CHURCH VESSELS
I read an article recently that described different types of churches as ships. One definition of the word vessel is a type of boat or ship. There are many types of vessels. And some of these vessels can be compared to different types of churches we see out there.
1) The Cruise Ship.
We go on a cruise ship to relax and have fun. A cruise ship looks elegant and is aesthetically pleasing. It has all the appealing amenities and extras. They have great shows too. Some churches are like this. This type of church would appeal to someone who's looking to be entertained. This would appeal to someone who wants to be comfortable.
A cruise ship is a massive vessel and it holds a lot of people. Likewise, a cruise ship style church is large and holds a lot of people. Although you can engage with other people on a cruise ship, but if you don't want to you could easily go unnoticed and blend in. Likewise, at a cruise ship style church you could just show up and blend in with the crowd.
And the idea with a cruise ship is you are the guest and the staff is there to serve you. Part of the appeal for a cruise ship style church is I can go and get fed without feeling pressured to serve. Since they have so many people there already serving, the need for me to serve wouldn't be as urgent as if I were at a smaller church.
Now, before anyone accuses me of condemning the mega-church, I'm not saying there aren't any legitimate ones who are in line with the will of God and doing the work of God or that mega churches don't have any genuine Christians who love the Lord .
However, with that said, I think these comparisons are legitimate. It's easy to get focused on the wrong things at a big church; there can be plenty of lesser things that serve as distractions from the greater things. I can become preoccupied with the coffee bar or the gift shop or something else.
During worship I can be focused on watching the band on the stage instead of being focused on the Lord. I can feel good about attending church instead of feeling good about being the church. Not that those who go to a mega-church are all superficial and shallow, but it's easier to be superficial and shallow when a church has a lot of things that can draw your attention away from what it's supposed to be all about. It might not be done intentionally, but it's there.
Another thing you see on a cruise ship are people all dressed up. You would probably rarely see someone walking around in shabby clothes. Likewise, this can be how it is at a cruise ship style church. Not that we shouldn't be focused on looking appropriate when we go to church but there can be too much emphasis placed on how I look. The people that James wrote to fell into this trap.
James 2:1-4, "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"
Churches today commit this same error. I've been told some churches have a dress code. I'm not sure if they would ask you to leave if you showed up in jeans and a t-shirt but they may strongly suggest you don't do it again. I would say they have the same issue as the ones in James.
Again, not that we shouldn't take our manner of dress seriously when we go to church but to show favoritism and treat people according to the clothes they wear is not in line with God's will. The churches that make people feel unwelcome because they're not dressed up have their priorities wrong. These are some of the aspects of a cruise ship style church.
2) Destroyer.
A destroyer is made for warfare; for combat. You could say the same about a battleship. On these types of ships you'll find the sailors are prepared and ready for battle and focused on combat. Likewise there is also a combative attitude in some churches. On the positive side, this is the church that is armored up and ready for spiritual warfare.
They are courageous and ready to take on the enemy. They've been trained and know what to do. They look out for one another-the veterans help the newer ones; unity is a priority. They trust their commander Jesus and follow his orders. This is the positive view.
The negative version of the destroyer/battleship style church would be the ones that are combative with each other. They're always fighting about something; arguing over how things are done or not done. They are super critical of leadership decisions. They are easily offended and hold grudges and resentments.
You could probably find this type of person in just about any church but in a destroyer style church you'll find a lot of people acting this way. This is a church that is about to implode; it's on the path of destruction unless people can come under enough conviction to turn things around and make amends.
Unfortunately, church splits happen and it's usually because the disagreements don't get resolved. And they don't get resolved because the parties involved aren't willing to concede on anything. Some things shouldn't be compromised on. Like if the Pastor was being immoral or dishonest and refused to repent or if the teachings went in a heretical direction.
But there have been church spits over very minor issues that escalated into major problems. Stubbornness, pride, hurt feelings, animosity-it all adds up to being a church that is headed for disaster.
When a split happens you have the people that left the church go somewhere else and if they're not careful, they can bring that destroyer style attitude with them and end up causing trouble in their new church home.
The destroyer style church has forgotten one of the two greatest commandments-loving your neighbor as yourself.
Gal. 5:14-15, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
In context, some Jewish Christians were throwing the Galatians into confusion by telling them they needed to be circumcised. Some of them were persuaded to believe that and were looking down on those who weren't and were fighting about it. So Paul intervened and set everyone straight about the matter. Then he warned them about what would happen if they continued this.
It's interesting how Paul described what they were doing as biting and devouring each other. This is the only place in the NIV where we see the word biting. The Greek for devouring means to consume. So we get the picture of a person taking bites out of a person spiritually and whittling them down until they are totally consumed and empty. Tearing someone down bit by bit, piece by piece, insult by insult, criticism by criticism until the negative attacks render the person depleted and defeated.
The positive view of the destroyer church is that it destroys the work of the enemy. They destroy the yeast before it has the chance to work through the whole batch of dough; destroy the influence of the evil one. Destroy the devil's work when he tries to pit people against one another. Destroy the stranglehold that Satan has on people who are dealing with sin or defeatism. This is an encouraging church; a motivating church.
