Having spent 18 months with you I feel a good grasp on things, on people, resources, opportunities, potential in our church community. We’ve checked out our church health for concerns of impeded growth, and, (I know that I am writing to a motivated congregation, to a group of people who are not satisfied with decline) we are taking look into future, recognizing that significant growth is a product of Evangelism.
Yes, for 20 years we have not done it. Yes, we’ve forgotten how to. Since 1996 we enjoyed “satellite events” and renown speakers on the big screen without obligation to do it ourselves, complaining that it does not work ‘cause people are not getting in the water…Well, virtual evangelism produces virtual results. Those events were glimpses on how others do it. Plus, the simple fact that any harvest has 3 stages: sowing, reaping & keeping, was often overlooked. The 2-3 weeks event is just reaping stage. If no sowing is done – all you’ll reap would be “wild oats” and “tears.”
The sowing and cultivating is most intensive and extensive stage of work in evangelism. It is built on relationships. Spirit of prophecy advice stands forever true: “Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me." (Ministry of Healing, 143) We’ll talk about keeping when we are ready to reap, but now I want to set the stage for the basic sowing.
Evangelism begins at home. Early in our heritage history, when we were a fast growing movement, Ellen G. White advised “Let those who desire to work for God begin at home, in their own household, in their own neighborhood, among their own friends. Here they will find a favorable missionary field. This home missionary work is a test, revealing their ability or inability for service in a wider field. (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 428).
With wisdom, caution, and love, they should labor for the salvation of neighbors and friends. There is too distant a feeling manifested. The cross is not laid right hold of, and borne as it should be. All should feel that they are their brother's keeper, that they are in a great degree responsible for the souls of those around them. The brethren err when they leave this work all to the ministers. (Testimonies for the Church, Vol.1, p. 368).
Evangelism is not some visiting preacher speaking to the choir, but each of us bringing those we care for to the feet of Jesus. Are you ready to bring your friends to Christ? When you are – we’ll do Evangelism. For now, let’s begin at home…
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Reason to Rejoice!
I am writing from Andrews University where we are attending the Annual Church Growth Conference (SEEDS) with Carcamo family, who are leading our new Spanish Church Plant in the city. It is exciting to hear awesome reports of God’s power in action, to learn of wonderful things taking place in churches.
As I sit here and listen to the excitement I wonder what would it take to raise the morale in our churches? See, the high morale is the greatest motivator. It’s that condition under which people love to give, students love to learn, people are enthused.
The church with high morale enjoys exaggeration, where even small victories seem sweet, and the big ones make all feel invincible, where everyone jumps onto the bandwagon and joins the teamwork, where you feel like inviting other churches to learn from you, where you feel that your preaching, singing, praying is so important that all must hear it.
The church with high morale elevates people, gives higher level of confidence which enables better performance, and everyone does things above their natural ability. The high moral elevates to where all see the Big Picture and are committed to the shared dream.
The high morale energizes all with unstoppable energy and enthusiasm, where there is no mountain is too high, no project is too difficult, and all problems are eliminated. In such an environment great emancipation takes place where people are not afraid to take risks and try out new ideas, share new concepts and invite everyone’s creativity and innovations.
Can you imagine how motivating such an atmosphere would be? As we talked with elders last week we agreed that we are not there yet, but are well on the way – just a step away from the empowered living, a moderate morale.
And yet, here I sit, reflecting on my dreams of having miracles, signs and wonders to support our little victories, to affirm our faith, to have something to show for in our ministry. Wouldn’t it be the greatest motivator?
Such a dream reminds me of an incident with Jesus’ disciples. They came back from their mission trip all energized and motivated, because even demons submitted to them in Jesus name. And Jesus’ reply did not appear to be optimistic at all. He stood there pensively and replied: “So what, I saw Satan fall like a lightning from heaven.” When I think about this reply, it makes me realize that the power Satan had, exercised and enjoyed was more than anything we can ever dream for, yet he fell from heaven.
Jesus continued: “I’ve given you authority…to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” And then Jesus gave them the real reason for joy, the real motivator: “rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) God raised us up with Christ, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). With the intent that the principalities and powers in heavenly places will learn through the church the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).
There can’t be anything greater in this universe to motivate you for a higher living than living in God’s Throne-room now. There should be nothing to stop us from moving from a moderate living to the High Morale living in God’s Presence.
As I sit here and listen to the excitement I wonder what would it take to raise the morale in our churches? See, the high morale is the greatest motivator. It’s that condition under which people love to give, students love to learn, people are enthused.
