Misguided Church

Crosswalk.com recently posted an article titled, “The Church Has Left the Building,” by John Young. Mr. Young wrote,

Recently, I saw a group of people eagerly passing out snacks and hot cocoa on an Atlanta street. The group was dressed in a uniform of sorts that read “The Church Has Left the Building.”

Surprisingly, the church name wasn't on the shirt. No plug. No quotas being met. No guilt being given in the form of "we fed you now come visit us." That a church would simply want to serve—without any apparent effort to self-promote—is rare, indeed, in our culture today.

click here for article

We are glad that people want to help others. It is good that men are religious—to a point. False religion is a terror, not a help, to men’s souls.

Here is the problem: men now believe doing a good work for the sake of doing a good work is the point and purpose of the church. They have turned the church into a “Goodwill-Red Cross” organization. For them, passing out snacks and cocoa is the work Jesus has given to the church. It is emotionally deceptive and spiritually destructive.

Jesus built His church on His blood (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28). He gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:25). Hence, it is Jesus that has authority over the church and its work (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:22, 23).

The church’s mission is to save souls. Paul told Timothy that the church is the “pillar and ground of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). It is to promote spiritual growth among its members (Eph. 4:12-16). It is to spread the gospel to a lost and dying world (1 Thes. 1:6-9; Phil. 4:15-17). On occasion, when a true need arises among the saints, the church is authorized to engage in benevolent activities (Acts 2:44, 45; 4:32-36; 6:1-6; 11:27-30).

A church engaging in a ministry of giving out snacks and drinks to passersby is not authorized by the Lord. It is a distraction from the duties God has given to it. Therefore, it is a shame and disgrace.

If individuals want to stand on the street corner and give away food and drink, we have no problem with that. Kindness to a neighbor is good. Seek out the needy and unfortunate in this world. It will help two people.

We plead with you, though, let the church be the church. Allow it to serve in the capacity outlined in the New Testament. Do not take it away from its divine mission of being a light in this dark world. Let it focus on spiritual matters, not social; on the soul, not the stomach.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1

Get Ready, Get Set, I Do...
By Charlie Brackett