You know. Does it cause you to go somewhere?
We are called to....
Walk in the Spirit
Go with the gospel
Follow Jesus...
Disciple his friends
Good doctrine causes you to move.
Bad doctrine causes you to become passive.
Apathetic.
Unresponsive of heart.
So, does your doctrine, what you believe, WALK IN THE SPIRIT?
Does it get you moving every day in a faith-filled pursuit of Jesus?
Does it call you out to put on your divine LOVE.
Does it soften your heart toward the broken, captives and prisoners and call out the Gospel of the Kingdom?
Does it move you to act on behalf of your neighbors?
For many of the people, the church appears to be a spectator sport.
Nothing is required of us at all to "walk through the church".
We could be at a football game and express more enthusiasm and activity - cheering on our team - more than happens in an average day at many churches.
For disciples of Jesus, those walking in the Spirit, Church is one of the GAME DAYs.
Time to put on love
Pour out blessing
Encourage,
Strengthen,
Comfort,
the Body of Christ.
In the victory and abundance of Jesus,
Cheering each other on toward love and good deeds.
Putting in motion every grace gift from the Spirit to build up those around us.
Acting and walking in the Spirit.
Moving in Faith.
Freely Moving in Love.
Remembering, testifying to the good things God has done.
Praying and interceding for the Lord's hand of Kindness and power to be extended on behalf of his beloved.
When we purpose to be encouragement the fires of faith start getting bigger and bigger.
Sadly, things appear backward.
 |
| Ah. Chillin at the Tahiti shack of church |
Somehow the church has become a proving ground instead of an "everyone plays" ground.
"Show me a miracle and I'll believe" kind of ground.
Instead of a place where we worship, pray, pursue and love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, it becomes a highly structured journey into lessor and lesser things.
So, do we think the church is where we find out if "it's real or not"?
That seems backward. Isn't the church the "called out ones", the ekklesia?
Isn't church the place where we join together in love, unity, grace, and faith and worship the Lord Jesus in all his wonder.
Seems to me the compelling practice of church goes like this. We do not possess a solid and living faith. We go to church hoping someone there will give us enough to make it through the next 7 days so we can find out again if we have any faith. Then we may not be at church for weeks and we do the same thing again.
Instead of learning the ways of God in the victory of Jesus and walking in them together, the way we do church often teaches people that they don't need to be engaged at all and they still go to heaven.
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| How did that lazy dog get into my bed? |
Part of the Problem....?????
Our doctrine does not walk when it is at church.
It does not call us into action.
It doesn't require us to abide in Jesus to succeed.
It does not make us hungry for more of Jesus.
A Day at church should be teaching us by practice and demonstration the Way of Jesus.
A day at church could invite us into walking in the Spirit
The very things we do at the Church putting in motion the Kingdom of God. While we are there at church.
No more virtual reality. The people, the Family of God, gets engaged in the real action of the Kingdom of God.
Like, first thing, walking after Jesus at ekklesia, at church.
Walking in love and the grace of our gifts in Christ. That does not mean just being kind and cordial people and having a few chats with the locals and then off to another life through the week.
The church is that place where our best grace is in motion; for the beloved, in you and me, for love and in service to Jesus.
The Double Problem.
The church rarely requires us to walk in the Spirit to be part of the Day.
Churches can teach us passivity, inaction, continuous non-decision and lack of kingdom motion and call it "going to church". Somehow fitting this into a model of discipleship.
We nod our heads over and over in mental assents, agreements over various statements and words, but rarely are they put into the motions of love and our lives on the day.
Action orientations of faith and trust in God are tangible, real, explainable love.
In the typical church gathering, we sit. We may stand. We barely engage one another.
Somewhat dysfunctional if we decide to call it family as Paul describes it.
We worship if we feel like it and the music is good. We hardly pray. In fact, many are terrified at the thought of praying for someone or out loud at all. Someone leads us in all of it. We follow the steps.
It's easy.
No faith required.
