One of the not-so-pleasant experiences I’ve had as a dad are those times in which I seem to fall on the bad side of my children because I refuse to ignore the fact that toys must be picked up and various other efforts must be made on their part. Every parent knows the feeling of their child’s anger flying in like flaming arrows at 100 miles an hour as a sense of responsibility and excellence is taught. To be perfectly clear, my wife and I know that our children are in fact children. We do not place unrealistic expectations on them. In the same sense, we also understand that the older our children get the more we must help them realize that life is not handed to you on a silver platter. There is still great value in hard work and accountability for our actions. It may not be the most pleasant conversation we ever have but, in the end, we’re confident of the principles that were instilled in us and aspire to settle for nothing less than those valuable lessons for our children.

In case you haven’t noticed, bashing the church has become quite the trend lately. Blog sites and social media have been inundated with various individuals taking their stand against organizations around the world, expressing their discontent regarding everything from presentation to theology. It should come as no surprise. We find ourselves in the midst of a society that has been taught the world does, or at least should, revolve around them. While there will always be hard-working, dedicated and faithful men and women woven throughout the tapestry of our lives, we also find ourselves having encounters with people who believe the deception that convinces some of the world’s debt to them and how everyone should make a concerted effort to make their lives better and easier at all costs.

From the onset, let me be very clear about the problems present within the modern-day church. I do believe I have somewhat of a connection with organized, corporate worship. I’ve attended church my entire life. I was saved at the age of 12, filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit at age 16, called to preach at the age of 17, and licensed at the age of 19. I’ve served two four-year terms as a Youth Pastor in two wonderful churches. I’ve led two different tremendous congregations as a Lead Pastor, the first for 5 years and my present pastorate for nearly four years. I am well aware of the problems that exist in the local church.

As true as the ever-present accusation, there are in fact hypocrites in the local church. There are individuals who would just as soon stab you in the back metaphorically than shake your hand. There are people who could almost make a living by talking about you, placing your failures under a microscope and focusing on all the reasons why you wouldn’t be good enough to attend their perceived-to-be-perfect church. There are people in the church who care nothing about vision, mission and the will of God, instead focusing on their own promotion. There are individuals who will get mad if they have to share the spotlight as a singer, musician, teacher or any other talent or skill that Mom ordained them to carry out. There are power-hungry sharks who will gladly take a fatal bite out of anyone who stands in their way when it comes to seeing their agenda fulfilled. There are “ministers” who care more for their secretary than the God of their salvation, the integrity of their call and their responsibility as husbands and dads. There are “pastors” who would rather get “paid” by stealing and mismanaging for their own gain rather than trust God for the supply of their needs. While I certainly want to acknowledge that the local church is far from perfect, let me continue on to the greater mission of this entry lest I also become a “church-basher” in the process…perish the thought!

Even with the problems mentioned above and those issues that were not, the church is still one of the greatest living organisms on the planet. While this may not be true in every single gathering of individuals that call themselves the church, the following benefits and blessings can be found within the local body if an individual is willing to prayerfully discover where the will and work of God is being accomplished. There are Pastors who love God more than anything in this world. There are ministers who remember the real reason for entering into the ministry in the first place. There are men and women of God who are genuinely concerned for the spiritual well-being and quality of life for individuals under their umbrella of leadership. There are servants in the kingdom who realize that ministry is not about the salary you receive but the satisfaction of living out your purpose in this world as an ambassador for Christ. There are persons who, despite the opinions of others, really are focused and determined to make a difference and become a channel for the love of Christ to flow through.

There are women in the church who really understand what it takes to touch the throne of God in prayer for those who are sick, oppressed or hurting. There are men in the church who understand the importance of a praying brother and friend when the valley is too dark. There are teenagers in the church who come to worship to worship rather than coming to worship to socialize. There are children in the church who understand far more about the mission than some adults. When 6-year-old believers confess that corporate worship is supposed to be an opportunity to spend time with God and learn about Jesus with others, they put the lemon-sucking, fault-finding spectators to shame.

The church is not perfect but the church is good and valuable and beneficial to the lives of those who quit listening to atheists and so-called revolutionaries that seek nothing more than to divide the local church and take the spoil for themselves. Where can a person hear the greatest story ever told? The local church. Where can a person find out that, no matter what they’ve done, forgiveness is always available? The local church. Where can an unloved 8-year-old learn about the never-ending love of Jesus? The local church. Where can a teenager who’s pregnant and afraid come to understand that Jesus offers counsel and direction in times of confusion? The local church. Where can an 18-year-old crackhead find freedom from the vices that seek to end his life? The local church. Where can a single mother find Godly sisters for support and encouragement? The local church. Where can a young man who made a mistake and lost his marriage as a result discover that there is life after divorce? The local church.

