The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Matthew 8:20
Do you think Our Lord would have been happier if he’d had a great big modern church equipped with every amenity?
The church across the street from me has all sorts of amenities, including ones that are anything but amenities for the church’s neighbors.
Every day it doesn’t rain, they have this horrible machine, sort of like the huge lawn mowers used on golf courses, that goes round and round, vacuuming up fallen leaves. Some fat guy rides on it. If you were new to the neighborhood, you might think we had a jet-port hidden somewhere.
The machine is escorted by two or three men with leaf-blowers, the kind that strap to your back, and another guy with a very loud edger.
When you call the church office to complain about the noise they’re making, absolutely nothing happens.
Now, what does all this have to do with the church’s ordained mission of taking care of God’s people–teaching them God’s word, seeing to their spiritual welfare, and providing charity to those who need it? Where is it written that there must not be a single leaf on any of the sidewalk surrounding the church? That the grass must be edged every day? And how much money does it cost the church to do this every day?
Do you have a church in your town that thinks it’s a boiler-making factory?
But then if the churches really cared about their mission all along, and performed it diligently, we wouldn’t have the kind of America we have today.
You have got that right, Sir. If the country is falling apart, going to hell in a hand basket, becoming the butt of every unkind joke and disparaging word, then the pulpit is responsible for it, (a paraphrase of remarks by Charles Finney). If he had seen things as they are today, he might have worded that even more strongly.
We could have told him, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Well amen for the most part but I want to ask the question, what impact do they have on your community?
Do they go out witnessing?
Do you see ’em everyday in the town center, are they people with a concern for men’s souls?
And brother Lee yourself and your church, do these, this well mowed and sculpted church challenge you to be a better Christian in any way?
Do they exceed yourself in righteousness in any fashion?
If they do, then brother that’s a log in your eye while you grasp at the mote in their’s, the righteousness of backslidden Christians, heretics and unbelievers challenges me, and has given me a great burden to preach the gospel, and live up to every example of the Word that is given.
Not to say that they’re righteous in any fashion, but if an infidel exceeds me in righteousness and I’m a Christian than I am a shame on Christ, I ought to exceed they all in every way.
I quote the 31st verse of the 10th chapter of 1st Corinthians:
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do ALL to the glory of God.
and to verse 33:
Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
All I’m saying is, I don’t think it becomes a church to make so much noise that its neighbors can’t hear themselves think. The behavior is not appropriate.
I might also say, Beware of too much thought for one’s own righteousness.