A Shocking Development And The Church Responds.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

A Shocking Development And The Church Responds.

It has now been two weeks since my youngest brother’s (John) heart attack. Only 57 years old and appearing to be in good health, the years of a secretly steady plaque buildup made itself known in a moment. He and his wife (Joanne) were at the closing of their new home when he completely collapsed to the floor and was ambulanced to the local hospital before being transferred to Piedmont in Atlanta on day 2. Test results showed 7 blockages ranging from 80% to 100%. Furthermore, the damage to the heart muscle itself was determined to be about 95% and the need for a heart transplant became apparent.

What has followed that first day in ICU has been a roller coaster of events including fluid buildup creating more danger, at least 2 code blues (resuscitation needed), shocking the heart to deal with irregular heartbeats, violent drops in blood pressure levels, inability to sleep, very little appetite to eat, and more. Once we learned that he needed a new heart, we were also informed that due to the type of health care coverage John has, payment for the new heart would have to be made prior to any decision by the hospital to proceed. At first this was devastating news as it was estimated that we would need to pay at least $400,000 before the John could even get on the list for a new heart…. and the clock was ticking.

So, this is where I want to transition to the other topic for this article- the church, and I’ll come back to tell you more about what has happened to John and Joanne at the end of this article.

Let me quickly define what I mean when I use the word, “church,” in this context. When most people use that word, they are referring to an actual place with a physical address and walls and a ceiling. Others, such as Roman Catholics, may use the term to recognize the system of beliefs and authority for their sect. For the purpose of this article, I am referring to the actual number of true Christian believers who regularly attend a gathering at a particular location where God is central to their activities.

In these places Christians meet, communities are formed as people engage one another centered on one common goal: to worship and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. This phenomenon is nothing new and should be no surprise. God created man to be a social being so the gathering of His people to worship and fellowship with other believers is natural.

We see the beauty of many kinds of communities around the world. People of all nationalities and all religions form communities and enjoy the friendships and support that they receive, often critical to the very emotional and physical survival of people. But the Christian community is infinitely more than any other community and for those who haven’t considered the differences, I would like to present a brief comparison in 7 categories.

1. A community of truth. I believe all would agree that we want truth, but the area of disagreement is whose truth do we believe. In the case of the non-Christian community, there is a dependence on the truth that each person can offer. There is nothing absolute and therefore nothing completely reliable. Man’s truth has him “blowing in the wind,” trying to understand how to think about his problems. However, the Christian community (church) places their dependence on the only source of absolute truth- the Bible. The Bible gives the church a rock solid footing on how to think about and navigate all of life because the words are God’s words. The Christian community can find peace and hope even in the most difficult times and are encouraged weekly by the preaching and teaching of God’s word.
2. A community of forgiveness. Members of the non-Christian community know, even if they refuse to admit it, that they feel the weight of their sin and the fear of judgment they will one day face at death. They have no hope for the next world so they live for this one with all of the strength they can muster. In contrast, because the Christian community has been forgiven by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, its members live in anticipation of the next life where they will be in perfect harmony with God forever.
3. A community of worship. The non-Christian community does not worship God but that doesn’t mean they do not worship at all. Because God has created all people to worship, the non-Christian community worships other things such as entertainment, sports, sex, material things, or things that help them suppress the fact that they are denying worship that rightfully belongs to God alone. All of their desires and affections find their root in the need to satisfy self. This is a never ending loop of unfulfilled desires and unless they change and worship God, the hole in their hearts can never be filled. Conversely, the Christian community loves to worship God. Their hearts are full of thanksgiving and praise for what God has done in their lives and as they praise Him, they experience a joy that cannot be fully described.
4. A community of communication. The non-Christian community talks to each other. There is certainly nothing wrong with that and we need to recognize words and the ability for us to talk to each other is another gift from God. But the Christian community talks to each other AND talks to God in the form of prayer. Yes, God bids the Christian to come to Him and admit his failings, give thanks for His blessings, and ask God for wisdom, strength, protection, and other needs. And God promises to answer those prayers in the way that is best for the Christian. Amazing!
5. A community of change. The non-Christian community seeks change in their lives that will make this life more pleasant. The changes that they hope for are mostly outside of themselves. The Christian community seeks change but the change they hope for is inside of themselves and God has promised to do it. As God works incrementally in the life of the Christian over time, the Christian grows in their faith and love for God and experiences a life with greater joy.
6. A community of encouragement and support. Both communities do their best to bear the burdens of others and share words of encouragement, but only the church community can share words that based on the word of God. For example, in times of pain and suffering, the non-Christian community may tell a person, “it will all work out,” or “I’m hanging in there with you,” or “things will get better,” but those words of encouragement have no power because they are based on nothing. However, the Christian community encourages one another with words that are found in the Bible and because the community believes those words and has experienced God being faithful to His words, they receive a great deal of peace and true encouragement.
7. A community for accountability. No one enjoys correction because we are prideful, but when done lovingly and with truth, it is helpful to the person who is willing to receive it. This point of difference goes back to absolute truth. The non-Christian community can try to bring helpful correction to a person but does not have the foundation from which they can speak with authority. The Christian community trusts in the word of God and when shared with a person who needs to hear it, can be a powerful tool to convict a person that change is necessary.

