Bored with Church

    

     

  Recently someone said to my wife Ellen. "No one in our family goes to church anymore, I guess we just became bored with it." 

      Wow how many of us could say the same thing. I know many who were once active members in church no longer see it as something that is relevant to there lives. As an overseer to a local fellowship I have to begin to ask myself the question why the boredom? And then the reminder of an event that happened to me as a youth pastor. One night at a youth Bible study one of my youth fell asleep. Normally I would have been happy about it because at least she was not  being disruptive. But in this case the Holy Spirit began to prompt me and challenge me with the thought, what if God showed up, I mean really showed up, would anybody really be able to sleep. And so I began to challenge our students to join me in praying that God would begin to show up in our meetings, and you know what? They did, and He did as well, and nobody slept. In fact just the opposite happened. Lives began to change  and many were touched and a community of kids was rocked by the power of the living God.
     I am convinced that much of what we have known to be church is nothing more than mans good works. God has left the building and nobody noticed. Thus the reason for boredom, or burn out. We have been much like Martha rushing about busy with all our feel good programs, and missing the things that are really important. Jesus first priority was to look and listen. His life was a complete displayed of dependance on the Father. You might say Jesus was purpose driven. His purposed to do one thing and that was the will of the Father.
John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does that the Son does likewise."
John 8:29 "And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him"
John 7:16 My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me."
 John 5:30 I can do nothing on my own." 
Get the point! and these are just a few of His statements concerning his dependance on the Father for his every step.
We have tried to do everything on our own. We are like the self sufficient (so we think) brat that demands to do everything his or her own way. And what I can't think up on my own I'll steel from others. We are a church of copy cats. Looking for the next best social fad or program to come along so that we can paddle out and ride the next wave we call church. Im not saying that listening to the holy spirit won't lead you to do somethings similar to that of other churches. But God is a God of uniqueness and creativity. If no two snow flakes are the same why is it that so many of the churches in America are. Part of the problem is that we have lost sight of Jesus main message. Jesus primary message was about the Kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God message? The kingdom message is about the reign and rule of the king. Watchman knee said "we have made evangelism the end, for it is in fact but a means to an end. That end is the preeminence of the Son of God, and evangelism is bringing in the sons among whom he shall stand preeminent."
That in a nut shell is the Kingdom message.
     Jesus very first message was Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. And then he went on to live the next three years as a demonstration of the reign and rule of the King in and his Kingdom. In many Charismatic circles people preach healing, miracles, and the casting out of devils, and the raising of the dead, all of which I believe we should have the power to perform. But once again these things have been seen as the end and not a means to a greater end. Which is to displace the powers of darkness and destroy the works of the evil one. So much of what I've seen has been more of a dog and pony show, where we call God out to do a few tricks so we can ooh and ah and then take up a big collection. 
    There is an interesting verse found at the end of the book of Judges 21:25 "In those days there was know king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Could that be said of the American church world today? That we have lost sight of our King and the position He has placed us in with in His Kingdom. I marvel at the fact that with all the technology and the things that we rely upon in the church world today. We are losing ground to the kingdom of darkness! Just read the paper, or look at the TV.
     Graham Cook made this statement that serves as a reminder to our need of dependance on the Father.
     
    "What God has called us to is outrageous, impossible, and totally unpredictable.  And the only way that we will do it is because we are secure in the nature of God.  He is consistent, but He is unpredictable.  But the church, you know, is the opposite - we are inconsistent in relationships but oh so boringly predictable in everything we do.  That is the nature of change that is coming, beloved.  And the only way that we will come into that high place of anointing and power, to seize the moment, to advance the kingdom, to swim against the tide, to go against the odds, to sail against the wind that is in the world, is if you and I are resting in the consistent nature of God.”