We don't know how to fish, walk, or overcome in Christ.
But we did church.
I've traveled a fair amount in different parts of the world. When the host is the driver and runs the schedule, I rarely even know where we are. I let them do all the work. Seems like the church is the same way. The host and drivers are leading the way and we can sit back and enjoy the ride.
Problem. Disciples are not made in this way.
If the way we do church doesn't put in motion walking in the Spirit..... it should be left behind.
If it doesn't call us into deeper more passionate devotion love and worship of Jesus and more fully into his mission of love for the world.......it is sub-par. Hay, wood and precious stones. Not going to make eternal realities come to life.
Leave it behind.
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| Pour yourself out in love for the Body of Christ |
The Boundless Solution of unlimited joy and freedom.
Walk together in the Spirit at Church.
Let the Spirit lead.
Love and encourage on the spot.
Spur one another on toward love and good deeds at church.
Pray. Intercede. Believe God to overcome the problems and challenges faced. Pray for each other.
Get real about our lives and pray for God's favor and blessing, his overcoming victory. Be real about how we feel and our connection to the family of faith.
Not just from the front but with encouragement and ways that involve everyone present.
Wow. Stop there. Wait, we have people who just checking this out. They don't want to be asked to pray, do to anything. We have an agreement with them that we don't expect any action, that we will just invite them forward and into something. If they want to come, they can.
So, unpack this.
What does it say about following Jesus?
How can we expect amazing disciples if we do not demonstrate an amazing disciple life?
How is it we expect to grow disciples and impact the city but we don't model or impact the church people we are abiding with?
The Kingdom is inside you. Saved by grace through faith.
The calling toward Jesus is high calling and total devotion.
Living Sacrifices.
So how do we see the way we do church now leading into a Way of true first love and devotion to Jesus?
How do we get to the highest heights without a guide, without someone who knows the way?
If you've tried this.....
People actually become uncomfortable with church.
They don't want to actually do anything or be put on the spot to be a disciple.
This is not the kind of community Jesus died for or rose for that matter.
His level of commitment to the disciple is immensely higher.
Pick up your cross and follow me.
Die and you will live.
Lose your life to find it in me.
The disciple demands of Jesus, the descriptions of Scripture, look nothing like what is demonstrated on an average day at church.
Side question: So then where are the disciples supposed to get the high road demonstrated if we are not able to demonstrate it when we gather?
We need to look more closely at the community of Faith and the way we live out together this remarkable mystery called Christ in you the hope of glory. Col 1:27
Every member a vital part of the family.
That's the first line in the story, the beginning.
We are all, every one of us, vitally important to the progress of the Kingdom.
That's why it's so important to be ekklesia, the people who know the Lord at church (ekklesia).
Welcome the Holy Spirit and follow his lead in everything, that is ekklesia.
It doesn't belong to us, it is Christ the Head of the Church who we serve and seek.
How does this play out?
How do we get the Kingdom into play more when we gather as the church?
Engage God and engage everyone present in the presence.
Put feet on everything that is taught.
Invite the doctrines to start walking!
If they don't walk leave them behind.
Then walk in them and become like Jesus.
That's the Kingdom.
Feedback? Ideas?
I would love to dialogue with you.
Share your comments.
2018
Transfiguration!
Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.
Get a copy of my Prophetic Review 2016 - Salvation's Mountain Erupting with Open Doors, Shifts and Invitation. Encouragement, focus, wisdom, and insight into the prophetic seasons of the new year.www.jeffreynoldsministries.com
Thanks for Reading!
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Please share em.
Re-shares are great. thank U.
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The dialogue is awesome. Thank you. Testimonies? Share em with me.
Re-Shares lov em. Thank you! With much love in Jesus
You can do this thing! He's got you.
Jeff Reynolds ---
Brother Jeff
Jeff Reynolds Sr. Leader
Capstone Christian Fellowship
jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com
jreynolds@mycapstone.org
Capstone Christian Fellowship
jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com
jreynolds@mycapstone.org
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