One of the most common reasons non-Christians give for not coming to church is that "they are all a bunch of hypocrites." When you think about it, it may be true. That depends upon what is preached. So, instead of simply discounting that as just another excuse for not coming to church, it might be better for Christians to listen to it—and non-Christians, too.
That assessment may be true depending upon what is preached. If we preach "forgive and forget" but are seen holding a grudge, aren't we hypocrites? If we preach that we should speak kindly about others but are heard gossiping and spreading rumors, aren't we hypocrites?
It's easy preaching about what we're supposed to do and how we're supposed to live, but if our life fails to conform to that kind of preaching, aren't we hypocrites? Indeed, we are. I wouldn't want to belong to that church, either. "They are all a bunch of hypocrites."
But is that really the message the church preaches? Not in our church. That's not the message that God's Word preaches. Central to all that is contained in Scripture is the simple assessment by God that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
Of course, "all" means all — Christians and non-Christians alike. The Christian may display a more righteous life at times than a non-Christian; yet, the judgment still stands. "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
So pervasive is the condition of sin, even in the life of Christians, that as Paul wrote, "I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, in my sinful nature." (Romans 7:18). Thus, we see that regardless of man's assessment of himself and others, we all stand condemned before God.
The central message of Scripture is not ourselves and our good works, but Christ and Him crucified. Paul writes, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) That's the message that puts everyone on equal footing so that we might all be raised by Christ, and not by our own bootstraps.
It's true that while we are all sinners, we are all "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24) That's the message we preach in our church — Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The crucifixion of Christ is the central message of Christianity. It declares that Jesus — true God and true man — practiced what He preached. If He preached forgiveness and salvation for sinners, He provided it — on the cross, in His sacrificial death for us. He proved it by His resurrection from the dead, so that all who trust in Him are forgiven and saved.
That's the message we preach. It's not about us and what we do. It's about Him and what He has done for us. May this be the message heard from the church and displayed in the Christian's life — forgiveness and salvation, full and free in Christ, for everyone who believes.
David Kettner is of Salem Lutheran Church located on 403 East Scenic Rivers Boulevard, Salem, and reached at phone number 573-729-5512. Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m., while Worship Service is at 10:45 a.m.