The church with high morale enjoys exaggeration, where even small victories seem sweet, and the big ones make all feel invincible, where everyone jumps onto the bandwagon and joins the teamwork, where you feel like inviting other churches to learn from you, where you feel that your preaching, singing, praying is so important that all must hear it.
The church with high morale elevates people, gives higher level of confidence which enables better performance, and everyone does things above their natural ability. The high moral elevates to where all see the Big Picture and are committed to the shared dream.
The high morale energizes all with unstoppable energy and enthusiasm, where there is no mountain is too high, no project is too difficult, and all problems are eliminated. In such an environment great emancipation takes place where people are not afraid to take risks and try out new ideas, share new concepts and invite everyone’s creativity and innovations.
Can you imagine how motivating such an atmosphere would be? As we talked with elders last week we agreed that we are not there yet, but are well on the way – just a step away from the empowered living, a moderate morale.
And yet, here I sit, reflecting on my dreams of having miracles, signs and wonders to support our little victories, to affirm our faith, to have something to show for in our ministry. Wouldn’t it be the greatest motivator?
Such a dream reminds me of an incident with Jesus’ disciples. They came back from their mission trip all energized and motivated, because even demons submitted to them in Jesus name. And Jesus’ reply did not appear to be optimistic at all. He stood there pensively and replied: “So what, I saw Satan fall like a lightning from heaven.” When I think about this reply, it makes me realize that the power Satan had, exercised and enjoyed was more than anything we can ever dream for, yet he fell from heaven.
Jesus continued: “I’ve given you authority…to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” And then Jesus gave them the real reason for joy, the real motivator: “rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) God raised us up with Christ, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). With the intent that the principalities and powers in heavenly places will learn through the church the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).
There can’t be anything greater in this universe to motivate you for a higher living than living in God’s Throne-room now. There should be nothing to stop us from moving from a moderate living to the High Morale living in God’s Presence.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Question of Identity: What do you really, really want?
That is exact question that I want to ask many of you. And I don’t mean “from me.” What is that we really want for our church family? We are in the second year together and I am not trying to put my best foot forward making impressions. I wish I would have more time to build stronger relationships before asking for commitment. There are times that I wonder: do we really want the same thing for our church? I know what I want, and I have been listening carefully to hear what you want, still there are different expectations and values expressed by various groups.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry has said: “If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work – rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.”
A year ago I began summoning people to prepare for work, to start training, to prepare tools, to place each person in ministry according to their gifts, to organize various departments. While some efforts succeeded, and some people joined, many other efforts fell through – poor attendance at training seminars, lack of interest to attend off-site workshops, ignoring or disregarding the tools available, some are even standing back to watch and wait. It all made me wonder if my enthusiasm biased me to assume that we want to grow, that we want to change, that we want a better church, that we want an improvement and efficiency in our lives.
What do we want? Do you have the yearning for reaching out lost people? Do you have the longing to see our church grow and plant more churches in the city? Do you care for your children, a whole lost generation, to return and experience Jesus? Do you want our young kids to grow up in relationship with God and never leave His Presence? Do you want our Church to be the Family of families, a safe place of Peace & Healing? Do we want Christ to come soon? As for me and my family - we do. Church elders do too. The core and committed members do so. Many are prioritizing their lives and discarding lures of this world for the sake of God inspired legacy.
In the coming year we will continue teaching skills, and giving tools for work, and we will also focus on more fundamental issue – preach, teach and articulate our yearning to realize God’s purpose for our church, fuel the passion for church growth, for spiritual growth, for personal growth.
At our last elders meeting we dialogued about the core values that give us identity, that influence our behavior and our actions. As we prepare for growth we must understand that relationships alone are never enough to keep us together. As the group grows so will the distance between individuals. Even common vision is not enough – you know people who got same goals, but different ideas of how to achieve them – are they still together?
Our identity is the glue that will bond us together – based on our faith in Three Angels Message proclaimed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, our desire to glorify God in all we do, our servant-leadership spirit of considering others higher than ourselves, adding value to others, growing ourselves & developing others.
It is from our identity that the motivation and yearning comes.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry has said: “If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work – rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.”
A year ago I began summoning people to prepare for work, to start training, to prepare tools, to place each person in ministry according to their gifts, to organize various departments. While some efforts succeeded, and some people joined, many other efforts fell through – poor attendance at training seminars, lack of interest to attend off-site workshops, ignoring or disregarding the tools available, some are even standing back to watch and wait. It all made me wonder if my enthusiasm biased me to assume that we want to grow, that we want to change, that we want a better church, that we want an improvement and efficiency in our lives.
