Catching up

It has been exactly a year since my last blog. It has been a busy world and I work in a busy place but many things remain the same. When I read my blog from last year, nothing has changed. As we watch the world seemingly fall apart many Christians think the world is so bad because the end is near but I think the world is so bad because Christian pastors and churches have failed to do what Christ called them to do. In fact Jesus made it perfectly clear but yet they still do not see the whole picture. America’s church has become a lukewarm church. Not really hot but not really cold either. It we were Goldilocks’ soup we would be just right. But Jesus didn’t tell us to be just right to the world, He told us to change the world. Change the world for Christ, to fulfill His plans and purposes. The American church today is probably a 30% to 50% church. Doing 30 to 50 percent of what God’s design was for the church. Let me illustrate below.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came, and spoke unto them, saying, “All power is given unto me, in heaven, and in earth. 19 Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost, 20 Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, until the end of the world, Amen”.

1.       Jesus’s first line in the Great Commission is all about His power and authority and then he says “Go therefore”. His meaning is to go in his power and authority and change the world. We are to use his authority to defeat all of the enemy, overcome sickness and disease, wrestle against wickedness in high places and cast down imaginations (negative spiritual influences) against Jesus and the church. When was the last time you heard a message about walking and living in the authority of Jesus Christ? How often are you encouraged to stand against the wiles of the devil using the power and authority that dwells within you? Peter told the cripple in Acts chapter 4, “silver and gold have I none, but such as I have (authority in Christ name) give I unto you. In the name of Jesus (using the authority) stand up and walk.” And the cripple man stood and walked. Today’s typical American church does not obey Christ and walk in His authority.

2.       The next thing is to go to all nations and teach them, make disciples. The American church has, in the past, gone to all the world and taught them. It has taught them denominational theology, some which is correct some that is not. It has taught them American culture which is now the wrong thing to do. But they have not taught them what Jesus told them to teach. Jesus said to teach them the things I have taught you. Teach them to heal the sick, cast out devils, preach the word in power and authority of God. The method Jesus used was to make disciples, who made disciples, who then made more disciples and so on until most of the modern world was converted to Christianity in a few hundred years. In America the church is diminishing. Our numbers are shrinking. Why, because men have decided to do things differently. They have come up with their own programs to “improve” on what Jesus did. Guess what it is not working.

Many Christians think the world is so bad because Jesus is returning. No, the church has failed and become lukewarm. Jesus said the solution for being lukewarm is to return to your first love.  The root of the first church, our first love was two thousand years ago. If we are to be the Church Jesus wanted us to be and not be lukewarm we need to return to the things that worked then. Making disciples and teaching them everything that Jesus taught. Passing on the full knowledge of what it means to be a Christian. True disciples learning who they are in Christ, set free in the full power and authority of the Christ within them will change the world once again.

 

Nubby