A story is told of the king of Sparta, who was showing a diplomat the capital city. As the visitor looked around, he remarked, “I find no walls reared for the defense of your capital city. How is this?”
Rather than explain, the king asked his guest to return the following day, and he would show him the walls of Sparta.
The next morning, the king brought the diplomat before his army. Gesturing toward the soldiers, he said, “There thou beholdest the walls of Sparta – ten thousand men, and every man a brick!”
The same is true of the church. It is made up of living stones, and every believer is a brick. The apostle Peter wrote, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5 NLT).
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We should go to church as participants, not spectators. However, some people treat church like a movie theater. They arrive late and leave early. They see the show, and off they go. But they never engage. And for all practical purposes, they miss the point.
The church exists for three purposes: the glorification of God, the edification of the saints, and the evangelization of the world.
It’s easy to play armchair quarterback. It’s easy to yell at the TV when the big game is on. But how many of us have been successful quarterbacks? How many of us have won football games? It’s easy to be a critic, but it’s another thing to be in the game and have a role to play.
The same is true of the church. It’s easy to criticize, but it’s another thing to do the work.
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President Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; … his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Some Christians are setting the world on fire while others are still looking for a match. When people take bold steps of faith for God’s kingdom but end up failing, I want to say to them, “Congratulations, and thank you for taking a risk.”
Meanwhile, there are others who play everything very safe. They’re careful and cautious, but they never do anything.
When we read in the New Testament about Peter walking on the water to Jesus, we tend to focus on his sinking. But let’s remember that no one else had the courage to get out of the boat. And for a few moments, Peter did what no one else had ever done, apart from Jesus Christ.
Yes, Jesus had to save Peter. But he took a bold step of faith. And we need to do more of that as well.
What we need is skin in the game.
Some people say, “I’m so over the church. I am just over it.”
Well, I’m so over people saying they are so over the church.
They also say things like, “I love God, but I don’t really love Christians all that much. They are so judgmental,” or, “I’m a spiritual person, but I’m just not into organized religion.” Then there’s this classic: “Well, I would go to church, but there are too many hypocrites.”
I am not going to dispute the criticism that hypocrites are in the church. But here’s what I would say to those who make that complaint: There’s always room for one more.
Where would the world be without the church? Where would our country be without the church? Where would our communities be without the church? Think of how the church has impacted people’s lives. I know the church isn’t perfect. In fact, I know that better than most people do. I know a lot of pastors, and I have preached in a lot of churches. I’ve seen the bad stuff.
But I have also seen the world. I’ve seen everything it has to offer.
No, the church isn’t perfect, but it’s better than anything this culture offers us. It is the only organization that Jesus ever started, and I am unapologetically proud to be a part of the church. God loves the church, and we should love the church as well.
However, if you see yourself as the Lone Ranger of Christianity, then you will suffer because of that. You will miss out on so much the church can bring into your life. You need to have a place where you’re accountable, where people will ask, “How are you doing? What’s going on in your life?”
You need a place to find, develop and use the gifts that God has given you. You need a place where you can give. You need the church. And the church needs you.
I know there are some messed-up churches out there, and I know there are some messed-up pastors. If your church is a place where you are not being taught the Word of God, if it is a place where God is not being glorified and you are not being edified, then it is OK for you to find a new church. Find a church where these things are in play. And once you find it, become a part of it.
We have a God-given responsibility as Christians to have skin in the game, a God-given responsibility to play our part. So make the most of what God has given to you.
When God looks at you, He doesn’t compare you to someone else. He compares you with you. Are you doing what you are supposed to do? Get out of the bleachers and step onto the field. Get out of the critique business and get into the service business. You have a place in the church.
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