The Church is Not the Lion’s Club
Congregations of the Lord’s people should do good things within their local communities. That needs to be said from the outset. Service works, kindness to neighbors, and being a good citizen are wonderful hallmarks of a faithful congregation.
That said, there are some Christians who so emphasize that aspect of the Christian life, that they forget that there is to be an eternal purpose to it.
Jesus “went about doing good.” That is a clear statement and reminds us that we need to do the same. We are to let others “see [our] good works.” That cannot occur if we are not actually involved in good works!
However, the focus of those good works is supposed to be the glory of God. It is not just so we can say we cleaned a playground or painted a fence. I had an elder in Nashville who used to say that some were trying to turn the church into the Rotary Club or the Lion’s Club. I recently heard a friend say much the same thing.
I am not suggesting that congregations don’t do good works for their communities. It is a good thing when we do. However, when those good things are done, it does not need to be just so the church can have a “good name” in the community or be seen as a “good citizen.” We serve others to point them to Jesus Christ! We need to do all we can to connect any good work with teaching the Gospel.
It is attractive to others when we serve our community. Let’s not forget to do that. But let’s also not forget what our main purpose is supposed to be. It is not just to paint a fence, clean up garbage, or serve a bowl of soup. It is to do those things in the name of Jesus, so that He gets all the glory, not us.
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
