How Does the World See the Church?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
John 15:18, 19If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
How Does the World See the Church?
It would be amusing, were it not a tragic thing, to watch as the Church world strives for acceptance by the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking in this text, to the Church, and not to the Church world. ‘The Church world’ is not the ‘Church’. The Church world is all of those entities that calls itself Church, but does not conform to the requirements of what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ as set forth in the word of God.
The apostle Paul admonishes ‘the Church’ to “... be not conformed to this world...”. If the Church is ever successful in conforming itself to the world then it will have also ceased to be the Church. It is altogether conceivable that all churches throughout history started out “...contending for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). But when the world did not beat a path to their door, they resorted to the tricks and gimmicks which were designed to make the Church more user friendly and palatable to people of carnal mindedness, and in so doing lost their identity as the ambassadors of Christ.
As apostolic people, we must not lose sight of the fact that we cannot have it both ways. We cannot be the Church of Jesus and be acceptable to the world. The two are mutually exclusive things. The world hates the One we love. It is the ultimate tragedy for apostolic people to spend so much time, energy, and resources trying to fit the round peg of holiness into the square hole of carnality.
A few years ago in Cleveland, Ohio at a national conventional Ordination Service, we processed through the Playhouse Theater in full clerical regalia. A statue of a naked woman covered by two phoenixes (the mythical bird of fire spirit) stood majestically over the stage which we were using for a pulpit. I watched and grieved for us as the theater people laughed at the spectacle of a wayward, and misguided attempt at “Pomp and Circumstance”. And then we were rushed out because Cedric the Entertainer (Ceddy Bear, Chocolate Thunder) was due on stage next.
I believe that was a picture of how the world views the Church whenever we are found engaged in anything other that what we are called to do. Jesus has already told us how we would be viewed by the world. Saint John concurs with Christ. In 1 John 2:15, 16 he says “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The world will never love the Church, but we can make them respect us as the Church. By living spiritually separated lives, and by keeping about our Father’s business, Paul says so that we “...might by all means save some”. (1 Corinthians 9:22) Our Father’s business is the business of Church. It is the business of starting new churches and strengthening the hands of existing churches. It is the business of bringing God’s salvation and healing virtue to a lost and dying world.
I have found it to be true in life, that the world will treat you like you treat yourself. This applies to the Church as well. The world will treat the Church like the Church treats itself. If we treat ourselves like puppy dogs, licking the hand of the world, and eagerly seeking it’s approval, we will be treated like dogs. But if we stand as beacons of light, shining in the darkness of this evil and adulterous generation, without compromise, boldly proclaiming the whole counsel of God, they will hate us the more, and yet in their hearts will they know of a certainty, that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Because of Calvary!
Bishop Jonathan B. Franklin