One Healthy Body...

 

"How is it then, brethren? whenever you come together each of you has a psalm, a teaching a tongue, a revelation, or an interpretation. Let all thee be done for edification." 1 Cor. 14:26

The Olive Garden restaurant has a slogan saying: "When you're here your family!"  I look upon the church body as the body of Christ and my family unit as my church family, as you might say, even in a family, there is diversity and people are not all clones of their parents the children do not necessarily take after their parents as chips off the old block, but are individuals and we celebrate that individuality. There is once a song that goes, "He ain't heavy. He's my brother!"   We all stand up for our brother no matter what and do not let someone bully or pick on our brother because he's a brother.  It's alright if we do but not somebody else as they say. Christians are one unit because they're one in the Spirit, not one politically agreed or socially agreed some concept of that word is not a club or a sorority fraternity type of thing but a unity of organism, not that organization and that's a very important point. 

They say that in America "We celebrate our differences," and our diversity is our strength too. We are a pluralistic society multicultural coexisting in harmony.  This also goes through the church the more diverse the members the stronger it must be. If only certain people and certain doctrines were there and no one could just dare disagree then the church would be weakened and might even lead to a cult. 

The concept of being a protestant is that you can say this I dissent I disagree I protest. We are not slaves to church dogma but have individual responsibility as well as the privilege to read our own Bibles to interpret them as we see God open them up to us. We need to search out the scriptures and see what these things are so that the pastor says as the noble Thessalonians did.  We must learn to create community and we do this by loving one another.  We love people into the kingdom we don't scare them into the kingdom with scare tactics or threats or shove the Bible down their throats.  We simply do good deeds and see that our testimony speaks for itself but we must not jeopardize our testimony by sin so we must be careful of how we act and live out our faith.   The faith we have is the faith we show, in other words.   A real church has the active presence of Christ you can sense Christ moving through the spirit because there is love in the body. 

There is a spiritual wellness when people practice their own gifting because they realize they are there for a purpose.   Each one has something from the Lord to share to give to others we all have a place in the body. A healthy body of Christ is when all members participate we are not jealous of one another and we realize our need for one another We are friends in the church in the sense that we probably would not be friends otherwise it's because Christ is the one who unites us and this will be in place in heaven there's neither Jew nor Gentile slave nor free male nor female we're all one in Christ.

As the Holy Spirit works in the body, it says we are all baptized into the body by one Spirit. It doesn't matter what gift we have as long as we have the Spirit that operates through us.  The spirit of the matter in which we practice it is that that is important.   It is too bad that some people hold things against Christ because Christians do not live up to specs or par and do not meet their expectations. Atheists like to poke fun at Christians and think we are hypocrites there's something wrong with you and people don't necessarily judge Jesus but they judge us Christians.  We ought to take note of that and realize that we do fall short. 

When I realize that it's all about Christ as Jesus said the scriptures bear witness of him that he is the Spirit of prophecy, we realize that we are here for the sake of God, not for not to promote ourselves or to make a name for ourselves or to celebrate ourselves but to celebrate Jesus he is the reason we are here in body. I bemoan the fact that Gandhi said that I would be a Christian had I ever met one or it wasn't for Christians I'd become one!  This is really a cynical viewpoint but that's the one that he thought that he was holy when he wasn't he was just a religious man in his own way. He had many virtues but that did make him a godly man. 

We must realize that people see Christ when they see us and they judge Christ by the way we act in our daily lives we are the only gospel that some people see.  When we can see the differences in our bodies our local family in Christ the church and realize we are one Spirit then we can say viva la difference.  We celebrate this diversity and realize it is a sign of strength the more alike we are, the less strong we become.  That means we cannot tolerate those who differ from us or it could be we're in a cult where people think they are right and everybody else is wrong or someone has a monopoly on the truth and has cornered the market of biblical truth claims.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Marching Orders In Perspective

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (cf. Proverbs 29:18).
"A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD's work! ..." (Jer. 48:10, NIV).
"I will show you my faith by my good deeds" (cf. James 2:18).
"Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding..." (Isaiah 5:13, NIV).
"[M]en who understood the times and knew what Israel should do..." (1 Chron. 12:32, NIV).
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (cf. John 13:17).

