My thoughts on Reality (2)

after thinking for a long time about all of this i feel that what i was most concerned with was the lack of foundation and the fact that a lot of time we don't see it that way. I guess what i felt needed to be done is to go back and rebuild, which is to make sure people know what they are getting into with a relationship with God. It will be awesome, it will be hard, it will wreck you, but it will be worth it.
I guess with all those jumbled up questions i just felt that we can not get ahead of ourselves in expecting a response that isn't there, but that we need to make sure that those people who we expect a response from are in the right place to even respond. I want to have a congregation of true worshipers. One thing though that i need to remember is that this life is a messy one which people need to go through with God. So rebuild foundation, allow people to be messy and expect an appropriate response from wherever the individual is at in their life, thinkings, and relationship with God.

Support Small Business

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My thoughts on Reality (Read this carefully)

I have been thinking and studying a lot of different things lately and I believe I have discovered the most dangerous word for the Church today. Routine. With there being such a skewed view of Christianity in the world today we in the church, who are in charge of leading the local flock need to be afraid of this. Don’t loose sight of the larger picture. People are dying. How are we so concerned with offering a new worship station when there is a lack of passion in our congregation? Where do we spend out energy? Shouldn’t we be reminding people (yes the individual) of whom they worship? Have we forgotten the individual’s response in favor for the congregations? I feel so convicted lately that we can not be concerned with playing a fast song to incite passion, but that we must remind first and then expect response second. That is why routine is dangerous. We get in the mind set that to keep from routine dryness that we must add a new station or get a new song, or play faster more exciting music to incite passion, or to have a convicting video element to bring about realization. What are we doing? How is that helping?
Let’s strip the whole thing down. First, People are dying. Even those in our church, those who fake a real relationship with Christ, those are the same people who are misrepresenting Him. Those are the same people who we hope our new changes will produce passion within. The ones who get it are not on our minds when we make changes to avoid routine. Something went wrong in the early stages of faith that these people who have our concern did not really meet Jesus.
It isn’t that we shouldn’t try these new things. But we can not expect a 10 minute video or a 5 minute song to change their hearts. Only Jesus. There is a truth, a reality that we find in scripture that must be told. And then we need to ask after we tell, we need to ask if they understand. We need to see if Christ, true, real and raw has done anything to them?
When it really comes down to it, we are less involved than we think. Life is between them and God, the only two pieces that matter. We are mouthpieces, a mere glimmer on the road of salvation for many, and it is a blessing for us, but we can not expect that any action we do will change a thing. We must trust that the word of God and real interaction with Him will make the difference. Let’s not down play our role, but let’s be sure to not take too much credit for it either. Let’s break down the routine. Let’s reintroduce a firm foundation rather than trying to build upon a shaky one. Even if we do build upon a shaky one, and the individual allows a song or video to stick and they feel a real connection with God, does that seem like a good plan, to wait and hope they stick? All I am trying to do I suppose is ask these questions and get you as a leader to ask these questions of your own heart and ministry. Are we doing the right things? Are we, at times, taking a two week series to rebuild an entire life? To address this issue? Is that even possible?
It is interesting to see people bash seeker sensitive churches. Not to defend them but how long do we really feel that the seeker period lasts? Maybe we Bible Based churches need to allow a longer seeker period before we dive too deep. Maybe that is why we have so many shaky foundations. My last question is, do we truly feel that what we are doing now is working? And I really believe that if we were harshly honest with ourselves the answer would be no.
To just offer a "WHAT NOW", i feel that we need to begin to repair these shaky foundations first then once we see that they understand expect a proper response. In life, in worship, and in all aspects in their real relationship with God.