A Bad Experience?

I recently had a bad customer service that left me a little hot under the collar. I hopefully obeyed the command, "Be angry and sin not." I was (am still a little) anger. I feel kind of mislead. But this post isn't a rant about what they did wrong. It's about something that popped into my head while I was thinking about my experience. I couldn't help wondering, "What if people are leaving our church thinking they have been misled?"

Some people get mad at church, because they are offended by the gospel. They are sinners who love their sin, and they don't like the conviction that comes from being confronted by the gospel. Jesus said that people who reject him, the light of the world, do so because they love the darkness. We can't do much for these individuals, except to pray. We need to pray that God would open their eyes and work faith in their heart.

But some have legitimate complaints. They have been promised a simple fix to life by trusting in Jesus. No one told them about the tribulation and persecution they would face. No one informed them about the demands of the gospel: holiness, faithfulness, and obedience. Others were told that church is the family of God, but they have been treated like the black sheep. They are permitted into membership, but they don't really belong. Others have been brought out of the darkness, and are confused by the church members who still revel in the things of the world.

Are we doing enough to ensure we haven't unnecessarily offend people? Do we tell them the truth in love? Are we faithfully loving them to the Lord? Are we presenting the true and complete gospel message or are we offering them a watered down message? We cannot take the sting out of the gospel, but can make it more attractive by living it. We need to show the love of Christ to others, esteeming them better than ourselves. We need to understand, and make sure they understand, in Christ, we are truly family. If people walk away from a church because they reject the gospel, it isn't in our power to change it. If they walk away from church because they have never heard the gospel, or were promised one thing only to receive another, or because the church isn't walking in the light, it is sin, on our part. We need to live what we proclaim, and do so in love with tenderness and compassion.