The Run-A-Way Bride Of Christ
My favorite movies are romantic comedies. In 1999 a movie was produced called Run Away Bride. It starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. In the movie Julia Roberts portrays a hardware store owner who has been engaged three times and every time she runs away at the altar, breaking the grooms heart. I asked myself why would a bride run away and leave the groom at the altar at the very last minute… three times, and that is what Richard Gere as a reporter, is trying to find out when love strikes?
When I watched it, I felt in my spirit, “Jesus, saying, I have a Runaway Bride. She has broken my heart!” I sit down and wrote a few lines about what I was sensing but never did anything with it, until now. I wanted to bring this message today! If you know someone, as I do, who was involved in church, serving Christ but are not going to church now… I hope to bring tears to our eyes so we will reach out to those who have left the Church.
If you were once in church, serving your Savior, Jesus Christ! I think I speak for all when I say, “The church wants YOU back!” Jesus wants YOU, as his bride, in his sanctuary. Jesus is calling you because His church needs YOU more than ever before.
I have a genuine concern, if people truly understand, we the people in the church! Are the church! The saved, is the bride of, Jesus Christ, the groom! Some of the Bride of Christ have died now for centuries. They are already there, waiting on the whole bride of Christ… the whole body… we who are alive, to get there… where we can rejoice in the finale together and find out what Heaven is really all about.But today, I am bringing attention to those who are living! Those who have left the church, choosing for one reason or another not to attend anymore! Those who have left JESUS, the Groom at the altar… left His church body, His love, His legacy! They have walked away from the desire to become His love, His bride! I am convinced we have a runaway bride of Christ who have left the church for one reason or another. I know! And You know! people who grew up in church who are not attending today… a lot of them accepted Christ into their lives, they believe in Jesus… they believe He is the son of God, and they believe He is the answer to the prayers they pray… so why aren’t they in a church? They have run for some reason! Left him at the altar FOR SOME REASON… and I am trying to understand why? Because to me… Being a Christian is the greatest life anyone can ever live.
CHURCH Runaways usually get involved in everything but the church. They are seekers… seeking answers, gratification and accolades in every area of life except the church: What has happened? We, at Amazing Life Church in Savannah, TN want to see them back in the Church, Do you? WE REALLY DO! OUR HEARTS CRY OUT FOR THEM IN PRAYER. THEY HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER HIS KINGDOM!
This concerns me and I hope it concerns you to the point that together, we will cry out to Jesus for the return of the prodigal son, the misfit, the one who did not feel worthy, the hurting, the wounded, the one who thought it wasn’t really that important at that time in his or her life.
I may be wrong, but I believe the church through it’s lack of witness, critical spirit, demanding traditions and chronic condemnation have made them feel they do not belong! They do not fit in… they do not have a voice… so in their minds they feel they have no choice except to look into other venues for acceptance, to have fellowship, and to have… their voice heard. They are searching for happiness in events, city care groups, careers, sports, and entertainment… and if not there! it is consuming their time in video games, technology projects on the web, drugs, multiple sex partners, gangs and alcohol use… and for some just dealing with everyday life with their families, spouse or partner. Just taking care of business and pleasure. This is tragic and devastating to the American Church. We are losing! … their gifting, their talents, and most of all their callings and knowledge, God planted within each one of them… to be used for His glory and purpose in life.
God wants to gather us together for the soul purpose of promoting and building the Bride of Christ… His Church, until that day He comes back to the Altar to make us His own. To live in a place of majesty with Him.
I love the Church. This church is a place of peace… a safe place where we all can come: Pray together, learn together, worship together, repent together, rejoice together, share words of wisdom together, have fun together and help one another, move forward through every problem, misfortune, sickness, loss or tragedy… helping each other get through, what I call, just everyday life, together with brotherly love. The Bible tells us in Job 14 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. That is why we need each other. Eternity is forever. We MUST get it right.
I know the Runaway Bride in the movie has nothing to do with the runaway bride of Jesus Christ but I want to bring a few relevant points from that movie to the church. Julia Roberts in the movie is seeking answers in her work, in her relationships, in her friends, in activities… in everything except God and His Church and she doesn’t even know who she really is… she just lives through her emotions. Her mind is not on the things of God. That is the way it is now with those who were once in church, in the past, they were active with believers, other kids, other teenagers, the old saints, Grandmas, Grandpas, Moms & Dads. They looked to the church. They wanted the advice, knowledge and teaching of the men and women whom God had called: God’s teachers, preachers, apostles, evangelist and prophets to help them with the answers they desperately needed in life… there was honor, obedience, and commitment for those whom God had called. They believed, God himself, chose those leaders. They understood, God had called and found confidence and instructed those men of God who came before Pastor Marvin and who He finds confidence in right now… He never stops calling leaders. He calls leaders in every generation and will continue until He returns to take His bride. They are leaders in His kingdom.
