The Church Rediscovering its purpose I

We will begin a series called “The Church rediscovering its purpose”

The Church and the world are asking many questions at the moment. Some because of the resent catastrophes, others because of the fear of terrorism, diseases, the economy.
Look at what Jesus said 2000 years ago.

Matthew 24: 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Church is called first of all to be a world changing people. Revolution bringing.

Change, turning the world upside down, forward moving, progressive, from Glory to Glory, deeper, closer. These are all expressions of the Church of Jesus Christ.

A revolution is taking place in the Church World.

For those that see from the outside, they may not even notice anything.

From the side of many Christians there is something happening. Maybe you don’t know what it is, but you know things are not the same as they used to be.

Like most revolutions, the goal is to have something different, something better.

Believe me things are changing. But, after any revolution, what then?

There will basically be two groups formed.

The group that wants the old ways

I remember
I am familiar with
I understand

The group that says “Yes the doors of opportunity are open”

I can try new things (Star Trek) Go where no man has gone before!
I can succeed

I am not afraid to fail

Create, I will understand
Of course one of the reasons that we are afraid to pursue forward expansion is the world’s negative view of “making converts”

There is a thinking that everyone has the right to believe what they want to, there is truth is that statement.

What is what I choose to believe hurts you?
What if what I believe hurts me?
Do people also have the right to hear the truth before they make their final choice?
You cannot and God will not cross the borders of someone’s will, but because of his great love, he commands us to bring the good news (for those that are looking for the light, bad for those that are not)

A Modern Day Paul & Silas

January 6, 2005

“Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings.” – Hebrews 13:3

Eleven Christians were arrested on October 10, 2004, for peacefully praying, singing, and reading scriptures during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Out-fest" in Philadelphia.

Five out of the eleven were ordered to stand trial because they were seen quoting scripture on a video. The charges include three felony (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could face up to forty-seven years in prison!

The Philadelphia judge and prosecutor have labeled the Bible hate speech and called Bible verses "fighting words." The Pink Angels, homosexual activists, did everything they could to obstruct, impede, and frustrate the Christians from sharing the Gospel in a public forum, yet no arrests or citations were placed on this group. Even with the clear evidence from video shot at the event that the Christians were continually harassed and never once reacted with anything but love and care, the City of Philadelphia has continued with its unrelenting attack on these Christian brothers and sisters.

This is the clearest example of anti-Christian bigotry by city officials in the United States in the last century!

John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. 18 “There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. 19 Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”

The Church The living body of Christ, not a government, structure, religion.

Those that have separated themselves to follow and serve God in real life

Rediscover? Have we lost sight or maybe not stayed up with the Holy Spirit?

Purpose? Never Changes!

Eternal Purpose: Going beyond the temporary restraints of this body, and the age we live in.