I Love The Church

 During my fifty-three years in the ministry, I have had people come to me and tell me why they left "my church". Sometimes I want to say, "Well, if it's my church, I think that was a very wise decision, and I think I'm going to leave also." (They wouldn't know how to respond to that.) But, they want to explain why they left 'my church'. Most of the time, it is, "You weren't meeting my needs." My question is, have they ever told me precisely what their needs were? No! If everyone in the Church had the same attitude, how are anyone's needs going to be met? That is amazing to me. If individuals reserve the right to have that attitude, they must allow everybody to have that attitude. And if everybody has that attitude, who is going to do all the need-meeting? This is what will work: when people stop sitting in the pew saying, 'They're not meeting my needs and start saying, 'Whose needs can I meet?' Then needs will be met. When the servant spirit flourishes in a congregation, then they minister to each other as unto the Lord."

You hear how some like the minister while others don't care for him. You hear how we need more evangelism, more classes, better sermons, more money, and all kinds of stuff. We need to be hearing in "my church" that God's people.... love the Church! That's right, I love the Church! "Wait a minute, Preacher, we are supposed to love God. We are supposed to love Jesus. We are supposed to love His Word. We are supposed to love our enemies, But the Church? Are you sure?" Did you know Jesus, our Lord, loves the Church? "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself up for her;" Ephesians 5:25

In a Nashville newspaper, there was a story of a woman who hadn't missed attending Church on 1,040 Sundays although she was in her eighties. The editor commented, "It makes one wonder, what's the matter with Mrs. Craig? Doesn't it ever rain or snow in her town on Sunday? Doesn't she ever have unexpected company? How is it that she never goes anywhere on Saturday night so that she's too tired to attend the worship service the next morning? Doesn't she ever 'beg off' to attend picnics or family reunions or have headaches, colds, nervous spells, or tired feelings? Doesn't she ever oversleep or need time to read her Sunday newspaper? Hasn't she ever become angry at the minister or had her feelings hurt by someone and felt justified in staying home to hear a good sermon on the radio or TV? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH MRS. CRAIG ANYWAY?

What's the matter with Mrs. Craig? Nothing at all! She loves the Church of the Lord Jesus!

When I was seven years old, I remember a preacher who stopped by our house one evening and fixed a broken window. It changed the direction of my parents--from sinner to saint.

I remember the many Sundays when the families from Church got together for dinner and horseshoes and to talk the "Bible.". My, I loved those people!

I think of a fellow named Granville Rogers from Nocadocious Texas who taught me to preach. Rev. Dauginbaugh, a Wesleyan pastor who taught Bible studies in our community and gave me a desire to know more about God. A tall, skinny man named Edwin Newby taught me the Old Testament and opened up a new understanding of God's Word.

Yes, there's been the other side too. Some who haven't liked me too much, I know that is hard to believe. Some who have hurt me by their actions and their lifestyle! But no one is perfect! Others who have caused the Church harm and directly or indirectly affected my family. However, it is wise to forget those things rather than cling to them. The people of God are good! They are people who are trying to please their Savior! Once in a while, there will be one who will try our patience, one who will misunderstand our motives, some who will seek to harm us, but they are few and far between. I'm glad. The people who have influenced my life the most have always been the people of God! Some great men & women of the faith, others simply Christians, like you and me. Some with PH.D.'s while others were farmers and mill-workers. If there were no eternity heaven or hell (and there is an eternity, heaven and hell), I feel blessed to walk among and be part of the people of God who are the finest men and women on the planet!

We will not always agree, and occasionally, we may find ourselves on different sides of opinions, and we may even exchange tense words. But, you're the family of God. You are one of the reasons why "I love the Church".

The Church exists to bring glory to God and honor to Jesus, the Savior of the body. Our actions individually and corporately are to exalt God, whether in a worship service, a board meeting, at home, or at work.

I once read a story about Puccini (Poo-che-nee); he composed the opera La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. (I do attend Culture at The Creek sometimes.) During his battle with cancer in 1922, he began to write Turandot, which many now consider his best. He worked on the score day and night, despite his friends' advice to rest and save his energy. When his sickness worsened, Puccini said to his students, "If I don't finish Turandot, I want you to finish it." He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. Students gathered all that was written of Turandot, studied it in great detail, and then wrote the opera's remainder. The world premiere was performed in the La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, conducted by Toscanini, Puccini's favorite student. The opera went beautifully until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, "Thus far the master wrote until he died." There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to the audience, and, with tears in his eyes, announced, "But his disciples finished his work." The opera closed to thunderous applause and a permanent place in the annals of great works.

It is the business of the Church to finish the work of Jesus Christ our Lord because we love the Master of the Church.