Remember when you were a kid and cliques began to form? I was always left out of their exclusive little clubs. They behaved as though only the select were worthy enough to join. Fortunately, some of us were rarely — if ever — rejected. For others (like me), rejection happened all the time. After a while, you get kind of numb to it and just stop trying to join altogether.
Then, we get older and there are all kinds of new cliques and clubs that form. Maybe it’s the gym or health-thinkers. Perhaps, it’s a book club, a knitting group, the PTA, etc. And these are all good groups. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with any of them. But they too can have the feel of a very exclusive club. We still find ourselves gravitating toward those groups, however. We want to find that little clique that will be more accepting of us. Maybe then we might finally fit in.
I will never forget the tedious process of looking for a church for our children. We tried several churches of at least four different denominations. And every church we walked into made us feel like they all belonged to a very exclusive club and we were unwelcome outsiders.
Unfortunately, when people are in a church building for a lot of years, they begin to feel like it is their possession and make it an exclusive club. We did not find a church home in any of those churches. We knew that we didn’t fit into their very exclusive club. And, quite frankly, we didn’t want to.
Incidentally, my husband and I live in an area where there are approximately six churches in a 5-mile radius. Two of these churches have recently sold to become a dance studio and a home. The other four have less than 20 congregants. Sadly, one of the churches is down to only six members. That’s a pretty exclusive club — so exclusive that soon it will have no members.
The Church is NOT a building. It is NOT a very exclusive club. It does NOT belong to the people.
The Church is the people. It is the body of Christ. It is the whole of those who call themselves followers of Christ. And it belongs to Jesus.
God did not create “the Church” (His followers) to be an exclusive club. He created it to be His hands and feet! We are to be His own personal welcoming committee. “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7.
Do you know what the membership roll of the Church looks like? It’s certainly not that of some exclusive club! It’s loaded with thieves, prostitutes, tax collectors, and the broken and downtrodden sinner (of which I was one). The Church is filled with people that the world loves to reject. It is filled with the people that Jesus sought out… those that He came to save!
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the whole world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
Did you hear that? It says that God SOOOO loved the WHOLE world. He deeply loved each and every one of us and He wants us to join the club. And we’re not talking about His very exclusive club. He wants every single person on the planet to join! And He gave us the means by which to do that: JESUS!
The only requirement to join the Church is a repentant heart and a trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Benefits of membership include (but are not limited to) the following: The love and fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ (John 15:12); unlimited access to peace (Philippians 4:7) and joy (John 15:11); unending love and adoration (from The Father) (Romans 5:8 & John 3:16); you will be provided with a concierge (the Holy Spirit) who will assist you in every aspect of this life (Romans 8:26 & 27); all of your sin debt will be forgiven (1 John 1:9); and finally, an eternity in heaven with our precious Lord and Heavenly Father (Philippians 3:20).
If you are already part of the Church, ask yourself, “Who wants to even try out for another very exclusive club that will probably reject us? Why would any of us want to be rejected again?” Then, knowing that the last thing the world needs is another exclusionary group, determine that you are going to be God’s welcoming committee.
God calls us to love others. We (the Church) need to stop treating the church as our building and very exclusive club. Let’s love the lost and welcome them in. Be God’s hands and feet here on earth and help meet the needs of the broken and downtrodden. Furthermore, God created us to love, honor, and glorify Himself. He created us to love others. When we do, they are drawn to Him and He begins the process of rescuing them.
Father, thank you for desiring a relationship with each and every one of us. Thank you for the love that you have and exhibit toward us. Lord Jesus, thank you for the sacrifice that you made. Thank you that (through that sacrifice) we can be adopted into the family of God. We praise you, Father, that being your sons and daughters isn’t like belonging to some very exclusive club. It is being a part of a big and loving family with a father who adores us! Holy Spirit, help us to behave as members of the family (the Church) and not some very exclusive club. I pray that we are closer and more glorifying to you than ever before, Father. And that we are indeed your hands and feet.
Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If not, please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/). Please pray the prayer that is outlined on that page, from the bottom of your heart. It is all that God requires to become a member of His family. Please pray that prayer because we (and God) want to welcome you into the family. Once you have, please let us know. Reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com. We’d love to pray for you and help you to follow Christ. We might even be able to help you find a church that will love you the way they are called to instead of some very exclusive club.
Luv Ya!
