I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice--oceans of it. I want fairness--rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want. --God (Amos 5:21-24 The Message)
Don't miss watching this video parable of what to me is an excellent illustration of what God is saying above.
4 comments:
"Javaluia!" The video is so good (funny because it is true). Also thanks for the quote from the Message. I think a lot of folks (even "good" guys) need to be reminded of this verse. Thanks for posting, and may the Lord bless the work you are engaged in south of the border.
Heath,
Thanks for stopping by. I too :) at this. Parables (even video parables) are a wonderful way to express truth. I think Jesus taught us that lesson some 2000 years ago, didn't He?
Guy this good but it misses the point and has a false assumption.
The point is that putting the focus on getting people to COME to "church" is not the best for the Kingdom. Let me ask you, do you personally feel more comfortable when people meet you in places you like to be? OR ...Do you feel more comfortable going to places you have never been to learn something you know little about with people you have never met who are different then you? Why would we make it harder for people to know the King when we don't have to. We need to GO to them.
The assumption is that trying to get people to come to church is good for the Kingdom. The fact is that it is not. We know this. Within 2 years of a person going to church the vast majority of people have no unbelieving friends, their whole world revolves around the activities in the church, and if they have a heart for the lost their entire goal for them is to get them to come to church like they did.
For a time this model worked but we know it doesn't now. We also know that this is not the only way for the church to operate. We know there are much better ways for the Kingdom.
For now these are just inconvenient truths that no one wants to deal with. How dark will it have to get before we are willing to do whatever it takes to see the Kingdom multiply here in America instead of shrinking?
Darrell,
You make some good observations. I agree with you. When you say, For now these are just inconvenient truths that no one wants to deal with... I do believe that videos like this help open our eyes. I believe it was Ed Stetzer who said, "People will not change until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change." One of the prophetic roles of the church is awaken a sleeping church to the kind of realities dramatized in the video parable. Only when we are pained enough will the needed changes come.
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