I had an interesting (and brief) conversation Sunday morning between church services with someone. He approached me and asked this question (my paraphrase): "What would you call someone who has accepted Jesus in his life, prays, reads his bible, is a good person but doesn't have anything to do with the church?"
Without hesitation, I said "Disobedient."
The church gets a bad wrap - especially lately. But you know what? It wasn't our idea, it was God's idea. Throughout history the church has taken many different forms but without exception its form has looked like a local group of gathered people who believe in Jesus Christ that share God's Word, engage in community, share the ordinances (communion and baptism), pray, worship and serve others. (Acts 2:42ff is a descriptive example of the early church.) The local church is THE strategy God chose in this time to advance his Kingdom on the earth. Hugely flawed, prone to adopting fads, led by broken, messed up people scarred by sin - yet described as the bride of Christ. God's idea.
What do you think? Was my answer off base? Can you live an obedient Christian life apart from being connected to a church?
2 comments:
This is a topic about which I feel very passionate. Thank you for pointing out that being connected to a church is the Lord's idea, not ours... which involves more than attending Sunday services. It means investing ourselves in each other. That can seem less than ideal because people are messy-- but the saying says "the grass is greener where it is watered," not necessarily where it is neatest. -ET
The local church is very often the hardest thing about being a follower of Christ. It’s messy, it’s challenging, and it is imperfect. At times it’s a bee hive of hypocrisy. Let’s face it; it is just plain hard! God gave me a nudge on this recently. He figuratively, gave me a hand held mirror and said to me in my heart - “This is your membership card to your local church. Go.” When I don’t want anything to do with the church, the Lord has me I look in my mirror… I go willingly and gratefully.
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