Unless the Lord build ……(II) The Church

In an overheard conversation one man remarked that he thought we should bring the church into the 20th Century. The reply came “Don’t you mean the 21st Century?” Quickly recovering the reply came back (a little unkindly) “One century at a time!” It is easy to criticize the church, especially that part to which I don’t belong. And yes the invisible church (consisting of all true believers) and the visible institution are not the same thing, but Jesus loves the World (and so the visible church) and I need to love it too! And when a particular church or denomination is moving away from Biblical truth, I have learned not to judge those who feel called to stay seeking to reform it, nor those who simply need to leave. “It is before his own master that he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4).

Having said this, it is clear to me (discerning without condemnation) that much of what the visible Church has built, has been built in vain (Psalm 127:1). As with interpersonal relationships, it is so much easier to see the faults in others rather than in ourselves. Thinking “I am right and everybody else is wrong,” has a long history. The Pharisees certainly thought this way, and the danger of this morphing into an obnoxious attitude of superior orthodoxy, is great. But what are we supposed to do when we see errors? The tendency has been to immediately form a new Church or denomination, and I am not saying that this is necessarily wrong. What I am saying is that unless the Lord is in it, all that will happen, is that we become one more reason for the world to shake it’s head and say “These guys talk about truth, but they cannot even agree among themselves what it it is!”

It would be very easy for me to think the Church is all about the inner healing ministry which is a passion of mine, and to form a new church around it. What could easily happen then, is that the truths behind this point of view become isolated from the very people who need it the most. Someone has wisely said that rather than asking the Lord to bless what we are doing (or want to do), we should ask what the Lord is blessing. And when we discern what He is blessing, He may in fact call us to build centres of excellence “wineskins,” structures, around what He is doing with a particular lost eternal truth. I see several areas He is blessing that have been lost to the church through atrophy or abuse. I am thinking of the houses of prayer movement, of prophetic cultures, of centres of the miraculous etc., etc. And perhaps our discipleship programs should incorporate some, all, or more of these elements.

Father, thank You for reminding me this morning of the verse “if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2). When I stray from this, please bring me back to the understanding that I am but a little boy paddling in the vast and infinite ocean of Your eternal truths. And Lord remind me and all these reading these posts to periodically ask You to search our hearts to see if there be any wicked way within us. Thank You Lord that You have promised, in spite of it all, that You will build Your church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. For this and many other things we praise and bless You Lord, in Jesus Name Amen