Mark 2:13-17
Since when did the church life become specifically seperate from society? A subculture? A retreat from the "filthiness" of the world? It seems that the sort of life Christ conveyed was one that touched the filthiness, not just handed gospel tracks to them--with latex gloves on. Yet so many churches, including ours, are set up to reach the reached. We shuffle members from one church to another and then brag about our "growth." But with all the "growth" we have hardly been out seeking the lost. When we fail in that, we are nothing but a country club for saints.
What are we doing? We think of growth in terms of multi-million dollar buildings while there are more unreached people groups in the world than international missionaries. We think of growth in terms of the number who fill out a card while most of our church members do not search the scriptures daily or live a prayful life daily or live a witnessing life daily. But if we can add a new "member" picture to our bulletin board, then we must be doing the Lord's work; we have no concern about the fact that while our pews may be full, they're only an inch deep.
We continue to fuss and argue over aesthetics because where the Lord's Supper table sits and what color the paint is makes US comfortable. When is the last time we thought about how our lost co-worker feels as they writhe in the pain of another broken relationship while all we do is don our Sunday smile and treat them as a leper? Is there any comfort for the lost?
Or better yet, what have we to do at all with "sinners" (like we're not sinners)? Jesus "reclined at table" with them. Do you know what that means? He fellowshiped with them. He became a part of their lives. People are not saved because they get yelled at from a pulpit. Jesus taught us that they are saved through relationships.
Jesus looked at the lost and saw what they could be by grace; we look at the lost and see sinners.
What are we doing?
I'm so sick of playing church. What say you?
