Christian Living

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December 3, 2011 – Institutional Obedience

29 Then Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men. – Acts 5:29 AMP

Jesus’ disciples were one bold and determined bunch after the birth of the church. In today’s verse, when confronted by the Jewish Sanhedrin, they said that they would continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus. They didn’t care what their fellow countrymen thought. They were just going to listen to God. They would obey God rather than a religious institution operated by men.

Don’t jump to conclusions and think that Jesus disciples were a bunch of rebels. They were all raised in Jewish homes. They knew all about hard work and some were very wealthy. They knew all about Jewish traditions. Yet these men left Judaism as well as their professions behind and helped spearhead a new religious movement called Christianity. Even though they were not rebels, they were portrayed as such in Jewish circles. Today we would call them fanatics. But they simply wanted to obey God. It’s hard to comprehend, but almost two thousand years after this confrontation before the Sanhedrin, Christians themselves are in danger of becoming bound to an institution rather than God.

The church has become a behemoth lurking over the shoulders of its congregants. Whether it’s the mega church with thousands of members or the little church on the corner that barely seats fifty, the church has figuratively grown to the point that is has some major control issues. From the new believer to the seasoned Christian, churches have become more demanding of our time. There are services two nights a week, small groups, special events, practice for choir and the band, and planning for other outreach programs that are ongoing. If it weren’t for work, family, and having to buy groceries, the church could monopolize the remainder of our time. With everything going on at church, there is no time to even try to reach our unsaved neighbor.

With so much for the church to do, they need people. They need lots of people. They try to involve anyone and everyone they can, whether they serve on the church board or clean the bathrooms. Everyone has to be “connected” so they won’t fall through the cracks. And guess what? They need you. Even if you work two jobs so your wife can stay home and raise your many children, they still need you. And they will get you, even if it takes convincing you that your relationship with God could be jeopardized if you don’t say the magic word: yes. If you say no, within a week the verdict will be out: you are surely going to hell. Even if your church doesn’t teach that hell exists, there’s still a place reserved for you there if you tell the almighty institution that represents God in your life that you have no time for them.

They have to be right, don’t they? If you can’t tell your church you’re willing to pitch in to help God’s kingdom grow, how can God be happy with you? Serving in church is the same as serving God, right? This means the church must be God in our life. Nope, that’s not even close. Years ago, Marlo and I resigned several ministry positions at a church because God showed us we were too busy. We were doing way too much at this church and just wanted some peace in our family. Afterwards I received an email from a member there who told me that God needed me to serve at church to help further his kingdom. What a joke! God wants all of us, but He doesn’t need any of us. He’s God. He has everything He needs. He wants me to love Him and my family. But at that time in my life he sure didn’t want me serving in church.

I think this is where Christians can get knocked off track in their relationship with God. We are taught in the Word to respect the leadership in the church. But here’s a sad truth. Church leaders are not God and sometimes they are not even godly. Sometimes they use manipulation to get you to agree to serve in a ministry position. It can be done by putting you on the spot in front of a bunch of people. They may use your spouse or children as pawns in their game. Whatever the case, it’s all manipulation and not a godly quality. What’s important to remember in all of it is that you should always obey God rather than man.

Back in our family’s previous life, we lived less than two hours from the Atlantic Ocean. One Sunday morning rather than dress up for church, we felt like God wanted us to take the day off. So we loaded up the kids and drove to the beach for the day. It was a relaxing day I will never forget. I will also never forget the dirty looks we received when we returned to church for mid-week services. You would have thought Marlo and I had been possessed by demons! It felt so much better to obey God than give ourselves over completely to a religious institution operated by man.

The fact is that churches have become a big business here in the United States. They are driven by a desire to grow just like corporate America. The more churches grow, the more need there is for ministry positions, or employees, just like corporate America. But unlike big business, many times there is no application process. The most qualified individuals are sometimes passed over because they may openly disagree with leadership about Biblical principles. Individuals chosen are sometimes not led by God, but merely puppets of church leaders. In this respect, it’s time for Christians to become corporate whistleblowers and call out leaders for filling positions who are no more than warm bodies. Call out the manipulation from church leaders. And say no if God tells you to.
Has anything like this ever happened to you? Do you volunteer at church? Have you been convinced by others that by not serving you are bound for hell? Who do you obey? The next time you are asked to volunteer at church, seek God. Pray about it. Ask your spouse to pray too. If God says no, then just say no. Don’t let the church fool you. Like the disciples told the religious leaders of their day, it’s a whole lot better obeying God than you guys.

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