I know the church hasn't done everything right, and there are often differences that can divide us. But just like when we're hurt and sinned against by someone in our family, we need to confront it, offer and ask for forgiveness, and pursue reconciliation.
So many people I've spoken with on my travels have been hurt by the church, and so many of them talk negatively about it, offering a list of offenses and mistakes. Sadly, many have given up and walked away.
First, let me say that if you call yourself a Christian, you are a part of the church whether you like it or not. If you're among those who have been bashing it, I urge you to ask for forgiveness, and I pray that you don't allow the hurts you've experienced to keep you from Jesus and knowing that you are a part of the church. God wants us to be unified for His glory and for reaching this world.
With that said, I think we also have to know there is an accuser of the brethren. Just like in the media, good news doesn't sell, and we often only hear about those sensationalized stories of people who claim to be Christians who are given media attention for their extreme actions or get caught doing something immoral or illegal. We all know the church isn't perfect, and that it has done its share of wrong, but even though it may not make the nightly news, the church has done a lot right as well.
I want to give an example from my day on the road a week ago. We were in Elk City, OK and a small church, Elk City Methodist, put on an outreach night for the community. Elk City is a town of 12,000 people right on Route 66. It's a great community, and they even have a small, awesome museum about Route 66, plus a great park that was all lit up with Christmas lights when I was there. It's a great tourist stop if you're driving through the area. I do have to joke about their lighthouse though, because there's no water anywhere nearby! But it seems to be working because they haven't had a shipwreck since they put it up. LOL!
This church in a small town had a big vision and booked the I Have a Dream Tour, for which I was the keynote speaker. It featured the artists, The City Harmonic, Eric Brandon and Daniel Bashta, who wrote the song God's Not Dead.
The church had 400 chairs. They had a sell out with 476 people coming! We had more than 50 people raise their hands to receive Christ and 20 Compassion kids sponsored. They had so many youth there, and the only complaint by a few adults was about how loud it was. But this church was willing to not just play church, but actually be the church and reach this generation.
My fondness for this community of believers didn't start with the sold out crowd though. I got picked up from the airport by a great couple, Jim and Deannie, volunteers who have given their lives to this community and this church. They gave me a tour of the town and went out of their way to show how this church is working together with other churches and the community to reach out to those in need.
There's an old abandoned armory that was given to the city, which turned around and allowed the ministerial fellowship to use the building to help out the community. Here's a place that used to store ammunition that was being turned into a place to help those in need. It reminded me of the scripture in Isaiah 2:4; "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks."
Various ministries use the facility, like a shelter for abused women, the Salvation Army and Red Cross. There is Hope Dental which has provided $270,000 in free dental care, and a new clinic that has given $75,000 in free medical care. They even have a food pantry serving thousands of pounds of food every month
My heart was full seeing all these organizations, ministries, and churches of different denominations working together in their community. I know it won't make the front page of the newspaper, but there are churches like these across this country making a difference in Jesus name.
Go ahead and try to bash that.
A lot of churches may divide when we talk about our differences, but it's good to see the church working together and being the hands and feet of Jesus. Let it be known that caring for the physical and emotional needs of people, caring for youth, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus… That's the full gospel. That's the church.