Okay, I know I'm going to step on toes with today's post, and that's only because those who will be offended actually believe that the building they worship God in is some kind of holy ground that should be respected more than Christ himself.
I was visiting recently with a friend from Indiana who commented that she and her husband were frustrated by their church's leading board, who just the night before had held a fiery discussion about drinks being brought into the auditorium (aka: sanctuary). Apparently, the pastor's wife (not my friend, by the way) was taking the blame.
I don't pretend to understand the full dynamics of this particular situation, but I've witnessed this scenario several times. And, it's one of the stupidest things that Satan uses to get our focus off of God.
In this case, it was drinks being brought into and littering the auditorium (yet there was no concern about the bulletins that get left in the seats after service). I've seen a Sunday School teacher get angry over a children's class using his room on a Wednesday night. I've seen excitement come to a screeching halt over whether or not the blinds were open or pulled shut on the auditorium windows. I've sat in meetings listening to people, claiming to be mature Christians, detail why a fellowship hall shouldn't be painted (their reason: kids might scratch the painted walls). And, twice I've had the privilege of hearing the rage over removing the 100-pound battleship, called a pulpit, from the stage.
The perceived problem in each of these cases was that the church would be dirtied, damaged or destroyed in some way. But, in all truthfulness, the real problem was personal and spiritual. You see, when we get our focus on how the building is used, it becomes more important than people coming to Christ. In each of the cases I cited above, the churches involved were either stagnant or declining. Salvations and spiritual growth were not occurring. And, it was all because the people in those churches had allowed Satan to distract them with silly things.
When Jesus charged Peter and the other disciples with the task of creating the Church, it wasn't so we could squabble over fellowship hall curtains or the color of carpet in the auditorium. Jesus charged the Church with spreading the Gospel message to the world, and leading the world to God.
Somewhere along the way, however, this command has gotten lost in translation. Friends, the buildings we worship in are merely tools to be used. When we fuss and prevent the buildings from being used, we become agents of the Devil by preventing God from fully using the resources He gave us to spread the news about Jesus.
So, the next time someone fusses over a drink being taken into your church's auditorium, remind them that Jesus came to this earth to give life changing drinks (living water), and we should represent him in a like manner.
Amen!
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