Church--Is it good or bad?

Bonhoeffer has a wonderful book entitled "Life in Community" which importantly proclaims that Christianity is not an individual pursuit but is living life with other Christians. This concept is so important. Without living in community, I don't come to grips with my sinfulness, and I don't learn to truly express grace to others.

But, there is a problem--the Church. A few nuggets from Tullian:

"All too often, the church is appealing to the kinds of people who ran away from Jesus and appalling to the kinds of people who ran to Jesus."

"I meet so many people who have left the church, not because they have given up on Jesus, but because the church has given up on Jesus."

"If churches, and our church in particular, aren't attracting the kinds of people that Jesus attracted, then people aren't hearing us proclaim the same message that Jesus proclaimed."

These snippets come from a sermon that Tullian preached on May 12--"No Strings Attached." It is one of the most courageous sermons because he speaks the truth about the local church.

Going back five years, when I met a person that had quit attending church but still claimed to be a Christian, I wondered whether they were truly a Christian. In fact, I thought they were probably not. Now, when I meet such a person, I most often find that they have more of the hallmarks of a true Christian than those who attend church.

So, what to do:

1)run to a church where the pastor admits specific sins in his life, not merely that he is a sinner;

2)run from a church where the pastor is placed on a pedestal;

3)run to a church where the message is pure unadulterated grace--that God loves you even when you are sinning;

4)run from a church where the message is "Yes grace, but now you need to live a holy life" or "Yes grace, but live to glorify God;"

5)run to a church where the pastor preaches the Gospel every Sunday;

6)run from a church where the pastor gives you five steps to love your wife better.

If you can't find a church that does these things, it's okay not to attend. Instead, have "church" with your friends who know that they are egocentric sinners in need of grace. Go to lunch with these friends. Have dinner with these friends. Share your hopes, dreams, sins, troubles, and travails with them--all the time doing so in light of the miraculous grace of God.