November 18
Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23
We often interact with people who have had bad experiences in churches and, even if they have not, they have read about church scandals, issues of abuse, and foolishness that happened in churches. A few years ago, there was an article about a pastor who had berated his congregation for not helping him purchase a luxury watch he felt he deserved. Many people read stuff like this and simply give up on the church. As we begin reading through 1 Corinthians, we discover that sin and brokenness in the church are not new issues. The church in Corinth was marked by disunity, quarreling, jealousy, and immaturity, and those are just the issues we read in the first few chapters.
The church has always been called to represent Christ through our lives, but even more, we are meant to point people beyond us to Jesus. Paul desired that the church's "faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Corinthians 2:5). If all people see is the church, they will inevitably be disappointed, but if they see Jesus, they will discover a perfect Savior. So let us be a signpost to Jesus and not the destination.
Father God, thank you that you will sanctify the church completely when Christ comes back. Until then, help me to represent you well and share the hope found in you. Amen.
How can we encourage people who find themselves disappointed or disillusioned by the church?
We often interact with people who have had bad experiences in churches and, even if they have not, they have read about church scandals, issues of abuse, and foolishness that happened in churches. A few years ago, there was an article about a pastor who had berated his congregation for not helping him purchase a luxury watch he felt he deserved. Many people read stuff like this and simply give up on the church. As we begin reading through 1 Corinthians, we discover that sin and brokenness in the church are not new issues. The church in Corinth was marked by disunity, quarreling, jealousy, and immaturity, and those are just the issues we read in the first few chapters.
The church has always been called to represent Christ through our lives, but even more, we are meant to point people beyond us to Jesus. Paul desired that the church's "faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Corinthians 2:5). If all people see is the church, they will inevitably be disappointed, but if they see Jesus, they will discover a perfect Savior. So let us be a signpost to Jesus and not the destination.
Father God, thank you that you will sanctify the church completely when Christ comes back. Until then, help me to represent you well and share the hope found in you. Amen.
How can we encourage people who find themselves disappointed or disillusioned by the church?
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