The first article is a perfect example of Christians conforming to the way the world perceives the church to be (Rom. 12:1-2). If you were to ask the average person on the street what a church should be, they would state that the church should be provide for the physical, emotional and material needs of the community. Many people believe that, in sum, this is what it means to provide for people “spiritually”.

This is why some churches provide daycare services, language-classes, blood drives and facilities for groups like Weight Watcher and the Boy Scouts. The list goes on and on. It is no longer surprising when churches of our Lord do the same things under the disguise of “good works.”

This is not a slam against anyone who wants to do good works. Opening daycares, organizing get-togethers for fun and games and volunteering in the community are all good and need to be done. The question is, why do those things only if people know you are a member of a certain church?

Jesus dealt with this kind of behavior in Matthew 23. I am not suggesting people are guilty of being just like the Pharisees Jesus was rebuking. I am suggesting that we can be guilty of doing the things those religious people were doing that the Lord had to rebuke. In verse 5, Christ said of those individuals, “But all their works they do to be seen by men.”  Drawing attention to self is not the goal.

What kind of message would I be sending to people in the community if I wore a T-shirt saying, “I belong to Debbie” (my wife)? Do I have to tell people that? Can I not act accordingly so that people know I belong to someone else? Religious groups are simply conforming to what they know people want. This is turn will draw people in and gain the large numbers.

Jesus’ earthly life had a purpose. He did not change that purpose to satisfy those who wanted other things from Him (John 6:26-27).

Chuck