Have you ever felt like you were unwanted or unwelcome in church? I know it is a painful reality for many of us. I am a pastor, and there are times I feel unwanted. Too real? Maybe, but we can all use a fresh wind of authenticity nowadays. So, what happens in the church when the doctrine of the Gospel of love and acceptance gets lost in a judgmental elitism where love for and the receiving sinners is not practiced. The answer is simple yet complicated. We simply act in ways that are not consistent with the Gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus gracious teaches fall flat as we judge who is in and out. We judge the worthiness of others based upon the stringent standard of our culture and not the liberating reality of the real hope, joy, and relationship found in the kingdom of God. Jesus says to those who think they have it all together, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Mt 7:21–23; also see Ps 6:8; Matt 25:41; Luke 13:27) These are scary verses! But in an often ineffective effort to balance grace and truth, we hurt countless souls. We set unrealistic standards of "holiness" for music, movies, dress, education, friends, relationships, media, service, and the worst is people. Shame on us! We have forgotten that Jesus says to all, "Come to me." Who are we to get in the way of anyone seeking to come to the gracious Savior of creation?
References Luke 9:46–48 NASB2020 Matthew 11:28-30
Call us: 208.524.4747 prayer@watersprings.net
Online Giving: https://watersprings.net/give.php Serve at Watersprings: https://watersprings.churchcenter.com/people/forms/8221
CCLI Streaming License: 20080252 Size E CCLI Copyright License: 1406906 Size F
DISCLAIMER: Closed captioning and/or transcription is being provided solely for the convenience of our viewers. Watersprings Church does not review for accuracy any information that appears in a closed caption or transcript. Watersprings Church makes no representations or warranties, and expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability with respect to, any errors or omissions in, or the accuracy, reliability, timeliness or completeness of, any information that appears in a closed caption or transcript.