We take our marching orders directly from the top--Jesus Himself, who has an open-door policy through the prayer ministry! He issued the Great Commission and has entrusted the faithful to bring it to fulfillment until the day of the "Great Completion." We are not here to usher in the Millennial Kingdom nor to be utopians, but to be salt and light in a dark and lost world that doesn't know the way- Christ is the Way. Christ is to restore the kingdom (cf. Acts 1:6). Christ, who Himself will usher in His kingdom and we are here to advance His agenda and cause in making Christ known to the lost, while also paying heed to our cultural mandate or "Social Commission," which is not a social gospel.

This is not to be confused with the so-called social gospel which is a misnomer (noting that every great social cause in history can be attributed to the church, from universities to hospitals and missions) and we are to be the hands, eyes, heart, and ears of Christ that needs a helping hand--we are to multiply bread and fish and "feed the people" or to meet needs as well as preach. We are commanded to "remember the poor" (cf. Gal. 2:10). We are not to merely turn stones into bread, or do good deeds for their own sake, or lose focus of the main objective which is to preach the Word; there's no social gospel, but there's a social mandate to combat evil and be salt and light.

The church is meant to fulfill more than the gospel, but also to make disciples and to teach and prepare for the ministry to the needy, so that they will obey all that Jesus taught. We are examples to the world to whom we may be the only light they will witness. There is just enough light to see and just enough darkness not to, and we are to make a difference to those with a positive and willing attitude--(cf. John 7:17) "If any man will do His will," he shall know the truth to set him free.

But witnesses are to tell their personal story that cannot be refuted (Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so..."), though there is never enough evidence for the unwilling or skeptic, no one can disbelieve for lack of evidence, for there is ample evidence for the willing and open-minded. You must be willing to go where the evidence leads to find the truth and not rule it out as a possible reality from the get-go. Christians with faith have nothing to fear from the facts because it's an evidence and fact-based faith. Unfortunately, skeptics have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts--no amount of evidence will convince them.

Now, what purposes do the churches fulfill in detail? The primary one is the worship of God, the second is of love towards our fellow man demonstrated by works and good deeds as a witness to the world of Christ's love (mission), the next is to train up the people of God, and then provide for an opportunity of fellowship and communion of the body (contrary to popular opinion, the primary purpose of going to church is not to hear a sermon--that's only part of the equation). The discipline or training up of believers is a primary function of the church (cf. Eph. 4:13). People are to get a positive image of Christ and this can only be done when the church is doing its job, but unfortunately, today's church is largely absentee and in dereliction of duty, and many people see evil in the world and wonder where God is, but should be wondering where the church is--e.g., it has a calling to pray for all those in authority.

Secondly, the church must support mission work and contribute to the needs of the saints in the body--there should be no one who is overlooked in the time of need by a body that is blessed in order to be a blessing. The church that is not reaching out is a contradiction in terms. People often wonder what's wrong with the world and should be asking what's wrong with the church. A focus of the church largely ignored is what the Roman Catholic Church did in colonial days-- spread the light of Western civilization to a primitive world and be a cultural force to be reckoned with. It isn't necessarily the turf of the church to directly involve itself in political movements but to train in the Christian worldview that believers can go on to be a force for good in the world at large.

The church needs to realize what's going on in the world become informed and heed the wake-up call to action, flying its colors and taking its stand for Christ wherever needed no matter the cost--it must defy evil and illegitimate decrees from the government, for Augustine said that "an unjust law is no law at all." Isaiah 10:1 pronounces woe on those who decree unjust laws. The church is not to sanitize society, but to be a positive force and influence for good so that there will be an opportunity to preach the Word and minister to those in need (sad to say, though, the church has become lax in its social commission, even as the moral conscience, compass, or fiber of society). NB: It's not the government's role to outlaw all sin but to keep evil at bay and protect human rights.

In God's economy, there's always a right way to do things, and we must realize that the pragmatism of politics is evil. The world cannot survive without the aid of the church as its preservative. The apostolic church devoted itself (cf. Acts 2:42) to sound doctrine, prayer, fellowship, and communion or the breaking of bread (which presumably included fellowship meals to share with the needy and reach out in ministry and mission).

