Lord, Empower Your Church!
How God’s patience must be tried by a pointless, puny, peaked, pusillanimous church! The first believers were filled with a holy fire, charged with the mindset that with God’s helps, they could change the world. Laying aside everything, even their own personal safety, they challenged religious institutions and traditions, governments, even hell itself with the exciting message that life must be more than just accumulating things and surviving three score and ten. They lived and proclaimed a life that is eternal in the heavenlies and that comes only through the crucified and risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Their’s was a bold message and a bold proclamation. They faced insult, assault, threats, torture, even death; but, they would not… they could not quit. The blood of the martyrs did, indeed, become the seed of the church, and governments crumbled, lives were changed, and the church lived!
Today, believers seem more intent upon doing church than discovering what church is. Is it formal or informal, casual, contemporary, or charismatic? Do you dress up or dress down? Is there a choir, a piano, a pipe organ or a rock band? Do you sing hymns or choruses, and do you serve coffee, bottled water, or just sit reverently in order to be still and know that He is God? But, where is the fire, the boldness, the signs and wonders that announced to a lost world, "God is here… come meet with Him!"
I suggest to you that none of the things we do when we do church are unimportant, but neither are they important. They are preferences, styles, reflections of the cultures we come from or in which we live. Does God really care if the building has a steeple or if you serve gourmet coffee? Is He offended by lighting and visual aids or turned off by praise songs accompanied by a bass guitar? And, is He impressed by either a suit and tie or shorts and sandals? Are these the things He is looking for or that He has promised to bless? No! "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." And, He says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." (Ps 51:17)
When will the power return? When we command it to appear? Would we really be so brazen? No, it will come when heavenly food is served to people with good appetites! When the Word of God is faithfully and powerfully and clearly taught to hearers who are eager to learn and put into practice what they learn, the fire will again fall. When the church once again grasps the vision of changing the world, one soul at a time; when believers seize their calling and surrender to the Savior Who has called them, it will come. But, we must pray that God would start the fire. Our eyes must be opened and our hearts changed from a people who are more preoccupied with the temporal than with the eternal. There must be a transformation in the pew before there will be a significant and eternal impact upon the community and the world. "God help us!" That must be our cry!
God has promised that His church will not fail. It will continue, and there will be faith when He comes. The question is, will we miss the blessing? Will we enjoy our services and do church in our favorite setting while our calling goes unheeded and the message goes unheard? Will we miss the power because we have missed the presence?
When the early believers asked for boldness, God sent the power. The building shook and the people spoke. Lord, do it again.
The Lord’s church rocks!
Today, believers seem more intent upon doing church than discovering what church is. Is it formal or informal, casual, contemporary, or charismatic? Do you dress up or dress down? Is there a choir, a piano, a pipe organ or a rock band? Do you sing hymns or choruses, and do you serve coffee, bottled water, or just sit reverently in order to be still and know that He is God? But, where is the fire, the boldness, the signs and wonders that announced to a lost world, "God is here… come meet with Him!"
I suggest to you that none of the things we do when we do church are unimportant, but neither are they important. They are preferences, styles, reflections of the cultures we come from or in which we live. Does God really care if the building has a steeple or if you serve gourmet coffee? Is He offended by lighting and visual aids or turned off by praise songs accompanied by a bass guitar? And, is He impressed by either a suit and tie or shorts and sandals? Are these the things He is looking for or that He has promised to bless? No! "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." And, He says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." (Ps 51:17)
When will the power return? When we command it to appear? Would we really be so brazen? No, it will come when heavenly food is served to people with good appetites! When the Word of God is faithfully and powerfully and clearly taught to hearers who are eager to learn and put into practice what they learn, the fire will again fall. When the church once again grasps the vision of changing the world, one soul at a time; when believers seize their calling and surrender to the Savior Who has called them, it will come. But, we must pray that God would start the fire. Our eyes must be opened and our hearts changed from a people who are more preoccupied with the temporal than with the eternal. There must be a transformation in the pew before there will be a significant and eternal impact upon the community and the world. "God help us!" That must be our cry!
God has promised that His church will not fail. It will continue, and there will be faith when He comes. The question is, will we miss the blessing? Will we enjoy our services and do church in our favorite setting while our calling goes unheeded and the message goes unheard? Will we miss the power because we have missed the presence?
When the early believers asked for boldness, God sent the power. The building shook and the people spoke. Lord, do it again.
The Lord’s church rocks!
3 Comments:
I would appreciate your perspective on how much the "appearance" of the church changes as the world view changes.
For example if we introduced Christian Rap Music to accomodate one segment, would we limit the ability to reach out to the Christian Pop Music crowd.
I chose music as the discussion point but think it is equally valid to use sports, Kids Programs, or other activities as examples.
Personally, I prefer accopela (sp)(unaccompianed) human voices. After all there won't be any instruments in Heaven. Unless the Angels play them of course. I remember some trumpets that will be used!
Anyway, have you ever heard the sound of a 1000 voices in harmony? I can recall Cliff Barrows leading a Billy Graham Crusade in 1963.
Remember Acts 1:8; 2:1-4 ?
Does anyone have the right to proclaim that the Holy Spirit does not fall on any believer anymore?
Why would a believer deny a separate event after Salvation ?
Why is "speaking in an unknown tonque" not for today?
THe WORD JESUS is the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER !!
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