I think the Church is beginning to realize that these people who have left the church are now using their God given gifts, callings, and talents outside of the church when God wants to gather them back into the fold… all of us together for the soul purpose of promoting and building HIS… beautiful bride! The church! The place! The Sanctuary! where all can come to repentance and live their lives in the destiny, God Almighty, has ordained through our Savior, Jesus Christ from their conception.
I am convinced, The Church is trying to offer apologies in their own ways yet all the sinners & seekers choose to see is ample arrogance; a better than thou attitude. This is a lot of times what they hear and what they see inside the church and they don’t want to be a part of anything they do not feel is real and from the heart and soul of a person or a people. It is time to be Real! It is time to be led by the Spirit to say the right words for the wandering bride to return to the altar.
I truly believe those people who have left the church, still love and believe in God, but are confused by the way we have portrayed the church in the past… for years teaching we had to be perfect… absolutely perfect individuals. They know they cannot live up to that standard… and they are asking themselves, do we know anything about the grace of God? They know we are not perfect! We know we are not perfect. There has been only One holy and perfect individual and that is Jesus!
When we witness and share our stories… just be honest! Don’t cram Jesus down their throats. Let them take one bite of Him at a time from our words and from the lives we live as we say: “hey guys we make mistakes but God forgives us through our daily repentance… we are just like you but we know we have to Have God in our lives … Him to love us and us to love Him… We need His help to live and be obedient to His Word. It is He who gives us life! It is He who will withdraw our souls to himself, in the end. We are learning the Bible. We are thankful for Him sending His son to earth to be our sacrifice for sin. We know we are born in sin and shapened in iniquity. The Bible tells us this. We all need a Savior. We are all in this life together but we will leave this life one at a time… to answer for the lives we have lived. This journey is a school for us learning and teaching others the gospel… the good news of Jesus. Leading them to find the answers through God’s love using the tools of his Word, grace and truth… be real… give them real life stories in meekness and love. Even if they do not come to church, you have planted a seed.
I want to talk about why would a bride run away and leave the groom at the altar? I am going to tell you what I think… I come up with this conclusion.She didn’t love him! When it come right down to the marriage ceremony, she did not have enough love for him to become his forever bride. I have to say that is what is wrong with a lot of people who accept Christ but reject the church.
1. They just don’t love him enough to obey the scripture, “hebrews 10:25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Which goes to my second reason.
2. Fear of a life time commitment, because she is afraid she can’t measure up to the grooms expectations… his family’s expectations. Maybe she is just not willing to give her 100%. Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
3. Fear of change. She is afraid of change. She doesn’t like change because it is a control issue… she can’t see the future so she has no control over what may lie ahead. Prov 15:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
4. She has A Trust issue or he may be a jealous finance’. Maybe she went through a broken relationship before, maybe her mom and dad got a divorce because of unfaithfulness or fighting about all of the responsibilities.Gen 28:15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
5. Finds it too difficult to deal with the problems associated with marriage because of her married friends, problems, she has heard them complain so much about. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.
6. Afraid of finances and what the future may holds concerning what she has been accustom too. She knows A Marriage consist of many responsibilities and changes, some good and some bad and maybe she realizes she is just not ready to take it all on. 2 peter His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Number 7… Last but not least is Julia Robert’s problem which is: Psalms 139:13-16 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
7. She really doesn’t know who she is nor what she really wants in life… because she has lived her life, taking care of herself, her dad, going with the flow, dating and getting engaged to whomever and just liking whatever the person likes that she is with at the time? Doing what her fiancee wanted to do. Bottom line: She did not know who she really was, what she truly liked nor what she even wanted? Maybe She was afraid of what was ahead… what her future would hold. Maybe she just couldn’t embrace all the things the enemy put in her head. She wasn’t strong enough to say yes, so she just ran at the altar and left the groom in shock. It was the easiest way for her and it became a habit. She lived her life for everyone she was engaged to. She didn’t even know how she liked her eggs cooked. She ate her eggs the way her finance’ ate them. She worked in the hardware store because it was her father’s and he had been an alcoholic ever since her mom had died. It took Richard Gere to make her think and ask herself: Who she was? What she wanted in life? Really wanted? At the end she finally realizes who she was and what she loved doing… and that was… a talent! she loved making very modern eccentric lamps and lighting.
