The State of the Church

What is the state of the church? I can accurately tell you that it is vibrant and budding with new life—and that it is stuck in tradition and dying moment by moment with no hope of resuscitation. It is generous and sacrificial to the point of actual martyrdom and it is corrupt and full of nepotism and hidden dealings in money. The church is holy and careful about bringing the name of the Lord into any disrepute among the unbelievers and it is also a place of great sexual immorality among its single adults and even its married members.

You see, the church is as healthy as its leaders are. I have been in churches where the leaders committed themselves to a daily ministry of prayer on behalf of their sheep and where pastors and their wives sacrificed gladly to see God’s children cared for. I have also seen churches where the leadership was incredibly self-indulgent, controlling finances with relatives and trusted confidants, seeming to care very little for the church. Whatever the state of the leadership, it filters down to the flock. As the Leader, so the people. Leaders who stand up for Christ in spite of beatings, imprisonment and even death raise up a church of champions where even the children are faithful unto death.

But leadership is not only vested in the clergy. We all have influence. We are all the church and have the ability to speak up against unbiblical patterns of action. Our obedient and sacrificial actions can send waves of change throughout our circle of believers. We can’t control the state of the church in other fellowships and nations, but we can do all we can to become part of a functioning community of disciples that lives according to the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ. I want to make a personal contribution to the health of the church.  I know that you do too.