I saw a church sign yesterday that I thought I would share with you all. It said:
"Church the way it used to be. Hymns and Bible preaching."
I wonder why they are so glad about doing church the way it used to be.
I wonder if they are "doing church" like the church in Corinth, where Paul admonished them for getting drunk on the communion wine and took a guy to task for sleeping with his father's wife. Or maybe they are like the church in Galatia, where legalism was so rampant that Paul told them to emasculate themselves. Or maybe they are like the church in Thessalonica, where everyone had quit working and were sitting around idle, waiting for the Lord's return. Possibly they are like the church of Laodicea, where they were so lukewarm that Jesus said He would "spit them out of His mouth."
I guess that "church the way it used to be" isn't so glamorous after all.
Maybe they aren't referring to the churches in the Bible. Maybe they are referring to past churches in America. Are they referring to churches that years ago wouldn't allow blacks and whites to worship together?
Beware of "church the way it used to be."
I would rather see a sign "Church the best way we know how to follow Scripture."
Anyone who knows me knows that I love the church. I love the Body of Christ as much as anyone I know. I love it too much to think that its best days are behind it, like this sign implies. Any follower of Christ would not be interested in "church as it used to be." A true follower of Christ will be interested in "church as it follows Scripture." So many Christians spend their time wringing their hands, wishing for days that they seem to remember being so much better, but in reality they weren't. I get so tired of hearing how much better things were twenty years ago, or thirty years ago, or whatever.
The sign should read, "The Church that accomplishes the Great Commission" or "The Church that loves the poor," or "The Church that takes prayer seriously," or "The Church that teaches people who can't stand each other how to still worship together." I think I like that last one the best.
"Church the way it used to be. Hymns and Bible preaching."
I wonder why they are so glad about doing church the way it used to be.
I wonder if they are "doing church" like the church in Corinth, where Paul admonished them for getting drunk on the communion wine and took a guy to task for sleeping with his father's wife. Or maybe they are like the church in Galatia, where legalism was so rampant that Paul told them to emasculate themselves. Or maybe they are like the church in Thessalonica, where everyone had quit working and were sitting around idle, waiting for the Lord's return. Possibly they are like the church of Laodicea, where they were so lukewarm that Jesus said He would "spit them out of His mouth."
I guess that "church the way it used to be" isn't so glamorous after all.
Maybe they aren't referring to the churches in the Bible. Maybe they are referring to past churches in America. Are they referring to churches that years ago wouldn't allow blacks and whites to worship together?
Beware of "church the way it used to be."
I would rather see a sign "Church the best way we know how to follow Scripture."
Anyone who knows me knows that I love the church. I love the Body of Christ as much as anyone I know. I love it too much to think that its best days are behind it, like this sign implies. Any follower of Christ would not be interested in "church as it used to be." A true follower of Christ will be interested in "church as it follows Scripture." So many Christians spend their time wringing their hands, wishing for days that they seem to remember being so much better, but in reality they weren't. I get so tired of hearing how much better things were twenty years ago, or thirty years ago, or whatever.
The sign should read, "The Church that accomplishes the Great Commission" or "The Church that loves the poor," or "The Church that takes prayer seriously," or "The Church that teaches people who can't stand each other how to still worship together." I think I like that last one the best.
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