The Problem with the Church, Continued...

If you read my last post you probably think I hate the Church. Not true. In fact it is the one thing in life I am most passionate about. I long for the Church to be what it is supposed to be: the hands and feet of Christ, the Light of the world, the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, the bride of Christ, the heirs of salvation, the body of Christ. The Church should be the embodiment of Christ on the Earth. We should be about His business of seeking to save that which was lost. But what I see in the American Church is an organization over run with the culture of its surroundings. We have replaced the life of Christ with the American Dream where we are all happy, rich, and healthy. We have many people professing to be propagators of the gospel who are peddling to the masses the ear ticking message that God is your genie and He is here to make you rich, healthy, and powerful.

What can we do to turn the tide of this false gospel? It starts with me. The Church, like the illustration given in 1 Corinthians 12, is truly like a body. It is a collection of parts made up of individual parts. If one part fails or does not do what it is designed to do the rest suffers. Ever had an injury of any kind? The rest of the body must work harder to make up for the part that isn't working. They must bear the weight of things they weren't designed to do, and you can no longer do what you could do normally. You are hindered in your capabilities. The Church is no different. If we do not teach the Truth, then the actions of the Body suffer. In other words, if we teach that God is here to serve you and make you rich and wealthy, then why would we expect the Church as a body to reach out to those who are poor and needy? If we teach that ALL you have to do is believe in Christ and you will go to Heaven but fail to define what belief means, do people really believe? Will they really go to Heaven? Therefore, it is imperative that I, as a believer, teach the Truth to my family, friends, fellow believers, and to the World at large.

Some of you may say that this sounds dogmatic and rigid. It is. However, I believe that right teaching leads to right belief which leads to right action. This is the bottom line. Any teaching that does not lead to action that is consistent with the Jesus found in the Gospels is wrong. So we are left with the question of how to know what is right behavior? This goes back to my former post. We spend time reading books from people who would be considered personalities/celebrities in the Christian world. They lead large churches, they have financial/academic/professional success and we automatically assume that they are spiritually superior to those we come into contact with each week in our churches. We feel as though they have harnessed some secret to success that we do not have. Herein lies the issue. Rather than living a life bent on being faithful to Christ, we desire a life that leads to what the world considers success. Is this a by-product of wrong teaching?

What then can I do as one person seeking to follow Christ to turn this tide? Nothing but what I am doing already: seeking to follow Christ daily, faithfully. If I do that, then I have done my part. What Christ chooses to do with my faithfulness or lack thereof is His prerogative. This is exemplified in the last chapter of John's gospel. John 21:19-22, "Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, 'Follow me!' Peter turned and saw Jesus' favorite disciple following them. He was the same one who had sat next to Jesus at the meal and had asked, 'Lord, who is going to betray you?' When Peter saw that disciple, he asked Jesus, 'Lord, what about him?' Jesus answered, 'What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.'" Herein is our imperative, our command: Follow Christ.