Because theology is everybody's task
Monday, October 04, 2010
Programmed Church - An Institution Unto Itself
John Armstrong posts a short, two minute YouTube clip talking about today's church model, entitled Has the Church Traded Methods for Worship? I tend to agree with him, and I also think there is a tendency to oppose these same methodologies and programs Armstrong alludes to, while at the same time not knowing that we fall into the same traps ourselves. I hope to be writing about this more in the near future.
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Thanks for the link. I found his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/yourchurchistoosmall, some good stuff there too.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
Yes, the institutionalized form of faith and church is mostly about ourselves. Watch where the money goes. Any church with a building and even one hired staff consumes 75 - 85% of the "giving" to buy stuff for mostly the givers. That leaves 15 - 25% to go beyond the givers. Now the givers can claim "we give alot to missions and others...we need some to reach our Jerusalem." Little to they realize they can reach Jerusalem for free. The free way is each believer giving the gospel out face to face and heart to heart on the unbelievers turf. That is the best way..."you shall be my witnesses..." Billions are spent trying to reach Jerusalem in the institutionalized mode and it's largely failing. In God's grace there is some response. Some are saved. This is billions for mediocrity. Institutionalized faith is addicted to calling mediocrity big faith.
ReplyDeleteIf the billions were invested where saints have never heard once, never rejected it even one time, have no one within a days journey to tell them, invested in sending thousands of Asian and Indian brothers and sisters who are willing to go, can learn the language faster, live among the people better, have no American seminary baggage.... there would be a huge harvest for the kingdom.
It doesn't take an M.Div or Ph.D in missions to figure this one out. It just requires a lot of hired pastors to recognize what Paul said about "refusing the right to be paid" so they would be willing to get a job (God will provide one... He did for me).
God's people must learn to turn their pooling into giving... giving beyond themselves. Where your treasure is, there will our heart be also. When your giving is focused on you, your heart WILL BE stuck on yourself. This is an AXIOM from Jesus on where our hearts will be.
Going off of Tim A's point: Most might get back to the givers in various forms. I personally find it appalling how children's ministers won't think twice about buying cheap tiaras for Vacation Bible School and music ministers want fake rocks onstage for an Easter musical, but suddenly the churches can't afford anything when someone wants a free Bible!
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