The Discipline of Church

I recently read a couple of Mark Sayers' books, Facing Leviathan and Disappearing Church.  Using a historical framework, Sayers weighs in as a pastor and commentator concerning western culture and its impact on church culture.  In a world which floods us with countless offers and attractive pitches, we can be deceived to think we can become the people God has called us to be without regular church fellowship.  I have borne witness to many people who drift in and out of church, looking for something ambiguous they never seem to find.  Ironically these discerning ones tend to drift and never settle anywhere.  I almost cheered when I read these paragraphs in Disappearing Church:

In an age that encourages maximum autonomy and the transgressing of limitations, perhaps we need to adhere to Todd Hunter's advice to see the institution of church as a spiritual discipline.  We get the idea that making the choice to wake up early and read our Bibles or to commit to regularly giving away our money to a charity or to fast may not always be pleasurable, but in the discipline of these things that we become more Christlike.  Yet we expect church to always be pleasurable, enriching, and exciting.

Maybe the limitations of church, the discipline of regular attendance, the commitment it requires, also teach us to be Christlike.  Maybe we need to reimagine church in our minds as a spiritual discipline, which teaches us the value of delayed gratification, of personally investing in change, of becoming more like Jesus.

Ronald Rolheiser captures this truth well when he writes, "Church involvement, when understood properly, does not leave us the option to walk away whenever something happens that we do not like.  It is a covenant commitment, like a marriage, and binds us for better or worse."  We and our Gnostic predilections ultimately fear church because we fear that it will take something from us, that it will restrict us.  And on this point the Gnostics, both ancient and modern, are right.  For as Rolheiser writes, "What church community takes away from us is our false freedom to soar unencumbered, like the birds, believing that we are mature, loving, committed, and not blocking out things that we should be seeing.  Real churchgoing soon enough shatters this illusion, and gives us no escape, as we find ourselves constantly humbled as our immaturities and lack of sensitivity to the pain of others are reflected off eyes that are honest and unblinking."  Ultimately, we fear church because it crushes Christian Gnostics, who pick their bruised and beaten bodies up, and discover that they are not gods, but humans fearfully and wonderfully made. (Sayers, Mark. Disappearing Church: from Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience. Moody Publishers, 2016.)

It is easy to find fault with a pastor or church, but unless fault-finders commit to fellowship in obedience to Jesus Christ the logs in their own eyes often remain.  Church is a place to be fed, to serve, and to seek the LORD in humility with others who are born again, love, and trust Jesus.  A new venture of faith may not be leaving a church but actually committing to serve Jesus there without longing for something different.  Labour to promote health in the Body of believers where God has placed you; you be the salt and light Jesus has called you to be.  Should a member of Christ's Body remain in self-imposed exile because church doesn't measure up to the ideals of an imperfect person?  If we will use God's Word as our guide, there is infinite room to extend love, grace, patience, mercy, and compassion to others with joy.

The "Special Trip"

When it comes to ministry, the fantasy of efficiency can become an idol.  We prefer quick, easy, and painless over the alternatives.  But scripture portrays God's ways as being very different to our ideals.  We are sanctified by Jesus Christ and then we are called to embrace our sanctification for our entire lifetime.  It is natural for us to desire to speed up the process even as a small child wants to be an adult:  like they have their own reasons which sound strange or odd to us, I wonder if our reasons sound just as ridiculous before God.

In a bid to save time and energy, it is natural for us to consolidate our trips.  On our way home from work or church we might drop by the shops to buy milk so we don't need to make a "special trip" later.  Whilst we are at the shops we might also withdraw money from the ATM for a future purchase or return an item that has been sitting in our car for a week with the receipt.  Having to make a "special trip" (even when we don't have to go far and have ready transport) is often viewed by those who strive for efficiency as an inconvenience, a product of poor planning, a bummer to be avoided.

I wonder if our requests of God in prayer most often aim towards our ends of ease and consolidation.  We don't want to go through the trouble of doctors, specialists, or surgery:  heal us now God!  We don't want to see our children struggle and fail, nor do we want them to experience the consequences of personal sin, so we insert ourselves into their lives to relieve pressure.  We imagine how God could or should redeem an apparent difficulty or trial, figuring what better way could God use it than by changing hearts, bringing salvation, restoring broken hearts and families, or physical healing that lasts.  Isn't it strange we suggest such things to the Creator of all things, the One who established time and operates out of it, to God who already has an eternal plan for salvation whilst we obsess over a parking spot for lunch?

Though God is always working and redeeming situations beyond our comprehension, I believe He does have a thing for "special trips."  God could have created an earth without seasons, variations of temperature, or chaos--but He didn't.  He allowed people to have wilderness experiences, times of plenty and lack, to be strengthened and then die.  God sent Jesus Christ to come to earth as a human being and be crucified on a Roman cross.  We want quick and easy, but consider how costly was the payment for our atonement and salvation!  How patient God was in waiting thousands of years to fulfill His promise to fallen mankind to send a Saviour!  From the perspective of the flesh life by faith in God is a model of inefficiency and waste, but from the vantage point of faith in God it is an absolutely brilliant, perfect plan.

