"Tell me what the world is saying today,
and I'll tell you
what the church will be saying seven years
from
now" - Francis Schaefer.
Unfortunately this quote from one of the
greatest
thinkers of our time speaks volumes to the
pattern the
church world has followed for some time.
Instead of
the body of Christ setting the standard for
Christian
lifestyle, we have been following the trends
of the
world. In fact, more worldly trends have
affected the
church than the church has affected the
trends. Our
music, our worship, our very lifestyle have
become
world-centered and not Christ-centered.
Worship in
most contemporary churches desires to
break from
past traditions to embrace present fads
and curve
new future styles.
This is one of the most challenging times in
modern
church history. From the rich heritage of
apostolic
leadership to the modern ecclesiastical
turmoil of our
day, the church is still struggling to identify
true
headship of the body of Christ, while the
world decays
away. The crowning hour of the church has
always
been in the greatest storms of life. Could it
be the Lord
is preparing us to shine as never before?
While we
are faced with decay in government,
society, and world
affairs, the mandate is apparent; the
church of Jesus
Christ needs to rise up.
The church is both mystical (invisible) and
institutional
(visible). We are the body of Christ; the
supernatural,
miracle working, kingdom of gifted ones.
We are also
an organized, developed, governmental
church with a
rich ecclesiastical heritage and a mandate
for global
conquest. Jesus stated we were to
become the "salt
of the earth" (see Matt 5:13) and "The light
of the
world" (see Matt 5:14). This means that
Jesus
expected the church to be the leaders, the
trend
setters. Jesus also stated, "When he
returns will He
find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8). I
wonder does this
mean faith in God or faith in one another.
We are also
the anointed ones who spread love by
example and
not by dictation.
There is no question that Satan is on his
job, but the
real question is whether or not we are
fulfilling our
assignment of kingdom building or
kingdom clashing.
When you evaluate historical church
history, you are
faced with the surprising image that the
church really
soars in crisis (Acts 8:1; vs. 4). The
modern global
financial and economic crisis is nothing
compared to
what the church endured to be birthed.
First century
Palestine was considered one of the
poorest,
depressed, germ filled areas of the world
at the time.
Yet, Christianity's humble roots can be
traced here.
Disease, poverty, despair, and danger are
just
ingredients for miracles to flourish.
We are faced with new challenges from the
same old
enemies; new dangers from the same
sources. But
has the church grown, strengthened, or
excelled, or
have we relaxed and gotten soft on sin.
The doctrine of
sin is "Hamartiology," and it comes from
two Greek
terms, namely, hamartia meaning "sin" and
logos. So
it really details the biblical doctrine of sin
including its
origin, nature, transmission, effects, and
judgment.
The mature message of the church today
is not the
age-old message of righteousness, but the
understated message of handicapped
Christianity.
You know when we glorify the
imperfections of some
and criticize the perfection of others. When
we
become time-honored of every life style,
problem and
issue and excuse them with the scriptures.
How many
time have we heard, "God understands."
One of my main issues I encounter every
day
is "scripture twisting," when one uses the
scriptures to
support an idea that bears little exegesis
or
substance of the text. Yet when one raises
issues or
concerns about how things are handled in
the body of
Christ today, your credibility comes under
attack.
Instead of hearing the message, we attack
the
messenger. No wonder the church of
Jesus Christ is
mixed up. We are constantly faced with
whether we
trust a seasoned word from the Lord
(scripture) or do
we put our faith in so-called fresh
revelations pouring
out from modern day sooth Sayers.
I want to end with two scriptures that are
pressing in my spirit. A prophetic look at
what the scriptures record about th end-
times is healthy.
But first he must suffer many things and be
rejected by
this generation. "Just as it was in the days
of Noah, so
also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
People
were eating, drinking, marrying and being
given in
marriage up to the day Noah entered the
ark. Then the
flood came and destroyed them all. (Luke
17:25-26
NIV)
While people are saying, "Peace and
safety,"
destruction will come on them suddenly, as
labor
pains on a pregnant woman, and they will
not escape.
(1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 NIV).
The direction of the Church universal and a
warning for our day:
- She is being forced out of her comfort
zone for
global missions, not empire building
- A new era of leadership with no claims
to
succession is rising
from the east to bless the west
- A renewal of signs and wonders will be
sweeping
through the continents as global impact for
change
intensifies.
