A group of Pharisees once asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders?" After reading this verse, we can see where the "religious" folks' priorities were -basically in the same place the church's are today. We place so much emphasis on "tradition" that sometimes we forget our central mission -to reach a lost and dying world. We place a lot of importance (and money) in stained glass windows, massive oaken pulpits, and fancy altar tables while our mission funds are nearly exhausted. Jesus' disciples were in the business of breaking traditions and bringing about change. We never read of a church "building" in the Scriptures. The disciples worshipped, fellowshipped, and ministered in homes weekly. Somewhere in the past 2,000 years, Baptists decided to follow our Catholic friends (Oh no!) in building miniature cathedrals. I have read a study recently that the fastest growing churches are those that follow the apostles' pattern of worship in members' homes. Am I saying that we should tear down our buildings, sell everything, and have all things in common? No. But we should start placing our focus back where it needs to be -bringing others to Christ, regardless of race, social class, or age -and less on having more elegant facilities than the church across town. The message never changes, only the way we present it...
No comments:
Post a Comment