In The Present Future by Reggie McNeal, he states that "The church was never intended to exist for itself." That's a pretty simple statement, but it's also the most difficult statement for many Christians today.
Think about what you often hear church people talk about (and I've definitely been more than guilty of this): I didn't like the music today. The sermon was boring. The children's program is not as good as it used to be. It's too seeker-sensitive; what about me? The color of the carpet is awful. I have a ministry to promote, but they won't let me. There's no one my age here.
We've forgotten why we exist. We need to get back to being God's redemptive instrument for the world. God invites us to join Him. And not just the pastors and other leaders in the church. You. Me. All of us.
As Bill Hybels says, "The church is the only hope of the world."
2 comments:
Alan Hirsch says something similar to this in "The Forgotten Ways," that gets at the heart of ecclesiology. He says something like, "Mission is the organizing principle of the church." We have made many other things our organizing principles--satisfaction, numbers, buildings, small groups, events, etc.
The potential of the church to be the hope of the world will be more fully realized as we return to mission and embrace it as our organizing principle.
thanks for the link!
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