The church is to reach out to more than one demographic, recipient, or audience: the seekers, the skeptics, those of another faith or no faith, the infidel, the pagan, the atheist, the agnostic, the nihilist, the polytheist, the anti-theist, the agnostic, the mature, and last, but not least, even the baby or newborn believer--anyone's guess who's in church. Meanwhile, it must inform, educate, enlighten, and transform by preaching and teaching the Word faithfully, giving heed to sound doctrine (for heresy can creep in unawares and people become blind or callous to an orthodox faith). We must admit that doctrine is not too arcane for the Average Joe believer, for it's a matter of the enlightening of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of one's heart--though some have become hard of hearing spiritually speaking. All this is accomplished in toto by the cooperative effort of the body exercising their God-given gifts of the Spirit--all needing each other in some respect to use in ministry to each other.

The calling of the church is five-fold: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry (to believers), and mission (to the lost). Above all, the church belongs to the family of God and is to be known as a house of prayer for all members. Unfortunately, today's church seems to be the so-called "Church of What's Happening Now" and into the latest fad or movement (political or social), and is guilty of moral and spiritual laxity and negligence all for the purpose of making a name for itself, not a name for Jesus (for we are to minister and reach out in His name--e.g., too many churches are erecting edifices at great expense but have their priorities misplaced).

Our marching orders may be summed up as follows: occupy or stand our ground till Christ returns, do business as usual, not be doomsayers, purify ourselves in holiness in sanctification (living each day in readiness for the Lord), watching for Christ's return (i.e., reading the signs of the times and being ready), worshiping and glorifying our Maker and Redeemer, all while reaching out to a lost world that needs salvation. All in all, it should be the custom of believers not to forsake (cf. Heb. 10:25) the assembly together of themselves (all the more as one can see signs of the coming of Christ) and to meet with God regularly with a genuine and real encounter or experience with the Almighty in the fellowship of the body where no one is the rock but Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).

The church has always been a light to the world of its devotion and mission: Saint Theresa said she wanted to build a convent. Someone asked her how much were her resources, and she replied twelve pence. They told her that even Saint Theresa couldn't build a convent with only that at her disposal. She retorted that Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do it! We need to be examples of our faith in action and that God will always provide the provisions for His work and will. "Seek the welfare of the city I deported you to..." (cf. Jer. 29:7).

This goes a long way in making an impact on the community making a difference for Christ in the world at large and setting the example for the body of Christ at large, and so God has done something about the evils and problems in our world--He made the church and expects believers not to be remiss of their commitment to it, knowing that true faith expresses itself, because the faith we show is the faith we have!

The bottom line of the church's mission is that the members should know their place in the body (or they'll be a fish out of water!) and know what they believe (instead of pointing fingers and fixing blame we should find solutions and take responsibility) and realize the faith is defensible and they should be ready to take a stand for the truth in the world as Christ's ambassadors--the church is not a hotel for saints as much as a hospital for sinners and a training camp for soldiers of Christ to be equipped for the angelic and cosmic battle with Satan and his minions; i.e., having a working knowledge of apologetics and be ready to be defenders of the gospel and Christ. In other words, Job One is the Great Commission and we must never lose focus to keep the main thing the main thing--getting people saved is only the beginning; there must be a follow-up!

We don't just go to church just to hear the preaching of a sermon (or corporate worship), but to get a spiritual checkup, take spiritual inventory, interact in the body by means of fellowship, minister in accordance with one's gift, serve one another even in the order of the towel or the servile act of foot-washing as an example of humility if need be, to charge one's spiritual battery pack, and ultimately to prepare for the mission, which is the world, and for the angelic conflict, fulfilling the Great Commission in accordance to one's gift and preach the good news and the Word where the door is open. However, though the church at large has a directive from God, it's focusing on movements for pragmatic and expedient reasons.

"And do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" (Rom. 13:11).
"Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).

KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING! DON'T MAJOR ON THE MINORS!

The church today is sidetracked with many foci that are not commissioned by Christ--personal agendas and political causes, for instance. The church was given the Great Commission and this should be the focal point of its ministry. All other ministries are secondary and should be relegated to a lesser degree of importance--they are not of paramount value compared to the number one goal of achieving the calling given us to spread the gospel and make disciples of all nations. This commission, by the way, is not any one person's burden, because no one person has all the gifts, but it is the shared burden of the church at large. We need to do our part as an individual, as well as corporately as a church.

What we have today is the social gospel where churches are into causes so much that they are derelict in their evangelical duties (not just for evangelists--Paul exhorted preachers to do the work of an evangelist). You might say they are turning stones into bread or multiplying bread to feed multitudes and attract crowds, not converts. People are being converted to the cause, not to Christ. Bleeding Hearts is into the church and taking over because they see it as a social vehicle for change--an opportunity to spread their agenda. They have no interest in Christ Himself and no love for Him, but if He is not the center of church life they feel right at home because they have a concern for the betterment of society and to usher in their idea of peace on earth--and the church is only a vehicle for change.

