The Problem With the Church is That We’ve Made Church for Church People

Thankfully, we have a direct example from Scripture. In Acts 15, the early church was in crisis. What had originally started out as an exclusively Jewish religion had been flooded with Gentiles who wanted in on the faith. That was a cause for celebration and consternation. Yes more people were believing in Jesus, but they weren’t Jews. These Gentiles didn’t know the Old Testament stories, didn’t share their values, and worst of all, they didn’t keep the Law. So, some Pharisee Christians came up with the solution that these new Gentile Christians be circumcised and follow the Law before they be accepted in the church. They wanted to keep the church for church people.

In the church’s first recorded business meeting, Peter and James come out strongly against this temptation to keep the church for church people. Here’s what James said, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19). At this vital moment, the church kept itself from an insular mindset that could have crippled it in its infancy. I firmly believe that in the 21st century American church, we are once again at the same crossroads. Will we keep the church for church people only, drive away the seeking, close our ranks and watch our churches slowly die off? Or will we make the same brave decision the apostles did and embrace the non-religious and non-church people coming to Jesus with open arms? In my blog tagline I say that I’m an apologist for the modern church. This is the heart of what I define as modern: the heart that embraces and makes room for the non-religious and non-church people that are coming to Jesus. If we can’t do that, then we’re no longer the church.