the battlefront

Ever since I graduated Messiah my readings frequently come back to the church. What should it look like? How should it function? Are we doing it right? Are we missing something? Why does everyone seem to have a serious critique? Am I over analyzing or being nit-picky?

None of the books I read answered any of those questions directly. However, many have taken an honest look at areas where the church should be praised (a lot more than what some would want us to believe) as well as those where repentance is needed. My current reading selection, Why we love the church, is one of these reads. While the main goal is to provide glimpses of hope for the body of Christ as she stands today, the authors aren't afraid to admit the errors where the body has failed. However, they are emphatically unwilling to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" as many in the "Christian" sphere are more than excited to do.

The authors, pastor Kevin DeYoung and church layman Ted Kluck, each take turns writing the different chapters. DeYoung's are more pastoral, while Kluck's more practical. The balance makes the reading more enjoyable and, at times, humorous. The same goes with their first book, Why we're not emergent by two guys who should be. They are both honest, but unapologetic when it comes what really matters.

The following quote took me off guard when I first read it:

Church, while a place of fellowship and friendship, is also the place we go to train and prepare for war...Church, to us, should be as relevant as the gym is to the boxer, or as basic training is to the soldier.

At first I saw images of youth being drilled militantly in Bible passages about the corruptness of this world and the depravity of man (both of which are true), which could be used to scream on street corners. Unfortunately for some, they interpret the Bible's verses about war as being fought in this manner. It's not violent, but it can get there.

Our training and preparing for war revolves around knowing the Scriptures, and, more importantly, the author behind them. Church is the avenue by which we learn these through the means of expository preaching and fellowship with other believers. If we saw daily life as an active battlefield, I believer church would be a more significant priority. We wouldn't be quick to lower it on the list, fill the slot with sports and activities, or make excuses for why it's not working out. We would understand it's necessity for our survival. We would love to be under the teaching of God's Word. We would strive for unity with our brothers and sisters. We would be more effective in preaching the gospel through transformed words and lives.

As a conclusion to this point, Kluck includes a challenge from A.W. Tozer to those of us who ignore the battle raging on around us or those who fail to see the church as the God-ordained resource that it is.

You live on year after year as if there was no battle to be fought with sin, the world, and the devil. Oh, careless churchman...awake to see eternal realities in their true light.