WHAT I LOVE AND SOME THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE CHURCH
One: I love the idea of church. A regular gathering of the redeemed to worship, remember, nurture one another,.
. Ephesians 5:25 |
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; .
1 Corinthians 11:18 |
For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
Two: I love the people in the church. Two things can be said of the people who make up almost any congregation on earth: They are a cross-section of humanity, of the very type found in a grocery store or in a schoolyard, and they contain a special group–the cream of the crop–of the best people on the planet
Show me a Christian who does not like church people and I’ll show you someone backslidden, out of fellowship with Christ.
John 13:34 | View whole chapter | See verse in context
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Hebrews 2:12 |
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Three: I love the work of the church. Specifically, Jesus committed to us “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5), another term for spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20). Now, He gave plenty of commands to us–everything from loving each other to being salt and light in the community–but nothing trumps the Great Commission, taking the good news of the Savior to the world.
2nd Corinthians 5: 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Four: I love the theology of the church. In addition to its identity as the bride of Christ, the household of faith, a kingdom of priests, and such, Scripture presents the church as the body of Christ
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Five: I love the history of the church. Well, I like a good bit of it. Like most family histories, however, this one has its embarrassments–its inquisitions, witchhunts, heresy-hunting, and
the times when the train left the tracks and did as much damage as good.
Six: I love the effect of church on me. I came to know Christ at church when I was young man I did lots of things he did not like but he still loves me.
Seven: I love the worship of the church. We worship better together than alone, it would appear. I say that in full knowledge that we can worship God wonderfully in isolation–in my car,
1 Samuel 15:25 |
Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
Acts 24:14 |
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Eight: I love the variety of the church Show me someone who calls himself a Christian but who criticizes all churches
Matthew 18:17 |
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
1 Corinthians 15:9 |
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Philippians 3:6 |
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Five things I hate about the church
One: I hate the conflict. It has been with us from the beginning (see Acts 6:1-7), and God can use conflict to achieve good results, but it’s no fun and unless handled well will hold the church up to ridicule in the community.
Two: I hate the way some churches mistreat their pastors without any accountability.
Three: I hate the way some churches spend all God’s money on themselves while neglecting their greater world-wide responsibility.
Four: I hate the competition and back-biting between some. When one pastor publicized that his church was the best thing God had going
Five: I hate that so many of our churches and denominations fund lavish lifestyles for their leaders.
1 Corinthians 14:12 |
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
1 Corinthians 12:28 |
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
