I wish I had words that would make the scar of Fractured Fellowship go away for some of you but that will have to wait until heaven. For now, you and I will have to move forward bearing the battle scars of being part of a church with a perfect head and an imperfect body. Let your wound scar over and do not let the devil lead you into blaming God or the whole church for the actions of a few. Find a Bible teaching church with a good and godly pastor and serve the Lord there and in your personal life. Good and godly pastors are not as rare as you think, they just might not be as high profile as some, but even they are fallible humans who will hurt people once in a while. Do not blame God for what people do, even Christian people. One of the devils favorite tactics is isolation but remember, you need the church and the church needs you! If you are thinking; “I am doing fine without being part of a church” then you are making my point since being a part of the church should be something we desire and not despise. Also keep in mind that God sees and knows all and vengeance and discipline are His and maybe the one who hurt you is in the “time to repent” season that we would desire from the Lord if we were the “hurter” and not the “hurt-ee.”
God is on the throne Christian and not any church leader. He is sovereign and it is His will that you be a part of a church family that meets collectively for the purpose of finding out what is acceptable to the Lord and being equipped for the work of ministry. I can do that without going to church you say?
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church:first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
It takes all these gifts and “appointments” to make the church function including administrations, which means governance. Allowing the church to function as it should with each part doing it’s share and it is all to be done in the more excellent way, which is found in the next chapter, and it is love.
God has a plan for you not just as a member of His vast global church, He has works prepared beforehand for you to walk in as a functioning member of a local assemble of believers so that local assembly can function fully in the community God has called and assigned them to reach. Don’t let the boneheads in the body keep you from walking in your gifts and fulfilling your ministry. Someday, when we are glorified and the former things have passed away, we’ll never have to deal with hurting one another again. But until then, we are a collective group of personality types with ambitions and methods that can get a little fleshly at times and even a lot fleshly for some. So remember who it is you serve for He has never hurt you, stabbed you in the back, lied about you, tried to climb over you, walked by you without speaking or done any of the things to you that cause Fractured Fellowship. Faulty human beings have been responsible for them all and they attend every church and pastor them all. Where heresy and immorality are clearly present, run for your life. Where wounds with the potential to Fracture Fellowship occur, choose the more excellent way even when it’s time time move on.
Excerpt from “Dancing With the Scars” now available on Amazon.