The priority of the church is the Great Commission and if this loses emphasis the people never get converted to anything other than a cause. They are, in reality, converted to a program, not to Jesus Himself. The Great Commission includes making disciples (not just converts--they must be followed up and mentored or trained in the Scriptures), and in taking part in spreading the good news first at home (teaching members how to spread the good news too is implied), then elsewhere via missionaries, etc. There is no limit to the amount of impact one obedient church can have, and this does not depend on its size, because Christ was more interested in quality than quantity.

Today, with all the so-called mega-churches, we see attention given to size as what is impressive, and what most of them are is really crowds, not families; a church is a local body of believers who function as a family in Christ, not strangers who just happen to worship together. The order of growth is to believe in Christ, to belong to His body, and the church, and to grow and become what He wants for you in Christ.

Until Christ comes the marching orders for the church are not to sound the alarm as doomsayers as some today are wont to do, (we are to be ready, yes, but not to predict or act as if we know some secret revelation from God Himself as a latter-day prophet would), but to occupy the land or you might say do business as usual, in obedience; to proclaim the Lord's death till He comes; to purify ourselves in holiness and sanctification; and to watch the signs of the times (be ready saying every day, "Lord, will this be the day?"), so that we can judge for ourselves whether we feel the time is near and as we do to not forsake the assembling together of ourselves (Heb. 10:25); and most of all to worship God corporately and personally.

We are not to have an agenda of being prophecy nuts or of warning people of the coming of Christ and of coming judgment as if we are unbalanced or fanatics (what we need are more clear-thinking interpreters of the times who understand the Christian worldview, not self-appointed ministries claiming indirectly to be prophets or to be prophesying).

Many errant preachers have presumptuously predicted the coming of Christ and have been wrong (i.e., William Miller on Oct. 22, 1844, called the Great Disappointment because Christ was a no-show). The last hour was announced by John (cf. 1 John 2:18) over 17 million hours ago and Paul rebuked believers who jumped to the conclusion that the coming was near and refused to even work. It should be comforting and encouraging that Christians will be finally delivered ("Therefore comfort ye one another with these words").

In summation, '"Where there is no vision, the people perish." (cf. Prov. 29:18):   The sole emphasis of the obedient and model church is the Great Commission, and any other ministries are only secondary as they only should serve to unite the body and to reach out and spread the good news as a body. Liberal causes are rampant in the church and the church has no business getting into political causes or the so-called social gospel, which is a misnomer, and should stay focused on the gospel. The great inquiry and judgment on that day of judgment will be whether we did our part in this Commission. Causes are not taboo, but the church's function is not that; individual believers can be involved in them, but this is their own business and calling in life as they see fit. The church can give out bread, but only if it also gives out the gospel first. What we need is a wake-up call to the church, not an alarm to the world at large! Soli Deo Gloria!

The Seeker-sensitive Church...

The church is "the pillar and ground of truth," not a safe haven for the lost and happy place for the sinner, who must become convicted and find the truth. The church is not to be consumer-driven or aim to please everyone and become all things to all people. It can be sound in its doctrine and still miss the boat (it's necessary but not sufficient), for the most important goal is to have the heart in the right place, not to have one's doctrine impeccably correct, which can become a source of pride and faction. Seekers are not to become comfortable in their sin, but not feel singled out and judged by the members. Church is always in a state of renewal and reform; hence, the slogan of the Reformers: Semper reformanda or always reforming. Martin Luther said he had only begun his reforms when dying.

The marching orders of the church should always be front and center and the biblical evangel is never to be neglected, keeping the main thing the main thing--the fulfilling of the Great Commission. The church has a duty to preach the Word and to disciple the family that gathers for spiritual renewal and checkups and to exercise their gifts. Church should throw out the welcome mat to sinners and be ready to accept people for who they are, after all, it's a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints, and no perfect people need to apply. Remembering that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross! We learn to love by showing it to those in need of it and the most difficult recipients. Christ is the friend of sinners and those who realize their sin are on the road to recovery and salvation. But this doesn't mean the preaching ought to be watered down, dumbed down, nor its gospel domesticated and contextualized to suit the fancy of the listeners. Let God do the convicting and He will!

