I've gone round and round in my mind and with God about the purpose of and problem with church. While I know the bible teaches the importance of joining together on a regular basis (see Hebrews 10:25), being a part of a faith community is hard.
And why? When I look at the description of the early church in Acts 2, I feel... What do I feel? Sad? Jealous? Frustrated?
Yes! And yes and yes!
Look at the description of these believers:
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. - Acts 2:44-47
Why isn't the church the same way today? Frankly, because the church is simply people, and people are faulty. (I made a conscious effort to not say stupid. But that's true too.)
Today we are so far removed from the Cross that we are not hungry for Christ. We are not desperate to hear about him, to talk about him, to think about him. We take the whole thing for granted.
Look at the scripture again. It's important that the first sentence says they "were together." You could easily miss this statement, skipping right over the significance, but I beg you not to.
How often do we blow right through church? In comparison, how often do we stay, sitting around, talking, laughing, sharing? Or do we treat it as one of a thousand items on our checklist of things to do on any given Sunday?
The next statement says that the believers had "everything in common." Oh. My. Word. I'm so weird I have very little in common with anyone! I have often prayed to meet people who are like me, so that I wouldn't feel so abnormal. I can't imagine having everything in common with someone.
Is this a modern problem? Are we living in a disjointed age, where finding something in common with others is rare at best, impossible at worst? And to find people I have everything in common with? Ummm... No. I don't think that person exists.
But maybe having everything in common isn't about my interests. Maybe it's about His interests. Maybe having everything in common has nothing to do with me!
Ouch. I thought everything had to do with me.
Ouch again.
Let's look deeper. The early church met together daily. In the church. In their homes. They lived life together, every day. They ate together, sang together.
They praised God together.
Every. Stinking. Day.
So what? What does this mean for us, two millennium later, 7,000 miles away, billions of people removed from that moment? Is it possible to have church that way today?
If you're in Africa, yes. If you live in China, yes. If you live in any country or area where church is hard instead of easy, then yes. It is possible.
We make church too easy. We sacrifice nothing to be there. We complain about spending too much time there. We find excuses to be away, instead of searching for reasons to be there. It's something we have to do, not something we get to do.
If only we hungered and thirsted after righteousness. If only we were desperate for a moment with Christ. If only we were willing to risk our social standing, our reputation, our very lives just to touch the hem of his garment.
What is wrong with church today?
We are.
We are the bride of Christ. Brides breathlessly anticipate their wedding day, preparing even the smallest detail, trying to make everything perfect.
Brides don't gather a group of people in the foyer, gossiping. They don't stand in a corner, hoping that that person doesn't see them so that they won't have to talk.
Brides don't waste their time on things that don't matter. Every single detail of their lives - for months - is building up to the day when they see their groom, face to face, in a way they have never seen him before.
Know this. I am talking to myself and about myself. But know this, also. I'm talking about you, too. It's time to grow up!
No wonder people aren't beating down the doors of the church. If what you have doesn't change you, doesn't change your heart, your actions, your mindset - why would anyone else want it?
I'm putting these thoughts out here as plainly as I can. Jesus is coming soon. We don't have much time left. I don't want any of us to miss it. Nor do I want us to miss the opportunity to take someone with us.
What is the problem with church? You are. I am.
Let's change that.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
Let's humble ourselves. Pray. Seek his face. Hunger for him. Thirst for him. Be desperate for him.
I want to go to church. I want to be the church! And I want it today!
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