A New Christianity
There have been many ideas and thoughts swirling around about the "new church." Many have been wondering what this new generation, what this "new revolution" will look like. If what I am reading and observing is correct, then where we are headed is vastly different from where we've been, bur remarkably similar to the days of old.
This week I hosted an Easter Egg Hunt at my church and gave over 80 children the opportunity to receive Christ. Many responded, but now I am left with the question, "How can I disciple these children?" It is possible that many of them I will never see again. These kids could grow into adults and claim to be Christians because they said a prayer at a service one day, but have no idea what Christianity, what being a follower of Christ, is all about. They will barely understand sin, heaven, hell, resurrection, new birth, Christian service.
I love the old style evangelistic tent meetings. We see so many people come to Jesus this way, but I think we need to come up with better solutions to reach these people. To show what Jesus' love is all about. It's great to tell a 7 year old that a man 2,000 years ago died for them and rose again and now they can go to heaven, but can they see Christ working and moving in their community?
Something radical must change in the church. Setting up events and services for people to come is great and should continue, but I think the church needs to take another step. I think it needs to serve its community. It needs to find the social injustices that its community is suffering from and make a difference. After all isn't that what Jesus did by healing lepers, overthrowing criminals in the temple, placing value on women who think they have none?
James 1:27 says " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." What is your church doing for the orphan, the widow, the poor? Rob Bell asks the question if your church was to leave today, just vanish in one day, would your community be grieved? Sadly, I think that far too many churches would not.
This new generation is asking more from us. Don't just tell me that Jesus loves me. Show me. After all if the Holy Spirit dwells within us, shouldn't the love of Jesus just pour out of us?
So here is the question: How can you on this Easter Sunday show the love of Christ to those around you that don't know Him at all?
This week I hosted an Easter Egg Hunt at my church and gave over 80 children the opportunity to receive Christ. Many responded, but now I am left with the question, "How can I disciple these children?" It is possible that many of them I will never see again. These kids could grow into adults and claim to be Christians because they said a prayer at a service one day, but have no idea what Christianity, what being a follower of Christ, is all about. They will barely understand sin, heaven, hell, resurrection, new birth, Christian service.
I love the old style evangelistic tent meetings. We see so many people come to Jesus this way, but I think we need to come up with better solutions to reach these people. To show what Jesus' love is all about. It's great to tell a 7 year old that a man 2,000 years ago died for them and rose again and now they can go to heaven, but can they see Christ working and moving in their community?
Something radical must change in the church. Setting up events and services for people to come is great and should continue, but I think the church needs to take another step. I think it needs to serve its community. It needs to find the social injustices that its community is suffering from and make a difference. After all isn't that what Jesus did by healing lepers, overthrowing criminals in the temple, placing value on women who think they have none?
James 1:27 says " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." What is your church doing for the orphan, the widow, the poor? Rob Bell asks the question if your church was to leave today, just vanish in one day, would your community be grieved? Sadly, I think that far too many churches would not.
This new generation is asking more from us. Don't just tell me that Jesus loves me. Show me. After all if the Holy Spirit dwells within us, shouldn't the love of Jesus just pour out of us?
So here is the question: How can you on this Easter Sunday show the love of Christ to those around you that don't know Him at all?