As I am on the eve of the close of yet another Annual Conference gathering the reflection has begun. A few times we sung together the classic hymn, "And Are We Yet Alive?". Historically this was the hymn the Wesley's shared with their clergy each time they gathered. It functioned to remind the clergy where life was found. This year as we sang the song it caused to wonder if our being alive was exactly the problem.
The church in America is alive. The problem is the church thinks its vitality is found in the human spirit. Based upon what we as humanity can do. Not always directly stated, yet often lived, we are asking God to help us as we run the church. Wrong, we are helping God as God runs the church. Today one of our speakers uttered the phrase, "We know what the church needs, bless us as we build our church again." There is too much humanity.
The power, direction and vision of the church is not founded in human hands, hearts or minds. It the church is founded in only one place, Jesus Christ. God is in charge and Jesus is the Head of the church. No longer should we ask God to bless us, rather we should do what God is blessing. The key to the church is not the life of humanity, it is found in humanity's willingness to die to ourselves.
For the church to come alive again, humanity must recapture the ability to die to ourselves and live in Christ. The only way the answer to the title of the previously mentioned hymn can be yes, is in Jesus Christ. It is not about what I want to see in the church, it is not about what you want to see in the church. God has made it plain in the Scriptures what it required of the church, the people of God, we do not need to figure out what God would have us do. We must live, not what we want, rather as God has already shown us.
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Inclusion or Exclusion
Some people have an Idea that God is inclusive for mans eternal destiny, that all religions and all people will be saved. That God will allow all of mankind to enter into heaven because everybody is good so God must be fair and include everyone! It is true God does love the whole world but God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior. To keep this simple man has a problem called sin in which man refuses to believe that there are eternal consequences for having sin, which is a one way ticket to hell. God is holy and he will not allow anyone with sin to enter into heaven. God is hurt and angry about our sin, we have broken his laws. But God is just and good and he knows our need so he provided a solution to our problem. His solution to our problem is to have our sins removed by having our sins placed on someone else, a sacrifice for us; paying for the penalty of the sin we have in our lives. So that someone else would get the penalty of Gods wrath and separation on him that was meant for us. So God sent his son Jesus on a mission from heaven to earth as our sacrifice to die on the cross on our behalf after this happened three days later Jesus came back from the dead, alive. But that’s not all remember I wrote that God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior? The only way that Gods promise can be applied to your life is for you to turn from your way of thinking and know that your sin offends and hurts God and call on the Lord Jesus who’s alive to save you. Your sins are then transferred to Jesus for what he did at the cross, dying and being abandon by God because of your sins, for you and because Jesus arose from the dead he is alive you can now enter into a relationship with God. Will you call out to Jesus to save you? It’s your choice to enter in exclusively with God’s grace for you. Where will you want to spend eternity after hearing Gods promise for you?
If the answer was yes that you do want Jesus as your sin bearer, Savior, and you do believe God raised Jesus from the dead you can pray with your voice.
“Dear Lord Jesus save me.”
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
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