CHURCH FOR THE SICK
I want to share a thought that I had on my mind in the church today whilst I sat behind a guy with moon hulk dreadlocks. I was literally carried away with the view in front of me. IHowever, as I sat there I was secretly convicted of my convictions.
Firstly, I am big on appearance. I know the bible was most definitely right in saying; man judges with the outward appearance while God judges with the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Well, I am a man! Oh sorry, a woman! You get what I mean.
So, I sat there on a high horse and scanned everyone with that look that your eye can see the bridge of your nose and I am guessing if I wore a glass I would have lowered it down a bit and googled well with my eye. Before you assume me most carnal that I was preoccupied with something else in church let me add that I was not inside the church, I was under a canopy chilling for second service to end and third service to begin.
Before I say my convictions, let me add that I stumbled on a post on Facebook talking about a sister wearing cropped top to church. I could see myself saying “so it is not only me that saw stuff in the church today”.
Well, I think today I assumed the position of the convicting power of the HolySpirit and I think I focused on the wrong thing. I became the judge. Thank God for Mercy! Thank God for the correction! So, Let us talk about the church! The church is for the fellowship of the brethren as much as it is a hospital for the sick.
Now, It isn’t abnormal to see the sick in the hospital right? So why is it abnormal when we see people that seem unfit for the master come into the church? I hope I am asking the right questions here?
Am I saying there should be no standards? Never! I know people can take things to another level. That’s why we have to have an ideal standard for dressing and hence the Bible says we should be modest. What am I saying “can we not just judge?”. Can we as a church focus on the changing power of the word. What If am a passerby and I run to the house of the Lord as I am, will I be welcomed or thrown away because I don’t fit in? Or would you show me the Love of Christ?
Have we refused to focus on the power of the word and the Holyspirit to change and deliver? Can people come just as they are? Or we have placed a wall on who gets to access Jesus? Jesus challenged the Pharisees and the Sadducees on taking care of the outside and forgetting the inside (Mathew 23:25). The inside is as much important as the outside for those who have genuinely taken up the cross.
Truth be told Jesus didn’t run from the prostitutes and the harlots, in fact, he stated that he came for the unsaved. He also said the prostitutes and the harlots were going into the kingdom ahead of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 21:31) because while the others were judging, these ones were getting it right with Jesus. Just like Mary the prostitute and the thief on the cross.
My mom told me of a devotional she read and how there was a woman in the church that kept dressing somehow and the women in the church were angry about it. Then one day she gave a testimony about how nobody had ever given her anything, so the women in the church started buying her clothes and that’s how she changed. Prior to that, the women in the church wanted the Pastor to kick the woman away from the church. Apparently, her challenge after believing was that she had no clothes.
I have heard so many sermons in Lagos bus and sometimes I wonder! God will punish you, you have sinned, you are a sinner – directly or indirectly. So what’s the way out? Some don’t even get to mention Jesus until the end of the sermon, some don’t even mention him at all.
Should we take the standard of the world? Never! I have heard some people say if they can’t take the heat or the standard in the church let them go! One lost sheep is so important! When we see people who don’t fit this standard, let us believe in the changing power of the word and in the Holyspirit and in His Love that can change and not judge. That can convict and make better. Let us go out like Christ did and get these people to come and experience God’s changing power. The word of God is able to correct, pierce through the stony heart. So we don’t have a church full of pretenders. Let us know those who are not getting it right so we can help. Help! That’s what Jesus would do.
Let us pray with them. Let us cry with them. Let us tell them we probably were like them till Jesus showed up. Let the bowels of our compassion be open. How many times have we cast these stones? Well, Jesus is saying I have used for this one. Though she may look like this right now, I have a use for her. He stands in the circle with her and asked he who is without sin to be the first to cast a stone. Well, I have cast plenty stones while I looked today in church.
Today, I was a hypocrite! Today, I didn’t see someone with the eye of Christ but I got to know the church is for the sick! Not just for the healed!
What a Long Post!
By Ebuetse Mercy
For Shalom Truths
Please your comments are most welcomed
Expecting to hear from you!
Don’t forget to share with others
When a case is repeatedly occurring in the same hospital? Will the Dr not transfer the patient to another hospital? Even the Bible quotes in Rev 3:16 “because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spit you out of my mouth”? That is if you are indifferent. Trying to combine 2 worlds, very impossible.
You know recently I came to realise that most Christians make things look difficult. Even when God is speaking maybe even through a pastor or any other means, they already have their own message, so when the word comes they just shifter the most comfortable and dispose the rest of it. So I ask again what happens when Jesus Christ demanded that to be a follower or disciple you must leave everything and follow? Matthew 4:22. What happens when you gain the whole world and loose your soul? Mathew 16:26. So in the same vein I overheard some key person in a particular ministry say: what are they trying to say, that I should go through life not looking fine? No. I will do what I want to do.
What happens to being dead in Christ? Also another effect of this sick people is that just as you were distracted though outside the church, do you know how many people were even more distracted and missed the sermon while the service was on? Indirectly helped the enemy accomplish his work. In all things be moderate. God will lead us aright in Jesus Name. Amen.
Mercy you are doing a great job. God bless you.
Great addition Joy that is a great angle! The sick referred to here may not be Christians. The sick can be the unsaved or perhaps baby Christians still struggling. Can we not judge them? That’s what I think the article says. It is true like you said that there are Christians that take the word and just sieve it to suit them, that to me puts them under the sick category too… Have they gotten it right? So what do we do to this sick people, that is my question? If you preach moderation to these people that don’t even know why they should be moderate in the first place how do they hold on. Teach Jesus (teach the gospel) that is able to save without been judgmental as Christians. Why was I distracted? It is because I was like the Pharisees & Sadducees, I was feeling all cleaned up on the inside. I think we should teach people to clean the inside and it automatically affects the outside. What do we do with the sick?
We will keep up with the job and your comment adds to what we say and shows us a view we probably won’t see. Thank you.