What do we want? Do you have the yearning for reaching out lost people? Do you have the longing to see our church grow and plant more churches in the city? Do you care for your children, a whole lost generation, to return and experience Jesus? Do you want our young kids to grow up in relationship with God and never leave His Presence? Do you want our Church to be the Family of families, a safe place of Peace & Healing? Do we want Christ to come soon? As for me and my family - we do. Church elders do too. The core and committed members do so. Many are prioritizing their lives and discarding lures of this world for the sake of God inspired legacy.
In the coming year we will continue teaching skills, and giving tools for work, and we will also focus on more fundamental issue – preach, teach and articulate our yearning to realize God’s purpose for our church, fuel the passion for church growth, for spiritual growth, for personal growth.
At our last elders meeting we dialogued about the core values that give us identity, that influence our behavior and our actions. As we prepare for growth we must understand that relationships alone are never enough to keep us together. As the group grows so will the distance between individuals. Even common vision is not enough – you know people who got same goals, but different ideas of how to achieve them – are they still together?
Our identity is the glue that will bond us together – based on our faith in Three Angels Message proclaimed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, our desire to glorify God in all we do, our servant-leadership spirit of considering others higher than ourselves, adding value to others, growing ourselves & developing others.
It is from our identity that the motivation and yearning comes.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Stop the World! The Church wants to get on!
As the world moves into unknown, called post-modern, many churches would rather stay in their status quo, in the comfort of tradition, in the safety of what is accepted, celebrated and familiar. Yet, Jesus’ prayer is ever relevant for us to stay in the world and live a sanctified lifestyle in this world.
We have looked at four characteristics of the New World around us:
Experience rather than Experiment.
Participation rather than Performance.
Image Driven rather than Word based.
Connected rather than Individualistic.
While in the past knowing was at arms length, observing at a distance, examining without interacting, today’s world is begging for an embrace, knowing by being involved.
In the words of Leonard Sweet – “postmoderns cheerlead instead of critiquing, extol instead of exegeting, applaud instead of assessing.” It is in this mode of learning – emptying self of perceptions and biases, and allowing for new revelation that the Gospel has a new door of opportunities open to influence the world. The truth is eternal and unchanging, we are just looking at it with new eyes.
This concept is actually not new at all – it’s all about “back to the future!” It suggests that Love is as much a mode of knowledge as the old scientific methods of detached observation. Just like the Bible times – knowing=loving.
Traditions are stuck preserving the recent past. Even religious ones. One L.A. pastor Erwin McManus says: “Many of us love religion all too much and God all too little. Love ourselves too much and the world too little.”
This paradigm shift is recognized even by post-modern science. Quantum physicist Ed Schrödinger states: “The world has not been given to us twice – once in spiritual and once in material terms. The world has been given once!”
It is this world, where we live only once, that God has invited us to partner up in saving. Jewish wisdoms says “we don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” Whenever I think about the changes that take place around us, about lack of commitment and complacency in the church, I wish for one thing: urgency. What would it take for us believers to wake up with urgency that the Groom is coming, that our Lord Jesus is at the door? Maybe the world is being accelerated on purpose, to wake sleeping church up on the bumpy ride?
Don’t try to get off! As you wake up – stay on and tell people about our Destination, tell about purpose, hope, future. Tell them about your Savior, your hope, your dreams, and your purpose. Tell them about One Absolute that will always remain Absolute – Jesus, the Name above all Names.
We have looked at four characteristics of the New World around us:
Experience rather than Experiment.
Participation rather than Performance.
Image Driven rather than Word based.
Connected rather than Individualistic.
While in the past knowing was at arms length, observing at a distance, examining without interacting, today’s world is begging for an embrace, knowing by being involved.
In the words of Leonard Sweet – “postmoderns cheerlead instead of critiquing, extol instead of exegeting, applaud instead of assessing.” It is in this mode of learning – emptying self of perceptions and biases, and allowing for new revelation that the Gospel has a new door of opportunities open to influence the world. The truth is eternal and unchanging, we are just looking at it with new eyes.
This concept is actually not new at all – it’s all about “back to the future!” It suggests that Love is as much a mode of knowledge as the old scientific methods of detached observation. Just like the Bible times – knowing=loving.
