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What Makes A Congregation Hard to Work With?
What Makes Congregations Difficult to Work With?
What barriers did Jesus and then his apostles have to overcome when teaching the Jewish leaders?
1. The Jewish leaders knew their traditions better than they knew God’s scripture.
“They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands” (CSB’17 Matthew 15:9)
2. The Jewish leaders carried their own baggage from the past.
“He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.” (CSB’17 Acts 5:35-39)
3. Jesus was different than the Jewish leaders’ expectations.
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”” (CSB’17 Matthew 11:18-19)
Now ask yourself, “Can churches be guilty of the same barriers?”
1. Can congregations know better their own customary ways of doing things and ways of talking than they know God’s word?
2. Can congregations have baggage from the past, whether problems carried forward and never dealt with or even problems from former elders or preachers?
3. Can congregations have problems with people who are just “different”?
Trust has to be earned, but people freely give their suspicions of others. Let us not be liberal or conservative, but rather contextual and faithful. One of the hardest things to do is to see others’ sins, weaknesses, and obstacles in ourselves. How often are we like the Jewish leaders?
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