I concur with you here....
I also believe the church has lost sight of this imperative.....that is my main beef....
Intentional and deliberate discipleship, which teaches, matures, and equips people in the church like Jesus did, looks like what?
We have entirely too much teaching and worship songs about everything being God's responsibility, but thank you Jesus for mine....
Now think about my last sentence before you rush in and make a judgement....
When we have people that know the lyrics of every Hillsong worship chorus, know Beth Moore latest teaching, go to all the conferences, watch nothing but Christian TV.....but cannot hear the voice of the Spirit to move on the broken and beaten when they see them....
Houston we have a problem....
Not only Houston but the church as a whole
Firstly the saddest thing for me is that the church shoots its wounded.
Those who have gone missing in action are written off.
Those who struggle with sin or don't comply with rules they are taught or do not seem to be maturing are not true believers.
Our church today needs spiritual doctors and nurses.
Tend to the wounded, broken hearted walk with them.
Jesus is the ultimate doctor and we all need be like him.
Its also very sad because If believers are treated like that then the world will see it. A dead and wounded soldier is of no use on the battlefield.
Why on earth would someone who also struggles, who feels worthless and is looking for love want to come to church.
Truly shocking that when some pluck up the courage to come to church are then told you can't do this and can't do that.
My focus one Sunday morning centred on someone I hadn't seen before.
They sat at the back so I went and sat with them. Said hello nice to meet you.
We started to talk he then laid his whole life before me.
An alcoholic, and that was his focus. As we talked he had to go outside and top up. He asked me did I mind
I said no, I'll still be sat here when you get back.
As he went he said I need a fag as well. My response was the same.
He did come back in.
Then he went deeper with me. As I said above he poured out his heart and that heart revealed a broken man who felt worthless and useless and given his life experience it's no wonder he turned to drink.
What really hurt me (and I'm not saying our church or me is like this) he said "I suppose I won't be allowed back again because I'm a sinner and an alcoholic and even if I said I can't stop"
I just said this the place you need to be and don't stop coming.
I love you and Jesus loves you.
Your addiction is not the issue the reasons for your addiction are the issue but Jesus is a great healer.
He loves you enough to accept you where you are and loves you enough to bring you out of it.
Not saying this to look good but to me as you say Church should be a place to come alongside the the broken and the beaten.
Thats what Jesus did.