My heart was broken recently as I heard about a young man who had taken his own life. That young man (we'll call him Bob) had a troubled past, plagued by substance abuse. A Christian family took Bob in, provided shelter, food, and invited Bob to their church services. During a church event, Bob made the decision to trust Christ as his Lord and Savior. Bob was baptized the following Sunday, told many of his decision, started attending multiple church services per week, and was beginning to get plugged-in with his new church family.
Not long after, the young man was facing the same battles that many of us face... his old nature was warring against his new nature. Bob reached out for help, but was pushed aside as a church employee (a staff pastor) and his wife made up false allegations against Bob. As a result, Bob was asked not to return to that church. Bob had now been turned away from the only real family he had ever known; from the place where he had found hope and acceptance. The people who could have helped Bob grow in his faith, were the people pushing him out of the church. Fast forward the story... Bob took his life. Bob's blood is on the hands of those who pushed him away from the church.
The man's name was not Bob, but the story is true and should remind us of what Jesus said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Many have forgotten that the Church was once called a "soul-saving station," and a "spiritual hospital." We've forgotten that the Master told his servants, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." The Master NEVER said, Go gather people who dress like we do, like the same music we do, use the same Bible version we do, cut their hair like we do, refuse tattoos like we do, and hide all of their weaknesses like we do! The Master didn't say to establish a commune... He said, "I will build my Church!"
The church identity described above has been replaced with today's "clubhouse mentality" or "pep-rally mentality;" in which members of the church gather to sing a few songs, tell a few jokes, talk about their favorite sports teams, and then they return home to resume life as usual. BUT... that is not the purpose of the Church! Ministers are not mere performers and ministry is NOT merely a 9-to-5 job! The Church is a spiritual army, the Church is at war against the forces of evil, the Church is a lighthouse in the storms of life, the Church is the vehicle that God established to share the Gospel and disciple believers! If the Church won't reach the alcoholics, the drug addicts, the prostitutes, the homeless, the rejected, the broken, the unemployed, the sick, the and even the religious Pharisees; then who will? That's what God called His Church to do! Listen to the words in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Yes, real ministry is messy and when you reach down to lift someone up, you'll probably get dirty! No doubt that shepherds smelled slightly like the sheep back in New Testament times! I challenge those pastors who see ministry as a 40 hour per week job to pick-it-up or have the integrity to go find other employment. Ministry is not a job - it's a calling! I challenge those who see the church as a clubhouse to reexamine Luke 4:18-19. I challenge those who are not sharing Christ with others to start doing so. I challenge you DO NOT allow the story of Bob, to be true of you or your church. God help Your Church to see the battle and defeat the enemy! "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
No comments:
Post a Comment