I'm going to try to stir the pot a bit by asking a question. What is the church of Jesus for?
The latest study shows that 94% of all church goers believe the church is for them. They expect service. Good preaching and teaching, good music, good facilities, good care for them and their children. Nine in every 10 people believe the church is another institution to help meet their own personal and family needs.
But what does Jesus say in Matthew 16:18. I'll let you look that one up. If I'm reading this verse correctly, as far as Jesus Christ, the King of the church is concerned, He created the church to attack the gates of hell.
Why then do the vast majority of church-goers in America attend church like Olympic Ice Skating or Gymnastic judges with scorecards in hand, scoring everything from quality and quantity of preaching, to music volume, style to the bathroom conditions.
John Wimber, the founding pastor of the Vineyard Church Movement once asked a provocative question. He mused, "When does God get what He wants?"
Thoughts? I look forward to hearing from you.
Dan
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As uncomfortable as I feel about it, the Lord tells me over and over to open up my life to certain 'messy' people he's brought to me. This doesn't imply just talking to them on sundays at the 'church meeting', but spending my 'personal time' with them, and calling out what the Lord wants called out in their life. (not an easy task, since I naturally want to fight the whole thing and not respond, being selfish to my own goals)
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love the whole servant evangelism movement and it's intention, its only a starting point to really serving the world around us. Everytime the Lord has asked me to serve a stranger in public, it was specific, and I was afraid; praying with a co-worker, giving a stranger the money in my wallet, etc. Its easy to pass out water or groceries in a large group.
note...
I'm not diminishing large group servant evangelism, because it does do very much good for people, and its a great launching pad. I am saying... Don't stop with large group servant evangelism. Anytime during your whole day is a great time for the Lord to move. Don't be surprised when you hear the Lord ask you to do something that feels really scary, because he will.
The church (us), currently is not perfect. Our leaders are doing the best they can to listen to and respond to the Lord; thats our job as well, not just to consume.
Sorry for the long explanation; I got on a rant :)
Agree Dan! I am guessing that 94% of people believe that the "church" is a building, not a a group disciples. Hebrews 10:24-25 explains why we should meet together. The key word in v.24 is "LOVE" which is how we attack the gates of hell. Verse 25 says when to meet. Since Jesus went to the cross, the day of his return is always getting closer. So, we should meet now and often. Jesus warned us many times about judging because He knows us. Thanks for the reminder Dan, I have a little repenting to do and some scorecards to get rid of!
ReplyDeleteI should think that Mr. Wimber wasn't able to find what he wanted in the churches he had visited, lest he may not have birthed a new movement. So, its my opinion that there is the Church and then there are churches. I think all denominations and non-denominations for that matter, belong to the Church. And it is not the Church, as a whole, that I think people are judging or grading on Sundays.
ReplyDeleteI'm commenting as one of a family that is currently church-hunting, not Church-hunting. I'm looking for a new building/pastor/worship team/child-care deliverer - all of the things you listed. So, yep, I'm judging and grading and praying on the churches I visit about those very things, not because they define the Church as a whole, but because of the huge impact whichever one we end up choosing will have on our lives and walks.
How will it impact, and why is it important? Everyone learns differently, so there are different types of teachers. Everyone worships differently, so there are different types of worship leaders, for some childcare is relevant, and for some not, etc.
That said, I believe that service is not something that the church should call one to do, but rather something that one should be called to do by the bigger Church, specifically by Christ. Its like praying, or reading the Bible, or worshipping, or studying - something not everyone feels comfortable with, and usually requires a step of faith, and always requires grace. Service, giving back, tithing, (along with reading the Bible and other disciplines) we know these things aren't "required" for salvation, so we slack, forget, prioritize differently and generally act like humans about it. And when we do tithe, its also our human nature to expect to receive something for our payment - so like a new car, or house, we search for the best value, or the most-for-the-money, forgetting that we're already receiving the other 90% for free, and just returning 10% (or whatever you may tithe) to its rightful owner. Again, we fail to differentiate (like with serving) between the big Church and the church.
Many more thoughts, but ss usual, my two cents quickly became a dollar or two.
The church is made up of people. And, the church has leadership. The role of leadership is to prepare, teach, support, and LEAD the church into battle against the gates of hell. The leadership resembles Christ when they serve as leaders as in JOHN 10:11-12. The results of this particular survey have been quoted before and are a tool of Satan to classify the church body as self-serving. The people attending church today are NOT the enemy. They are the willing participants who need to be LED into battle and are looking for that! They want to serve, they want to be taught, they want to be engaged. They want their families taught. They want to be vital. Good church leaders discern that and provide them with solid leadership. That is how THEIR needs ARE MET as was quoted in the survey results. They DO have score cards, and they are looking for signs that what is being handed to them is REAL. They are looking for leaders who walk the walk, not talk the talk. When they are properly led, the people will sound a battle cry and will war against the gates of hell and conquer every time. And, to answer John Wimber's concerns: THAT is when God will get what He wants.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the question could be answered by asking another question: What are the gates of hell/what is hell, and how are they/it attacked?
ReplyDelete???
Interesting blog and follow-up questions by travismullen. When attacking gates, it is usually with the desire to force entry. Perhaps Jesus was telling us that the purpose of the Church (attacking the gates of hell) is to gain entry among those we would assume are hell-bound. Much as Jesus hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors (Think mafia goons collecting protection money, not contemporary IRS employees), we are to gain entry to the lives and environments of those our society/culture reject.
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