My heart, as well as, I believe God's is broken for all of those believers who have been abused by the spirit of religion and religious people (once called well intentioned dragons) whose relationship with God has not transformed them to have the Father's heart for the people of God or those outside of God's grace (known as the unsaved, the unreligious, the heathen, the dammed or the non-Christian).There are so many people just doing church as they have been taught or believe they should and so many people are fed up with what they have experienced in these churches. I believe this is a 2 Chronicles 7:14 moment for the church world wide but specifically here in America.
2 Chron 7:14 14
If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. AMP
The land here in this context was Israel, the God given place in which the people lived and all that was a part of it, starting with God's people.
Today the church in America needs to do exactly what is commanded in this verse if we expect God to begin to heal, mend, mature the church, it's relationship with God, it's ability to effectively touch people for God today as God desires and breathe God's life into it's ways (methods and structures, priorities).
This must happen if we expect God to bring forth a nation changing move of God or Great Awakening in this day and hour.
This means that all we know and think about church must be subject to the death of the cross and the resurrection power of God. Allowing everything we see as the right way, to be put on the altar for the consumption by the Fire of God. If we are unwilling to let God have it, how will we ever get the fresh manna or plan God has for the believers he desires to knit together to accomplish His work in our lives, families and communities?
There are many effective models of doing church available to us based on our theological understandings, our gifts and personalities, the context (personal experiences and education) of our lives and the culture (both the secular generational culture and spiritual culture) around us.
This context has been called by some the 'Wineskin' into which God pours Himself by His Spirit to produce in each generation the people of God (also known as the Church, the body of Christ or holy and separated to God ones).
There are also, many good churches which are doing a good perhaps even a great job at accomplishing all that Jesus began to do and teach. They have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.
if we ever hope to have all that Jesus has for us we must start with an awareness that in and of ourselves we have nothing to offer. This humility is the soil in which God can work and shape us into His image once again.
We have multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-worldview and multi-actuational (one that puts into action) society today.
God's people have a great variety of visions or models for church today that can minister to each generation, culture and worldview which can put into action the plan God has for them. Many of which are based on Biblical teaching. They will however, never reach the full measure they were intended to reach unless they have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.
God is a creative God. Although He never changes, His infinite wisdom and creativity are constantly at work to accomplish His plans and purposes in His people, the Church.
Questions:
1. Will you take your understanding of, or vision for the church and put it on the altar of God's fire?
2. Has God burned all or part of it up, resurrected it and breathed new life in it or expanded your vision?
3. Have you done what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says concerning your experience and understanding about God's people and the functional organism or organization you know and have experienced as the church?
4. Are you willing to look again at what the Bible says about the church, its function, purpose, structure and your role in it?
5. Will you apply John 12:24-25 to your understanding or vision for the church?
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. NASU
Our Vision or model of doing church may need to die to bear the level of increased fruit that God desire fro it!
Jesus gave His life so that he might have a Church without spot or wrinkle. It was important to Jesus to have a Church ready to meet Him and yet one willing to do all that Jesus began to do and teach while here on earth according to Acts 1:1.
Eph 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. NASU
What is next: What Jesus began to do and teach?
1. According to the fathers will.
2. By the Spirit's Power.
3. With Jesus having given up His authority and power while on earth.
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