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JC
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11 months ago
in Dutch Sheets: "We have suspended everything… even on Sundays… nothing but worship…" on PRAY|THE|REVOLUTION
HI John,
While Dutch was not looking the reformation came!! If you read books like George Barna's Revolution you will find that solid Christians are leaving the church in DROVES and have been for years. It can'be ignored now. People are leaving for house churches and relational communities where they are actually accepted and loved. (I was not even greeted at Dutches church the times I visited)
The Reformation began years ago.....sorry until now its seems Dutch missed it!!!
While Dutch was not looking the reformation came!! If you read books like George Barna's Revolution you will find that solid Christians are leaving the church in DROVES and have been for years. It can'be ignored now. People are leaving for house churches and relational communities where they are actually accepted and loved. (I was not even greeted at Dutches church the times I visited)
The Reformation began years ago.....sorry until now its seems Dutch missed it!!!
1 reply
We are not to look to the church to meet our needs, to affirm us or comfort us. While some of that might happen in the scheme of things, the primary call is to pray.
I heard it said that somewhere along the way the American church became 'pastor driven', which has basically done it in. Now, instead of having apostolic leadership, pastors are focusing on meeting needs of the people, and the people, in turn, have increased their demands on the church.
My book Covens in the Church addresses this issue in more depth. In this nation, the reformation that is coming is not one that will be relationally driven, but rather it will be mission driven.
We are suffering from the 'money changer' issue. The money changers went into the temple with the expectation of leaving with more than they entered with. They used the temple for their own gain. This mindset is infecting the church.
Jesus dealt with that attitude violently and declared the the church is a house of prayer for all nations.
Our call is to go into the church with the expectation of leaving with less than we entered with. It's a place of sacrifice and offering.
We don't choose the church we attend based on programs, relationships, teaching or what it gives us. We attend the church God assigns us to and we intercede for the nations. We take our place on the wall.
To mention that you weren't greeted at Dutch's church is an evidence of false expectations. While it's nice to be greeted, it's not a primary focus of a church to do so. When we walk through the doors of a church, we are there to minister to God.
Many are flocking in rebellion to illegitimate house churches. They didn't have their demands met in a church, so the rise up, take control and leave. Instead, they should have gone low, submitted to leadership (yes, imperfect leadership), and stayed in position.
Are there legitimate house churches? Of course, but they weren't started in arrogance or rebellion by disgruntled people. They understand their role within the larger city-church context.
So, to sum it up, the church isn't there to meet your needs, to shake your hand or connect with you. It's there to call people to bring an offering and minister to God. Can some of the relationship and other ministry occur as a result of that? Without question.