Traditions are stuck preserving the recent past. Even religious ones. One L.A. pastor Erwin McManus says: “Many of us love religion all too much and God all too little. Love ourselves too much and the world too little.”
This paradigm shift is recognized even by post-modern science. Quantum physicist Ed Schrödinger states: “The world has not been given to us twice – once in spiritual and once in material terms. The world has been given once!”
It is this world, where we live only once, that God has invited us to partner up in saving. Jewish wisdoms says “we don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” Whenever I think about the changes that take place around us, about lack of commitment and complacency in the church, I wish for one thing: urgency. What would it take for us believers to wake up with urgency that the Groom is coming, that our Lord Jesus is at the door? Maybe the world is being accelerated on purpose, to wake sleeping church up on the bumpy ride?
Don’t try to get off! As you wake up – stay on and tell people about our Destination, tell about purpose, hope, future. Tell them about your Savior, your hope, your dreams, and your purpose. Tell them about One Absolute that will always remain Absolute – Jesus, the Name above all Names.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Connecting Christians into Contagious Community
So far we have looked at 3 qualities of the EPIC church in postmodern environment: Experiencing, Participatory & Image-driven. C stands for Connecting, Connectedness, Community, Care, and Cure that it gives.
One interesting explanation for postmodernism is given: “Postmodernism is really looking at the structures that modernity built and saying that the bricks are not what matter, it's the mortar. The mortar allows you to place the bricks however you want to place them.” We are not dismissing the bricks but are invited to consider the mortar that holds us and our structures together.
We crave for community, as we lack of it! Just think of how widely this word is used now-days: COMMUNITY! Another pastor commented that “in the past people came together in church to celebrate community that they had the rest of the week, now we come to church to find the community that we don’t have the rest of the week.”
Having been your pastor for a whole year now I enjoy every time we come together as a community. Tonight we’ll all have another excellent community night prepared by German families. Nonetheless, I continually will encourage to build community beyond church walls, to build community in your everyday life.
Those of you who’ve got young school age kids, have you noticed what they do when they come home from school? Getting on the e-mail checking to see if they’ve got a message? We were created for community. It is our natural desire to belong, to experience community.
Modernity, originating in European individualism has built itself on motto “I think therefore I am.” Postmodern attitude is best expressed by saying of Xhosa people of Southern Africa “I am because we are.” Leonard Sweet coined this phrase “postmodern “ME” needs “WE” to “BE”
Today’s transient culture requires that our community building and hospitality be more planned, more intentional, more deliberate
Let’s put the salve into salvation, let’s connect our communities, so where two or three are together God may dwell among them. I can thing of two good reasons, and both of them are God’s promises to us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) and Jesus’ parting words “I am with you always, even to the end of the age!” (Matthew 28:20) Power of connection is a healing power. This is what’s missing after preaching and teaching is done.
Some say “where there’s church there’s Jesus.” It’s almost right, only if turned around for the proper order: wherever Jesus is – there is a church! Wherever Jesus is present – people come together in unity, in love, in one accord. And as His Spirit fills the gathered, so the Body of Christ becomes living and active.
Enjoy community, create community, cherish community, experience His presence in community! May the wedding song be our prayer today:
Bind us together Lord with cords that cannot be broken
Bind us together Lord, Bind us together with love!
One interesting explanation for postmodernism is given: “Postmodernism is really looking at the structures that modernity built and saying that the bricks are not what matter, it's the mortar. The mortar allows you to place the bricks however you want to place them.” We are not dismissing the bricks but are invited to consider the mortar that holds us and our structures together.
We crave for community, as we lack of it! Just think of how widely this word is used now-days: COMMUNITY! Another pastor commented that “in the past people came together in church to celebrate community that they had the rest of the week, now we come to church to find the community that we don’t have the rest of the week.”
Having been your pastor for a whole year now I enjoy every time we come together as a community. Tonight we’ll all have another excellent community night prepared by German families. Nonetheless, I continually will encourage to build community beyond church walls, to build community in your everyday life.
Those of you who’ve got young school age kids, have you noticed what they do when they come home from school? Getting on the e-mail checking to see if they’ve got a message? We were created for community. It is our natural desire to belong, to experience community.