     

  
Outrageous, impossible, and totally unpredictable, describes to me the first century church, and that church was anything but boring. They were a highly effective, relevant, intentional, and ultimately very impact full band of believers that walked in an annointing and power that so over ran the kingdom of darkness that at the end of Romans 16:20 Paul says "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Wow what and incredible expectation for that church. Let me ask you a question. What would our community look like if Satan were to be dealt that kind of blow today. I believe the problem for the church today is that the true objectives or purpose for the church has become skewed. In 1John 3:8 the scripture says The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  John goes on to write in 5:19 that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Thus the need to destroy his works. We have lived with the mentality that all the world needs is a coke and a smile. What we fail to see is that there are two kingdoms at war with each other. Two thrones in direct opposition to one another. God is claiming earth for his dominion and Satan is seeking to usurp His authority. The church (you and I) are called to displace Satan from His present realm and to make Christ head over all. And that doesn't come with more legislation and political correctness. Which is exactly what all of Israel was looking for a political  government that would rule in there favor. Jesus taught his disciples and us to pray "Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Thats why when Christ sent his disciples out to preach in Matthew 10: 7-8 he tells them. "and Proclaim as you go, saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand: and thats why he authorized them to,  heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons." It was to serve as a clear demonstration of the authority and the power of the Kingdom of God that was at hand. It really had very little to do with preparing them for eternity. It was about the here and now, just as much as is was about there eternal state of being. We have focused entirely on preparing men for eternity. (Not a bad thing I might add). but once we get them saved were like kids waiting for the bus to come. No wonder we are so bored. The church has taken a hospice care approach to the life. Hospice care has one objective in preparing people to die and that is to make them as comfortable as possible in the last days of their lives. Medicate and wait. It has been assumed that the patient is dead or will be shortly so that there is no reason to do any thing else but make the patient as comfortable as possible until the inevitable happens. Thats great for a person that is at deaths door. But the church is not on its death bed it's not even close it is alive and has much to live for. We must wake up from our sleep and slumber. Isaiah 60:1

"Arise, shine,` for your light has come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you."

The Amplified puts it this way. Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you ---rise to a new life!      I believe that just as this verse suggests we are being called to let go of all the things that have held us down in order to rise up out of the depression that we have been lying in. Depression can mean two things one is a mental state, the other is a hole.  When Jesus said "Lazarus come forth." Lazarus  had to be released from his grave clothes in order come out of the tomb. I'm sure that that was a putrid mess. I'm equally sure he had to take a bath to rid himself of the smell of rotting flesh. 

  Isaiah 60:2"but the Lord will arise upon you. and his glory will be seen upon you."
What does this glory look like ? Rest assured its any thing but boring or predictable. Remember Jesus never did anything the same way twice. The glory of the Lord was on Him. I believe that the glory of the Lord impacts every aspect of our lives. I don't believe its pie in the sky living, but it is a victorious life. After all Paul states in Ephesians 2:6 "He has raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the heavenly sphere"
We have lived to long in the depression of life not understanding our true position in Christ. 1 Peter 3:22 reminds us that Jesus has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. If there subjected to Him they should be subjected to us. The death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact, and His history has become my spiritual history. And because of that fact I walk at a new level of authority, anointing, and power. Why? for the same reason Jesus did, in order to destroy the works of the devil. To bring the Order of the Kingdom of God into reality.  This was Jesus reason for coming into the world. Paul declares that the weapons of our warfare are for the pulling down of demonic strongholds 2 Corinthians 10:6. And  in Luke 10:18 The seventy two returned from there evangelistic out reach Jesus declares "I saw Satan fall like lighting from the heaven."  Our evangelistic outreaches have been deduced to nothing more than random acts of kindness. Which I don't have a problem with Id rather random acts of kindness than no acts of kindness. But the point is I believe we have lost the point. Jesus was very intentional in all that he did, and we have lost our way.
Arise Shine for the glory of the Lord is upon you. I don't believe this is simply so we can live out the rest of our days with the warm fuzzes waiting for the heavenly bus to come pick us up for our eternal bus ride home. No a mandate has been given and as God pours out his glory on us we are to rise up and take back our right full place of authority, reign, and rule in re-establishing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. His kingdom, the reign and rule of Jesus Christ. 
     What is the practical out working of His kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven? Thats a topic for another post.