I’ve had the privilege this week of being with great friends at a ministerial conference in Orlando, Florida. Seeing thousands of Christians joining each day and night to worship God and hear from His Word has been encouraging. It’s just another reminder of why I am so glad to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Apostle wrote about the Church to the Ephesians and told them that we are the Lord’s body, fitly-framed together. We are a powerful and unique organism that is filled with the Spirit of God. We have been called out to bring the captives out. Anointed to carry the Gospel, and appointed for such a time as this.
Are the members perfect? Absolutely not. We are filled with God’s Spirit, but we still live in earthly bodies. We are not super-human; we are human with a super-force within us. We still battle human problems. We tend to say things we shouldn’t say, and our actions can be far from perfect. We are subject to mood swings, low times, and bad hair days. However, just because we may act out in our flesh at times, doesn’t mean that we are not the Church. We are the imperfect ones, serving the perfect one, and trying our best to be more like Him every day. The truth is, no matter how hard we try, we will always come short of that goal while we’re on this earth. But that’s why His grace and not our works save us.
You’re probably wondering why I chose to write about the Church this morning. Am I just reminding us how great it is to be in it? Well, I just want to encourage whoever might read this to realize that every Church congregation has problems, but that’s not what we should be focusing on. The Church has been on a mission ever since Acts chapter two. We must stay on target with what God has called us to do. We do not have time to be distracted by our imperfections. You don’t have to look far to find problems within the body of Christ. However, I think it’s time we focus on the needs of the Church rather than the problems.
Who are we bringing to God?
Who are we currently teaching the Bible to?
When is the next time we’re going to feed the homeless?
Who is next to be baptized?
Are people being healed in our Church?
Are we promoting unity?
Are we committed to investing in the next generation?
Are we in the Will of God?
My friend, I could go on and on with these points, but I think you understand what I’m saying. Instead of worrying about who didn’t speak to you on Sunday, why don’t you worry about how many guests you connected with that day? Let’s stop complaining about the lights, the temperature, and whatever else the enemy tries to get us thinking about, and remember why we are there. I want to challenge each of you today to stop pointing out the problems of the Church and start focusing on the needs.
