Acts 7: 47 - 50 NKJV
I read something this week from Wayne Jacobsen who was bemoaning the trend of some christians suddenly finding the church they grew up in as no longer having meaning to them. Well, not like it used to. Hey, Wayne, I've been there. It's not just that Wayne is preaching to the choir in this instance, I do give him kudos for bringing this subject up. Now, I've spent a good deal of time in the past railing on the institutional church, and for good reason. See, I've lived the "church" life. I've sat through the sunday sermons, given until it hurt and attended more than a few latest and greatest seminars which were supposedly supposed to bring me closer to God. Well, I did get closer to God, but it wasn't because of some church or pastor. No, how I knew that I was closer to God came with that revelation of Christ in me {Galations 2:20}. It seems that Jesus had been there all along, I just didn't realize it. Now, I could blame the church for this, but why? Was it the churchs fault that Christ was not revealed in the man Saul for so long? {Galations 1:15-16} This begs the question, is the church God? Ok, let me rephrase that, is that church which we know today God? That church with the elegant furnishings, the lovely choir and energetic pastor...is that how we see God? Not in my book. In fact, Luke mentions in the Acts of the apostles that God is not found in temples made by men {Acts 7:48}. Still, far too many people equate the local church as that sole dwelling place of our heavenly Father...Gods house. Like I said, I've been there. Like many christians today, I grew tired of the regulations, rules and traditions which all too often took center stage over Gods children. Seems I wasn't alone in my thinking.
20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
A friend sent me a funny video this week of a pastor yelling at his congregation about the virtues of believing in God. Now, I've never seen a pastor yell in a sermon, but if I had I'd assume it wouldn't be all that popular. I found it more humerous than anything. What is it that makes us force God upon others? Does God require us to somehow muscle others into believing? I think not. I don't think that the creator of all which we see would ever need someone to force others to believe in Him. That is why we were created with that ability to choose. God wants for us to choose. Well, it is His very desire that we choose Him. The trouble with having that ability to choose is that we don't always make the right one. Yes, I have a history of wrong choices. However, one right choice I did make was to accept Christ when He was revealed in me. I didn't have someone yell at me to accept Jesus. I didn't realize Jesus in me in some institutional church seminar. No, as with all who have made that same decision I did, it came in the Lords own timing. Luke asks in Acts, "what will you build for me?" What is it that we, as followers of Jesus, bring to the table? All we're really asked to bring is ourselves unto Him. All we're asked is to bring ourselves...not a new building. See, Gods children are far more valuable to Him than a new building, even if the church doesn't see things that way. There was a point in my christian life where this truth struck my heart like a bell. Why were we spending so much time building, spending and preaching? Would not God provide for all of this? All He desires is for His children to choose Him. Choose wisely.
~Scott~
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