I cannot speak for every church in the world. Just like every other organization, fast-food chain, and department store on the planet, there will always be “horrible” churches, “bad” McDonald’s, unfriendly “JC Penney’s” and more. But I can speak for our church when I say that, while we’re not perfect, we’ve decided to place control of our congregation in the hands of Jesus. It’s His church anyway. He’s the only One with the wisdom and knowledge to lead it forward without the possibility of it slipping back. I’m thankful for those individuals who make up our church. I feel that our Youth Ministry is second to none. I like to think that our Children’s Ministry is a tremendous blessing to our kids. There is no doubt in my mind that our Worship Team is anointed to make a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of those who attend our services. We’re not perfect but we’re focused on God’s will for our lives, our assembly and our community.

In my experience as a believer and a minister, I’ve discovered that those who bash the church, rail against the church and tear the church down with their words and opinions, are often those who found that they couldn’t control the church with their heretical belief systems and alternate ideas. Many times, those individuals who are disgruntled find themselves in that position because the church took a stand for righteousness and holiness (which is still God’s standard no matter what you hear elsewhere). To be accurate, let’s go on the record by saying that there are times that churches handle situations wrong. Pastors are not perfect (including the writer of this blog). People are hurt and wounded by ministries that are designed to heal and comfort. However, many times the church is blamed for wrong and inefficiency when, in reality, the person giving the blame is just mad that they didn’t get their way.

No matter what your opinion of the church may be, the Word of God is clear. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus told Peter, “…thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” In Acts 20:28, the Ephesian elders were exhorted in this way: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” In 1 Corinthians 12:28, God showered gifts on the church in this way: “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” Finally, in Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus loved the church enough to edify their strengths and correct their weaknesses as He prepared them for His purpose.

Jesus loved the church so much that He willingly poured out His own blood to start it. No matter what our opinions or experiences may be, it’s still His church. It’s amazing to me that, while we have unpleasant experiences on our job, we continue to set our alarm and scurry to our post morning after morning with coffee in hand. It’s really quite obvious that, while we may find ourselves discouraged when it comes to our experiences at Wal-Mart, we continue to make our lists, grab our shopping cart and fill our lives with the products that they sell. As a sports fan in Georgia, I’m sure many would agree with me that every spring, summer and early fall holds the hope of another World Series championship for our Braves. Anything could happen, right? Unfortunately, disappointment looms every season as our favorite pastime winds down and we watch other teams from other states compete in the Fall classic. Any red-blooded Bulldog fan will tell you that there has to be a national championship for our Dawgs sooner or later. Sadly, we seem to struggle every year to make it happen. Chick-fil-A gets an order wrong (not often). The gas pump is too slow. Our birthday invitations contain a misprint and our television is defective. Yet, we keep showing up for work, running by Wal-Mart for a few things, cheering on the Braves and Dawgs, placing orders at Chick-fil-A, filling up our tanks, chalking up the misprint to the fact that life’s not perfect and giving our television company another chance to make it right. Am I the only one or does anyone else see that the church seems to be the only place that we assign a one-and-done approach to? Could it be that we don’t value what the church has to offer as much as our paychecks, shopping list items and satisfaction as sports fans?

Whatever your grievance may be, take a moment and realize that the church is not perfect. It was never meant to be. Don’t get all bent out of shape because the church decided to do something other than what you suggested. There are factors you may not know about that must be considered. Don’t fall apart because the Pastor didn’t visit you within your acceptable time frame. There are many responsibilities for a minister and Pastors have families too. Don’t get mad because the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. The church didn’t write the Word of God; we just deliver the message. When truth is preached, just accept it like everyone does. The truth hurts sometimes but it ultimately brings life and healing. When things aren’t perfect, don’t vent on Facebook and devour Christian leadership and your brothers and sisters in Christ over dinner with unsaved loved ones. It’s impossible to convince someone of the life available while you’re speaking death about the Body.

I wonder if those who seem determined to destroy the church have anything in common with those children who detest correction and leadership. If so, it’s possible that the church isn’t the problem. Maybe the problem is that our society refuses to be taught anything because they’re convinced they already know it all. Maybe arrogance and pride have so consumed us that we feel we’re simply too good to be taught a better way. Maybe our sense of entitlement has convinced us that the church is to be our spiritual cruise-ship, providing a smooth sail to a tropical destination while attendants serve our every need. Maybe our frustration with the church’s doctrine and belief systems is really our refusal to be held accountable for our actions (something that the Apostle Paul believed in vehemently). Maybe our hatred for the church is our battle cry that we will not be told what is right and wrong for our lives, when the Bible clearly says that believers are to be taught and instructed within the local church. Maybe our sinful flesh is warring against the move of the Holy Spirit, convincing us that rebellion is better than humble submission to His work. Maybe the church isn’t the problem after all. Maybe we’re just mad because we have to pick up our toys.