1 Timothy 3: 15 ...if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. (NIV)
A school coach in our town is being vilified because he told one of his students to “just read your Bible.” Church people are up in arms, claiming ‘religious discrimination.’ Infuriated pastors are ready to march on the school.
A pastor and other church members in the Mid-West go to a homosexual’s funeral with placards, condemning the deceased to Hell and make loud protests during the graveside service.
Ministers preach from their pulpits about the sinfulness of our public education system and demonize the teachers, appealing to their members to send their kids to church schools.
Meanwhile thousands of people are killed in
Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of kids in the
Meanwhile millions of people around the globe die of curable diseases.
In other words, the Church is becoming isolated and alienated from the real world due to arrogance, elitism, and pettiness. The world is on fire, folks, and we are peeing in the roses.
I just wonder what Paul would think about all of this? When he wrote to Timothy about people knowing how to conduct themselves in God’s household, did he really mean us? When he called us the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth, was he really referring to us hyper-sensitive Christians who are ready to cry “Discrimination!” when things don’t go our way?
It’s about time we grew up spiritually, and started to take our mission in the world seriously. Instead of being whining Christians, we should be winning souls. Instead of moaning about our rights, we should bring meaning into the world. Instead of compacting conspiracies about being mistreated, we should be conveying compassion to the maltreated.
We have a great message, a great hope, and a great mission, which have the potential to reform, transform and enhance the world. So, let’s not focus on our petty grievances, folks. Both Christ and the world deserve far more than that. Let’s turn the other cheek, instead of trying to stick the boot in. Let’s win our enemies, instead of whining at them.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, shake us out of our slumber and remove the planks from our eyes. Help us to become a real household of faith, instead of a self-righteous, hostile family. Change our selfish ways, so that we can begin again to change the world. In Your Holy name, we fervently pray. Amen.
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