Who's In Charge Here?

The Church has been accustomed to setting it own course for far too many years and it has left us shipwrecked, being beaten by the tossing waves of the sea reminding us of how powerless we are. It is time for us to adjust our course, to set our sights on the Lighthouse and follow His commands in obedience.

There are three main areas where I see that we have strayed from God's calling upon lives as the Body of Christ, the Church assembled to bless the lives of others with the message of Jesus' love and salvation for all people.

First, I believe that we have strayed because of ignorance. Most of us simply don't know any better. Most of us weren't raised in homes where our mothers and fathers taught us what it means to be part of the Body of the Christ. Those of you who grew up in church were probably simply taken to a building to have church. You weren't taught what it means to be the people of God.

Ignorance is a reality, but it is no excuse. There is still the opportunity to gain the insights necessary for you to become a vital part of the Body and to submit yourself to the Head, Jesus our Savior.

Second, I believe that we have strayed because of a desire for comfort. Far too many of us have the mentality that we've worked hard all week and on Sunday we just want to relax. We don't want to be bothered with being nudged out of our comfort zone. The thought that God would disturb our comfort and ease makes us very uncomfortable so therefore we would rather have preachers tell us what we want to hear instead of what God desires to speak to us.

We find ourselves in that great assembly of the comfortably numb who have gone before us that Paul wrote about and warned Timothy about in his second letter to the young preacher.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. {4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. {5} But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4:3-5 NIV)

This mentality has left the Church in shambles and has served to rob those of the world who need to hear the Good News of Jesus of ever receiving His grace and mercy.

Thirdly, I believe that we have strayed because of our fear. Fear is a very imposing reality isn't it. When we are afraid we become paralyzed, unable and unwilling to move. We are afraid of those who are not like us. We are prejudiced and prideful and it has paralyzed the power of the Gospel.

We are fearful of those who worship in a different manner than we are accustomed to. We are fearful of those who look differently than we do. We are fearful of those who talk about God in a way that makes us feel uncomfortable. The problem is not the way someone worships, looks, or talks -- the problem is our understanding of "we." Folks, when we will ever learn that "we" are not those who are like us! "We" is the Body of Christ in all of its glorious diversity, beauty, color, manifestations, and functions! My allegiance and commitment is not to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the white race, the evangelical Church, or the married men of America -- I am part of the Body of Christ pledging allegiance to Jesus and Him alone! By pledging my allegiance to Jesus alone I am then free to seek out all people regardless of their denominational affiliation, race, gender, or marital status in order that I might share the love of God found in Jesus with each of them.