That Human Church

2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and every spirit that does not confess athat Jesus bChrist has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 4: 2 - 6 NKJV 

I was struck this week by a comment written by a friend to a question Dennis posted to his group.  His comment basically ackowledged that each and every church will have it's own issues.  After all, the christian churches which we know and attend are indeed led and managed by...humans such as ourselves.  As we all know, humans such as ourselves are common to making mistakes, judgements and bad behaviors towards others around us.  Is it no wonder that many people have left the church in recent years due to personal conflicts?  Is it any wonder that one of the main reasons we often see so very many different branches of christianity has been due to these very same human interpersonal conflicts.  I read this week that a recent survey found that 49 percent of people surveyed didn't believe in religion, while 36 percent were simply "Disenchanted" with organized religion.  I find it further interesting that 78 percent of those surveyed grew up in organized religious homes {2014 religious landscape study ~ Pew research center}.  Why is it that so many christians have themselves become disenchanted with the church life?  Well, I believe that my friend hit it square on the head this week.  In his comment that every church led by humans will ultimately have or share the very same issues as its leadership, I believe this to be at the core of most peoples disenchantment with their own church.  How could it not?  I have yet to see a church which does not have it's own leadership infrastructure.  There's the lead pastor, their associates, their staffs, teachers, ministry staff, outreach staff, etc.  Along with this plethora of man made positions of authority often comes the human conflicts which ultimately will arise among we humans as we seek to stroke our egos.  I'd definately call this a recipe for disaster in our houses of worship.  The exodus of christians from the organized church proves my point.  In fact, I would not call it the christian church at all, but the human church.  And it is our human church which has lost it's way.  The focus is rarely devoted to the ministry and outreach to the community it serves, but to the survival of the organization.  That is the human church.  Of course, this was not what our heavenly Father intended for His children.  I have often turned to the second chapter of Acts to see the example of a pure church dedicated not to the bottom line but to the worship and knowledge of Christ Jesus.

44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:  44 - 47 NKJV 

In this example of the early church of the followers of Christ Jesus I have found the true model of what church should be.  The praise of God and devotion to one another and their community.  As the scripture tells us, the Lord added to this church daily those who were being saved.  Can you imagine a congregation such as this today?  Of course, when we speak of having such a congregation today we need to take into account the differences in society between now and the time of the early church.  Knowing this, humans have been humans from fall on forward into time.  In other words, we are imperfect, and we will often behave in that way as well.  So, we may well see the behaviors of others in the church and ultimately pass that judgement that God and His church are corrupted.  We may become weary, stressed and disenchanted.  Is God so cruel that He would treat people the way some churches do?  No, but humans are.  Knowing that each and every church raised up and governed by men will ultimately have their own issues will put it in perspective.  For our focus is not the survival of the organization but the realization and celebration of Christ Jesus.  

~Scott~