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Times have change however The Word of God have never changed. I am not a big fan of Francis Chan however I came across a sermon of his the other day. It was interesting hearing him talk to his church, and the thing that struck me was that he kept telling his congregation that he was not comfortable in calling what they were doing "church". After listening it made me wonder if, what I had experienced all my life could have been called "church". This is not a church bashing blog however I know a few readers out there think that however on the thought of simplifying our lives and simplifying the church I have to go deeper.
Pastor Chan stated, “If I were stuck on a desert island with nothing but the Bible, what would I end up with?” I have to ask myself, “Is that what we have today? Is that what our churches look like today?” My thought after listening to this message was, have we put way too much of us into making a church that we have forsaken the Bible and what it calls us to do.
Have our churches really become more about what we would like then what the Bible has called us to do. I fear that even those who are “rethinking” how church should be done are doing nothing more than what those did who got us in the place we are in now – came at it with a there personal view in the front and Jesus on the side. Don't get me wrong change is needed in the church for a dying church.. Note I spoke on this many weeks back. Pastor Chan stated, “If I had this to do over again, start church, here is what it would look like. A group of devoted people meeting together; Loving Others, Getting the Message of Jesus out to others, Depending on the Holy Spirit, Doing communion regularly and together, and last Praying together" It made me think, for anyone thinking of planting a church have they come to this fact of what they want in a church or of what God already defined the church to look like. I hope in ten years down the road, I can look at my people and say, THIS IS CHURCH!
In His Grip,
-Pastor J
