As I watch God change the lives of men and women, I am troubled that they then seem to be directed- by the church- to the program that seems to best suit their "need". It seems to me that "The Church" should be "the program"... meaning that they should be encouraged, discipled and given pastoral care. Who should do this? Us... you and me and the church leadeship. How should we do this? By befriending, teaching and caring for them.
I am discouraged when our best advice is to send "them" to the program which has a name which fits their past. Are they not new creations?.. are they not now a "sibling in Christ"? Do we treat them as a family member... or a patient?
The Bible teaches that once God "saves us", He then sees us as His child... along with the many others who have responded to His call to "be saved". The Bible teaches us that we are to find fellowship with like minded individuals... not those who have a common background, but those who have a common future (and a common present... children of God). The Bible teaches that those who have been saved are to invite others to join the family of God... and to then to disciple them. The church has fallen into a complacency which requires programs and therapists to fix "their family members"... or do nothing at all! What kind of comfort is in that? What kind of family is that? Let us stop "sending them away"... to the "place where they belong" and lets make them feel like part of a family... in the Church.
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I was recently approached by a leader of our singles ministry at my church about a young man who attended one of their meetings. He shared his past involvement with drugs and alcohol. She asked if I would call him and invite him to a Bible study I attend on Monday nights. The Bible study has aquired a reputation as being a "Recovery" Bible study because of the backgrounds of people that attend it. She thought he may be in the "wrong group". This is exactly what John is talking about. He was not in the "wrong group". Maybe the group had the "wrong idea". Maybe the group has the wrong understanding of accepting a person as a new creation in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17 "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold ALL THINGS are become new". As it turned out, he is already attending our Bible study and has been attending our church for some time. He was trying to get involved, and find his identity simply as a Christian, to be accepted for the new man he has become, not labled as the old man he used to be.
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