The church is more than an organization; it's an organism of a body that functions in a synergistic manner as a family to fulfill the Great Commission. The body together can accomplish more than individuals can solo. The evangelical church has become The Church of What's Happening Now doing its own thing, trying to be popular and see how big a crowd it can amass. What the latest thing is and seems to be the focus is being all things to all people, and not the gospel message. We don't go to church for socializing, but fellowshipping, worshiping, edification, discipling, and ministering--basically getting our spiritual batteries charged and our growth assessed and appraised as we examine ourselves and take a spiritual inventory. We are there to prepare for the Lord's battle and get equipped for our mission to the lost.

The truly seeker-sensitive church is one where the truth is preached and defended, not where it's watered down and avoided. The sinner needs to hear the gospel which should be the consummation and finale of every sermon. Church is to be the hospital for saints and those who realize their sin. Outreach starts with the truth being preached as the expository Word of God. Preachers ought to be biblicists of the first order--men of the Book--who rely on the Word and the Spirit, not their own acumen, scholarship, talents, academic training, for many preachers have been effective without seminary training, e.g., Spurgeon, Moody. God always honors the preaching of the Word which will not come back void and be used to God's glory to convict and edify. Doctrine is important for vitality, but church shouldn't be content just to be doctrinally correct and pure--orthopraxy (right actions) are just as important as orthodoxy (right belief).

Sinners ought not to be comfortable in their sin and realize they need salvation and came to the right place! Remember, the church is a functioning family and builds relationships, missions, and ministries. Whenever the body gathers in the name of Jesus, each member should feel free to exercise their gift and feel like themselves in their comfort zone. The seeker is the one who is out of his element and should be convicted of this. Megachurches often miss the point not seeing the church as a living, functioning body, and become some sort of a personality cult focusing on the preacher, who is more of an entrepreneur, and not the mission and gathering crowds, not families. If there is no opportunity for the member to serve, then he's in a crowd, not a ministering body that meets members needs and exercises the gifts. In a healthy church, there is a place for everyone and everyone feels welcome and part of the family! Soli Deo Gloria!

The Error Of Churchianity

Some Christians "play" church and go through the motions of worship and never go for the right reason--to worship God--they say, "I didn't get much out of worship today!" (maybe they should concentrate on what they put into it). God condemns us for having worship without our heart in it or hypocritical worship, this is just "memorizing the dance of the pious." A real hypocrite (hypocrite means wearing a mask, or acting in a play) is not one who falls short of his ideals, but one who uses religion as a cover-up and knows he is insincere.

The theme of Psalms is Ps. 29:2, "Ascribe the Lord the glory due to His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Deut. 17 condemns insincere and dishonest worship or sacrifice. Amaziah (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2) was known for doing the will of the Lord, but not with a true heart.

Someone has said that there are 4 persons that we show: The one God sees; the one you see; the one the world sees; and the one your intimate friends see. Let's be careful not to just have a "public persona" and parade our spirituality or piety. Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God--like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says. In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship. He says we believe, we belong, we become. We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.

I can't stand the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, that thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God and wants to fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow in the same ship."

I think some megachurches miss the boat in worship, you just don't hear people say, "Amen" to the preacher (where is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--mega-churches aren't where I'm at, because I want to know my pastor personally, not just from afar.

Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings...Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.

We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and sound teaching.

The more we learn the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about. We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it.  As Augustine said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Seeker-sensitive Church...

The church is "the pillar and ground of truth," not a safe haven for the lost and happy place for the sinner, who must become convicted and find the truth.  The church is not to be consumer-driven or aim to please everyone and become all things to all people. It can be sound in its doctrine and still miss the boat (it's necessary but not sufficient), for the most important goal is to have the heart in the right place, not to have one's doctrine impeccably correct, which can become a source of pride and faction.  Seekers are not to become comfortable in their sin, but not feel singled out and judged by the members. The church is always in a state of renewal and reform; hence, the slogan of the Reformers:  semper reformanda or always reforming.  Martin Luther said he had only begun his reforms when dying.

The marching orders of the church should always be front and center and the biblical evangel is never to be neglected, keeping the main thing the main thing--the fulfilling of the Great Commission.  The church has a duty to preach the Word and to disciple the family that gathers for spiritual renewal and checkups and to exercise their gifts.  The church should throw out the welcome mat to sinners and be ready to accept people for who they are, after all, it's a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints, and no perfect people need to apply.  Remembering that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross!  We learn to love by showing it to those in need of it and the most difficult recipients.  Christ is the friend of sinners and those who realize their sin are on the road to recovery and salvation.  But this doesn't mean the preaching ought to be watered down, dumbed down, nor its gospel domesticated and contextualized to suit the fancy of the listeners.  Let God do the convicting and He will!

