As a pastor I come across a lot of people. Some are churched. Some are not. Some love Jesus. Some do not. What I noticed is that there have been a lot of people who love Jesus but have fell out of love with His church. It felt almost like a horror movie hearing their experiences and stories about how people who claimed to love God and follow Him treated them. Even during the time of the apostles it seems there were people whose relationship with Jesus was little more than a title they wore having no real effect on how they lived their lives.
I grew up in the church. I have been one of the people sitting in the seats listening to the preaching, singing the worship songs, and diving into the pocketbook to give my offering. I have heard the messages. Sadly, I understand why so many outside of the church calls us hypocrites. There is a void that separates the people we claim to be and the people we are. That void is not just imperfection; it is apathy, laziness, and selfishness. Most Christians I know can talk about Jesus. Only a few seem to put forth much effort into living like Him.
The church has diminished over the years. Why? It offers a product it doesn't deliver: life. This is not all churches. Hopefully it is not your church. But for some of you it is. Those who have been mistreated and abused by the church in the name of God often find themselves struggling to continue to invest in His community. This loss is tragic. The church is the bride of Christ. Jesus loves His church. The fact that people who love Jesus could ever have good reason not to love His church should be something that gives us all pause.
The church is not dead. She is not hopeless. She is the bride of Christ and she is worth saving. In order to save her, Christians must stand up for what they believe. It is time to stop just talking about Jesus and to start trying to live like Him. When the focus of the church returns to the proper place, Jesus, the church will find its life, relevance, and transforming power once again. For those on the fringes of the church who are frustrated and ready to walk away, for those in the church who may be part of the problem, for the leaders of the church I would say this: fight for the church. Fight for the bride of Christ. It's time God's people were not just known by what we stand against, but by what we stand for.
The church is not dead. She is not hopeless. She is the bride of Christ and she is worth saving. In order to save her, Christians must stand up for what they believe. It is time to stop just talking about Jesus and to start trying to live like Him. When the focus of the church returns to the proper place, Jesus, the church will find its life, relevance, and transforming power once again. For those on the fringes of the church who are frustrated and ready to walk away, for those in the church who may be part of the problem, for the leaders of the church I would say this: fight for the church. Fight for the bride of Christ. It's time God's people were not just known by what we stand against, but by what we stand for.
Tyler Edwards is the author of Zombie Church. To learn more about Tyler and his work, you can find him on his blog and his Facebook page.
