Why I Love the Church

In the beginning of September, we talked about our mission statement and why we do what we do. In this blog, I just want to add to that. You often hear me say when I describe the gospel that it is “the best news on the planet." I believe that is true with all my heart! I also believe that the church is the best organization on the planet. And, at times, it is also the most screwed up, misguided, and potentially hurtful place on the planet.

All of us have heard the horror stories of pastors involved in sex scandals, money laundering, and really, really, poor choices. We’ve also heard of church leaders involved in many of the same things. At the extreme end, we’ve read and heard about child abuse, pornography, and things that would make any one of us distrust the church forever! Add to that things like power plays, politics, greed, and just plain selfishness and then churches become very unpleasant places to be. You see, the church is made up of people… people who are capable of the vilest and most hurtful things imaginable. It’s people who can inflict pain, vie for power, gossip, slander, exclude, and demean. On the other hand, it’s also people that are capable of the most beautiful, gracious, and kind things! Things that can encourage, strengthen, and bless entire communities…. Things that build up, fire up, and help us serve graciously! And it’s that kind of church that comes to be a blessing for an entire town where God has placed them! It’s that type of church we all long to be part of! A place where we grow, learn, and serve together.

So what does a church that is blessing its community look like? Thats a great question. Hopefully, it looks like us… wouldn’t that be great? I think our church is awesome! I’m blessed to be pastor here and grateful for such wonderful friends and servants who volunteer, encourage, give, pray, love, and really do bless this community… at least I think so!

But what really matters is what HE thinks. I’m always challenged by reading the opening chapters of the book of Revelation. There, the Lord addresses 7 churches in Asia Minor. He has both commendations and condemnations for nearly all of them. The assessments are sobering and encouraging. I encourage you to read them and ponder what the risen Lord might say to the angel of the church at Beacon….. would it be painful or promising? The churches addressed in Revelation were tolerating false teachings, complacent, dead, and had forsaken their “first love”. They were chastised. They were also persevering, faithful, and holding out the light to a dark world. What would Jesus say to us?

I mention that simply to remind us that it is the Lord's assessment that matters. A verse I quote often is Micah 6:8 “what does the Lord require of us? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”

Do your part to not let his church get complacent, or combative, political, power hungry, or irrelevant. Let’s all focus on not forsaking our “first love”, keeping our eyes on Jesus. Keep on caring for the broken, the widows, the poor. Let’s not tolerate false teachings, or attempt to erase sin. Let’s be genuine, repentant, and grateful for all Christ has done. And let us persevere… being found faithful to the end.

Jesus, I think, is not looking for the politically connected church, or the church that has all the bells and whistles, nor the church that is necessarily the busiest, he’s looking for churches that love his Word, love people, worship Him, trust Him, are grateful for their salvation and seek to show that grace to the community around them! In short…. To the church at Beacon: let’s keep on keeping our eyes on Jesus!