Last weeks post raised a lot of questions as to what we can do...stay tuned as I am working with someone to figure out something....seriously!
I just came across this on someone else’s blog. What do you think?
Sometimes it helps to know the kind of churches that you never want to go to. Here are five actual, real churches that I have visited and that I would never go to again. And I hope you won’t either.
1. I will never go back to the church that exists for itself. So many churches just simply exist for their own members, their own comfort. They never seem to care about those who are far from God and yet close to the doors of their church that they could reach. They have a mission-blindness because they are so focused on self-preservation.
2. I will never go back to the church that resists change. It’s the church of Jesus Christ that understands what never changes and what ever-changes. The message of the gospel is timeless, but the methods with which it is delivered are and must be timely.
3. I will never go back to the church where everyone is not welcome. It’s hard to believe even in our day that there are churches that are prejudiced; prejudiced against race, mixed marriage, and a hundred other issues. The truth of the matter is I would never go to a church that just simply doesn’t exist for people. It’s been my contention the church doesn’t exist simply for Christians, it exists for everyone so that anyone and everyone should be welcome. But we all know that’s not true. One of the biggest sins churches commit is when they put up signs reading, “Everyone Welcome” when we all know they are not.
4. I will never go back to the church whose basis of authority is tolerance and inclusion. The basis for authority in any church are the Scriptures. God’s revealed word is the truth on which we are founded. The gospel is the story of redemption based on truth, justice, mercy, grace, and love. So I want to be part of the church whose foundation is not tolerance, but truth; because tolerance without truth is just sentimentalism. I want to be quick to say that I also want to be part of a church who speaks the truth in love; who doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear, but tells me what I need to hear in a way I can hear it.
5. I will never go back to the church that preaches a works salvation. So much of what you’ll hear tomorrow in churches across this land is based on a works salvation; a redemption by being better. How many sermons will we hear about being more like Paul or Peter, or John or Moses, or David or Joshua, or even like Jesus? The good news of the gospel is not that God came to make bad men better, but that He came to make dead men live.
Relationship with God through Jesus Christ is based totally on the work of Christ on the cross and through the Resurrection; not on the basis of my good works or my promise to be redeemed. Christianity is not a sin-management program. It is a life-transforming relationship that you enter in through Jesus Christ to the Redeemer and God of your life.
These are churches I would shy away from. If I were looking for a brand new church, I would simply turn these upside-down and make sure I go to a church tomorrow that is mission-minded, that receives people with joy no matter who they are or where they’ve come from; that proclaims the truth of the Sacred Scripture and elevates the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for the world.
Relationship with God through Jesus Christ is based totally on the work of Christ on the cross and through the Resurrection; not on the basis of my good works or my promise to be redeemed. Christianity is not a sin-management program. It is a life-transforming relationship that you enter in through Jesus Christ to the Redeemer and God of your life.
These are churches I would shy away from. If I were looking for a brand new church, I would simply turn these upside-down and make sure I go to a church tomorrow that is mission-minded, that receives people with joy no matter who they are or where they’ve come from; that proclaims the truth of the Sacred Scripture and elevates the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for the world.
Thoughts?
3 comments:
I to have been to many churches where I would never return. Sometimes because they are not following the truth of scripture. Some times because no one says a word of greeting, and some times just because they have no kids. When a church has no kids they have no future. You need to have some where for kids to be involved.
On the other side of things; part of my full-time job is to connect with churches in Winnipeg and through that I have met a lot of wonderful caring pastors and youth/kids pastors. There are many good churches out there but they might not show themselves to you the first time you visit. No of us have it right all the time. Each of the church members have problems and many of the pastors are tired. We need to pray for each and every church in our city.
I'm glad God's led me to the church that I have been blessed by, challenged, and strengthened. I'm proud to call Soul my home.
Since my mother was a traveling gospel singer when I was little, I feel like I have been to every kind of church imaginable! There are many churches I would add to the list, but this is my biggest:
The church that is so focused on bringing in new members and adding masses of new converts that they forget to enrich the spiritual journey of long standing members. Or the entire focus of long-standing members is to "teach" the new members, as if they do not also have things to learn, as if there spiritual journey has reached completion.
IMHO, some churches get stuck on the "God forgives you for all your sins" message and can't move deeper into the scriptures.
Don't get me wrong -- some people need to hear that message, mainly people that have strayed from the church or never been there, but people that have been sitting in the pews for 20 years need to move beyond the milk and get to the meat of the message.
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