Faith presumes obedience …
Because without obedience, there is no faith.
Category: Simple Discipleship
In the New Testament, “church” is not a meeting or a “service.”
Nor is it a building, a staged event or spectator seating.
Rather, it’s a local community of people who serve God, each other and a waiting world, through ministry one to another for the mutual building up of all with Christ as the Head …
While also not neglecting to gather together to encourage and motivate one another towards love and good works.
Pseudo “worship” today …
Exploits a broken generation by stirring up manipulated feelings of fleeting intensity, and calling it “God.”
It has become the new addiction.
The sole remedy is true worship, which is a faithful life of humble submission to God’s sovereignty, on His terms.
Only there can we find true significance and authentic wholeness.
Congregational singing is important for our gatherings, but the New Testament doesn’t call that “worship.”
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Rather, the New Testament says that living lives of reverent obedience and sacrificial service to God …
Is true worship.
When we say that singing and music are “worship,” however, rather than teach what worship truly is under the New Covenant …
We often end up with carnal churches and carnal people seeking a Sunday morning “worship experience” rather than living holy lives in humble obedience and service to God.
So let’s encourage one another by joyfully singing God’s praises congregationally together when we gather, as the New Testament commands …
While also learning to walk in true worship the rest of the week.
Because when all is said and done, the terminology of the New Testament never tells us to gather for a “worship service” …
But to gather for mutually building up each other so we can live lives of true worship, 24/7.
The prevailing characteristics of postmodern existentialism on both the left and on the right are relativism and narcissism, rooted in notions of human autonomy.
Is it any wonder, then, that we see an emphasis on new “doctrines” which:
Define Christ and our relationship to Him by our own subjective perceptions;
Redefine grace to destroy all concepts of objective standards; and
Dismiss the plenary authority of Scripture?
Yet God is raising up a people who want to truly know Him on His terms …
And to worship Him once again (literally, to bow before Him) in spirit and in truth.
Many know God as only a feeling …
And love the feeling more than God.
Which is unfortunate.
Although the authentic knowledge and love of God often invoke feelings …
They don’t depend on how we feel.
Freedom is not the right to do evil …
But the right to resist it.
Many desire the forgiveness of the Cross …
Without the transformation of the Resurrection.
It will not go well for them, either in the here and now …
Or on that fateful, final day.
Do you want Jesus for what you want …
Or what He wants?
Real church with real community and real discipleship …
Must embrace tough love.
Because ultimately, you can’t have real community or real discipleship …
With people who only want what they want from God and others.
Eventually, you must let them go.
Otherwise, you’re not helping …
But enabling.
What’s the ultimate standard for truth, reality and morality?
Our perceptions and sensibilities …
Or God’s written revelation and sovereign will?
Herein lies the difference between popular existential ideologies that have deceived many “Christians” …
And authentic Biblical Christianity as God Himself defines it.
Your worse failings are redemptive if you let God use them to get your attention and bring you to repentance.
Alternatively, you can let them destroy you.
That’s why I seldom freak out when someone in our churches stumbles – many times I’ve seen it become a turning point for amazing redemptive transformation.
But whether for destruction or redemption, it’s always your choice.
That’s because spiritual health and maturity are not about perfection …
But how we deal with our imperfections.
Maybe that’s why true church as commanded in the New Testament is about participating one with another to mutually build up each other …
Rather than putting on performances.
Few are willing to do the hard work of actually being the church.
You know, an active community of believers who encourage and minister to one another …
When they gather together and throughout their daily lives.
Many, instead, are content to let others do “church” for them …
From an elevated stage each Sunday morning.
Be exceptional!
Dare to be the church as the New Testament actually commands it …
And leave that other stuff behind.
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” ~ Jesus
Many “Christians” these days …
Want spectacle over obedience.
Which is why “worship” these days …
Has become spectacle rather than obedience.
Because I love Christ, I’ve opened my home and my life to those abused by people who use Christ to exploit others.
Because I love Christ, I’ve ministered to people in jail and the woods with whom polite society won’t dirty their lives.
Because I love Christ, I’ve loved His “ekklesia” rather than the man-centered institution often called the “church” these days.
Because I love Christ, I’m still willing to exceed my comfort zones.
Care to join me?
Loving God is not enough,
Because without repentance,
It’s not God you love …
But your own concept of Him.
Church in the New Testament is never about gathering to enter into God’s presence …
But about expressing His presence – hopefully already in you – one to another through the many different gifts He distributes among us so we can edify and strengthen each other.
Nor is it about having a “worship service” …
But about including congregational singing of God’s praises to encourage each other so we can live daily lives of sacrificial service and reverent obedience to Him, which is true worship.
It also is not about monopolizing monologue sermons by the one …
But about ministry by one another to motivate each other to love and good works.
So why do Christians accept anything less …
Each Sunday morning?
Being an adult means fully bearing the costs, and the consequences, of our own choices.
Unfortunately, many parents today don’t let that happen …
Then wonder why their “grown” kids are such failures at life.
Tragically, I frequently saw this when I went into our local jail …
Mostly among twenty-something “boys” from middle class families.
Even more tragically, the parents and their churches often continued – out of guilt – to enable their immaturity even when they got out.
It never turned out well.
Do them a favor:
Stop subsidizing their immaturity and let ’em fail!
Don’t enable them, but let them begin to experience the full, unmitigated consequences of their choices …
Even if it means they go homeless and risk destitution until they begin making mature decisions and start to grow up.
Being allowed to become homeless and nearly destitute will be a great shock to them – and they may initially stumble badly – but I’ve always seen it eventually turn out to be the best thing for them.
For the first time, they are forced to begin owning their own future and growing up.
As even Paul instructed the Thessalonian church, if someone doesn’t work, then don’t feed them. 2 Th. 3:10
These are not theoretical musings, but how our own churches over the years learned to help guys from the jail who needed to grow up …
Because in the long run, tough love is often the best love you can give.
It takes a community …
To make a disciple.
Perhaps that’s why pastor-centric, institutional spectator churches are so ineffective at actual discipleship …
And produce so many carnal “Christians” these days.
Perhaps that’s also why church, as actually commanded in the New Testament, instead is a simple and participatory community …
Where discipleship “naturally” happens as they gather together to mutually build up each other through ministry one to another out of the abundant, diverse gifts and abilities God distributes among us.
I’ve seen more carnal rubbish under claims of being “in the Spirit” than I care to remember.
In contrast, I’ve found that those who live lives of quiet humility and faithful obedience …
More often are the real deal.
If you’re not a disciple …
You’re not a Christian.
Because there is no “Christ” in “Christian” …
Without God’s rule.
Until you admit that “church” as you know it is not how the Bible actually shows and commands it …
You will remain stuck in your rut.
If we’re not about redemption, then what hope does anyone have?
This is my passion.
This is my cause.
But it ain’t neat and it ain’t tidy.
It’s raw and sometimes ugly.
Because if Jesus doesn’t work for the worst of us …
Then He works for none of us.
There’s nothing entertaining …
About authentic worship.
Because authentic worship, as the New Testament actually defines it, means living lives of sacrificial service and reverent obedience.
Maybe this explains why real worship among many “Christians” and “churches” these days …
Is so rare.
So last Sunday, were you part of:
The Jesus Show (“church” on a stage) …
Or the Body of Christ (ministry one to another)?
Plumbline Faith 