Church

Introduction:

(Half of something does not make a whole illustration.)

There was a young girl named Rachel with an entrepreneurial spirit. While watching TV one Saturday morning, Rachel got the bright idea to start a lemonade stand. She went into her mother’s kitchen and started rounding up all the necessary supplies, then made her way into her father’s garage to find a table and other craft essentials. Taking time to make sure the sign was done in the most professional way possible, for a 10 year old that is. As Rachel peeled the lemons, poured the water into a pitcher, squeezed the lemons next… she realized she has run into a problem - her mother was out of sugar.

Not to be discouraged or dismayed, this little 10 year old business women, proudly placed her “.50 cents a cup lemonade for sale” sign up in the front yard and waited for her first “customer.”

While Rachel was busy setting everything up, her unassuming father happened to see Rachel outside and couldn’t have been more proud to see all the hard work she was putting into her new business. He waited patiently inside for her to get everything set up.

Close the church! Shut it down! Are we guilty of being half baked?

Oh to go back into time. Have you ever thought that phrase? The allure of nostalgia is all too appealing, wouldn’t you agree? There are times in my life when, if I had the ability and opportunity, I wish I could go back in time to change my behavior, or the behavior of another. There are times, like when the lottery winning numbers are announced, I wish I could go back in time and chose the winning numbers.

Looking around today - at the despair, uncertainty, animosity towards one another.. I would say, there are also times, I wish I could go back to simpler times. Maybe to a time of naivety? To be a child again and to only worry about getting homework done so you can play with your friends. To a time in my life when child like faith was a shared trait - compared with that of adult-like stubborn ignorance.

Name me the time and the place:

Church Members:

swayed by powerful personalities

still be sexually active outside of marriage

have questionable business practices

end up in broken families

be too swayed by the culture

not know how to conduct themselves in worship

doubt core doctrines like the resurrection?

These problems are not new to the 21st century but are as old as 1 Corinthians.

Conspiracy theories

We are hyper-focused on becoming disciples while blindly ignoring the command to make disciples.

Worship

Matthew 28:9 KJV 1900

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Matthew 28:10 KJV 1900

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Matthew 28:17 KJV 1900

And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

The Church is a Disciple Making Machine

Church is not focused on a place but a person.

Church is not a building, it’s a body.

Tom Harper inviting