The Immature Church

My Mom and Dad just showed me an article by Jaynan Clark, the president of the Word Alone Network.  Rather than speak for her, I will just copy down what I consider to be the 'meat' of what she has to say.

{ "We are living in a time that publicly despises such a proclamation (referencing the Gospel message).  We have denied our sinful state to the point of not even wanting to talk about "sin" anymore because it is such a "downer".  Our refusal to acknowledge its dominion over us has resulted in a context that inhales and exhales as hedonistic, narcissistic, defiant spoiled children.  Some of these "children" are in their sixties and seventies, and have never put the lessons of the 1960's into perspective. The free love, self-gratification, "I'm OK--You're OK, so get out of my face, who are you to tell me how to live, slaves to the self and the pursuit of personal happiness folks are running the show.  They are in positions of leadership in government, business and denominational churches.  The "me" generation has not yet accepted that their "me-ness" is the ultimate First Commandment violation.  Putting oneself in the place of God has dire consequences for all.

This celebration of the self--belief in the divine spark of goodness within, rejection of absolute truth claims, belief in the Gospel without the law, redefined freedom that applauds action without consequences, redefined love that is a tepid tolerance, and blind acceptance of everyone and everything--has led to this place and time when reevangelization is our primary calling.  It must begin in the very churches that pass out this other religion of "selfism" as if it was their "mother god's" milk." }

She has a lot of great and challenging things to say, many that I have been thinking about before.  One of the more profound things for me was her statement that the churches main goal is reevangelizism.  Do you know what that means? It means that the 'Christians' in the church don't know the Gospel and that our leaders must devote themselves to tell these, 'supposed Christians,' who Jesus is.   Scripturally this is not the purpose of the Church.  Today's church is immature; in reading acts and the epistles of Paul, there is a stark contrast in the structure, courage, integrity, and depth within the first 'church' than there is today.  The church isn't supposed to evangelize to itself, evangelism is supposed to be for the expansion of the Kingdom of God that already exists.  Rather those within the church should be equipping and discipling one another to evangelize... we have a long way to go.  Reevangelism must happen before we can reach maturity. This of course is a call to action. Lets get to it, there is no better time than now!

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  Therefore Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.  And God permitting, we will do so." Hebrews 5:11-14  -- 6:1-3

"Enemy-occupied territory - that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.