“These days American Christians switch churches because the one they are in lacks the desired programs. By contrast, Bonhoeffer “switched churches” so that he could go suffer with a church that was in difficulty and distress… Church as a place to serve, much less as a place to suffer, just doesn’t compute.” - Everyday Life of a Pastor: Reasons to Persevere, by Stuart Stogner; The Journal of Biblical Counseling - Summer 2006
The Church is an amazing organism. It is one of the only things in this universe that in it’s brokenness and depravity, does it also magnify the graciousness and goodness of God. Of it’s many members, it speaks to the community that is the Trinity. As there is fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so the church is not to neglect the communal gathering.
Having held the role of a pastor for almost 20 years I’ve seen my fare share of those who have left my church to go to another. I’ve also seen those leaving another church to come to mine. All for various reasons that seem important for the individuals that have made the decision to leave. In my opinion, some had very legitimate reasons to leave our church. Others, I thought their reasons were quite petty.
No matter what the reason, my heart is to encourage those that leave our church and those that come to make the church better. A cynical heart, like mine at times, would say the church is already better because of those that have left. But that would be wrong and counterproductive to admit. I’ve had to repent of such feelings. No, the best thing to do is to encourage those coming into the church from another to understand that we are as flawed as the last church they left. Yes, we are flawed in different ways, but you will find out soon we are still flawed. Help make us better. To those that leave, know that where you land, they are flawed too. When you find that out, please don’t leave, but for the very reason that they are flawed you need to stay.
The reality of encountering Jesus is to understand that we are sinners who can only be saved by grace through faith. The more we understand and know who God is, the more we are aware of our own sinfulness and inability apart from God’s initiation. It is only those who are disillusioned as to who God is and the reality of their present situation that can stand in front of another man and think of himself better than him.
When the weakness of the church is exposed, it is all the more reason to stay, to labor, and to pray for the church to become what God has intended it to be. If a doctor never went into the room of a sick patient, no one would ever be healed. When we see the brokenness of the church, we must declare and marvel at the goodness of God that He would leave the glories and majesty of Heaven, for the joy that was set before Him (the Church), endure the shame of the cross, forsaking all of the glories and splendor of Heaven, His precious treasure… His pearl of great price… the Church. Is that not worth laboring with and serving those whom Christ died for?
Christian, see that your place in the church is first to serve. In your service you will receive what you need as the Lord ministers to you through your service. May we remember that a servant is not greater than his Master. We have His example, may we do as He did. No greater love has a man than this, that he would lay his life down for his friends.