The church is more than an organization; it's an organism of a body that functions in a synergistic manner as a family to fulfill the Great Commission. The body together can accomplish more than the individuals can solo.  The evangelical church has become The Church of What's Happening Now doing its own thing, trying to be popular and see how big a crowd it can amass.  What the latest thing is and seems to be the focus is being all things to all people, and not the gospel message. We don't go to church for socializing, but fellowshipping, worshiping, edification, discipling, and ministering--basically getting our spiritual batteries charged and our growth assessed and appraised as we examine ourselves and take a spiritual inventory.  We are there to prepare for the Lord's battle and get equipped for our mission to the lost.

The truly seeker-sensitive church is one where the truth is preached and defended, not where it's watered down and avoided. The sinner needs to hear the gospel which should be the consummation and finale of every sermon. The church is to be the hospital for saints and those who realize their sin.  Outreach starts with the truth being preached as the expository Word of God.  Preachers ought to be biblicists of the first order--men of the Book--who rely on the Word and the Spirit, not their own acumen, scholarship, talents, academic training, for many preachers have been effective without seminary training, e.g., Spurgeon, Moody.   God always honors the preaching of the Word which will not come back void and be used to God's glory to convict and edify (cf. Jer. 1:12; Isaiah 55:11).  Doctrine is important for vitality, but the church shouldn't be content just to be doctrinally correct and pure--orthopraxy (right actions) are just as important as orthodoxy (right belief).

Sinners ought not to be comfortable in their sin and realize they need salvation and came to the right place!  Remember, the church is a functioning family and builds relationships, missions, and ministries. Whenever the body gathers in the name of Jesus, each member should feel free to exercise their gift and feel like themselves in their comfort zone. The seeker is the one who is out of his element and should be convicted of this.  Megachurches often miss the point not seeing the church as a living, functioning body, and become some sort of a personality cult focusing on the preacher, who is more of an entrepreneur, and not the mission and gathering crowds, not families.  If there is no opportunity for the member to serve, then he's in a crowd, not a ministering body that meets members needs and exercises the gifts.  In a healthy church, there is a place for everyone and everyone feels welcome and part of the family!        Soli Deo Gloria!

What Destroys A Church...

Nothing destroys a church like problems within party politics!  The Corinthians, for example, were on the verge of a church split and Paul begged them to get along.  Some quarrels are not worth the adrenaline and you don't have anything material to gain in the struggle:  like Gen. George S. Patton's book Patton's Principles:  A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It, where he posits that you should pick your battles; some just generate more heat than light!   Don't fight and quarrel (and the servant of God must not quarrel according to 2 Timothy 2) over non-issues that have to vital doctrinal significance!  Remember, above all Saint Augustine's dictum:  "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

A true believer, who belongs to the universal and catholic church of Christ should be in fellowship with all members of the family worldwide, and not just his own sect or denomination or party or even clique.  What this boils down to is the tendency to judge and criticize and Paul warns against both of these weaknesses of man.  It has always been from within that the enemy makes the most inroads:  domestic terrorists, the syndicate or organized crime, traitors, double agents, spies, and even ourselves as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."  John said, that the enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil--that is our carnal nature or old man is working against God's will and is always present to defeat us and take away our victory.

Sometimes we can't agree on a leader, and we must realize that the only true leader is Christ, the only head of the church, who acts through the entire body of Christ, where no member can despise another.  Sometimes it is the leader's fault for not mediating because often the buck stops there!  If we can't agree on a leader like the Corinthians, then maybe we can agree on an arbiter like when they chose Paul to settle their dysfunctional family feud. As you may know, many families are very dysfunctional and as a body in Christ we are family, so there are likely to be jealousies, competitions, rivalries, contentions, etc., in the body, as sure as there is sibling rivalry and similar problematic relational situations.  There may be some member who has a gift of wisdom and experience to settle a matter and be a daysman, middleman, or mediator in the dispute.  We are all called to a ministry of reconciliation and to represent Christ to the world.

