The Church
Continuing our conversation on the church... Earlier posts on this topic can be found in the archives menu.
Upside Down
The ministry of the first century church had such an effect on the world that early Christians were actually accused of “turning the world upside-down”. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of ordinary men and women carried the gospel message to those outside the synagogue, and to those outside the city, and to those outside the region, and to all parts beyond. God relentlessly pursued the lost, ministering through the early local church.
Trace the history back to the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Watch the early church form in the Book of Acts around Jesus’ instruction: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Observe as the church is portrayed in the Epistles of the New Testament as being linked together by mutual concern, resources, communication and genuine relationships. More than the accusation of those opposed to Christianity, it was true; the church was changing the world.
What has changed that the church, once accused of turning the world upside-down, is today considered by much of society as irrelevant? What has changed that the church once united is now divided into many denominations, factions and camps? What has changed that local expressions of the church, once having generously shared their resources with one another, now possess more of a self-survival mindset?
Upside Down
The ministry of the first century church had such an effect on the world that early Christians were actually accused of “turning the world upside-down”. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of ordinary men and women carried the gospel message to those outside the synagogue, and to those outside the city, and to those outside the region, and to all parts beyond. God relentlessly pursued the lost, ministering through the early local church.
Trace the history back to the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Watch the early church form in the Book of Acts around Jesus’ instruction: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Observe as the church is portrayed in the Epistles of the New Testament as being linked together by mutual concern, resources, communication and genuine relationships. More than the accusation of those opposed to Christianity, it was true; the church was changing the world.
What has changed that the church, once accused of turning the world upside-down, is today considered by much of society as irrelevant? What has changed that the church once united is now divided into many denominations, factions and camps? What has changed that local expressions of the church, once having generously shared their resources with one another, now possess more of a self-survival mindset?
1 Comments:
At a meeting last night I quoted Howie Hendricks, a favorite author... at the risk of being redundant, I'll type it in here:
"Satan delights in innoculating the Church with a little dead Christianity so that the members are immune to the real disease."
Do we put limits on Jesus? Now that it's socially acceptable to have a little Jesus in your life, there status to be thought of. Allowing Christ full sway might make us "odd".
If we serve Jesus regardless of cost (tough to do) we become truly dangerous. But we don't HAVE to do that today. We can stumble along with just a little commitment...
We end up defining Christianity by some list... the list varies.
It may be behavioral in the negative:
"I don't smoke and I don't chew and I don't go with girls who do.")
It may be behavioral in the positive:
"I read my Bible twice a day and pray morning, noon and night."
None of them bad things, but we become rules and laws people. The Spirit moves like the wind, Jesus said. It impacts that which is around.
If we are Jesus'... TRULY His... we will be the objects He moves around and bumps us into that which HE wants moved.
The Church in America is fat and lazy on the whole. We are protective of status and seeking temporal power. Our eyes are HERE and not on Jesus.
Jesus IS shaking the world up. Chuck Colson got shook up 30 years ago. Others have more recently.
But I think the lack of scale is largely because we, the Church, are asleep at the wheel, and happy to be that way.
D
By Higher Up, Further In, at 11/09/2005 1:39 PM
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