Doing It On Sunday
With all the stuff we get to do on Sunday's I have found a practice that makes me smile. You can do what you want to do, but I enjoy a practice that makes me smile. Since I've noticed that my neighbors don't go to church I thought maybe I could take the church to them. As God opens the door I walk through that door. My Sunday "must do list" includes visiting with a neighbor or two. Since I am part of the church -the family of God - a child of God - I go to them. Isn't that what Jesus calls us to do?
What do they see? What will they hear? How will they see me and hear me? It's fun to get to know them. I spoke with Chris and Kim today and we are continuing to build a relationship. I just knocked on their front door and made conversation. They just finished some work in their woods behind their house. They cleared the woods to see the pond and it looked great. Chris took me back and showed me his work and I commended him for the end result. We had a great visit - God opened the door.
As we go to church on Sunday have you ever considered taking the church to others? I love being the church and taking the church to others. Life is all about relationships. The message of Christ is all about relationships.
Let's take the church to our neighbors by being the church and going to them.
posted by Bob Carder @ 8:13 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
I'm probably going to turn your crank on this one, but one of the big concerns I have when any Christian (not just you!) doesn't go to church on Sunday, is the whole "justification" issue -- and I don't mean the theological term!
I mean the ways we humans are so adept at justifying our actions to support what we're doing. "I can be just as close to God on the golf course with my unsaved friend, as I can be in church."
That is a true statement. You CAN be, but WILL you be? My concern is that Mom is right (she always is, you know). And your friends do tend to drag you down, rather than allow you to lift them up. I've seen this happen in my kids' lives...we've talked about this.
Do I suggest not hanging out with pre-Christians (or whatever term you prefer)? No, certainly not, and this is an area I am way too weak in, but if you aren't in church hanging out with people who can bring you up, not down, then where is your strength coming from?
"From God," I hear you say with authority and passion. Of course, in theory, but in practice ... maybe it's just me and my weak faith, but if I go for too long without being in the presence of God's people, gathered in community for worship, I start to slip away. I start to feel distant from my fellow Christians and from God.
I even agree that it's OK to, from time to time, "patrol" your neighborhood building relationships instead of going to church. But I contend that community (found in what you call the "Come and See" model) is essential, integral, required. I know it is for me.
I can, and do, worship God on my own. But my singular worship doesn't compare with true community shared worship. God delights in His people, plural, praising and worshipping Him.
Remember Mike, I never said skip Church...I actualy enjoy a good worship service. But what are you doing to reach your neighbors? If going to church replaces reaching our neighbors we have missed something important.
Go to Church and then seek ot a neighbor for relational purposes.
THAT I do agree with. I like your post on going to church AND being the church. We have harmony there. :)
This will raise your blood pressure:
Just don't forget that this going to church "Come and See" system has taken us away from the mandate of Christ to go into the world. All too often believers go to church to avoid being the church or going into the world. We used to and still do keep people so busy in the church that they have no time to be the church. How many Sunday nights I wished I could be like normal people and spend the evening with family or friends in a way that could connect with the unreached. I missed millions of opportunities to reach lost people while serving the already reached inside the four walls of a building called the church. I'm sad about that.
Mike, Are you the church? How are you being the church? By the way, I'm not just doing it on Sunday -I'm doing (being) and intentionally building relationships with lost people in order to disciple them over a lifetime.
If we had to choose between being and going -I will opt for being and I still believe and scripture supports that being the church springs out of private and public worship in all forms, places and on all days. The American Church is plateued, declining and dying because we opt for "Going" at the expense of "Being" and intentionally going into the world to love, building relationships and discipling the Christ following over a lifetime.
Yes -I admit it. I did it wrong for over 30 years. I thought going was the important thing and I encouraged that also. I grieve and I repent!
"Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together" - can be in many different contexts other than Sunday "Comer and See" events. Why do we do so much work - planning for the "Come and See" event we call worship and why do we think that is all we need to do?
The Gospel says, "Go" - But our Church buildings say, "Stay." The Gospel says, "Seek the Lost" - But our churches say, "Let the Lost Seek the Church."
Dare I say anymore?
The planter wrote:
"Dare I say anymore?"
I laugh, and write: Duh, of course you dare. That's what you do, my friend and encourager!
I agree with you -- even though I have precious little "being the church" in my life at the moment. I know it's a problem, and not just for 'the church,' but for me, too.
But even though I am not doing it "right" (according to you) -- I do still say, and you agree, that there is an important place for corporate worship. JUST NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF "BEING" THE CHURCH.
Corporate worship can be part of "being the church," however. It is a PART of being the church. I do believe God honors true worship of Himself, whether that is done corporately or individually or in neighborhood ministry.
