Sitting in the stands for a Belvidere Bucs high school
football game with my friend and often mentor Ev about a decade or so ago, he
directed my attention to some fans: “Hey, there’s…He was a member of the church
about 30 years ago…Hey, there’s…She was a member about 20 years ago…Hey,
there’s….He was a member about 15 years ago…Hey, there’s someone who left when
you came!”
I think of pastor search committees.
Often asked why it’s common for PSC members
to leave churches not long after the pastor “of their choice” has been around,
I acknowledge those instances when the pastor or PSC or both erred in
discerning them being called together for life and ministry.
Unfortunately, there are too many instances
of PSC members leaving churches not long after “their” choice was installed
that have little to do with identifying and yoking with a worship leader,
discipler, and radical advocate for Jesus; as most often they leave because
“their” choice failed to become “their” BFF, paramour, or champion for…
People leave churches for many reasons.
Most of them are silly, superficial, stupid,
and selfish.
Really.
Go ahead, list ‘em.
Which ones aren’t silly, superficial,
stupid, or selfish?
Which ones don’t make a mockery of our Lord’s
expectations/commands in Matthew 18, John 17, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12,
and…?
C’mon, which ones aren’t ideologically,
idolatrously, idiosyncratically, or just plain old ignorantly motivated?
Unless proven otherwise by the example of
Jesus, Holy Scripture, and common sense, I see only one valid reason for
changing churches; and whenever this comes up, I urge people to leave those
churches asap for their souls’ safety and especially for the spiritual and
eternal welfare of children entrusted to them.
When the pastors, church professionals, church boards, and
church constituents do not acknowledge and advocate Jesus by the book but
rather sport religion only coincidental to Jesus by the book at the altar of
denominational, traditional, or ideological loyalties from their navel-gazing
left, right, up, down, inside, outside, and sideways, it’s time to leave.
Whenever someone in our family of faith tells
me about people in such remotely-related-to-Jesus-by-the-book churches, I urge
‘em to invite, welcome, include, and agape ‘em into our family of faith.
That’s not stealin’ sheep.
That’s savin’ ‘em from…
If I have to explain that to you, you may be
in a church that I would urge people to leave.
The real issue is the church’s leadership.
Do the women and men entrusted with leading
the church believe in Jesus by the book with enthusiasm and without
equivocation?
If so, embrace ‘em and work through the
silly, superficial, stupid, and selfish things threatening to separate you from
each other rather than insulting the One who lived, died, rose, and reigns to
bring people together for life and ministry in/through/for Him.
If not, run from that church to save
your/their life/lives.
Of course, the best way to insure your church
stays with Jesus by the book is to ask prospective pastors, professionals,
officers, and members, “Who is Jesus?”
If they are uncomfortable with that question,
for God’s sake and everyone else’s, don’t enable them for church
leadership!
If you cannot sense their joy and contagious
excitement while struggling to answer the question, for God’s sake
and everyone else’s, don’t enable them for church leadership!
If their answers are “nice” but only
coincidental to Jesus by the book, for God’s sake and everyone else’s, don’t
enable them for church leadership!
Bottom line.
Christianity is all about Jesus.
If you find yourself in a church that’s not,
leave.
If you are in a church that is, stay…and
pray/labor through who/what threaten to insult our Lord’s call for peace,
unity, and purity in/through/for Him.
Psst.
If you are in a church that is all about Jesus, you will
overcome the worldly temptations to schism and separation; because, uh, in the
existential as well as eternal end, Jesus and all who really love Him are…out
of this world.
Are you still looking for a different
way to do
church?
Are you tired of the SOSO RELIGION?
Are you put off by posers in
pews, politics, and pulpits?
Are you searching for
something/Someone real, honest, timely, and true to…?
Try our family of faith on
the corner of Lincoln and Main!
(Belvidere, Illinois)
Sundays at 7:20 and 10:00
a.m.
And so much…
