Such truth - Hard to swallow!
My very dear friend Clyde M sent me a gift, two books, one of them, "Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger." I just started the read and so far so good.
I have for along time thought that busyness is the devils tool/work. We in the western church work hard to look good with all the programs and ministries and whatever. In my last pastorate we canceled Sunday night so our people could spend time with their neighbors. The only problem is that little time was spent with neighbors. That's another post for a later day. But imagine a church that is busy doing the stuff that makes them look good and too busy doing the stuff that makes Jesus look good i n fulfillment of His mission of making disciples who make disciples.
Rainer and Geiger write, "In Matthew 23 Jesus confronted (notice He "confronted") the leaders of spiritual hypocrisy. He told the Pharisees that they were like a fancy cup that is dirty. Everything looked good on the outside, but inwardly everything was disgusting. He also told them that they were like white washed tombs or top of the line coffins. But beneath the surface was death. Beneath the surface there was emptiness.
Just like many churches. (they wrote)
The clutter can often make us look OK and even good. The busyness is a great disguise for the lack of life. The complexity is a great cover up. Churches can be fancy coffins.
Several of the complex church leaders we talked with admitted their busy schedules were void of life. Several knew their cluttered church calendars lacked direction. Several also admitted that all the activity was having little impact. Often great amounts of activity does not produce life change. It only gives the impression that things are happening, that there is life.
One complex leader commented, 'The project confirmed the reality that I was slow to face: we are not seeing spiritual transformation in the lives of our people. We have become content with being busy...'
...Perhaps we are losing ground not despite our overabundance of activity but because of it."
The Planter: If that doesn't describe my life in my pastorate nothing will.
Anyone have anything to offer here? I so find this truth to be something that will be hard for some to swallow.
posted by Bob Carder @ 8:20 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Here is a story that has this type of religous activity written all over it and I hope it will shed some more light on what is being said here.
My brother, 3 months ago, attempted suicide by taking a box cutter to his throat. If he was successful, he would have left a wife and his 3 year old child behind. Thank God he was not successful and the Lord spared his life and his families as well.
However, prior to his attempted suicide, he went to a leader in the church he was attending (regularly, I might add) and humbly presented his situation and pleaded for help, but it sadly fell on deaf ears.
After his life threatening recovery in ICU, guess who offered assistance to help my brother get back on his feet again...other than our family?
This answer hurt me deeply and will hurt anyone walking with the Lord...the Mormon Church!
Shame on us! When the Mormon Church has surpased the Christian community in care, support, love and giving we are surely in the last days. I grew up Mormon and was saved by God's grace when I was in my early twenties, so this was extremely difficult for me to hear.
After my brother was released from the hospital, he went to his Church the following Sunday and this is the response that he was given: " Why so and so, we didn't know it was that really that bad, we are really sorry and hope you are feeling better..." and then she walked off.
Brothers, if our tithes, offerings and support are going to this type of carnal Christianity, what are we really supporting? I believe if we don't repent and make a change soon in America, I can assure you God will make the change for us. I would rather we, as the body of Christ, do it now and not leave it to a just God to initiate...wouldn't you?
Unfortunately, the worst part is confrontation or accountability doesn't remotely help...the Church just blames Eve, so to speak and the cycle continues!
God said that people would be able to tell who his true disciples were by how we loved one another. Let's hope we all open our eyes before it's too late...!
Eternally, your fellow worker in Christ
Anon...When I titled this post, Such Truth - Hard to Swallow, it really is. The carnal church gives up on people, even there own pastor can be thrown away and left for dead by the carnal church. I've seen it over and over again.
Thanks for sharing another wake up call for the church to move away from the coffin while there is still time.
There is an answer for this carnal church you speak of. It's called total reliance on the Holy Spirit's baptism/overflowing power and direction. When this happen the Great Commission will be seen with supremacy so our purpose can be clear. When sold out to the Holy Spirit He always brings us back to Jesus and His mission, without Him the church looks good but is lacking or near death. When baptized in the Holy Spirit one cannot get away with carnal distorted Christianity. You have to give it all and the higher you go in giving it all (surrender) the less options we have. There comes a time when living sol out lives we have no options but to walk in the Spirit. It's either all or nothing. The carnal church has opted for the nothing by keeping the all.
But they sure look good on the outside. Looking good makes me deathly ill. It sickens me. When I visit such places, I want to throw up.
Anon, my brother committed suicide this last January, it was so shockingly sad,
I pray for your family at this time as well.
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