What If? Part One

What if?

I have pondered the pushback over some Facebook comments I had made. As I considered what people said, the Spirit moves me to a vision that is bigger than most of this stuff. One such vision explains why the church is limping along or misguided and thus leading folks astray. The Spirit keeps asking me, “What if the church actually acted like the church?” There is a lot to cover on this, so I think I need to write on one point at a time.

First point is that somewhere along the line, the church decided God needed our help. A foolish thought at best but well meaning. We were going to change the world and bring utopia to it in the name of Jesus. Sounds Biblical, doesn’t it? But is it?

Last time I consulted my Bible, utopia comes when Jesus returns and not before. Jesus brings the Kingdom of God in all its perfection and glory to earth on the Day of the Lord. That will be judgment day. It only happens when Jesus returns. So maybe, we need to stop trying to “change the world” and work on our own spheres of influence. In other words, we still need to change lives, but maybe not the world. After all, not everyone is going to accept Jesus. Jesus was very clear about that. So, where does the church get it wrong?

For me, it kind of explains my inclination that “bigger is not better.” Judging the work of the church by size is a fallacy. I find it doesn’t always change lives; just let’s folks feel better about the sin they are living in. I think if the church is going to be healthy and do its job as we are called, then we need to get the people in our churches saved, discipled, and grounded in the word with accountability. If this was being done faithfully in a church, most churches would be small and growing slowly. That is because we would be bringing folks from the emotional roller-coaster feel-good moment to anchoring one’s soul in Christ, while we bounce gently on the waves. It would be deep relationship with Christ and each other, rather than being part of the crowd on its way to hell.

And much of this has come about because we want to be a large church because you know, large churches are successful, have lots of people, a popular pastor, good music, wonderful Bible study, and other amenities. The problem in the vision was they eventually they have everything but Jesus.

Now I know a lot of wonderful pastors of large churches. And I know there are deeply saved and committed folks in large congregations. So, let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water. Rather, let’s start expecting the church to be the church. Let’s push the expectations and be more like Wesley. If you don’t meet the expectations, if you don’t pick up your cross and die to self, you’re out! I wonder how many would stay? And I wonder what Tomfoolery we have bought into that says, “We can’t do that, people would leave.”?

That kind of leads into the next insight – the church has abdicated its responsibility. But that is for another day.