Okay, the title was just to get your attention.
I was discussing an issue with someone not too long ago when I was asked: "What do you [the church I am a part of] do for this community?"
My response was: "We're [the church] trying to get see lost people born-again."
To which that person said: "That's it!?...the lost, born-again?"
So I must ask: What effect does someone being born-again have on the community at large?
There is a pesimistic side of me that bemoans the lack of transformation in the lives of people who claim to have "received" Christ.
What is the function of the church? Is it really relevant? Does it matter? Sure, as a pastor and Christian (pastors aren't always Christians... I can name some) I would say yes it does matter, but does it really?
Our nation is full of churches. There are churches on every corner! But our society continues to make the wide sweeping spiral downward morally. Something has to give!
The church is suppose to be the called out. That's how it is literally translated from Greek. The church is suppose to be the body of Christ; described as such by the apostle Paul. So what was Christ about? He told Nicodemus I've come to seek and save the lost.
SIDE NOTE: For all the tele-evangelists out there: That doesn't mean he came to make humans rich. For all the social justice over-emphasized crowd: That doesn't mean he came to erradicate poverty. Whoa, I stumbled upon something there... tele-evangelist and 'wacky' social justice folks have similar theology. (My lawyer told me to add this clause: I am for social justice and using media to communicate the Gospel.)
But I must ask myself: where is a New Testament church?
Liturigical worship? Yeah, remember at Pentecost where they all dressed up in funny garments and put on crazy hats, then read prayers while chanting about Mary, then mumbled incoherently while performing some other rituals. You remember now... 3000 people got saved.
No, it must have been more relevant than that. Yeah, I remember now. At Pentecost, Peter preached on four steps to financial freedom, how to have a 'marvelous marriage,' and "Your best life now." Then 3000 people were born again (even though nothing was said about repentance).
Well, maybe it was more punk than that. Everyone in the upper room wasn't actually praying. In all actuality they were getting tattoos, piercings, and practicing for the 'rock' concert. They had people drive Harley's (donkeys named Harley) across the 'stage.' 3000 people were head-banging during the concert so they assume that 3000 people were saved.
So, back to the original question: Is all you do is lead people to Christ?
Yes, but that's all that really matters. A Real God brings Real Change in Real People.
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2 comments:
Just an aside about the snark about liturgical worship: I'm surprised that you said that!
G-d mandated the funny garments and crazy hats (and the reading of prayers and funny chanting) for the Jews. While I agree the chanting shouldn't be focused on Mary, all the rest of the liturgy was put into place by G-d himself. And if you are one for following the Mosaic Law (which I know you are), I still don't understand how you can say that Christ basically said that we keep the 10 Commandments and ditch the rest of the Law (and I still don't know how you can hold a theology that says we have to keep the Mosaic Law at all with Romans).
For all we know, that room in Pentecost was done like any other good Jewish prayer meeting.
If the order of service you minister at anything like Lafayette (I regret I've not made it down to Greensburg yet!), then it is just as liturgical as anything the Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox do.
I know that go out of your way to make points about shortcomings in church trends today (as well you should be!) but didn't G-d say something in the Old Testament about the widow and the orphan (and the oppressed)? There were plenty of people that Jesus came in contact with a lot of people that followed the Law to the iota. Jesus taught his disciples to be different somehow.
I love your Jared! I always read your blog like I'm reading something from Paul (or Ignatius of Antioch, or someone)!
There seems to be some stuff about Law that has come up here. I'll tell you my personal opinion about the Old Testament law.
A few points:
I do not believe we have to keep the Mosaic Law.
The Old Testament law is broken down into three categories:
1- Sacrificial/Ceremonial Law
2- Legal Law
3- Moral Law
1. Sacrifical/Ceremonial Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. John 1:29 "The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"
Also you can note (although 7th day Adventists disagree) in the book of Acts that God does away with food restrictions, circumcision, and those weird laws we just don't get. They were contextual to the people of Israel living among the Cananites.
You can also see that the ceremonial stuff that involved the temple being the only dwelling place of God was done away with. After Jesus is crucified the curtain in the temple is ripped top to bottom.
Jesus paid the price so there is no longer any need of the sacrificial system or its accompanying ceremony (there is a place for some liturgy).
2. Legal law. This is the law concerning how the Israelites were to run their government.
Obviously since they ceased to be an independent nation they no longer apply. (Present day Israel is something of a trophy rather than a the original intention of the nation.)
3. Moral Law. Moral law doesn't change. You break moral law, you go to Hell. The wages of sin is death.
Hebrews 10:26-27 "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, [27] but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries."
I am unapologetic about the fact that murder is still a sin, it is still wrong, and it will still send you to Hell. Same way with idolatry, adultary, bearing false witness, stealing ,etc.
I doubt you could say that I was as liturigal as a Roman Catholic or Eastern/ Greek/ Russian Orthodox church.
God never says we should read prayers. It doesn't matter if you use big words or not. I never come home to have my wife "read" to me about how much she loves me.
That's just a side note about reading prayers.
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