Is it time to turn away from the organized church?

[Obadiah]

Thank you for asking. I was waiting to see if someone might be interested (I was just getting ready to PM it to Christ_empowered ).

"Furious Love"

(There is another one too, but I have to grasp for the title). Please give it a chance and let's talk about it. I'm not pretending that it is a perfect representation of what I'm talking about. What I can see is the fundamental truth the film represents.

I think the other one is called 'Holy Spirit'.
And I just found one called 'Finger of God'. I'll be checking that one out.

Thanks. A big part of my job after my clients are asleep for the night is just to be on hand for emergencies, so most nights it gives me time to watch things like this. I'll be watching tonight.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Cool. Love your pizza story, by the way. I know by it you are familiar with the supernatural work of God. And probably long for it.

 

[Cygnus]

Thursday night I was watching a film about faith on netflix and it got me thinking that it's time to take the gospel to the unchurched pagans in the streets just as it was time for Paul to take the gospel to the gentiles when the religious community of their day vehemently opposed his message.:

"when the (church) saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by (insert gospel worker name here), and were blaspheming. 46 (those gospel workers) spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of (the truth), behold, we are turning to the (unchurched pagans)." (Acts 13:45-46 NASB parenthesis mine of course to make my point)

What do you think?

There are many churches doing just that. Prayer walking, street witnessing...etc. Churches have many gifts, callings, like Christians do and are called to do different things. Some churches reach out on missions....some in food pantries....some to the homeless.....some to youth or bible school.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

There are many churches doing just that. Prayer walking, street witnessing...etc.

But not effectively.
The church seems to be satisfied that they did something, not that what they did actually accomplished something.

 

[Cygnus]

But not effectively.
The church seems to be satisfied that they did something, not that what they did actually accomplished something.

The "church" is too much into the Joel Osteen gospel.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think that's the way society is going....

...most churches aren't all that different from the surrounding community. :-(

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Just to clarify, the show wasn't saying ALL people who don't go to church are pagans, was it?

No, that whole sentence is me talking. Just so you know, I've been mostly un-churched for many of the past twenty years. So I thoroughly understand what causes the genuine God loving believer to not go to church.

I use pagans in a very general sense of those who are in the world and playing and living out it's game in whatever form that takes in their lives--greed, witchcraft, promiscuity, etc.

But surely the other equally exciting take on all this is how this opens up the door for church people to get a glimpse of what they aren't. People who genuinely love, and long for God, but who are unknowingly trapped behind the gates of the cold, dead, lifeless, powerless walls of the church they attend can learn by actual experience and witness of the power of God how to be the effective, happy, satisfied, overflowing servants and friends of God in his service that they want to be and should be.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The "church" is too much into the Joel Osteen gospel.

I agree totally.
Of all the ironies, the Full Gospel movement itself is what ruined the truth about the manifest powers that accompany the sharing of the gospel by using the promise of that power to build financial kingdoms. I was thinking about this very thing while I was out fetching gas for the mower this afternoon. That's why I say your intentions have to be about demonstrating the power of God's love for the world....that's it, end of agenda.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I think that's the way society is going....

...most churches aren't all that different from the surrounding community. :-(

Somebody said it well once.....the church is to go out into the world, not the world come into the church.
The church loses it's witness when the world sees it's no different than them.

 

[JohnDB]

The Gospel message is razor thin.
Too legalistic and you are self righteous
Too liberal and you are a heretic Gnostic.
Too much love and you have your head in the clouds.

The blend is impossible to achieve.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Too much love and you have your head in the clouds.

Too much of God's love? Tell me how I can do this, please!
I'm suffering from the opposite problem.

 

[JohnDB]

Too much of God's love? Tell me how I can do this, please!
I'm suffering from the opposite problem.

"Grace" then if you don't recognize what I am saying

But also if you evangelize too much you aren't taking care of your own.
Not enough evangelism and you are dead.

What I'm saying is that it's too easy to throw rocks and destroy the good institutions that have been made by God.

It takes a loooonnnnggg time to build something that takes only minutes to destroy.

But even the strongest defense of Hell cannot stand against the Gospel.

You might destroy one church but more will come...and the music is like jazz...it has no ending.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

But even the strongest defense of Hell cannot stand against the Gospel.

So let's go to where the gospel is overcoming the hardened defenses of hell, 'cause it sure ain't happening in what we got today. Speaking generally of course.

But also if you evangelize too much you aren't taking care of your own.
Not enough evangelism and you are dead.

You keep making this so complicated.
Of course the church then raises the children it bears. I made mention of this in one of my earlier posts here.

What I'm saying is that it's too easy to throw rocks and destroy the good institutions that have been made by God.

God did not make what those institutions became.

 

[Corn Pop]

If all believers gather in one place how can the lost hear the Gospel.

I did give one church I went to a bit of credit, he did say go out to the lost and preach and bring them to church, but I don't think his intensions were good, because he never preached the Gospel so how would the church know what the gospel is, and 90% of the service was about funding and sign up membership.

 

[Corn Pop]

The classic church service these days is some singing and dancing worship, that's all good, then a speech Jesus loves us were all one big happy family, new people alter call then sign up as a member, then see you all next week.

 

[Corn Pop]

Wake up church. Lol.

 

[Corn Pop]

I think that's the way society is going....

...most churches aren't all that different from the surrounding community. :-(

Its because many have sold out.

 

[Christ_empowered]

To be fair, Christianity is coming up strong in non-Western parts of the World. China's got a huge church going, so do parts of Africa. I think 21st century, developed, affluent societies that were once based on Christian concepts (note: the societies weren't "Christian," but I think Christian concepts contributed to their/our growth+development) are leaning more towards various secular ideologies. It is what it is, as they say down here.

Sometimes I think...if we weren't so media-saturated, The Good News would have more of a chance. People have to work a lot just to live, then they're bombarded with media throughout the day, and most of that media is slanted, obviously or not so obviously, against The Good News. Few people get enough quiet time to reflect, write, think about things, escape the mass media, pray, so on and so forth. Its like...in the US, at least...people work a lot, then they get stressed so they escape into Facebook, booze, xanax, excessive religion of whatever flavor, self-help, on and on...everybody has to live on credit so we can have the right clothes and car and house and pretend like we/they have it together, to impress people who don't care anyway and are just as in debt and stressed as we/they are....

...its ridiculous. Point is...the world brainwashes people. That's what they taught me at the Pentecostal treatment place I went to...the world brain washes people, and you don't notice it until/unless you get a breather. I had 1 year there rarely watching TV, even less frequently watching movies, no un-approved books (I did get lots of CS Lewis, lol), on and on. Then I got out, and...well, now I find that I have more of a Christian worldview and I'm better able to think for myself. Not that I'm super special or whatever, just...I got to break away from the mass media, and Christ has used that to change me and change my perspective.

And...I'm done.

 

[Malachi]

What do you think?

What you recommend is essential -- reaching out to the lost in every possible way. But after they are saved they need to gather with believers. Acts chapter 2 should always be the pattern.

 

[Corn Pop]

I will join a church if the Pastor knows everyone's name. If he does not even know there names, how can he know his church and what's going on within it to teach and guide and pastor.

The Wisdom of Moses, when things get to big appoint others to pastor.

You don't need one 50 million dollar church with 100,000 members and one proud rich pastor.

Even a farmer knows his cows.