“C’mon man” (come on man) is a phrase used on Monday Night Football in response to shockingly bad decisions, inappropriate decisions, poor execution, and bloopers.

I have heard, through the years, brethren say things which completely shocked me.  Things that make me want to say “C’mon man!” or “C’mon brother!”  Let us add to our previous list.

1.    “I would, if you were to run as a (political party).”

A faithful Christian was considering running for a political office.  He spoke with one of the elders of the church where he attended.  He asked the elder, “Would you vote for me, if I decided to enter the race.”  The reply was the above words.  Another member of the church overhearing this chimed in, “He would vote for Satan, if he ran as a (political party).”  The elder replied, “Yes, I would.  He would have to be better than who was in the other party.”  I do not believe that he was joking.

It is time that character and issues matter more than party.  Some are more loyal to their party than they are to God.  “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).  “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2).

2.  “Let’s slow down on the baptisms.  We are baptizing too many.”

It was a productive year.  Hundreds of home Bible studies had occurred.  Dozens had been baptized into Christ.  Almost every week  another was baptized.  The church was experiencing some growth pains.  One man suggested that we show down on personal work and give new converts an opportunity to assimilate before adding more.

It is true that much work need to be done to help these new converts mature, but slow down on personal work when there is an open door?  C’mon man!  The early church grew rapidly.  “The Lord added to the church daily…” (Acts 2:47).  Let us get on with the work.  “Souls that are precious, Souls that are dying.  While we rejoice our sins are forgiv’n; Did He not also die for these lost ones?  Then let us point the way unto heav’n” (Song: Swiftly We’re Turning by Ruth Carruth).

3.  “What’s the benefit for us?”

I was preparing for a mission trip to a foreign country.  A man in a local church asked during a men’s business meeting how my trip would benefit the local church.  Now understand that the local church had not been neglected.  It was actually growing.  I was shocked.  After all, the church had agreed that I could make such trips.

How does one respond?  I wonder if the church at Jerusalem had this attitude when Peter and John went to Samaria (Acts 8:14)?  I wonder if the church at Antioch had this attitude when it sent Barnabas and Saul to Judea for famine relief (Acts 11:27-30)?  Or, when they sent Barnabas and Saul on a missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3)?  Richard Mansel remarked, “It is the height of irony that so many American Christians found it an abomination that the gospel was taken to African nations and India, when those countries will (possibly – B.H.) send missionaries back to the United States one day” (Mansel, How Dare We Take the Gospel to Those People!, forthright.net).

4.  “Can’t you just drive another way to work?”

A Christian sister (we’ll call her Mary) taught and converted a young lady (we’ll call her Beth).  Beth seemed to be doing fine for several months.  However, Mary started noticing something which concerned her.  Mary drove to work very early some mornings, and she came home very late on other days. Her drive took her past Beth’s house.  She noticed that a local man’s car was at Beth’s house at odd  times.  She talked to Beth about this, but flimsy excuses were made.  Mary talked with the elders about the situation.  They did not want to get involved.  They did not want to even make a visit.  One elder’s wife told Mary, “Why don’t you just drive to work a different way, so you won’t have to see the situation.”  It took a year for the elders to finally make a visit.  It did not go well. The couple was living together, and had been so living for a long time. The elders comforted themselves by saying that it would not have mattered if they had made an earlier visit; but, who really knows what an earlier visit may have done.

“C’mon man!”  Do we care about souls or not?  God said, “My sheep wandered through the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, my flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them” (Ezekiel 34:6).

5.  “She is no longer a member here.”

A young Christian has very publicly sinned, even bragging about her sin on social media.  I remarked, to a member of that local church, that the church there had some work to do.  The reply was that the person was no longer a member, she had not attended regularly in some time. Whether she was still a member there, or not, I do not know.

However, Too many congregations wash their hands of their responsibility by saying, “He is no longer on our rolls.  We removed him when he stopped attending regularly.” When you start asking questions, many times you find that no real effort was made to visit or study with the person.

What about concern for the lost?  “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1).  “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).  Think of the words of the song seeking the lost – “Going afar upon the mountain, bringing the wanderer back again, into the fold of my Redeemer Jesus the Lamb for sinners slain” (Song: Seeking the Lord by W.A. Ogden).

6.  “Jesus Christ is King of the Jews, and the rest of it is garbage.”

It was one of these heated men’s meetings.  A controversy was simmering in the church over what the Bible taught on marriage, divorce and remarriage.  One man spoke the above words.  What he meant was let’s just teach Jesus is King and leave the rest alone.

However, if Jesus is King, then there is something implied.  His words have authority.  The rest of it does matter.  He taught on the subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5; 19).  It is up to us to study and discern the meaning, and application for man today.  His words matter (Matthew 7:24-27; John 12:48).

We all have made mistakes and have said and done things we shouldn’t. May God forgive us. May we seek to do better. “C’mon brethren,” let us take our Christian duties seriously, and give our very best. Eternity is coming! As the song says “(C’mon) Get right church and let’s go home.”