It’s been said that “we could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”

Time and time again, we see that the Word of God stresses the importance of unity.  It also paints for us a clear picture of the dangers that rise when unity is not present.  Going all the way back to the third chapter of Genesis, we see that a lack of unity between Adam and Eve opened a door for the enemy.  They lost their spiritual standing with God and tossed all of mankind into a sea of suffering.  The effects are seen even today.  It continued in the lives of their sons as we read that Cain rose up against his brother, Abel, and killed him.

Further down the line, we see that unity among mankind was at an all-time high.  It was so profound that God Himself took notice.  Genesis 11:1 speaks of a time when the whole world spoke one language and shared a common speech.  The Bible says that they all purposed together to move in the same direction.  They traveled east and found a plain in Shinar.  There they settled.  It wasn’t long before their unity sparked a vision to be involved in something much bigger than themselves.  In verse 3, the Bible says that they reasoned together and spoke these words: “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.  Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

It must be noted here that, while their efforts are commendable, their reasoning was wrong.  The Scriptures go on to say that God came down to see the city and the tower that they were building and spoke these words: “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”  The method was extraordinary but their purpose simply missed the mark.  Most people know how the story ends.  God confused their languages, they were scattered around the world and their ill-conceived project came to an end.

The narrative I’ve just shared with you serves as a remarkable paradox to the modern church that you and I love so much.  It seems that more congregations are divided over issues, talking points, decisions, finances and other things than ever before.  This is an obvious fact.  Even individuals with minimal knowledge of church life and Christian circles will readily cite their own awareness of how the Christian church seems to devour itself through fights and disagreements.

I believe that there are several different reasons that we are suffering from this self-destructive behavior.  But before I share those reasons with you, I must describe for you a commitment that I made to the Lord when He called me into ministry in 1998.  I resolved at a young age to never preach the truth of God’s Word to those who make up His Church without first allowing that same Word to purge and prune my own life.  I am not a person who foolishly believes that I have arrived and somehow earned the right to cast stones at everyone else.  The Word of God is a hard, unrelenting, ofttimes misunderstood resource that offends a great number of people.  Knowing this, I will begin my thoughts with those who operate in the capacity of ministry.

A recent article published by Charisma Magazine cited that many Christians have now given up on church because leaders have failed.  The article speaks of an anonymous person, referred to as “Bob”, who attended a church that was closed within two years after the pastor was caught stealing money from the church.  He then joined a second church in which he was pressured by leaders to attend a two-week membership class.  When he elected not to do so he was labeled as rebellious.  This is becoming an all-too-familiar occurrence.

One of the reasons that so many people have “given up on church” is because they’re tired of putting their faith in leaders who turn out to be hirelings and swindlers who are interested in nothing more than wiping out church accounts, controlling those who sit under their leadership and grooming female members into mistresses.  This is not the church that Christ died for and it’s not the church that will successfully reach the world for the kingdom of God.  1 Peter 4:17 says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.”

If we are going to make a lasting impact on this generation, we must understand that God and His Word will have to be the foundation upon which that work is built.  God has not called those who serve in leadership to be popular, comfortable, rich, liked or catered to.  We must restore the integrity that God intended to resonate within His house and His kingdom.  Without it we will never convince anyone that our words are worth hearing or our character is worth their trust.

The second reason that many have given up on being involved in local congregations is because so-called mature believers allow themselves to be entangled with trivial issues that won’t matter in two weeks, let alone ten years.  At this point in the article, I’d like to refer you to the last four paragraphs in the event that either Satan or your own thinking tempts you to believe that I’m simply lashing out at the laity of today’s church.

Over the last fourteen years, I’ve seen some of the most ridiculous issues arise among people who are supposed to function as the very body of Christ.  Let me name just a few…there was the great mirror-picture war in which two women came pathetically close to physically fighting because one wanted a picture hung in the foyer of the church while another felt that a mirror would better serve those attending.  Then, there’s those talent-saturated individuals who feel that God’s purpose for the earth depends on whether or not they sing a special.  Let’s not forget about those who feel that, because they didn’t think of it themselves, the new idea launched by the pastor will never work.  There’s always those who feel that if they’re not in charge it simply won’t work, those who believe it has to be done the way it was done fifty years ago or it will launch a premature Armageddon and those who childishly pout when they’re not visited enough, bottle-fed or placed upon a laity pedestal in which they are told that God’s church simply cannot function without them.

It’s time to wake up, America!  We are better than this.  What these types of Christians don’t understand is that the single mom who wanders in, hoping in her heart that a timely word from God will be spoken into her life, as she struggles to make ends meet and raise her kids in the right way, simply couldn’t care less if you hang a picture, a mirror or a pinata in the foyer.  Those unchurched individuals who know they need God in their lives don’t care who sings a special or preaches the Word.  They simply want to hear from God.  They’re not worried about who comes up with the idea that makes a difference in the lives of their kids as long as the difference is made.  They’re not concerned with who gets the credit, whether or not it’s done today like it was in 1960, or how much someone may feel that the ministry of the local church revolves around them.  All they know is that they need the power and presence of God in their lives.  That’s all that matters to them and it should be all that matters to us.

To those who have given up on the local churches down the street and in their town, I would ask of you, “Please, give us another chance to prove to you that there are still men and women of God who seek to do nothing more or less than the perfect will of God.  Give us another opportunity to show you that we’re not after your money or your presence in order to brag on our week’s statistics to our peers.  Give us one more shot to prove that there are still individuals who love God and His kingdom and seek to reach the world with a message of hope and freedom.”

To those ministers and members who make up the church of Jesus Christ, I say, “Let’s return to the Lord and rediscover the principles that God’s great church was founded on.  Let’s restore integrity to our pulpits and clean the clutter out of our pews.  Let’s show America that the church has not faded away.  Let’s show them unity, love, power and purpose.  Let’s do church God’s way and make a difference in this world.”

The problem with those who attempted to build the tower was that they were unified for the wrong purpose.  These “crayons” unified themselves for the wrong reason.  Can you imagine what would happen if all the multi-colored, multi-shaped, crayons in God’s kingdom decided to join themselves together and live in the box He created for us?  It’s called the church and until we come together for the right reasons, the box will continue to be empty and our purpose will fail.