Robert Isbell
Ron Maclellan
Chris LoukinasChurch is Not a
Country Club for Perfect People
By Johnathan Dobbs
What has been your experience with church? Maybe you are a faithful attendee somewhere, but maybe you aren't. Most people are familiar with Christian churches on some level. Some people have attended a church or two at various times. Some people have seen churches and church people on the news. Some people merely have family or friends that they know who "go to church".
So what's your experience?
There are many different kinds of churches out there, and like all things there are good and bad churches in the mix. Some churches are doing magnificent things to help the people and communities around them and around the world. Some churches have great motivational speakers with enormous campuses and loads of money. Some churches are known because of the hatred they spew on anyone who thinks or acts differently than them.
I want to stop right now and say that if your experience with church has been negative in any way, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you were shunned or ridiculed. I'm sorry if people hated you. I'm sorry if you weren't treated with love, grace, and respect. Those "churches" and church people aren't followers of Jesus. They are merely role-players involved in a country club that calls itself church. That's not what church is supposed to be.
Church is for everyone. Church is for you.
Jesus said the church was meant to be a hospital for people dealing with the hurts and hang-ups that life throws their way. It is meant to be a place of healing and love. It is to be a place where grace is not merely spoken of and accepted, but it is given freely. Church is a place where those who are alone can find a family.
The church is meant to be a place of joy and fellowship. It is a place where the bible is studied and taught. It is a family that laughs and cries together. It is a home away from home.
Churches that follow Jesus know this. They will welcome you -- no matter who you are. They will accept you where you are, as you are, but they will love you enough to encourage you to walk with them as they strive to become more like Jesus.
Jesus died for the church. He rose from the dead for the church, and he opened wide the gate to anyone who wants to be a part of His church. He didn't set men up to dictate what the church should believe. He sent His word through the bible to tell us His plan for us. People who truly follow Jesus study that word, and not the whim of some sinner.
I hope you have a wonderful church to which you belong. If not, you are welcome to worship with us at the Aztec church of Christ. We are a bunch of people who aren't blood related but treat each other like family. We don't dress up and don't expect you to either. We serve Jesus, and we study His word in the bible to know how to be more like Him.
Come visit sometime.
You can find out more about
us on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/