The next time you are annoyed about having to make a "special trip" or lament the inconvenience of life, consider the inconvenience of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It can be presented in a convenient way like an infomercial:  "All you need to do is..." but there is nothing convenient about it.  Jesus made a special trip to put on human flesh and for three decades grew up in a home in Nazareth.  He loved all but was rejected, hated, and betrayed.  He was righteous yet was beaten, scourged, and crucified.  Saving sinners was not a quick or easy fix, nor are there shortcuts to the ultimate glorification of God's redeemed.  Jesus was never in a rush or overwhelmed, and in Him we don't need to be either--even when we have to make a "special trip."

The Certain "May Be"

"Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger."

Zephaniah 2:3

There is a segment of Bible-believing Christians who tout their authority as children of God by reading passages and "claiming" them because they have appeal--like a person who claims lost property.  It is fine and fitting for Christians to believe the Bible and trust it, but at the same time should realise God has not forgotten His promises, nor is His arm shortened so He cannot save.  If my own forgiveness or salvation rested on my ability to claim anything I would still be hopelessly lost:  it is Jesus who by grace through faith has claimed me.

God's Word is packed with certainties we must believe and expect to see ultimately fulfilled.  But if we will seek righteousness in humility and meekness we will not make demands like a man with legal rights.  When Moses (one of the meekest who ever lived) was challenged by the people, he did not quote Law:  he fell on his face before God.  Jesus walked in meekness and remained silent when He had every right to speak; He did not bristle with threats or ultimatums.  Jesus spoke the truth and committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.  He willingly went to the cross in obedience to God even when there were verses He could have used to justify His self-preservation.

This passage of Zephaniah has what could be called a certain "may be."  God's people faced grave judgment for their sin, and they were exhorted by the prophet to seek the LORD, righteousness, and humility because "...it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger."  There was no demand placed upon God as if He was slave or lackey to man at his bidding, but it would take faith to humble self meekly before God.  What right do we have as God's slaves to demand anything from Him?  If we were to hear a young child made demands of their parents we would view it as bad manners:  how much more when a person arrogantly approaches the Almighty?

There is a passage in the book of Jonah which bears resemblance to this verse.  After Jonah spoke a message of God's coming judgment to the heathen people of Nineveh, his words reached the ears of the king.  The king believed the word of the prophet and commanded a three-day fast from food and water be observed by all people and animals, and all were to be clothed in sackcloth.  He commanded all people cease from their violence and turn to God.  The king did not quote the Law of Moses but fell upon the mercy of God as Moses when he said in Jonah 3:9:  "Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?"  There was no guarantee, no certainty of salvation.  But there remained hope in God and His great mercy.

It seems today there are some people who presume to know what God will do in a particular situation, yet the king of Nineveh made no such claim.  And guess what?  God responded according to the richness of his mercy and grace--not because the king or people of Nineveh had any right to be spared.  Jonah 3:10 says, "Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it."  The works of the Ninevites revealed faith in the power of God to bring disaster upon them and also that God could turn it away.  God has spoken, and we ought to place our faith in Him like king Jehoshaphat who reminded God of His promises and concluded with, "There's nothing we can do, so our eyes are upon you." (2 Chron. 20:12)

Better than clamoring for our rights or claiming our authority, we ought to seek the LORD in meekness, to seek righteousness and humility.  This is the person God certainly hears and answers--not the one who proudly speaks presumptuously.

The Heart of the Matter

To properly address an illness, we must go beyond seeking to alleviate symptoms.  The symptoms are not the cause--though they might be the reason we seek medical attention!  Fever, chills, and sore throat are indicators of a streptococcal infection lozenges and pain-relieving medication cannot cure.  It is also important antibiotics prescribed by a doctor are taken even after the fever breaks and pain is relieved to ensure the underlying infection is eradicated.

It has been a common error in Christians circles to view behaviour or symptoms as the problem rather than addressing the issues of the heart, a chief source of the problem.  We kick ourselves for obvious failings but neglect our need to have our hearts transformed and our minds renewed.  It is necessary we realise a drift into sin began with a drift from God.  The depth of our sin can take us for surprise like a woman who went to the doctor and complained of acute indigestion only to discover she was 9 months pregnant and in labour!  It takes prolonged pain and discomfort for us to seek the care of a doctor, and often it is the same which drives us to God seeking forgiveness and salvation.

After God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, their dealings with Him provide insight into our own wanderings.  See what Psalm 106:23-28 says concerning the sin of God's people:  "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word, ²⁵ But complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the LORD. ²⁶ Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness, ²⁷ To overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. ²⁸ They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead."  We would all agree idolatry and fornication are sinful, but the problem did not start there:  the problem began when they did not believe God's word (verse 24).  Unbelief led to despising the good land (verse 24), complaining, a refusal to listen to God, and disobedience (verse 25).  This corruption within exhibited itself in idolatry and fornication.

We are called, as followers of Jesus, to align our hearts and lives with the truth of God's Word.  If we will not hear or believe His Word, then we deny the lamp God has provided for our feet.  The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth in agreement with the scriptures, and Christ's words provide a sound foundation to build our lives upon.  God provides examples in the Bible for our good that we might learn from the failures of others and choose to walk in the way that pleases God.  If we aim for behaviour modification we are no better than Pharisees condemned by Christ, but God looks upon the heart.  When we are born again through faith in Jesus we are given a new heart and Spirit, and He convicts us of sin.  Having symptoms of sin exposed, by God's grace we can go to the heart of the matter.