Just thinking out loud today about the church . . .
- God’s people are wonderful people. They really are. It’s hard for me to describe what believers have meant to me since I became a believer almost 50 years ago. They love. They give. They support. They pray.
- God’s people are messy. They really are that, too. Even believers can be a headache at times. Some believers are almost always a headache.
- Some of God’s people aren’t really God’s people. They might be members of a church, but that’s not a guarantee they’re true believers. There are tares among the wheat.
- Hanging out with believers from other nations can be humbling and challenging. I was with believers in Africa all last week, and their faith put mine to shame. Some have endured persecution I’ve never faced—and they’ve done so with faith and perseverance.
- Most churches are inwardly focused. They don’t get there intentionally, but it happens. The same church that was once evangelistic and outwardly focused can become a “Christian bubble” focused on only itself (check this post to see if you’re in the bubble).
- Some of God’s people never get over stuff. Church pain can be really painful (see this post), and forgiveness is hard—but some believers almost idolize their pain in the past.
- The faith of most believers in North America doesn’t cost them much. What we deem to be opposition and persecution pales in comparison to what other believers around the world face. See #4 above.
- Many believers in North America suffer from a lack of intentional discipleship. In fact, many are still babies in the faith—though they think otherwise. As far as they know, they’re mature, strong believers. Their actions, though, show they’re still babies in the faith needing discipleship.
- Some believers are more consumers who live an “a la carte” faith than they are committed followers of God. Check out these posts about consumer Christianity, and see if you agree.
- Most believers seldom tell the gospel story to a non-believer. They might invite other people to church, but they don’t do evangelism. I can’t remember the last time I heard another believer tell me about an evangelistic encounter.
- The church has become more an escape from the world than a place to get re-armed and renewed to try to reach that world. There’s no question that believers need a safe place at times, but the gathering of believers should compel us out to the world to do the Great Commission—regardless of the cost.
- Many believers serve faithfully in their church week after week after week, most often without recognition. That’s okay for them, too, because they’re not seeking recognition in the first place. They just want to use their God-given gifts faithfully—because they love God and His people. You and I need to love God and His people, too, regardless of how messy we are.
