At the conclusion of my previous blog, I included a quote from T. Austin Sparks (1888-1971). I was wondering if anyone spent some time musing over his words and coming to a conclusion agreeing or disagreeing with him?
The quote was, “Christianity now is very largely a built up thing with many Jewish features in it; i.e. outward orders, forms, vestments, titles, buildings, and rigidly fixed boundaries of apprehension of truth.” What do you think?
Before you dismiss this observation by TAS, consider what characterizes a denomination, a mega-church, celebrity pastors and/or their ministries.
Question: Is the Christian church exhibiting the same type of characteristics that TAS was recognizing decades ago in the Church? How do these types of characteristics gain a foothold in the Lord’s Church?
Let me put forth this possibility. Is the Church being governed by the dictates of man or by the Spirit of God? Is the Church energized by the soul of its leadership or by the Holy Spirit? Is the Church moving forward to please man and his agenda at the expense of seeking the Lord for direction for His Church and to be governed by the Spirit of God? In short, who is at the center of the Church? the Lord or the ‘self’ of mankind. Strong words, but are they applicable to what is going on the Church in the United States? the world?
There are places in the world where the Church is growing–on the continent of Africa, in Asia, and in South America (lifewayresearch.com)
Question: Is the Church in the United States more dependent upon ‘self-centeredness’ for its growth, than on the Holy Spirit for its growth and outreach? Do the letters of Paul address this type of Church growth?
In I Corinthians 3, it appears that Paul is addressing a type of religious growth centered in self and not in the Spirit. As he states in I Corinthians 3:1, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.” (NKJV). Why?
They were saved, but immature, believers, who were pursuing a carnal (soulish) walk with Christ, and not a Spirit led relationship. The were centered on people and personalities, and not centered on Christ, or the gospel that Paul preached. (I Cor. 3:2-11)
In I Corinthians 3:12-15, Paul explains that how a person, or local Church, who builds upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, will be tested on the Day of the Lord’s return. This is not speaking about one’s salvation, which is a free gift. Paul is speaking about a believer’s rewards based upon how a believer builds upon their foundation of Christ Jesus. Why is this important even before the Day of Christ’s return?
In Hebrews 12:25-29, the writer expounds about a day of shaking that is coming. I personally believe that there is going to be a great day of shaking before the Lord returns. This warning, by the writer to the Hebrews, exhorts them to remain steadfast, “…looking unto Jesus…” (Heb.12:2); to remember those who have walked before them (Heb. 11:1 – 12:2); to embrace the discipline of God in their lives, as a father disciplines his son (Heb. 12:3-17); and to reflect on the difference between the two covenants, and their meaning to a believer (Heb.12:18-24). [Historically, all of this is written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.]
Keeping all of this in perspective, what has any of this got to do with me in 2021? I believe that God is going to ‘shake’ things up before the Day of the Glorious Return of the Lord. This will include heaven and earth. For what purpose? First, to manifest His Presence in such a way to give every opportunity for mankind to be saved; second, to sort out the defective elements in the Church so that the Church can minister to those who will be saved; and third, to prepare the Bride, for the Groom’s glorious return.
What are the defective elements? Those defective elements are those things that the Lord of the Church will need to speak to each individual congregation, just as He did to the seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. The Lord, Himself, will point out what needs to be removed, anything that is man-made, and not founded in Christ. This is what the writer to the Hebrews is saying in Heb. 12: 27, “Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (NKJV) The things that are made are spoken of, [in my Study Bible (pg. 1745)], as “…the removal of all that is earthly and temporal, in order that only heavenly and spiritual realities my remain.”
I submit, that this is essence of TAS observation. He was commenting on how much there was in the Church that was man oriented and not Holy Spirit inspired. Is the same true today? How much in the Church today is not of the Lord at all and will crumble with a violent shaking, or will be blown away as chaff by a violent wind? Or going back to I Corinthians 3:12, how much in the Church has been built on the foundation of Christ Jesus, but the building materials have been hay, wood, and straw and gold, silver, or precious stones?
Or, thinking back to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concluded with this summary. Matthew 7:24-29, when “the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and the house (which house? the one not even built on the right foundation, not built on a solid rock but on sand) , and it fell. And great was its fall.” (NKJV)
Yes, when the shaking comes, and it will come; the foundation must be correct or catastrophic will be its fall-Christ is not its foundation; and then again, a Church may have the right foundation, but its life is man-made, not Spirit built, and great will be their fall. This is what the shaking is for, to reveal what things are made of in our lives and in the life of the Church.
The point, is, when the shaking comes what will be left of the Church as we know it? What about the local congregation that you attend? Is it Christ centered, Holy Spirit empowered, or going forward with man at the center, pursuing their own agenda. It may be hard to tell; but when the shaking comes, the results will be revealing. And when the shaking comes, what will be left in my own walk with the Lord? How strong is my relationship to Him? I am not questioning my salvation; I am asking if I am building on the right foundation with the right building materials.
Question: What did the pandemic reveal to your local community of believers? The pandemic was a ‘shaking’. How did you survive? How did your Church community survive? What do you think it will be like for the Church that you attend as the Pandemic quiets down and things return to ‘normal’? What is the NEW normal, have OLD things passed away? What are you grappling with? What is the Spirit saying to you? your local Church community? What is Lord of the Church saying to the Church in the United States? the world?
I think the Church is being prepared for a NEW season in its relationship to Christ. One totally centered upon Him, His Word, and the leading and working of the Holy Spirit. But, isn’t that how the Church began in Acts 2? Yes, but are we still centered in the Apostle’s Doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers? I ask myself, what does that mean in my walk with the Lord?
Do I Get It Yet? or is it still fuzzy?
TBC
Living Words of Encouragement 