Question
7 2 Corinthians 4:5-10, Psalm 23 What is
wrong with the church? The
amazing power of God is held in earthen vessels (cracked pots)!
“1 ¶ A psalm of
David. The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me
rest in green meadows; he leads me
beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along
right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the
darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and
your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the
presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:1-6 NLT)
“5 You see, we don’t
go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and
we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said,
“Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts
so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile
clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great
power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 ¶ We are pressed on every side
by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to
despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get
knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies
continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be
seen in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-10 NLT)
There are hundreds of books
that will tell you what is wrong with the Church. We are too liberal, too conservative, too
ingrown, too out there, too too many things!
We know our weaknesses very well, or at least the weaknesses of others.
One problem we have is that
we do not understand what the word Church means and encompasses.
Church comes from the Greek
word ekklesia which come from ek which means a primary place of origin and
kaleo which means to call or to be named.
It means a gathering of people called out from their homes into an
assembly. In the Christian sense it
means a gathering of Christians to worship and serve God. Even this is used in different layers and can
be confusing. I will try to make it
simple by using the big C Church and the little c church.
Big C Church – This is full Body of Christ which includes
everyone who has or will profess faith in Jesus Christ. This includes those who have “graduated” on
to Heaven, we who are still serving as his Ambassadors and those who will.
Little c church – This can mean different things at different
levels. It can mean First, Morristown
District, Holston Conference, The United Methodist Church or any part,
denomination or congregation.
We too often use the term
to mean any of these levels and usually end up confusing others and even
ourselves!
But now back to the
original question? What is wrong with
the Church? (Notice the big C?) The deeper meaning to this question is really
the source of all the questions listed before.
What is wrong with the Church is that it is made up of people like
us! The treasure of God is found in us
all too human beings that form the Church on every level. The treasure of God dwells in broken vessels
or like say cracked-pots! The power of
God is found and reaches out to the world in all too human beings. We fall, we hurt, and we hurt others. Over and over we see even strong Christians
fail and even fall.
But there is another side
to what some see as the madness of God to use broken and hurting people. The very thing that is wrong with the Church
is also what is right with the Church!
It is made up of, well truth be told, crack pots which we kindly call
broken vessels. For in the lives of
broken, hurting and destructive people God is changing we see the Glory of God
so clearly. What a lesson when a person who have and still struggles with sin
can help and bless someone struggling with that same sin! I tell people you know when God thinks you
have come far with a problem or sin when God sends someone with the same
problem to you for help.
I have seen the wisdom in
Paul’s writing when he declares that in our weaknesses and failings God’s
strength and blessing is more clearly seen.
Look at the Bible:
Abram – passed his wife off as his sister for protection yet became the
beginning of God’s redemptive seed.
Moses – a murderer who set a nation on the road to become the people of
the Redeemer.
David – an adulterer and murderer who would be the King from which the
King of Kings would come.
Jonah – brings redemption to the people of Nineveh whom he hates and is
angry God forgives them.
Peter – denied Jesus but carried the Good News to the people who would
kill him in the name of Jesus!
Paul – a fanatical killer and persecutor of Christians who would
design the theology and missions of the Church!
My own life – running to destruction God has used me to help others from the
same fate I deserved.
What about you?
As a broken vessel what are you leaking on those
around you?
Listen to what God reminds
us:
We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed
Perplexed but
not in despair
Persecuted but not
abandoned
Struck down but
not destroyed
Life at its worst merely
makes room for the best of God in our lives!!!
This doesn’t naturally happen! We
must turn to and trust in God and then the miracles can happen in our lives and
leak out to those around us!
As we complete this series on the Seven Deadly
Questions please take time to look back.
In these messages there is good bit of foundational teaching that can
help you not only with these questions but with so many more. And remember – God will usually answer your
question with a better question so you can grow on! My prayer is that you will grow on and grow
up to become all God created you to be!
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