In sum, we can learn to walk hand-in-hand or to be in fellowship, without seeing eye-to-eye or agreeing on everything.  There has to be room for disagreement (no one has a monopoly on wisdom and is infallible--not even the Pope) and we must learn to disagree without being disagreeable, contentious, argumentative, judgmental, or divisive.  The reason we should strive for unity is because God is a unity or a union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--they are one in essences and will ("I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.") and there is no conflict in the Godhead--division is against the nature of God and we should be aware of red flag issues and not go there if it is likely to upset people--they must be ready for the meat of the Word before it is fed.  "[To equip the saints] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood" (Ephesians 4:13, ESV).  Finally, Ephesians 4:3 (ESV) says:  "[I urge you to be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Seeker-Sensitive?

Some hard-line conservative preachers don't want the churches to be seeker-sensitive. But it is to the church that the keys have been given, and the door has been opened. The church is, of course, all believers; but when they gather together they have special anointing and Spirit-power. It should be so Spirit-led that a nonbeliever could come into the service and proclaim, "O my! The Lord is present here!" We need to knock some people out of their comfort zones with lightning bolts; prophetic utterances always make some people uncomfortable--we don't want ear-tickling preachers, who only say what people want to hear, and stay away from controversy. (To avoid controversy, is to avoid Christ Himself [Read John Stott's book, Christ, the Controversialist]).

Many preachers are against pragmatic services (doing what is expedient to meet their needs--if it works it's true!) and tend to just view what they see as biblical means to the end as ordained of God (as diehard traditionalists), and God will only bless that. By pragmatic, I don't mean that the end justifies the means, or that it is just practical, or that one doesn't look at the principles (are they really biblical or tradition?) involved, but the result--pragmatics is much more common in politics--and results matter. (Billy Graham calls adjusting our outreach to the seekers as "contextualization.") I have heard it said by missiologists that the best theories are the ones that work.

What I'm saying, is that something is not working in the American paradigm of singing, liturgy, sermon, prayer, communion, et cetera-which is the European paradigm transplanted here. We need to be more inclusive and not so exclusive, like that we are the only church in town and we are right and the others are wrong. This Bible-club mentality is easily spotted: No one church has a corner on the market of truth! However, Chuck Swindoll says to not drink of just one fountain, or you will lose your discernment, so don't give the impression of being an exclusive club or "cult."

If they like us, they will like Jesus--we are the mirrors of God's glory, and they either see Jesus in us or they don't--people aren't that blind. "That they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven." I'm not saying we need to open a coffee shop in every church to be more social, or to have plays or concerts or testimonies, or special speakers to attract a crowd. What I am saying is what Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:22, "I have become all things to all people...."

Everyone can reach someone and if you are in your right evangelical outreach, God will bless your witness. Just let the spiritual gifts be manifested, and let people discover their place and God-given talents and gifts. There should be a place for everyone to serve and/or grow. We need to be a little more utilitarian, which means doing what is useful--not the greatest good for the greatest number, what some think and give it a bad reputation.

A person should be able to come to a church with the hope of getting saved if nothing else; and the door should be open. The primary foci are to edify the body and to worship the Lord, but we can't forget those who are thirsty and are coming to the fountain for a drink. Even though the mission field is primarily in the highways and byways of our towns and in our homes and workplaces, the opportunity is wide-open at the church and no one should ever leave, without having had that chance at salvation. Rom. 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the Word."

So, we cannot abandon that format nor de-emphasize it. Paul urged Timothy to do the work of an evangelist! We should all strive to be churches like Philadelphia, which wasn't reprimanded for anything but had an open door. (To be just content to be doctrinally sound at the expense of love or life is not good. We don't want to be like the church of Sardis that had a reputation that is was alive, but it was dead.

The guest should say, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the House of the Lord!'" (Ps. 122:1). "A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere" (Ps.84:10). Remember, though, that a church service is not a performance or a show or a place to get entertained, but a meeting of the body of Christ. But the person who says he didn't get anything out of the worship service went for the wrong reason. The right attitude is Ps. 84:2 which says, "I longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord."

We should be seeker-sensitive even when taking offering (which is a part of the worship) by announcing that visitors shouldn't feel obliged to give, that they are our guests. And Jesus said His house would be a house of prayer, and prayer should be emphasized even if the guest feels uncomfortable--there are things we don't compromise on. Remember Augustine said, "In essentials [nonnegotiables] unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity."   Soli Deo Gloria!