Church: Building, Crowd or Team?
“Church” as defined in the Bible is not a complex organization. The leadership are few (elders and deacons), its purposes are defined very broadly (preach the gospel, disciple believers, minister to the poor) and the executive processes are abbreviated (whatever you agree to on earth, God agrees to in heaven).
Under these general guidelines many different “versions” of church have developed none of which represent the New Testament pattern exactly. I wouldn’t accuse any particular “church” of being completely wrong but it might be fair to suggest that we have all missed the point to some degree.
If we are going to get “church” right we must consider carefully the words and actions of Jesus. He introduced the idea so He sets all the precedents. Understanding “church” from His perspective should be our primary objective. So, the question is, what did Jesus say and do? Read more
GO? To Church
I visited a new church recently and was bored out of my mind. The most predominant sensation was stifling oppression. The second was embarrassment, for them.
The song leader apologized for being tired. I wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t said anything. They had no musicians but insisted on singing anyway. The choruses weren’t bad but if I were new to church and hadn’t known them. would have felt even more out of place.
The pastor was a better than average speaker but he said absolutely noting new and none of it was relevant. There was no practical use for anything he said and there was nothing stimulating in the way it was presented. The only “do” point was attend church and he made the point by criticizing the cyclists he passed on his way to the service. Obviously, they couldn’t cycle without missing church. I guess it never occurred to him that service times are not God breathed and could therefore be changed.
The most interesting thing in the entire message was a joke about a preacher and a taxi driver both of whom went to heaven. The taxi guy was heavily rewarded and the preacher got nothing. The reason? When the preacher spoke people slept. When the taxi guy drove people prayed!” Sadly, that pretty much epitomized the service.
For those who live elsewhere, the largest percentage of taxi drivers in South African are black and known for excessively dangerous driving. So the comment was more of an racist point than a spiritual one.
Tithing Catalyzes Solidarity
Solidarity does not exist only with the commitment of one person. It is a thing of beauty demonstrated when a group of people move in unison. It is not an easy thing to achieve. If it were, they wouldn’t award Olympic metals for synchronized swimming.
It requires a lot of discipline to develop and much courage to execute. The military counts on getting it right at basic training so fewer people die in battle and it also multiplies the total effect. Small groups of soldiers have been known to fight off forces several times their size because they fought in unison courageously. There is great power generated when a group of people, large or small, act in unison. Read more
Tithing Structures Faith
This is a no brainer. Faith is an important part of our lives. Pleasing God is the desire of every sincere Christian and that can only be done by exercising faith. Hebrews 11:6 says,
Without faith it is impossible to please him (God)…
But disjointed, inconsistent, poorly organized, confused efforts, however sincere, are never expressions of faith. ”Faith” and “faithful” are cousins. It ain’t faith if it ain’t consistent and orderly. In fact, the Bible further says all things must be done decently and in order, i.e., in a structured fashion (1 Corinthians 14:40). This principle applies to everything we do: worship, preaching, teaching, social events, goal setting and even giving. Read more
Blinded by Religion
Most people think that religion can make a person better morally and bring them closer to God but that idea is far from true. In fact, James said people who live a religious life and brag about it (bridle not their tongues) are delusional (James, chapter 1 verse 26). According to James, a religious life is useful but not for moral improvement.
Take, for example, some of the religious regulations in the Old Testament and there were many. Diet, food preparation, sewer management, dress code, work-rest cycle (time management), charitable practices, financial management, personal hygiene and medical procedures were all included in the religious code. When James mentioned religion this is what he was referring to. Read more
Tim Pepper - Beautiful Frustration