Church of Broken People

What does home mean to you?  When I think of what a home should be, I think of a place of belonging, security, identity, unconditional love, acceptance, and rest.  Isn’t that what we long for?  And isn’t that exactly what the gospel offers?  Adopted as children of God, we belong to the family of Christ.  Safe in our Father’s arms, we find rest for our souls.  Forgiven by God, we are accepted and loved.  Although we are broken people, He has chosen us.  In Him we have identity and purpose.    

Though God created earth as our home, something is wrong with our home.  We know there is a better home.  We know we are not yet really home, but someday we will be home, when the City of God descends from the sky and God dwells with us for eternity. (Revelation 21:1-4)

When I look at the church I see broken people.  All of us have experienced pain in life.  We’ve experienced betrayal, abandonment, sickness, or abuse.  We know the pain of children gone astray.  We have known the shame of moral failures.  We’ve known the heartache of divorce.  We’ve struggled in marriage.  We’ve known depression, anxiety, worry, and stress.  We’ve experienced the death of loved ones.  We’ve endured the long-term illness of a family member.  We’ve fought the persistent pressure of temptation.  We’ve felt “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36)

In a world tumultuous, we long for a safe place to call home.  We long for a place where, despite our brokenness, we are loved.  We long for the holy presence of God.  We long to hear Him say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

I think that even the most healed person among us carries some pain through life.  God does not promise to free us from all pain.  He does promise to work all things for the good.  (Rom. 8:28)  He promises to be strong in our weakness.  (II Cor. 12:9)  His glory shines through our broken, earthen vessels, in which we possess a treasure of immeasurable value and wonder.  (II Cor. 4:7)  What goes unhealed in this life will be fully healed in heaven.  (Revelation 21:1-4)

I do not think we should be discouraged by our brokenness.  As I’m writing this, to my left is the loose cover of a book by Charles Stanley entitled, “The Blessings of Brokenness.”  Often our brokenness keeps us from God, because we feel rejected.  Yet, when we receive a revelation of God’s unconditional love for us, our brokenness can propel us into His arms.  We are incomplete, but He is whole.  We lack, but He is all sufficient.  We are weak, but He is oh so strong.  We come to Him knowing He can make us whole.

In the Parable of the Great Banquet, as told by Jesus, all of the invited guests made excuses as to why they could not come.  So “the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’” (Luke 14:21)  Sometimes we may feel like this – poor, crippled, blind and lame.  But our brokenness does not define us.  God defines who we are. 

We may be a church of broken people, but we will dine eternally with the King.

We may be wounded, but we are a mighty army.  We may be hurt, but we are victorious.  We may be imperfect, but we are accepted.  Above all, we are loved.  We are not rejected.  We belong.  We are the family of Christ, marching on to victory.  We will not be defeated, because the gates of hell will not prevail against us.  (Matt. 16:18)  We can offer the world a safe place, a healing place.  We are a church of broken people, but we are loved and redeemed.  This church is our home. 

“God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)