"I’m a grown man. There is only one person responsible for me not eating and not growing. It’s not a family member. It’s not the church. It’s me... The role of a church is not to tell us what we want to hear or to offer all the programs we like. The role of the church is to make disciples of Jesus." - Tyler Edwards
Buffets have wrecked us. But we asked for it. Give us more to choose from! Enter in: the buffet. Who doesn't want sushi with their spaghetti? The trouble comes when we begin to view other parts of our lives through these same 'buffet-colored' glasses.
When applied to church, it can leave us wanting and wandering. But is it the church's fault? Sitting back and expecting it to satisfy us will usually result in one or both of the following: you never end up being satisfied, and/or, you get something that has no business calling itself a church.
Do you feel like church is letting you down? Or, could it be argued that you are letting down the church? You see, just as we have expectations of church, the church, and biblically so, has its expectations of us as well. When you get both sides of the story, who is failing who? A question I will admit I wrestle with most Sundays.
Church is strategically designed for a spiritual exchange like no other. It's crucial, and therefore essential. Oh, and God requires it. How dare we waste this opportunity.
I've broken down the plan into 3 categories that helps take a well-rounded assessment of our relationship with church. Here are brief excerpts from each category:
Cleave - consider and connect
"You must seek God's will and be led by the Holy Spirit in selecting a church. Also you need to evaluate how you and your family can contribute to that ministry so it is not just another church, but truly a church home... A church is a gathering of those who have been called by God to salvation, to redemption, to adoption, to conversion, to justification and ultimately to glorification." - John MacArthur
Weave - commit and submit
"Membership in a local church involves commitment to worship the Lord corporately, edifying brothers and sisters through mutual exhortation and service, cooperating in mission, and holding each other accountable to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord as a witness to the truth of Christ in the world... The New Testament teaching about church government and church discipline would be meaningless if some form of commitment to mutual accountability in a body of believers were not expected. " - Bethlehem Baptist Church
Leave - decide and depart
John Piper provides general guidelines we can weigh when considering whether or not we should leave our local church.However, he quickly admits the decision never quite presents itself as that black and white. So, he advises that: "When the weaknesses, or the errors, or the sins of the preacher or the preaching reach a combined extent that when you consult mature Christians they think your faith and obedience would be damaged if you stayed, and your usefulness there doesn't outweigh the pitfalls, you are free to go."
God never wastes a moment. Ever. That is why we must not only take every moment captive, but take seriously His command to love and serve His church. It starts with a proper understanding of what being a part of the church really looks like, but necessarily follows with our commitment to it, fulfilling our role and responsibility. But, if the time should come for us to leave our local church, it too can be--must be--done with humility and wisdom.
Spend a Few More Minutes With: Why Does Church Feel Like God is Wasting My Time?