Stop and think about it. Anyone ever been in a perfect
church? No problems or disagreements, whole‑hearted devotion to Jesus in every
member, no issues or questions about how to raise kids, do a good job, manage money well without any anxiety? And come each Sunday everyone gathers after a
great week ready to fully give themselves to sing God’s praise and listen with
open hearts to His Word. Anyone been in such a church - or even heard of one? And
it’s not as if things were so much better in those first century churches. Which of those churches received an apostolic letter without some issue or problem being mentioned?
And the same obviously holds true in the Church in Israel before Jesus showed up. No, the
Church has always been a messy place.
There are reasons for this. One is simply that the Church is
filled with people who are well practiced at sinning. You might even call it
second nature. But beyond that there is another reason. God has set it up this
way. Paul found himself in quite the fix.
For we do not want you to be
unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so
utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed,
we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us
rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1.8-9
God put Paul and those with him in a dire situation ‘to make
us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead’. The church will
never be an orderly place where everything and everyone is working smoothly. it
will continue to be a place where there are questions, issues and problems. And
all of those are obviously more than we
can handle. This is the blessing of Jesus so that we would live according to
reality, relying not on ourselves but on the God who does impossible things. It
is as we live that way that the questions, issues and problems are resolved and
humanity is restored to its original beauty.