Withdrawal

(Pro 5:12 KJV)  And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

I have some friends who have withdrawn from the church.  They don’t just spurn a specific local church but the church in general.  I can’t say that I blame them.  I feel that the church has lost its edge, its message.  The church has conformed to the age and is a reflection of the world.  It is a mirror rather than a beacon on a hill.

And yet the emphasis of this verse and the rest of the chapter is on our responsibility.  I suggest that we as believers have balked at instruction when it was too demanding.  I think we have been guilty of rationalizing our positions and refusing to listen to the hard words.  Where would the church be if we had responded to those pastors who spoke difficult truth and encouraged them to push harder?

So?  Find a church that offends you because it is too literal.  They are out there but you have to seek them.  You will be disappointed that they will be smaller and you might be expected to step up to the plate in serving instead of having great programs provided for you.  Strange how that works.