Then there is the other side of the destroyer church. They are destroying the life of the Spirit inside their church. They are feeding the enemy; throwing fuel on his fire. They give the devil a foothold and then he gets a stranglehold. Have you ever been in a church before where it seemed like the life had been sucked right out of it.
The people come to church looking all somber or stoic; like they wanted to be anywhere else. They were just there because they knew they should be, not because they wanted to be. There was little fellowship; no laughter. No emotion; no joy could be found.
Their worship was dry and lifeless. Their praise songs sounded like they were singing a dirge. The sermons sounded dull and monotone; like it was just another formality of the service.
And woe unto you if you were a visitor. This is the style of church that is unwelcoming toward visitors. This would be an antithesis of a cruise ship. As the cruise ship style church is very welcoming of people; the destroyer style church would not be.
Have you ever visited a small town and you walk into a bar (just so you know I haven't done that in a while) or a restaurant filled with the locals? What usually happens? Everyone turns to look at you. Do you get a warm, fuzzy feeling or the death stare? The, 'you're not welcome here' look.
Unfortunately, that's how some churches can be. They don't like it when someone new comes in. Having a visitor walk in messes things up; it's a burden. So, no one greets you; no one says, 'hello'. it's like they're ready to do battle; as if the reason you're there is to cause trouble; you're there to upset the apple cart. They'd be happy to see you turn around and walk back out.
I would say these people need a lesson on hospitality. In Matthew 25 Jesus gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. The sheep were blessed by Jesus, the king, for giving him water and food and also for inviting him in when he was a stranger. They didn't understand since they hadn't ever seen Jesus this way. But Jesus explained that when they did it for the least of the brothers it was as if they were doing it for him. The goats were not blessed because they didn't do any of the things Jesus said.
Jesus was serious about being hospitable to people. The visitor to our church is a stranger-someone Jesus wants us to welcome and minister to. We should treat the visitor as if he was Jesus himself-because in a way-he is. Who knows, we might even be entertaining an angel.
Heb. 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." This actually happened a few times in the bible; namely with Abraham when he encountered the three strangers in Genesis 18 and then with his nephew Lot in chapter 19. And if you read those accounts you'll see Abraham and Lot go above and beyond for these "strangers".
This doesn't mean we don't use any caution when talking with strangers since there are a lot of predators out there. But we can take that too far and automatically be suspicious and antagonistic toward strangers. A destroyer style church is a church where many of the members are miserable complainers who are usually battling each other and they are unwelcoming toward visitors. Their hearts are hard and cold. This would be seen as a church that was lacking love, compassion and hospitality.
3) Submarine.
A submarine operates mostly underwater. Moving through the deep, staying undetected. Some churches are like this. In a positive sense, we see this in the underground church in nations where Christianity is against the law. It's not a positive situation, but it's a positive church because it thrives despite being under the constant threat of danger.
Like a typical submarine, they are able to help their team and destroy the enemy while staying undetected. They're invisible to the enemy but not to their allies. In order for their mission to get accomplished they need to stay beneath the surface.
On the negative side, this would be the church that chooses to stay off the radar; off the grid-not because they have to but because it's comfortable to. The underground church is courageous and uncomfortable while the purpose of the submarine church in non-hostile areas is to avoid outside engagement. They avoid evangelistic efforts; they avoid community involvement.
The problem is this kind of church has forgotten its mission to fulfill the great commission. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, these were his parting words to his followers.
Matt. 28:18-20, "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The underground church is all about evangelism from the standpoint of a covert operation. They want to be involved in getting the word out; they just know it can't be done the conventional way. The comfortable submarine church just wants to be left alone to do its thing; no outreach, no witnessing; no missions work-just stay within their cocoon of close-knit members and enjoy the comforts of introverted Christianity. No threat of rejection; no threat of persecution; just self preservation.
Think about it: what if the first century church had this mindset? The church would've died out within a generation. The church exists because of gospel-minded Christians. The ones who are carrying the message of salvation to those who have ears to hear are the backbone of the church.
We need to be the visible church; the church that is out in the community spreading awareness of who we are and who we represent. We don't just sit and wait for them to come to us, we go out and reach them; Just like Jesus said-GO and make disciples.
Not that God won't send people to the church-he does it all the time. But we can't just settle for him to do all the work; we are called to go out and promote Christ and Cornerstone Church. We can do that anywhere at any time with whomever will listen. But let us be that type of church.
The first century church did not cave in to the fear of persecution or rejection; they went forth with the power and persuasion of the Holy Spirit to continue the work their master started. We need to develop the next generation of disciples of Christ to keep the flames burning and our lamp stand burning bright until Jesus comes back.
So let's be the positive aspect of the vessels we looked at today. Let's be as welcoming as a cruise ship. Let's be ready to do battle with the enemy; not each other. Let's destroy Satan's influence; not the Spirit's influence. And let us be the visible church: the church that promotes the gospel, the church that promotes unity and love; the church that promotes the example of Christ.
