Israel had split into two nations, the 10 tribes in the North, with Judah and Benjamin in the south. Jeroboam had led the northern tribes away from the Lord years earlier, but the southern tribes were still seeking Him, even after a few spiritual potholes and detours along the way.
Having fought off the “million man march” of warring Ethiopians, King Asa of Judah had proven that the Lord would help “the weak” even if they faced the mighty. Perhaps it was this grand display of God’s presence with Asa that caused a minor exodus out of the northern 10 tribes.
“for great numbers had deserted to him [Asa] from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.” (2 Chronicles 15:9b)
In other words, when it was clear that God was with Asa – that is where the godly went. For many, it meant severe upheaval, the purchase of a new home, long travel, and the accusation of desertion.
In my summer travels I was alarmed the lack of churches preaching Jesus. Others have written of the same thing. Even in a city the size of Toronto, there are comparitively very few churches where one might say, “God is with them.”
I have also been thinking a great deal about the brevity of life, being 40 and all... and that leads me to this conclusion. I think Christians ought to do whatever it takes to be a part of a church where God is present. I have met too many that try to “get by” in a place where He is not. Worse, I have seen some determine their home by elevating temporal values above eternal. What I mean is folks pick a place to live based on its supposed safety, home value, nice neighbourhoods, and overall “pleasantness and potential.” I think this sniffs of idolatry. As nice as these things are, do they matter if you do not have a church where God is present? In our shortsightedness we often get this confused.
I am proposing that there may come a point in a Christian's life where it is obvious “the Lord has left the building” and it is time to find out with whom He is meeting so you can be there. I am not promoting hero worship or personality cults, nor suggesting that you should "take off" the first Sunday your pastor strikes out or someone sins against you! Rather, I am suggesting that being in a good church is worth living in a less desirable place and incurring a cost to get there.
It certainly was to the families from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who pulled up anchor in the north to stick with God in the south.
Paul:
ReplyDeleteGood post.
I think I would want to add one exception: that if others are aware of the situation, and have the potential to bring real change and come to God in repentance, it might be worth sticking around.
Darryl -
ReplyDeleteGood commment! I have often wondered though how a person is supposed to know how long they are to keep at it? I have seen some virtual Titanics with the faithful still trying to bail. I cannot help but think of what is happening in the Episcopal Church to our south... folks are clinging to the old structures even though there is little hope of a turnaround. Would it be better to walk away from treasured buildings and just start over?
Certainly there have been cases of things looking hopeless followed by the Lord bringing about a great deliverance, but I also think there have been many cases of people staying at a place that God has left - to the detriment of their souls. How is one to know when?
Great thoughts. Sometimes being in a church where God is means paying whatever price it might cost you to work for reform where your are. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I wholeheartedly agree.
ReplyDeleteRelated to this, it saddens me that people are quick to accept work in a new community without first considering what church they may attend. Life is indeed too short to be without Gospel fellowship.
Terry
I'd also agree with Darryl and Barry, that if God's not there, maybe it would be good to invite Him, both through prayer and action. Meeting with the pastor and elders would surely be a good place to start, but bringing up necessary questions in bible studies would be another way to wake some people from their slumber. I don't know if there's a formula for knowing when to leave, but I suppose you'd have some sense of how things are going.
ReplyDeleteI see your point about "...to the detriment of their souls", but myself I'd struggle with the thought of leaving a flock wandering in the wilderness. My soul is secure. I kept worshipping at my old church on Sundays for years while going to my new church on Saturday evenings, before I finally "left". Small groups seemed like fertile ground.
As a pastor in a congregation where Christ is preached, but at the same time is part of a denomination where many congregations have had God leave a long time ago, I wish that more people would realize the vital importance of being in a congregation where Christ is preached in the proclaimation of his word. We are a small congregation that is fairly elderly. The sad thing is we have grown more elderly because some of the younger families have left, not because they disagreed with the preaching, but because the church down the street or wherever has a whole bunch of programs for their kids. Thankfully the one church now has a good Christ centred preacher who I fellowship with regularly, but it is sad when bell choirs, rock climbing walls, and the like are the things that are definitive in making a choice as to which church to go to, not whether the Word of God is preached and God is there in the presence of his people.
ReplyDeleteThis is not to say the congregation I minister in is without its problems. They have become ingrown because they have lost hope that anyone today cares that the Word of God is preached, and that is not where they should be. But, it is hard to argue when people leave or when the come looking for a church go elsewhere because of the bell choirs, rock climbing walls, etc.
I definitely can understand where you are coming from. My wife and I have despaired of finding a place where the gospel is preached and the members of the body are spiritually alive. My question though is how do you find a church where God is at work if the church is in another city (or state)? I have found that the opinions of people I know and trust on other matters are not terribly helpful when it comes to their own churches, so I think it would be hard to find a place that I was sure of without spending time there myself. I don't see how that's practical without quitting my job and going church-hunting full time. Which would work for about two weeks.
ReplyDeleteIn the OT it was easy to discern God's presence since He came with smoke, fire, thunder, victory over enemies, etc. How does this translate for the NT believer?
ReplyDeleteI really thought that His presence is with individual believers rather than a specific group. In light of that, I've been looking for a church with believers who show some sign of His presence in their own lives.
I am married to the Karl who posted above. We have been diligently searching for a church for over a year. We've visited over 20 churches in our area. I don't want to make a decision based on personal preference. "You will just 'know'" is not an answer. And I'm not sure moving to the city in which my favorite author preaches is the right answer either.
Karl and Leslie:
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I have fantastic answers (or even thought!) to either of your questions. I have tried to re-phrase them as I understood them - feel free to correct me.
1. What if there is no church available? My only thought is that you must pray very specifically for the Lord to make available to you a group of people who love Him dearly and seek Him diligently. I hope this doesn't appear to be a cop out... I quite believe in prayer and the Lord's ability to answer and have seen some rather remarkable answers in matters like this before. Neither am I suggesting you two are not praying! I can only encourage you to keep at it.
2. How will you know if God is there? You are correct to suggest that the visible manifestations of God's presence were certainly a help in the older covenant... but I think there are very tangible things to look for in a local church when searching for the same. Is the Word of God read? Are those who lead in prayer praying Biblically? Do the songs that are sung reflect the Truth of the Word of God? Is there a humility on the part of the people before the Lord? Is Jesus central to their understanding of life? Is justification kept distinct from sanctification? Can members testify to personal growth in the Lord? Is there an authenticity to all that is done? Things like this.
I would be glad for others to fill in their ideas too!
Thank you for your insight. Your answers are very helpful!
ReplyDeleteNothing yet said about churches that seek to preach the Bible, have a vertical focus (as contrasted to a horizontal one), pray to God from their hearts, know the difference between justification and sanctification ... and are the ones who are losing people to "the church of what's happening now". What a horrifyingly painful thing it is to a pastor's heart to see people leave for a church that cares less for truth, has just about abandoned prayer and knows more about what attracts people than what God wants for and from them.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Christians need to assess to see if their church is worthy of their support. Tragically, many make the assessment with an unbiblical guage and leave truth for a counterfeit. But then there is always the possibility that I am not as faithful as I think I am and God got them out of here before they were damaged any further - but this is not time to get that personal.