Stop Doing Church, Be The Church

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Amos 5: 21-24

God wants JUSTICE. Rivers of it.

If what we are doing inside the FOUR WALLS of the church doesn't effect THE STREETS we took to get there, then maybe we are missing the point. We are the human race. We have made life a race. Pushing and climbing past one another, but never really knowing where exactly we are going. Running this race towards success and prosperity thinking that the moment we reach our goals will be a moment of revelation, but maybe life isn't about coming in first. All of our pride and arrogance lead to one word: INJUSTICE. The root of injustice is our apathy as a people. Our apathy as a race.Our apathy as a church. It is rooted down deep in us like an unending wound. It has become part of our nature.

In Luke 10 we read of injustice in a story where a man who is mugged is left half dead on the road. A priest passes by and heeds him no attention. Then he is passed by a Levite who does the same. Then along come a Samaritan, the most despised of people in the area, and he takes the man and cares for him and pays for his care.

We are so busy trying to DO church, that we aren't BEING the church. The priest was probably off to go "DO" ministry at his church and he completely forgot that he is the church! He is the body of Christ. Is that not like us? Apathy isn't sleeping through the fire, it's fanning the flames. As a church we have become so numb to the world and to the poor and to the suffering. We overlook the fatherless in hopes that someone else will take care of their problems or we pray for them at night, but take no action. We throw a prayer towards Africa, but we do it from the comfort of our beds. We pray for the hopeless and homeless, but do it at the dinner table with our families. Hypocrisy.

JUSTICE

"Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is apart of it." 1 Corinithians 12:27

As a church, we are the body of Christ. We all know the phrase "What would Jesus do." But really think. If Jesus were here what would He do? Would he wallow in His apathy or go and DO? As Christians we make such big deals out of small things and such little deals of big things like poverty, hunger, and orphaned children. God wants Justice. It's not about doing charity and our little part then going on with our lives. It's about going towards the goal of LOVE until the very end.

Maybe when it comes down to it I can't change the world, but just because I can't do EVERYTHING doesen't mean I won't do SOMETHING. Maybe we can't bring everyone earthly justice, but maybe we can bring them heavenly justice. We can share Christ. Because when it comes down to it the most crucial need of people is not clothes, or shelter, or a warm meal, it is to be ransomed by Jesus; to know their Maker. Be apart of someone's story. Be the church! Maybe you weren't made to change the world, but you were made for something. You have your life. You have your moment.

Bring JUSTICE in your moment.

The world is waiting. The world is wanting. The world is willing. Be the church.

JUSTICE:

EVERY SOUL. EVERYBODY. EVERYONE.