My Perfect Church

Some of you know that I attended and graduated with my undergraduate degree from Bob Jones University.  For those of you who were unaware, well...SHOCKER!!  Anyway, one of the things I remember Dr. Bob Jones Jr. saying was, "If you ever find the perfect church, don't join it because you'll mess it up!"

His point was that:
a) there IS no "perfect church" and
b) there are no "perfect people".
They are both points well taken.  Why else would the apostles Paul, Peter, John and other New Testament writers be constantly admonishing the early churches to "straighten up and fly right"?

Ergo, we as either Christians or non-Christians, act unreasonably toward the true Church of Jesus Christ (and/or local congregations of the same) in a number of ways, two of which I want to mention this morning.

1.  Non-Christians dismiss Christianity because Christians "are a bunch of hypocrites".  That is usually not the case, if you are talking about a gospel-preaching, Bible-believing church.  There are many, many faithful, Christ-loving members who love non-believers and love each other.  However, there are occasionally some who live one way on Sunday and very differently the rest of the week. And, yes, this is hypocrisy.  I refer you to point b) above!
The apostle Paul saw that this was the case and in his letter to the Romans (6:1-4) said the following:

What should we say then?  Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?  Absolutely not!  How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Or, are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.

I heard a good analogy once to describe what you SHOULD see among believers in Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit is working in them to make them more like Jesus:
"A non-Christian leaps into sin and loves it; a Christian lapses into sin and loathes it."

The latter is what you should see in a Christ-centered church.  Most of the time, Christians should live like Jesus would live.  If you see something else, one of three situations is true:

i.   the person is not truly a believer  (oh yeah, it happens)

ii.  the person is not aware of his or her ongoing sin (pride is a prime candidate for this one)

iii. the person is resisting the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in his/her life and is walking in willful disobedience.

But, to "get real" here, let me plainly say that, when non-believers levy this charge, they are usually looking for a way to escape confronting their own sin, and scapegoating the local Bible-believing church is their excuse.

2. Astoundingly, believers in a congregation often hold similar unreasonable expectations. This is most often seen in "church-hoppers".

A church-hopper is a believer who is looking for "the perfect church".  They are "country club" church members who believe that their church family is there to serve them.  So, they join a church and as soon as some circumstance occurs that does not please them, they leave and join another neighboring church, where the cycle of discontent begins all over again! Personally, I believe that God expects us to view our local church family much as we would our biological families.  While there are good reasons to leave a church (relocation to another area, planting a new church or ministry area, foundational doctrinal issues, etc.), I believe that generally God expects us to love our brothers and sisters in the local church and "stick with them".  When the world sees us "split" over "splitting hairs", this just gives them another reason to smirk while saying, "Oh yeah, you will know they are Christians by the love they have for one another...har har har...{insert eye rolling here}"

A friend sent me something yesterday by Francis Frangipane, and I want to paraphrase it because I think it is "right on".

When slapped upside the head with the imperfect reality of my church family, my first thought is anger, closely followed by criticism.  But, I’ve discovered that, often, that situation was the very place Jesus wanted to use to make me more like Him!  After repenting of fault-finding and listening with submission to Jesus’s heart, then I am able to be used by Him to redeem the situation, to be part of the “fix”!  And, all of this caused me to grow in my faith and relationship with my Savior.

Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 5:21 - - - "Letting yourselves be ruled by one another in the fear of Christ." (Basic English Translation)

IF we truly want to be like Jesus, let's look at His response to our failings, foibles, messes - - - He doesn't just get angry and march off indignantly.  No.  He restores us.  He wants to use us to restore the Family when wounds occur, as they inevitably will.  He wants us to be agents of grace, His glorious grace, both within and outside of the Church, the Bride, the Body of Christ.

So!  Is my church "the perfect church"?

NO!

Are my pastors/leaders perfect?

NO!

Am I perfect?

NO!

Is Jesus, our Bridegroom and Beloved Example, perfect?

YES!!

While there are no perfect Christians nor perfect churches, there IS a perfect Savior.  We can focus our eyes and hearts on Him, so that we can become more like Him.

Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (English Standard Version)

Today, whether you are searching for God or secure in your faith in Jesus, keep your eyes fixed on the Perfect Savior.  As this scripture says, Jesus founded your faith in Him and He will go on to perfect your faith in Him, as you keep the eyes of your mind and heart trained on Him.

Father God, thank you for your perfect Son, and that in Him, we have no need to look any further for perfection.  "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever!" (Romans 11:36) What a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Lord - - - incomparable, unchangeable, unshakeable!  May we never attempt to make a god of anything or anyone else, but instead to keep our eyes firmly focused on Him.  In Jesus' name, amen.