Subject: How to "win the world" ? |
Bible Note: Greetings Larry! My this is an old post of mine, and yet I am still struggling with all of this. The "sanctuary" is now called an auditorium and the platfrom from which the Gospel is to be preached is called a stage. There are curtains for performances and places for a myriad of props. The orchestra has center stage and there is no cross in sight. If you walked into this facility, would you know you were in the house of God? Yes, I agree it is the people who make up the church, but a show of hands does not mean that souls are being saved and lived changed . . . especially since very few, if any, show up for a "discipleship class." I'm with Brian McClaren on this point, conversion is more than getting people's "butts into heaven" (From "A New Kind of Christian"). Programming is paramount and numbers are more important than names. Is this what post-modern Christianity is becoming? - Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Longing for a return to humility and reverence . . . mommapbs PS:Building The Church (pbs '01) Rick Joyner, in "shadows of things to come," explores the history of the church and urges us to learn from the mistakes of the past as we contemplate the future. He challenges us to examine our purposes as a body of believers. “We cannot try to build the church of God upon charismatic preachers, regardless of how true their preaching is or how great their gifts. The true church will only be built upon the one Foundation, Jesus Christ Himself. We should always ask the question, ‘Why are people coming to our churches?’ Is it because they agree with our doctrine? Is it because of our dynamic ministry? Is it because of our facilities? Our music? Or is it because the Lord Jesus Himself is in our midst, and we are all being joined in Him?” What are we building? Or, is perhaps the right question, WHO is being built? After the “building” is complete, what will we see - a façade, a facility or a Foundation? From the beginning of the early church to present day revivals, Mr. Joyner reminds us of the necessity to adhere to the Biblical pattern that God has established for His people: Prayer. God’s people prayed. There was no organization or “plan,” for programs do not move the Hand of God - prayer does! Prayer prepares the hearts of the individual members of the body of Christ. This process involves a humbling and a repentance that is individual as well as corporate. God tells us what we must do before He can begin to lay His Foundation upon which He will build His church. The ground must be prepared. It must be Holy. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 Sin does not reside in a building, but it often hides in a believer. We can tear down walls and rebuild, but we are powerless to eradicate the real hindrance to growth – sin in the church. Too many people confuse the church as a place rather than the living body of Christ on this planet. We must recognize that no ministry is sufficient to build the church; this is a work of God alone. As the Lord transforms our hearts and builds His church in and through us, we will find that no edifice or program will be able to contain the outpouring of the Spirit that accompanies this construction! The “if we build it they will come” mentality is inappropriate for the church when God is truly the architect and builder! Joyner reminds us that a baby is not birthed by the labor, but rather the labor is caused by the presence of the baby. God desires to build His church within us. The seed of Christ has been planted. As believers, we must nurture this kernel within ourselves and encourage one another to “grow up in Him.” If we attend to building the spiritual walls first, all future construction (physical as well!) will be a reflection of Christ, the true church. BTW, my chuch has a weekly prayer mtg. 5-6 people regularly attend - and our "church" attendence is over 1,000! |