Bullets for the Battle

The Bullet of Fellowship: Looking for Reasons to Avoid the Church

The older and wiser (?) I get the more I appreciate King David when he prayed, “Give me understanding that I might find life!” (Psalm 119:144). One of the greatest stupidities of human existence is the destruction of one another through war, hatred, gossip, bitterness and unthoughtful, malicious criticism.

Continuous denouncements and charges against the church are excellent illustrations of man’s unloving judgment. I am always hearing the same old lines, “I’m not coming to your church because member so-and-so cusses,” or “I know Deacon Pious and he’s a hypocrite,” or “I’ll not go to your church because I know one of your members who’s having an affair, so don’t expect me to take Christianity seriously,” or still yet, “Preacher Blotz is too cocky so I’ll never listen to him!”, etc., etc.

By the non-church-goers’ standards, it would seem that no one should be in church unless they are perfect. What folks don’t seem to understand is that the church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners. The only perfect Man who ever lived was rejected by the crowds then and it would be the same if Jesus walked on earth today.

The church is nothing more than a spiritual hospital for the spiritually sick. Some folks don’t think they’re sick but in reality they are. I have known dozens of folks who refuse to see the doctor for fear he’ll find something wrong with them and put them in the hospital.