God’s People Ain’t Perfect tagged: , , ,

God’s People Ain’t Perfect

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Is there true Christian fellowship at your church? We would all, pastor or not, readily admit that genuine fellowship, fostered by the Holy Spirit, is a precious thing. Yet it can also be especially tenuous. This post will serve as a reality check for us. Not for a moment would anyone claim that the church is perfect. John MacArthur was correct when he wrote that the church is the only society in the world in which membership is based on the single qualification that the candidate is unworthy of that membership.

This is what makes church membership especially beautiful. The odd conglomeration of people that make up her membership are bound together by the blood of Jesus Christ, forgiven of their sins, indwelt by the Holy Spirit; yet they often fall below human expectations. The church is full of problems for the simple fact that it is full of problem people. Every person in it is a sinner, albeit saved by grace, yet continuously influenced by the flesh. God’s people are not perfect and for fellowship to reign in the life of the church we must understand that simple truth. The Apostle Paul identified the problem people that we will encounter in the church and he gave us simple prescriptions to deal with each group.

Now we exhort you brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

The first group is the unruly. I remember in middle school one of my teachers wrote on the board, “Unruliness Will NOT Be Tolerated.” To be unruly is to get out of line, to be wayward. This is the individual who is dabbling in disobedience. Just like an errant child who disrupts a diligent class, so the unruly distract attentions from the duties of the church. When everyone else is moving forward, the unruly are moving backward. A warning is therefore in order; gracious, gentle, loving, yet firm in its appeal. The goal is to bring that person back into fellowship, not alienate.

The second group is the fainthearted. These people constantly worry and complain. They have a delicate internal balance that, once it is upset, regaining that balance is difficult to achieve. If the church was a parade, these people would be out front waving the red flags. They lack strength, lack vision, and fear failure. Challenges are a threat. What do these folks need? Comfort. They need assurance that God is sovereign, God is in control, and He will achieve His goals come what may. They need friends and once their trust is gained, no stronger ally can be found.

The third group the Apostle points out is the weak. The word “weak” carries a plethora of meanings in the New Testament and can mean weak spiritually, in faith, in obedience, weak emotionally, or weak morally. The church must be sensitive to these individuals and their needs and they can prove to be an especially time-consuming people because they are so needy. If you are a weak person, seek out a prayer partner, preferably a more mature Christian in whatever area you are struggling. The church grows when the sheep care for one another and this is the most difficult area of ministry because it necessitates involvement–intrusive involvement–in people’s lives.

The wearisome are the fourth group. Paul said, “Be patient with all men.” Here we see the law of diminishing ministerial returns in action and so many pastors, after heaving dealt well with all the other groups of people, flame out under the burden of the exasperating. We often hear it said, and not just pastors, but sincere and hard-working lay leaders as well, “I’m pouring my life into these people and for what?!?” Time for transparency: here is where I struggle the most because we have that yearning to see great things happen all at once. Two simple reminders: God works on His timetable and we have never been as patient with others as God has been with us.

The final group is those who do evil things. Unfortunately, in the Body, there are Christians who are going to do evil things. Though we would love to think this never would be the case, practical experience tells us otherwise. All have a tendency to unbridle the flesh and become selfish, abuse our brothers and sisters, commit sins against one another, lie, gossip, slander, steal, and falsely accuse. How should the offended brother or sister respond? “Do not render evil for evil; always pursue good.” Be forewarned: there are people in the church who will hurt you. The response however should always be, and never otherwise, to heap burning coals upon your “enemy’s” head (Proverbs 25:21-22).

God’s people ain’t perfect. But the fellowship can be built up if you yourself decide today, that “I will be perfect, just as my heavenly Father is perfect.”