Aren’t you finding that? People who weren’t listening are still not listening? Those who were too proud to listen to good advice are now running with their hand shaking in the air. Those who mocked have just left. Those who shut out God, still are trying other things. It is sad. Perhaps the church is sadder – either scared, or making negative contributions when they could be showing the way, or else into speculations.
Please hear the words of the generals. Mario has quoted them. They say: get serious. Actually seek God instead of just your own comfort. When you do church, do it right. Don’t be distracted.
Let’s us listen. Let us, those who are in the game, step it up.
Last Sunday we considered how to identify and be good leadership rather than bad.
Who were good leaders? Obviously Jesus. What did he do? Spent time with God, healed and taught the multitude, and invested heavily in the 12 — to bring them to leadership. Moses. Spent time with God, handed down the law to create a people, judged the people, and created a leadership structure. Paul. Not smooth, not always polite, argued with other leaders. Spent time with God, had revelations, went out and founded lots of churches, wrote, and mentored leaders. Deborah. Judged Israel. Was a wife and mother. Directed the generals, Prophesied. Celebrated volunteers. Check it out.
So good leaders follow God. Good leaders feed the sheep, rather than eat them. Good leaders develop other leaders. Check out Zechariah 10 & 11. And read closely Ephesians 4:11-13 or so.
Oh, you should have been there. We are small enough that you get to ask questions during the sermon!
One of our leading members brought this pamphlet to our attention: “Is Your Church Going Purpose Driven?” https://www.swrc.com/media/pdfs/Going%20PDC.pdf
He has a book out on the topic of the pamphlet too, entitled *The Dark Side of the Purpose Driven Church.* I can not verify the details contained therein such as whether Rick Warren is against the fundamentals of the faith (including virgin birth, atoning death of cross, literal resurrection, and inerrancy of the Bible) and whether Warren explicitly teaches pastors to disenfranchise lay leaders and isolate/vilify resistors. We hope we have misunderstood the claims that Warren’s organization has put pressure on ministries and book sellers to suppress this discussion. We understand that Hybels has repented of his teaching on “seeker-sensitive.” However, we certainly and clearly do see a general blandness and sleepiness in churches and we are concerned.
We know things are not good. We were amused a few years ago when we saw a church choosing to add a statement of denial (what they don’t believe) to their statement of faith. Of course, we have long been aware of a blockage in churches for any kind of application to the civic arena. We have observed with discomfort that expertise is often not wanted, but instead yes-men without expertise. We have very sadly observed that discipleship and Bible study have become a thing of the past in amazingly many places. We were shocked to discover formerly strongly pentecostal or leading charismatic churches are now both hiding and suppressing any sort of charismata.
Hutchings was a conservative Baptist broadcaster. Of course, I do realize that Noah Hutchings is mistaken in his claims about the Masoretic text versus the Textus Receptus. Overall, however, Brother Hutchings had a long, faithful and fruitful life and ministry. We do not have to agree on everything to take someone’s point.
Hutchings is making a good point, especially if taken in general: modern fashions in the church growth movement are enervating, weakening the church. Let us not be so concerned with numbers that we fail to actually be (let alone convert) Christians. Let us not be so seeker-sensitive that there is no reason for anyone to be seeking for God near us. Let’s don’t be snookered out of faith.
At Jesus Name, our model of how to do church is much less concerned with money and show and much more concerned about growth in God and reaching out in real community for others. We hope a model that sacrifices the niceties of space and art can grow more quickly. We hope that leadership that is more concerned with replication than return customers can evangelize and fission more quickly. We hope a model that adheres to the Bible more faithfully can be more fruitful in the eyes of our Lord.
And surely a church with Jesus Name as its name will not forget a relationship with the One who has shared His Name with us.
We have been on the quiet side. First, our Wednesday am women’s group started moving around to accommodate one we were trying to help. Then I was dealing with a family issue. We are ready to stir up again. Particularly, I’ve been for a long time searching for a Friday night prayer meeting. Clearly, our nation needs prayer. It is time for us to join hands across denominations and pray. Well, if no one is going to do it, I am. Please contact me for address.
ANNOUNCEMENT: NOW PRAYING ON FACEBOOK, PROMOTING GOD’S KINGDOM AT 7:00PM
fyi: Lance Wallnau on the current situation. Let’s pray Jeremiah 49 with Lance. As one!
Lots more is coming.
BTW, every website gets a lot of spam. I notice this website has started to get spam, but of a particular character: occultic! We will take that as confirmation that we are making a difference. Derek Prince taught, as do his proteges, the Chavdas that such resistance is a time to rejoice. It means that the spirit realm sense God is planning great things. In any case, we believe that Jesus is Lord of all. Don’t you? Don’t you want that kind of God, the kind that lives, dies, and lives again for you?
We talked a little on The Great Shalom in general about how it IS possible to disagree and still love someone. This seems so very normal and so obvious, that one might wonder why the question would come up. Do husbands and wives have different favorite activities? How about children and their parents. Of course. And mature people can even love one another across divides such as denominational doctrine or politics. That is why we all go see one another at Thanksgiving, right? Haha. Of course.
Now the question gets put more seriously. “You don’t love me if you are judging me.” Who knows what the definition of “judging me” is? Worse, how about this one: Unless you agree with me totally, then you don’t love me. In our world of really outlandish claims and apparently very new behaviors around sexuality, here is a new claim. Made forcefully, by someone we love, it is very intimidating. Does it make sense?
What about Biblically? Does the Bible have some something to say about this? Ironically, we were on that very passage, or I was, when the question came up. Here is a fulsome account and opening of the Scriptures. Compare Ephesians 5: 7 and 5:11.
The short answer is of course, what about Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery. Surprisingly the young women I was trying to teach already had noticed or heard that adultery takes two people. So, yes, Jesus said, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” He also said, “Go and sin no more.” So Jesus loved the woman, presumably without any wrong judging, but did not approve of the lifestyle.
We take the position that yes, you can love someone, and yet disagree with them over lifestyle. Further, it is not up to us what sin is. This is not our judgment. Indeed, it is hard to find any human who is not a sinner. Of course, we can love people.
We might want to spend some time on learning how to love and how to feel loved. How about that? Wouldn’t Jesus be a good role model for being loving? And help to feel loved?
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