Here is what we have become:
1.) The Hiding Church
2.) The Judgmental Church
3.) The Conforming Church
NONE of these please the Lord!
The 'Hiding' Church is the one that has it's doors closed to any outsiders that are different than them. For example, I have grown up Southern Baptist, and I remain Southern Baptist. Let's be honest, however, historically speaking, we have a bad reputation for not accepting people who look different or are, in a few cases, a different race than the predominant race within the four walls. Sadly, in many churches, if a man came in with tattoos and piercings...people would, possibly unintentionally, avoid him because he looks different. So, how does the hiding church react to things that are not comfortable to them? They shut people out. There is no outreach (except of course for VBS...gotta suffer for Jesus). That was sarcastic, by the way. No one in Scripture are we told to shut people out or hide in cliche' 'holy huddles.' What should we be? Instead of being a hiding church, we should be a seeking church! The Bible says that the "gates of hell" will not prevail against the Gospel and the Church. No one screams, "CHARGE!" and then closes their gates! That means that we are on the offensive. We are to seek he lost and lead them to the one who saves! Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost! Don't hide your light under a basket! [Matthew 5:14-16]
The Judgmental Church is your typical legalist churches. They see nonbelievers and, rather than addressing their heart issues, they try to clean them up so that they look good enough to come to Jesus. Problem is...this is totally ludicrous and unbiblical. Legalists live as if they are God. The Church was never called to judge nonbelievers. They are called to rebuke and encourage those in the faith, but not outside of the faith. That means we should quit preaching "Get right," and start preaching the Gospel that Christ died and rose again to seek and save the lost...not the righteous. There is no room for judgmental churches in the body of Christ. [1 Corinthians 5:12] So what should we be? The GRACIOUS Church! Our God is overflowing with grace toward us...so we should be. It was by grace we were saved through faith! People's sin problems will be addressed if Christ captivates their hearts...stop trying to be God, and start serving the Lord His way.
The third type of church is the conforming church. These are those that live like there is no God. They think Jesus died simply to be an example of how we should tolerate everything within the Church. They scream, "Don't Judge!" They take this as an immunity for not living up to standards that GOD HAS SET for His children. They walk by the flesh while claiming they walk in the Spirit. [Galatians 5 & 6] These are those that often say things like, "I worship at home--just me and Jesus." This really means, "I do what I want and I do not want anyone holding me accountable." They will also say, "I am saved by grace...so I can do what I want." I must respond with, "Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? BY NO MEANS!" The Apostle Paul said this. These are the ones that if you stood them next to a drunk and a sexually promiscuous person--you couldn't tell a difference. Romans 12:2 tells us to no longer conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We have to stop letting Jesus simply influence us and let Him transform us. So what should we be? The Identifiable Church. We should be IN the world not OF the world. That means we are on the move in the world seeking the lost, but we live contrary to the world, so that our actions back up our words.
The churches that please God are Seeking the Lost, Gracious to the Nonbelievers, and Set Apart from the ways of the world.
-Heath
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