Modernity, originating in European individualism has built itself on motto “I think therefore I am.” Postmodern attitude is best expressed by saying of Xhosa people of Southern Africa “I am because we are.” Leonard Sweet coined this phrase “postmodern “ME” needs “WE” to “BE”
Today’s transient culture requires that our community building and hospitality be more planned, more intentional, more deliberate
Let’s put the salve into salvation, let’s connect our communities, so where two or three are together God may dwell among them. I can thing of two good reasons, and both of them are God’s promises to us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) and Jesus’ parting words “I am with you always, even to the end of the age!” (Matthew 28:20) Power of connection is a healing power. This is what’s missing after preaching and teaching is done.
Some say “where there’s church there’s Jesus.” It’s almost right, only if turned around for the proper order: wherever Jesus is – there is a church! Wherever Jesus is present – people come together in unity, in love, in one accord. And as His Spirit fills the gathered, so the Body of Christ becomes living and active.
Enjoy community, create community, cherish community, experience His presence in community! May the wedding song be our prayer today:
Bind us together Lord with cords that cannot be broken
Bind us together Lord, Bind us together with love!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Image Driven Postmoderns
Does your mind think in words or pictures? When you shop, do you look at the thing you buy? Do you care for the picture to be displayed on the box? Or do you just ask for a description?
I am an ebay shopper, and unless I see a picture I would not even bother checking the lot. Someone said that images come as close as we ever will get to a universal language. As we are considering communicating Gospel to the Postmoderns we must recognize that propositions and words are lost on people’s ears. But metaphor they will always hear. Christ’s preaching was always replete with images and metaphors. Just think of the prodigal son, the cursed fig tree, the sower, seeds and birds - people could see what He meant. His mission was to project the Image – of the Invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
Get the picture? What images are in your mind? What image of us, our church do we project into community around us?
There is a saying “ideas are dangerous for those who’ve got no idea…” Same with images: they are dangerous to those who do not have an image to hold on to. As we studied through the Revelation 13 recently it was a new discovery for many to realize that the final persecution will come not from the Sea Monster, not even from the Land Beast, but from an Image that people will erect under the deceptive influences. (Revelation 13:14-15)
What mental images are imprinted in your forehead? What do you focus you eyes on? Do you gaze into the promised land, having your head in heaven even though our bodies are still here?
Visual environment is very important for tuning our spiritual eyes. While recognizing the danger of images becoming objects of worship, we must also recognize the communicative power of images. Wise Solomon concluded that “as man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Our thought-images make us!
Christian writer Leonard Sweet says “Images are the stuff of which the soul is sculpted.” So check your visual archive and the images that eyes of your heart see. Apostle Paul prayed for new images (Ephesians 1:18). The culture around us is throwing at us images, virtual reality, metaphors, virtually drowning many. Just like in the old days parents soaped words from kids mouths, we must keep our eyes on images that are pure, true, noble, right, lovely, excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
We crave images (just ask any teen about staying away from watching movies). So, relax, it’s not a new fad: Moses’ Tabernacle in the wilderness was the Drama Stage, could you think of anything more graphic to illustrate horror of sin, than having to cut throat to your favorite lamb? Solomon’s Temple was totally about images: all the walls were decorated to remind about Eden lost. It was a “virtual reality” garden with fruit trees, birds and creatures. (1st Kings 6:35)
As you walk in dark valley of this depraved world – think of the beauty of the city build by God Himself for his beloved children – us, and then project that image: walk as Victorious Child of the Heavenly King.
I am an ebay shopper, and unless I see a picture I would not even bother checking the lot. Someone said that images come as close as we ever will get to a universal language. As we are considering communicating Gospel to the Postmoderns we must recognize that propositions and words are lost on people’s ears. But metaphor they will always hear. Christ’s preaching was always replete with images and metaphors. Just think of the prodigal son, the cursed fig tree, the sower, seeds and birds - people could see what He meant. His mission was to project the Image – of the Invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
Get the picture? What images are in your mind? What image of us, our church do we project into community around us?
There is a saying “ideas are dangerous for those who’ve got no idea…” Same with images: they are dangerous to those who do not have an image to hold on to. As we studied through the Revelation 13 recently it was a new discovery for many to realize that the final persecution will come not from the Sea Monster, not even from the Land Beast, but from an Image that people will erect under the deceptive influences. (Revelation 13:14-15)
What mental images are imprinted in your forehead? What do you focus you eyes on? Do you gaze into the promised land, having your head in heaven even though our bodies are still here?
Visual environment is very important for tuning our spiritual eyes. While recognizing the danger of images becoming objects of worship, we must also recognize the communicative power of images. Wise Solomon concluded that “as man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Our thought-images make us!
