The Stink or the Storm

‘Let my prayer be...as incense...’ Psalm 141:2 NKJV

Noah’s ark is a picture of your church. It wasn’t a luxury liner; can you imagine spending a year in that ark with all those animals, and just one window? But Noah had only two options-the stink or the storm. So what’s the relevance here? That there are no perfect churches! Furthermore, if you found one and joined it, you’d ruin it! We all love to talk about the power of the New Testament church, but what about its problems? They had hypocrites. Remember Ananias and Sapphira? They had financial scandals (Acts 5). They had doctrinal differences that almost split the church down the middle (Acts 15). And they had moral problems. They actually had a man belonging to the Corinthian church who was sleeping with his stepmother (1 Corinthians 5). So what should you do when there’s a big stink in your church? First, don’t spread it. ‘And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV) Secondly, work for reconciliation. ‘…if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently…’ (Galatians 6:1 NIV) Thirdly, pray. Don’t be discouraged when ‘flesh acts like flesh’. And don’t be part of the problem by being immature; instead, be part of the solution. The Psalmist said, ‘Let my prayer be set before You as incense.’ When problems arise in your church, you should pray, walk according to God’s Word, and believe Him to bring good out of the situation.