Now before you think I have lost my mind hear me out. I have called this post "Stop Going to Church" so we can really look simplistically and deeply at the role of churches and how our opinions and actions affect and even effect others.
I believe a huge misconception that people have about going to church is that it's not going to be for them. Sometimes people have a twisted view of the church, and sadly, we can't blame them. People come from every walks of life and have experienced different things. Some people grow up thinking that the church is a place to go on Sunday mornings so everyone can see them there and think they are a Christian. Others may have grown up on the outside looking in and wondering why people would dress up, sing songs, act happy and speak like they are from the 1600's but then go home and do the exact same things as everyone else in this world. Some think church is for old people. Some think church is a money scheme. Some think church is a therapeutic session that allows people to coupe with the hardships of life. PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE CHURCH!
We can go in the direction of looking at passages of scripture that show us that the church is not the building we meet in. We can read God's word and find that the people of God are the church, but we are going in a different direction today. A way that may step on toes. Let me say that if I step on your toes while you are reading through this that must mean your feet were not moving. That must mean that you were stationary and needed someone or something to step on your toes so that you would begin to move for Christ. I will not say sorry for any discomfort because that means that God is convicting your heart and you need to repent and get a move on. This is exactly what He has done to me.
Now, let's get going. The "church", as the world would see it, is a building that millions of people sit in on Sunday mornings for all sorts of reasons. It is not until the attitude of the Church, the body of Christ, is changed and renewed that we will see the views of "church" changed.
When we gather together on Sunday mornings with our suits and dresses, smiles on our face, freshly dusted off bible in our hand, sing songs that don't mean anything to us and suffer through a 20 minute speech, we are just going to church. We need to stop going to church and start being the church. Stop faking your way through an hour once a week. Stop worrying about whether the pastor is going to go a little longer than you hoped and you miss your reservation for lunch. Stop worrying if the pastor is going to talk about the real issues of life that make people uncomfortable like sex, money and addictions. Stop going to church.
This is in no way a report card for the church. I am not above these thoughts and hypocrisies. I struggle with some of these issues and God has really touch my heart in becoming more like Him and I just want to share with you what I'm learning and encourage you.
In case you haven't made the connection, Jesus preached and taught in a way that would shock most of us. We have put this picture in our minds of Jesus walking around petting lambs and playing with children and telling people to love and everything will be alright. Jesus wasn't a hippie! He was and is the Son of God that came here to die for us. The bible isn't a fluffy and gooey romance novel. It is a 66 book love letter with real people facing real life and a holy God that is always in control. Jesus wasn't a pushover. In Matthew 21:12 we see Jesus flipping over tables and benches and driving people out of the temple area. He told people to eat his flesh and drink his blood in John chapter 6. Skip over to John 7:43 and it says, "Thus the people were divided because of Jesus." Jesus spoke the truth in ways that rocked the foundation of everyone's beliefs. He told parables that dumbfounded people. People turned away from Jesus because of Jesus. So why do we think we need to dumb down His word and skip over topics that people don't want to talk about?
Think about your church for a minute. Think about the preaching style. The music. The people that show up every week. What would your church look like if your preacher stood up and didn't apologize about talking about money and showed your church that Jesus talked about money more than any other subject and spoke boldly about greediness and giving? How would your church react if your pastor stood up and talked about sex and how it is ruining a generation of youth because it isn't talked about enough in the church? These two topics alone can divide a church. But that didn't stop Jesus from talking about it, so why should we be afraid to? Pastors, leaders, volunteers and staff...listen up! There are people at your church that struggle with finances because their heart is in buying the newest and best and going further in debt with credit cards and loans and they need help! There are people at your church that struggle with sexual purity, thoughts, pornography and lust and they need help! When we talk about real issues people on the outside of church will come in. People long to hear how they can be helped. People long for salvation. I would much rather have someone turn away from God because I spoke biblically and in truth than to have them turn away from God because I spoke out of ignorance and judgement.
Sitting around on Sunday mornings praying for changes to be made is not a bad thing. But if there is no movement on your behalf, nothing is going to get done. If you don't move God won't move. Now I'm not saying he can't move. He can and He will. But unless we get off of our lazy spiritual butts, nothing is going to happen through us. It takes faith and it takes action. James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. We have to move. We have to step out. We need to stop going to church and start being the church. Spending an hour once a week singing and listening to the word through someone else is not going to be enough for your "spiritual tank" to last you all week.
If you're thinking that this little blog post from a young guy in Leland, NC isn't for you, great. I hope that God is working through you and you are moving and being the church. I pray that you would continue to do so. But I also hope that this will give you a clearer view of your surroundings. A lot of people that don't go to church don't go because of their view of what church is. I hope my sharing in this will encourage you and lift you up. I hope that all of us can really see what the church is supposed to look like from what scripture teaches and we can get out of this rut we find ourselves in. I want to encourage you to take action. Bring people to church. And if they won't come, bring the church to them. You may be the only Jesus they see. So get up, move and stop just going to church.
