Since time past when I left the institutional church, as we know it – the traditional church, by the grace of God I am now in fellowship with other believers who are also pursuing the organic Church that we read of in the New Testament. I am learning what it must have been like in the first century Church that we read in the Book of Acts and Paul’s epistles. God is gracious in that the Holy Spirit has us continually repenting of our sins. Many of us – if not all at some time – have been raised to see church through the eyes of man’s traditions and have failed to experience the life of Christ in His Body.
There are two books that have started to help us as we come together under the Headship of Jesus Christ. God is doing a work and we are coming to the realisation that what we perceive to be church practice is in fact missing the ekklesia practiced in Scripture. There must be more that Father wants to give us than what we are receiving in the church buildings. We know God works in every situation, but are we allowing Him to work as He intended or are we following after a whole new set of rules ordained by man? If so, we are then creating a false god in how we do church – we are following after man and his traditions rather than the True God of the Bible. (As Paul said, “The manifold wisdom of God – which is Christ – is known through the ekklesia.”)
We need to start asking the correct questions. Why do we see the vast majority of Christians sitting comfortable in the pews on Sunday and are idle in their love and pursuit of the lost? Or possibly showing no growth and lack of Spiritual fruit? Can the reasons be because we are not doing Church by the Bible?
Here are some links to challenge us believers -
* Reimagining Church Blog by Frank Viola
* Pagan Christianity? and Reimagining Church
Filed under: Frank Viola, George Barna, Leonard Sweet, Pagan Christianity?, Reimagining Church
You wrote: Many of us – if not all at some time – have been raised to see church through the eyes of man’s traditions and have failed to experience the life of Christ in His Body.
I couldn’t agree more. I have a ministry to Muslims.Sadly, I am continually shocked at how resistant Christians are to reaching out in friendship to the moderate Muslims who live and work among us. I speak on this subject and recently co-authored a book, Through the Eyes of Christ: How to Lead Muslims into the Kingdom of God. It’s been endorsed by Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and others. Really, evangelizing Muslims is the only answer to terrorism and the spread of Islam in America. God covets their hearts and we, the followers of Christ, are meant to be His vessels. We are not meant to serve man, we are meant for God to serve man through us. Every man.
Nikki, thank you for your response.
We are indeed to be God’s vessels for His will to be done here in earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The reality is that man’s traditions (which includes denominations) have caused a division (Schism) within the Body of Christ. We all need to get back to the heart of God and His Body – the Church of the Bible.