Christian writer Leonard Sweet says “Images are the stuff of which the soul is sculpted.” So check your visual archive and the images that eyes of your heart see. Apostle Paul prayed for new images (Ephesians 1:18). The culture around us is throwing at us images, virtual reality, metaphors, virtually drowning many. Just like in the old days parents soaped words from kids mouths, we must keep our eyes on images that are pure, true, noble, right, lovely, excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
We crave images (just ask any teen about staying away from watching movies). So, relax, it’s not a new fad: Moses’ Tabernacle in the wilderness was the Drama Stage, could you think of anything more graphic to illustrate horror of sin, than having to cut throat to your favorite lamb? Solomon’s Temple was totally about images: all the walls were decorated to remind about Eden lost. It was a “virtual reality” garden with fruit trees, birds and creatures. (1st Kings 6:35)
As you walk in dark valley of this depraved world – think of the beauty of the city build by God Himself for his beloved children – us, and then project that image: walk as Victorious Child of the Heavenly King.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
From Representative to Participatory
Keeping the pace with times you’ve noticed that things now days are getting more and more interactive. Long gone times when people were O.K. with others making decisions for them. What people around us expect today is availability of choices, from multiple choice exams to hundred of choices in programming on TV, and hundreds of choices on groceries shelves. In fact a representative system is perceived as a lack of trust to people being able to invest wisely their resources and time, to decide on their own freedom.
From wedding receptions where cameras are scattered at tables inviting guests to take pictures, to do-it-yourself funerals; from an electric toothbrush that turns you into your own dentist, to QuickTax software that makes you an expert accountant; from interactive web-churches where you chose sermons at your own time convenience, to interactive web hosting where you make your own world-wide broadcast – the world is moving to total participation.
Yet, it is not something really new. Christian faith followed Christ’s invitation into priesthood of all believers, away from a selected representative to total participation of all who believe.
It is interesting to look at John’s vision in the Book of Revelation where he is given a measuring rod to size-up the Temple, the Holy Place (from Greek NAOS) where only one Priest could enter, and then see John being told to measure ALL WHO WORSHIP THERE. We all are invited to participate with Christ in Spiritual ministry. Scary thing is that those who choose not to participate, and simply hang out in the outer court, assuming or expecting representation by proxy – they get measured out, or simply put (from Greek EKBALLO) kicked out. (Revelation 11:1-2)
Last week we talked about move from Rational to Experiential. It is our intention in this church to seek Experiencing God, to seek His Presence. We recognize that our programs, our seminars, our mighty doing things is not enough to motivate people into participating. It is God’s Spirit, God’s Presence, His Might that we all need, that will engage our total participation. There is not such a thing as Experiencing God by proxy. A representative is not enough! We want to touch the helm of his Robe, we want to encounter His Righteousness in our lives, we want to participate daily in His Glory.
Lets keep on getting involved in more experiences together, becoming more involved in each other lives, participating in each other joys and trials, as we all live boldly with God.
From wedding receptions where cameras are scattered at tables inviting guests to take pictures, to do-it-yourself funerals; from an electric toothbrush that turns you into your own dentist, to QuickTax software that makes you an expert accountant; from interactive web-churches where you chose sermons at your own time convenience, to interactive web hosting where you make your own world-wide broadcast – the world is moving to total participation.
Yet, it is not something really new. Christian faith followed Christ’s invitation into priesthood of all believers, away from a selected representative to total participation of all who believe.
It is interesting to look at John’s vision in the Book of Revelation where he is given a measuring rod to size-up the Temple, the Holy Place (from Greek NAOS) where only one Priest could enter, and then see John being told to measure ALL WHO WORSHIP THERE. We all are invited to participate with Christ in Spiritual ministry. Scary thing is that those who choose not to participate, and simply hang out in the outer court, assuming or expecting representation by proxy – they get measured out, or simply put (from Greek EKBALLO) kicked out. (Revelation 11:1-2)
Last week we talked about move from Rational to Experiential. It is our intention in this church to seek Experiencing God, to seek His Presence. We recognize that our programs, our seminars, our mighty doing things is not enough to motivate people into participating. It is God’s Spirit, God’s Presence, His Might that we all need, that will engage our total participation. There is not such a thing as Experiencing God by proxy. A representative is not enough! We want to touch the helm of his Robe, we want to encounter His Righteousness in our lives, we want to participate daily in His Glory.
Lets keep on getting involved in more experiences together, becoming more involved in each other lives, participating in each other joys and trials, as we all live boldly with God.
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