Dealing with dirt!

Can you spot the difference between two jugs of water?

The left looks like dirty water and the right looks like clean water. But if you watch it closer and carefully, you will see a difference on the jug color. As the person who filled both jugs, I guarantee that it is the same water.

I thought taking this picture on the presentation we as individual churches or individual Christians have in this world. The world is like kids, they will give the first impression by outward appearance. Sometimes we have dirt, having not been washed regularly by the blood of the Lamb. And when the dirt is not cleaned than becomes part of the vessel and gives it color.

For some this is not their problem as the graceful God has accepted them as they are, so they don’t need to clean anything. What the Bible teaches us is that God accepts us in our current condition, but doesn’t encourage us “staying” in the same condition. “Come as you are” is not “stay as you have been”. Although God’s grace and forgiveness is 100 % free gift, it is not to be misused. The worsts misuse is from the pulpit, where preachers, teacher, pastors, church planters are very careful not to offend anyone in their preaching. As the result of a soft preaching, we result in “darkened jugs” who never let themselves to go through painful cleansing. They go where unclean jugs are accepted as long as they are regular on Sunday. With so many churches offering a wide entrance door, the level of acceptance is being lowered, as many struggle to have attenders or trying to reach by every mean, even enduring a long time stay of unconverted souls who might be emotionally touched by the Good News, but not willing to let go their sinful life. People who are looking for a Savior, but too independent to have a real Lord over them.

Personally I’m not looking for a church who is so judgmental, where everyone tries hard to do things right-at least outwardly. We have a great example in Jesus who was tender and strong, accepting the lost and refusing the offering of hypocrites, inviting imperfect people to be His disciple and challenging “perfect” religious on their heart motive. Preaching on streets and teaching at sinagogues, telling the truth to everyone, even risking his reputation and his life. We yet have to learn how to tell the truth in love.

We have a real challenge in our midst, not only how we deal with “today’s generation”, but how we set the normality in the church culture. And we need to act responsively with every word we say, every sermon we preach and every action we perform. One day when all clapping or wooo’s are over, all our works will go through fire and there we will see how much gold have we been collecting. May God help us in this painful but rewarding journey.