But I have much growing to do in the area of BEING the church.
Oh, by the way, I have VERY LOW blood pressure. So, you just TRY to raise it, brother...see if you can!
Carl:
My deepest relationships, outside of immediate family, are with a few close friends at church.
Those relationships started at church, but built and deepened by mutual interaction in each other's lives -- as you suggest. But I would never have met them were it not for going to church.
So I have no problem with the terminology of "hanging out at church." It's a colloquialism that certainly fits the situation.
Am I missing your point? Or does this answer your question? Bobert knows I'm teachable, so feel free...
Hey, I sure love the dialogue here. Keep writing we are on to something really big and kingdom significant.
Well, we're back at our basic disagreement. Carl, I do not believe the same way:
Carl wrote: I guess you could say I believe the majority of real relationships, real spiritual growth, and true discipleship will never happen within the four walls of the church service, no matter how much we want it to. Real relationships, real spiritual growth, and true discipleship can only happen outside the four walls and inside each others worlds.
Mike here: I do not hold such a pessimistic view of the church. I do not think I am an exception (I've rarely been exceptional!). Am I an exception here? Possibly, in this audience, probably. But I wonder why that is?
I agree with all Bob and Co. are trying to do with reaching the unChristian with the Gospel, but I do not subscribe to the idea that this is the ONLY (or even the best) way to spread the Kingdom. It certainly is one VERY EXCITING way that God is clearly blessing and I am THRILLED to be a part of it.
So why is my experience different? Why is the call on my heart not the same? Don't know. But I can say this: I've never been hurt by the church to any great extent. I have felt let down by the church and disappointed in the church, but I've never lost my faith in the church (and I don't mean that from a 'saving faith' standpoint, of course -- I know where my faith and my salvation comes from, and it's not from anyone or anything at the corner of CR 18 and CR 17 in Elkhart, Ind.) Or from anyone who's ever been there. :)
Hey everyone,
This is good dialogue. I love it. There are many ways to reach our world for Christ. I admit, and I'm thankful there are bright spots in American Chrch where there is balnce and Christ followers are mobilized to go and make other disciples. But on the other hand, God is birthing a movement across America out of the hearts and passions of our 20+ somethings. (I prefer to call them daring, willing to die, emergent leaders). And..there is a growing number of older folks who are starting to get it - I'm one of those (starting to get it guys). Our young emerging leaders long for a better way, where life-transformation is a daily occurance. I could say more here as you know.
This drumbeat is not new. Dan Spader with "Growing a Healthy Church" training said years ago that our minstries are out of balance. In most cases way back then - most of what did in the "church" was for the already reached. In some places and the reason the American Church is headed for the crash like Europe is because she is predominantly out of balance and focussed on serving the already reached in hopes that some will be reached.
Over the years we have all done a good job talking the talk with little or no harvest results. No one wants to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I celebrate wherever God is working and where life-transformation is occuring.
At the same time there would be no need for a new wineskin if the American Church really understood and believed in the Supremacy of the Great Commission and obeyed it with passion.
Carl, I respond with few words that summarize my response to an excellent post...
Let the Church finally after 2000 years filled with nonsense -BE THE CHURCH! The Church Jesus really intends for us to be.
You nailed it bro. We need your prophetic voice to bring necessary changes for the sake of lost people in America.
I lo v e the Church but I will not defend her when she is wrong and selfish.
I have a question for all of you to ponder. Where in the Bible does it suggest we have public worship services where unbelievers are invited to attend? Isn’t worship for those who follow God? What does it do to the quality of our worship when we invite those that the Bible calls the “enemies of God” (Romans 5:10, James 4:4) into the service? Do the warnings of being unequally yoked apply here? Can darkness have fellowship with light?
Terry we need to make the distinction between worship services and discipleship events.
In whatever venue we should have preChristians invited. I love to begin discipleship with an unsaved friend at a coffee shop before they come to Christ because they need to get to know who Jesus is and what He has to offer. After they come to Christ I keep discipling him and encourage him to disicple someone else who needs to come to Christ and on and on we see life transformation.
The rest of it I am still pondering knowing that you have not declared your position. I do know that church services at a church building is a barrier to people coming to Christ at times. And when preChristians do attend they more times than not - feel uncomfortable and often like they do not measure up or look right etc.
I still like to think that a distinction should be made with church and Church. In your Church at the park Saturday all present pre-Christians would have seen a different Church! And they would have sensed God's presence and they would have witnessed God at work.
The Church in America already thinks the church is only for them. Let's flush this out - are you trying to say that the Church is only made up of believers and when other unbelievers are present with us -they are still not the Church only believers are?
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