WHY THE CHURCH IS BROKEN AND HOW TO FIX IT

The overall “Church” in America is in a tremendously broken state.  Some feel it is so dysfunctional and so outmoded that we should just scrap it and start over.  Some think they should just live with it the way it is and just put it on life support.  It’s hard for me to listen to the decisions that are made by bishops and overseers regarding the change in our theology based on cultural shifts.  I agree, the Church is broken, so how does it get fixed?

I don’t think, I know, that the church is God’s plan for a lost world to see the living Christ in the flesh.  I know, that Jesus is the one who is building the real church and I want to be part of that.  I know, there is no plan “B” when it comes to the church.  

Regardless of the fact that many so-called Christians believe you can, live up to your respective eyeballs in sin and get away with it, because who has ever heard of somebody dying for rejecting God these days?  Regardless of so many people still leaving God at the altar while they go to work, school and pleasure only to return to the altar the following week with little transformation.  Regardless of the fact that so many people attend a church building, do churchy things and say churchy words and call it the expression of what Jesus called His people too.  Regardless of these broken aspects, I still believe God is choosing to use His Church to change the world.  Jesus said:

Matthew 16:18-19  …I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Listen to the word; Jesus is doing the building but we have a valued part and it is obedience to truth.  If you give Satan room he will walk all over you.  If you shut the door to his advances he has no authority to move forward.  So with all this, what do we do to become the real church?

Next week we are being called by God to assemble a greater portion of the body of Christ called “The church in Hastings”.  It won’t be all of the church but it will be a collection of some of God’s ardent warriors who get the simple truth that the business of church is not about making themselves comfortable and fat with knowledge but is about rescuing lost people from eternal damnation.  This is not some mere exercise in large group gathering.  This is an exercise in obedience to manifest the truth of John 17.

John 17:20-23  … “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

No matter how much we speak about unity and love of the brethren until we act on this truth it means nothing.  I want to go on record as being obedient to the heavenly calling to become the church in Hastings and the surrounding areas.

James 1:22-25  …Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

I’ve heard many reasons for why we disobey the word of God.  Tragically, many have been spoken by my own lips and for that I’m truly repentant.  I do however plan to obey my Lord next week and demonstrate unity with my words and my actions.  It won’t be easy and many convenient excuses will be provided to each one of you.  It is a huge sacrifice to each church that closes their doors and removes the possibility of visitors, offerings and support for church programs but we are committed.  

Maybe you’ve heard we won’t have childcare?  Then come anyway and tend to your children like any other day or get a baby sitter.  Maybe you’ve found out it’s 1 ½ hours long and that’s a long time to sit.  Then suck it up and give God your sacrificial attention.  Maybe you don’t live in Hastings and really don’t understand why we all have to Bless Hastings anyway?  Again obey the call of God and we will get to your city next.

The church is broken because we wait for it to become convenient and easy for our busy life schedule rather than being willing to meet even if it’s at 2 a.m. on Thursday mornings.  The church is broken because we wait for some extraordinary effort of some professional preacher to step in and save the day with the right words or the right gift to us when we should really be taking, the story we have so far, and telling it to as many as possible so that they might also turn to Christ.  The church is broken because we accept the convenient excuse that shows up on any given weekend to stay in bed, I’ve had a long week, the rain is to wet or the HHS is not my church building so I get the day off.

This is not a new problem or an American phenomenon; it is a human reality and was just as true in Jesus day.  Listen to what Jesus had to say about excuses.

Luke 14:15-24   …When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

Not only am I trying to clarify God’s direction for you and your family, I would also ask that you call a friend from CFC and express your excitement, call a person you haven’t seen in a while and invite them to join you.  And while your there next week make it a challenge to speak to at least three people you don’t know and ask them what church their connected to and tell them where you hail from.  Remember, it’s the body that is assembling, so connect the parts.

As a Pastor of this flock I am calling the warriors to the field and I have God’s commission to do so.  Some of you will not be able to attend due to schedule conflicts and I want no guilt to be felt by you but most of us here need to hear the voice of our commander and chief Jesus Christ.  The church will get fixed when it operates in obedience.  Jesus is building His church so join me next week and the weeks to come.

The above notes are from Pastor Pasch’s September 27, 2009 sermon.  To get a free CD of the complete message, contact Christ’s Family Church @ 651.437.2340.