This past weekend I found myself asking a group of Christians a series of questions.
It started with, "What relationship potentially lasts the longest in life and requires the greatest commitment?" A couple people said, "Marriage". I agreed. That was the answer I was looking for.....yes bad technique but it was on the fly.
Marriage requires a promise, or a covenant. It basically holds together with love and a series of promises. Ok. Yes. A lot more is involved. I reminded everyone that marriage in our country is a 50/50 proposition. At least 50% appears to be the numbers of marriages that fail. The statistics appear to be the same for Christians as well as the general population.
What does the marriage break up rate point to?
Paul used marriage as an analogy of and or reflection of the quality of revealed relationship. That is it reflects the depth of understanding and wisdom Christians have in the knowledge of God. Looks like we may be 50/50. 50% understanding is not a good thing. 50% of the depths and reality of the work of Jesus is something but there is so much more for us. Not real good.
So I also said, "If the Lord points to the relationship with the highest commitment and promises to mirror intimacy and comprehension of our relationship with God,
"Does it make sense that the church is one of the places with the least amount of commitment yet we expect world changing power?"
Not to be too much of a downer, but changing the world requires a high degree of momentum, commitment and sacrifice. These are not necessarily the highest qualities on the list of the throng of Saints filling up churches these days.
Love requires sacrifice. Love requires commitment. We know this. And yet somehow we are divorced from it when it comes to building the Body of Christ?
Now, I need to be clear. There would not even be a church down the street without a high level of commitment and sacrifice. People are serving the Lord in outstanding ways with little recognition in 1000's of small churches and ministries around the world.
My point is we seem to have a survival mentality. We only believe the ekklesia of Jesus Christ, the Church, can just get by rather than thrive in any and all circumstances.
I think a few things have occurred that have led us to where things are.
1) Maybe we've adopted a belief that the Church is not part of the triumph of Christ through the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension?
Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED". On the Cross he brought the righteousness and holiness of God together with the LOVE of God in perfected unity. He accomplished perfect peace with the Father's heart in worship and sacrifice. The Lamb of God took away the sins of the world. ALL of them. People are free to come into The House of Prayer for All Nations with joy and freedom and find comfort in their time of need. Our God is victorious in Christ.
And the Ekklesia (church) he is building carries all the perfect work he completed. We are not paupers, unless you believe Jesus is. We are not more broken than well, unless you believe Jesus is. We are not less family and more fallen unless you believe Jesus is.
The prevailing culture has been hammering on the church and the message is everywhere. The church is broken. Breaks people. Hurts people. Can't be trusted. Leaders can't be trusted. Sounds really good to cynical ears or those unwilling to practice the essential reality of the work of Christ, forgive as you have been forgiven.
Some of the deepest pain of my life has been delivered through relationship with the Church.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
The bigger problem is Christians are sowing it as well. This is not the way of the Christ follower. We are speaking directly to the work of the Savior Jesus and his ekklesia. It is hard to build strong, loving, free and devoted relationship with Jesus when we believe that what he is ultimately building (his ekklesia- the assembly of kingdom people) is sub par, broken and emptied of power, love, family, joy and grace.
Telling a husband that his wife is ugly, lacking gifting, talent, sub par, and not worth saving or helping .....generally is not a successful approach to getting to new life.
Today, the message that the church is not worth it, moves around conversations freely with lots of sentiment and often little specific personal experience to back it up. Granted, the devastating news of abused children rocks the heart and mind to the core. And it should. The fallen leaders, the lack of love and the ruler ship of children has left her with a limp.
Jesus told Paul,
2Co 12:9
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Has the church adopted some kind of world mindset over that of the Kingdom? Believing that we minister with Christ in our strength? Our Strength is not going to get the ekklesia anywhere.
Jhn 15:5
The overall reality is in my town is there are awesome committed pastors and leaders who sacrifice greatly simply to bring worship to God and see people's lives transformed. They are honest, work hard and get little recognition for their efforts and love.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Mat 10:40
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
The Kingdom is received. Welcomed. The ekklesia (church) Jesus is building is received in Jesus to the ekklesia. It seems that God loves to give away gifts. One of them is the ekklesia that Jesus rules and reigns in. One of loving family in communion with the Saints in the presence, power and peace of the Holy Spirit.
The problem is not that the church makes mistakes, struggles, and at times falls into a witness that is busted.
So, who is this Jesus who is Head of the Church? Colossians 1:15-f.
He is the Triumphant King of Heaven in whom resides all authority and dominion and power. He is the Lord who redeems us and saves us with his blood and sacrifice. He is the Lord who rose to new life and set free prisoners and captives free to run in the endless fields of his love. He is the Ascended King of Heaven. The High Priest in whom every perfect promise is fulfilled. Everything is done.
So what do we do?
Abide First - In a First Love that is worthy of the Way, Truth and Life of Jesus.
Jhn 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the
branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.
The Church is His Bride. Oh that the preparers of the Bride would rise up and overcome every hindrance to love. Make her ready!
In his love.
As always your comments are valued.
Brother Jeff Reynolds
jreynolds@mycapstone.org
jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com
www.mycapstone.org
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