All 7 of these excuses sounds like the Church… those who sit in the church pews. We have to give up our will for God’s will so we fear commitment to God and definitely to the church. We don’t know whether we can trust God in his decisions, in along, the preacher or the people in the church. Hey we might find out they are human, right?
And you know what the run a ways are thinking, they remember those people when they were growing up in church… they remember the way the deacons, their parents or grandparents acted… they are thinking as it was in the past: no one can measure up to the standards of those people. They remember those who always caused trouble in the church… the ones who couldn’t accept the pastors decisions… the ones who were always upset over something as silly as the color of the carpet or replacing pews with chairs or removing the Hymn books for an overhead projector with those new contemporary songs… all stupid! right?
Yet God instituted The Church even with it’s flaws, Amazing Life Church is not perfect but we teach Biblical principles here, solid Bible truths. Amazing Life is a place where we gather, together to learn & find the answers to our problems. Comfort one another, love one another. You do not have to worry, Jesus Christ has established the Church. Our part is to show up, accept Christ as our Savior, tell others about Jesus and your church, love, worship, forgive and give so His church will remain relevant to every generation… It is not as complicated as we have tried to make it. Just love Jesus and love his church and love your church.
God is not looking for perfect people, He is looking for imperfect people who will give him their all… work in His church through love, not obligation. Welcome everyone, let no one be excluded, but lead everyone who will follow into his love, grace and truth through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
We have got to go after The Run-A-Way Bride Of Christ. We need them. They are His bride. I believe they still love the church but have lost trust and are confused by passed hate rhetoric instead of love, demanding perfection, I am sure they hated those rules and regulations, trying to control them.
Pastor Marvin and I have a great love for the church and this church… we want to see it flourish, because Jesus wants it to flourish just like the church did, in the book of Acts.
I want to say this again: To you who have left the church; We know and understand you want to see real people… hear real people, their stories in honesty and in meekness. We don’t want to preach you into hell as in times past but we want to love you into Heaven with us. We want to be truthful in friendship because we know together, we will find our answers through HIS love, grace and mercy. The Bible tells us, the Holy Spirit will convict us of our sins and will lead us into all truth.”
This also sounds like the run away bride today. They fear taking on responsibility to the church. They know they will never be perfect! They see our imperfection & our different interpretations of the scripture which brings about confusion and they know they have their own opinions so they feel they couldn’t measure up to the standards and it would be added stress to confront the problems they see in the church. It is just a cop out from the enemy to slow the progress of the Church! We know we are all different. God made us unique in every way. Our love for God and love for each other… our friendships are what brings us together and the word irons out most of the wrinkles in our lives. Jesus washes away our spots.
The final answer is to continue to love and to continue to walk together in peace, harmony and obedience to God, keeping the church in harmony with Jesus Christ and a welcome center to the Christian, the sinner as well as to the estranged.
Jesus instituted The Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. The Church is going to win because it has been through the flood and been through the fire… the head is Jesus Christ… so be a part of this great entity, the body. You do not have to worry about the future only live in love and forgiveness with the one who holds the future in His hands every single day of your life. It is not as complicated as we have made it.
I want to say this to all who were once in church, and you say it to those you know who were once in church, tell them we want them! We want their talents and abilities! We want their advice, knowledge and wisdom! Tell them we believe in them because God has chosen them for His great Work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Tell them open the door because Jesus knocks at their hearts door, wanting to come in. He hasn’t left them. Just open the door and let him in. He needs them in His army, rising up to win the lost. Tell them he is coming back to the Altar to receive them as his bride and we are here at Amazing Life with our doors wide open to welcome them in.
I ask one young man today that I knew had one time went to church, very involved in church, why he did not go to church now? And he said, they were always getting in my business. Sometimes when we are just trying to help while someone is trying to figure out their lives; they take it the wrong way. It is best to encourage, be available, and speak positive into their lives but allow them work out their own salvation. If they love Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their lives, they will eventually get through whatever they are going through at the moment. The Holy Spirit not only directs our lives but the Bible also says, He will convict us if it is a sin issue… so just love people. Some take more time than others.