the main body of whom Christ is the head. So does this mean that if the toe gets a wart, it is OK for the hand to take a hammer and smash that toe? Simple? Yes. Not my words though. Are they?
We live in a world that hates us simply because who we have become and are still becoming in Christ Jesus. Let's not give it's false god an opportunity to strike at us because we have taken our attention off of loving God and each other as God has commanded us to trying to "fix" one another.
Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is not your job, not my job, nor is it anyone else's. God promised to fix us through His Spirit not through ours.
Phil 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
If we want to reach many churches and many church leaders with an exhortation, there are better venues than social media. When exhorting the church with problems you see in the church do not present them as a fact and a problem with all churches. Be very sure it is a deterrent to salvation or an unsound doctrine and not a choice of style. Above all else, make sure your heart is in tune with God's will before you do or state anything.
God bless you neighbor!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit hypocritical to post something like this condemning those who speak out publicly. Silence is never the answer there are huge issues going on within the church that need to be addressed and haven't been, by leaders you so whole heartedly place your trust in. You say not it's not your job and not to make a public spectacle but that is the very thing you are doing by writing this blog. So what gives you more right to speak and be heard then anyone else? Those who wish to silence victims are the same people who made them victims in the first place. The Church as a whole needs work that means each individual part needs to work together not say hey that other guy over there is the problem not me. This does nothing but toss the blame around like a ball. This is also not fixed by saying hey keep it within our walls, so no one knows we are all a bunch of dirt bags. Problems are first solved by admitting there is a problem not just with the other guy but us as well. Listen to those speaking out they are the one's who will do the most fixing.
ReplyDeleteAlso what makes you so sure that God isn't in this? I don't think God works in anyway you might expect. I feel like you are putting him in a tiny box by saying he isn't. From what I know God usually doesn't work within the walls of a box made for him.
ReplyDeleteOur lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King, Jr.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteIt has taken me some time to think and pray as to how I should respond to your comments. First I would ask, is it hypocritical for me to defend Christ's bride? Next I would ask why would one bring up weaknesses in the church in a venue chock full of unbelievers who already ridicule the church on its divisiveness instead of obeying the word of God and taking it to the church leaders? The world has no clue of the meaning of grace and just sees these criticisms as a way of saying "see their own people accuse them." You are correct in saying that if one part of the body is sick the rest of the body has to compensate for it. I would ask if that compensation would mean that the hand has a right to smash a toe because of a hang nail? As far as putting God in a box, God does not contradict himself. He gave us specific rules about how we are to handle our failings and it has nothing to do with unbelievers viewing our dirty laundry. They cannot, they will not, understand the exercise of love, tough love, grace and mercy. I still maintain that Facebook, Twitter and others are not the places to work out, correct, and admonish the church.
I never said it was hypocritical for you to be defensive, I said you defense was hypocritical. This is a blog is it not? Which makes it public and a part of the social media world. You have a voice and you think highly of your opinion, so why should anyone else not have that right? If their own people accuse them then what does that say of the leaders? You follow?? In my head I would think that something is way more wrong then just a tiny hang nail? I think that is putting it very mild! It's more like an entire leg with gang green that is spreading and yes in that case I do believe it needs to be smashed. Why should anyone follow the church? It has no idea what Grace and Love is not the other way around! If I was looking for Love the church would be the last place I would look because it gives no Love. Don't you think that is more of a problem then the churches pretty face? The world will see Love and Grace when the church actually practices these things. Right now all anyone can see is a rotting leg with a very bad smell. No amount of looking away to the face of the church will undo that nasty smell. It's super arrogant to think that everyone who doesn't follow your particular brand of christianity are all just bunch of monkeys to stupid to see for themselves and form opinions, and beliefs of their own. But who would want to follow anyone who ignores the suffering of their own people. And who would write and say that their voices shouldn't be heard by anyone but those of a church who condemned them in the first place?
DeleteElizabeth,
DeleteI can see you have had some tough experiences. I am sorry that you had to suffer them. I will pray for you.