Yada Yada Yada

You might be reading this and thinking that’s not the experience I have had with the church. Many could say and probably rightly so, “I have been treated poorly by some of the people at the church. I didn’t see people that were loving and caring and looking to serve others. I saw people that were self-centered and arrogant and unkind.”

Yes, it is true and completely expected -not acceptable, but expected. Why? Because the church is not full of people who are well (perfect), but they are people who are sick (full of sin) and in need of a Savior. They are people who were spiritually dead before God saved them, but He has made them alive and given them the ability to change their sinful ways. However, they are not completely changed, and in a way, they are still dragging around some of those old habits and ways of thinking. An old pastor once described it as a man who is alive being physically tied to a man that is a rotting corpse. Over time, the corpse will continue to rot and fall away but, in the meantime, it’s ugly. So, this is not a surprise, and the Bible tells us to expect this so, don’t think that God has done a bait and switch.

In addition, there are people in the church who are not true Christians. This has also been told to us by Christ himself. Some will become Christians in due time and others will never become Christians.

But then, there is the true church. These are followers of Christ who are fully aware that they fail to obey God daily, but they desire to become more obedient and be shaped into the likeness of Christ. They are full of thankfulness that God has accepted them in spite of their sinfulness.

And then there are the church leaders. Most of us place a standard of perfection on these men that cannot be attained. They are expected to be 100% aware of our needs, 100% sinless, 100% caring, and 100% wise in all of their decisions. And yes, they are call to a higher standard but we must never forget that they are just sinners leading sinners. See the article on elders.

Bottom line: Yes, the church can be a messy place but, it is a place where God is working in the lives of people, and He shows Himself in doing many wonderful and glorious things. It is the place that God not only works in the hearts and minds of people, but he also works through His people.

Now, back to John Lee. Once the news came out about John’s situation, the church responded in many beautiful and dramatic ways. As I mentioned earlier, John and Joanne were at a closing on their new home when the event took place. They had sold their previous home and were going to be in an apartment while renovations in the new home took place. John had intended to be a major part of working through those renovations with the aid of a Christian man that owned a construction company. This Christian man immediately responded by saying that he would be responsible for running the entire renovation. In addition, another Christian owner of a separate construction company ordered his team of workers to report to John’s new home to come under the authority of the man who had offered to take responsibly for the entire job in John’s absence.

There was also the problem of moving John’s things into the new home, but in a matter of minutes after the closing took place, about 30 people gathered together and moved John and Jo’s stuff in less than an hour.

At the hospital, dozens of people gathered each day to visit John, pray for him, and encourage one another. There were so many visitors that the folks that did security and nurses that worked on the floors began to make comments like, “Oh, you’re here to see John Lee, too?” At every point of contact with doctors, nurses, and staff, the Lord was spoken of.

Yet, the way for John was hard and at every twist and turn, God’s people pleaded with God for mercy. Some were in the lobby, some were at work, some were in other states, but the church community had risen up to do what no other kind of community can do- communicate directly with the God of the universe.

As the days passed, God revealed that many of the people working on John and working for John, were believers. Some hospital staff wept as they observed the actions of others in our community there at the hospital and learned of John’s story. It was as if God was taking John through a great trial, but was saying again and again, “I am here and I have a purpose in all of this.”

And you might be wondering about the money that we needed. That was resolved with 3 conversations with 3 men who have been financially blessed by God and know that the money they have does not belong to them. They know that they are just stewards of the money and their job is to use the money to the glory of God. Without hesitation, they offered to send money immediately and the financial wall that had been set before us was smashed.

That resolved, John has had to go through a number of tests to see if he qualifies for a new heart. All of that has been done and now we wait for a special committee to meet, compare all of their notes and test results, and give us the decision. What is the church community doing? Praying to God for Him to make this happen for John and knowing that whatever God decides is for John’s good and God’s glory. I will be sure to let you know the next chapter of the story.

Thanks for checking in. See you next time.

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Last modified: October 25, 2023