Well.... The Modern Church Is Broken Anyway!

                                                                           

 

I often hear the comments, "What's wrong with church today?" and "It's broken, beyond repair" I am sure that you have heard similar comments, maybe even muttered them yourself. 

Well, the church is no more broken than it's ever been! It's always been imperfect...

 

Breaking News: God uses imperfect people and imperfect churches to work His purposes! 

 

It's no surprise that there's a whole lot of mess in the Church... after all, there's a whole lot of messy people (myself included) in it.  

 

 

Yes there is compromise, yes there is petty politics, scheming and conniving wannabe leaders, unforgiving and vengeful people... but there are countless millions of usually unheralded "prayer warriors", troops of other people who would give you "the shirt of their back", still others who step in with practical help whenever it's needed.  

 

Many people have a very idealized image of the church of century one: after all, it was all shiny and new, and in all probability many members may have seen and walked with our Lord Himself! Children of the very first Christians would have listened to their parent's stories of the Master's miracles, maybe even met some lepers, blind, deaf, lame and demon possessed people that Jesus healed. Imagine being a friend of Lazarus! The disciples were very active, preaching, converting, baptizing new believers; it was surely an exciting time to be alive!

 

The reality was somewhat different... the fine Christian citizens of Ephesus soon "fell out of love" with their Lord and Saviour. The old Apostle John had this to say to them...  "Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent. Revelation 2:4-5 NKJV 

 

That rebuke doesn't sound much like John found a bunch of "on fire, spirit filled" believers!

The Galatian believers reverted to "old school" legalism and the hide-bound traditions of Judaism. Paul, a man who knew a thing or two about legalism, had this to say... I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-8 NKJV

 

The body of believers at Corinth soon fell into petty divisions and personality cliques. Paul again, wrote these words of rebuke to the believers in a city that really needed to see a united, powerful Christianity at work... Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.  

1 Corinthians 1-10-15 MKJV

 

As for those "fat cats" in Laodicea... John the Revelator reserved his harshest words for this body of self-contained, self-assured believers.... I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Revelation 3:16-18 MKJV

Constantine's bronze statue, outside York Minster

Yet, these early believers, probably numbering well less than one million and scattered across the most powerful empire the ancient world had ever seen, eventually turned that empire upside down, inside out, and watched as it transformed from pagan to Christian less than 300 hundred years after that empire ground its foundation stone into powder...

 

This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Acts 4:11 NKJV

 

Constantine the Great, enthroned as Caesar at York, England in 306 A.D, proclaimed Christianity as the official religion of Rome and all of its vassal states. 

 

 

Jehovah God used the imperfect to change the world, defeat the enemy, and that change still resonates 2000 years later. The church has always had problems, schisms, factions and, until we all meet at the river, cross over into eternity, it always will. We are no less powerful than the fathers of our faith, we are still capable of being world changers. 

 

It's true that today's church is not all it should be, but as Jesus said,  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

Matthew 16:18 NKJV. 

 

Jesus is still building His Church.... thank God.