Institutionalism

SERIES: COURSE CORRECTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

LESSON: BE ON GUARD AGAIN INSTITUTIONALISM

READING: II TIMOTHY 4:1-5

INTRO:  It is not usually necessary to speak to members of Christ's Body about issues like murder, adultery and stealing. It is more likely that what we need are regular check ups to determine whether we are still on God's target for the holy land. Therefore, we will be speaking about "Course Corrections," knowing that unless we perform regular self-examinations, we might be way off course at a most crucial time. IMAGE- Space Travel 

This morning our topic is INSTITUTIONALISM. We will not be addressing the common thread:

·       one church cooperating with another, hence losing the biblical precedent

·        or this church having a spaghetti supper or showing a movie as a community service

·        and it is not tied up with the question, "what can we do with the Lord's money that is in the treasury?"

·        Someone has identified what we are NOT concerned about: "The Lord’s church is distinctive, but as long as some local churches continue to emphasize meals and baby showers, they will be no different from the myriad denominations that have replaced the Lord’s call to 'preach the gospel' for the shallow and sensual call of the dinner bell."  

Here is a short dictionary definition of institutionalism -“emphasis on organization (as in religion) at the expense of other factors.” – Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, 1963.

I)      WHEN INSTITUTIONALISM SETS IN THE CART IS BEFORE THE HORSE

A)    We Emphasize Church Size, Attendance and Behavior Over Christ-Like Daily Living

B)    We Neglect To Check Out The Bible, Assuming Our Traditional Practice Is From God

C)   We Have Gradually Come To A State Where We Forget Why We Exist

1)    Note This- This is not a rebellious thing. Not something to get angry with another over

2)    Let me illustrate: I once heard somewhere of a spring whose waters had certain medicinal properties so that those who drank from it were helped in the case of various infirmities. In the course of time, homes sprang up around the spring, than a hotel, stores, and eventually, a town that grew into a city. But there came a day when visitors would ask, "By the way, where is the spring from which this grew?" and the dwellers in the city would rub their hands in embarrassment and say, "I am sorry that I cannot tell you, but, somehow, in the midst of all our progress and improvement we lost the spring and no one knows now where it is."

3)    But here is the danger- "Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom."

II)     THE CHURCH BEGAN AS AN EXTENSION OF JESUS

A)    From Birth to Death, Jesus Sought To Help People

1)    That the realm of the spiritual was of upmost importance is seen:

(i)    In the story of the man let down through the roof- Mark 2:1-12

(ii)   When He identifies his family as the disciples- Matthew 12:46-50

(iii)  In the mandate for the apostles- Mark 16:15,16

2)    Beginning at Jerusalem, salvation from sin was the emphasis.

3)    The church today then needs to be consumed with the spiritual state of others.

(i)    Don't be afraid of speak of "lost" and "saved."

(ii)   Know and repeat that Jesus= "Savior" and that all need Him- Acts 4:12

B)    Jesus Was Also A Man Of Compassion:

1)    He saw people in compromised positions and acted accordingly:

(i)    Mk.6:34- "he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things." (feeding 5000)

(ii)   Mk. 8:2- "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat"- (feeding 4000)

(iii)  Lk. 7:13-"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”- (raised widow's only son)

2)    James left us this revelation: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."- James 1:27

3)    We need to be benevolent in a most generous, Christ-like way. We have, others don't.

III)   LET'S SCARE OURSELVES WITH A LOOK AT: SUBTLE, NATURAL AND GRADUAL

A)    Being gradual and subtle makes this particularly dangerous because is it is not a phenomenon that is exclusively related to the church or other religious organizations. It seems to happen naturally wherever people who band together to achieve certain objectives. People, plus structure, plus age, seemingly equals institutionalism.

B)    I once heard somewhere of a spring whose waters had certain medicinal properties so that those who drank from it were helped in the case of various infirmities. In the course of time, homes sprang up around the spring, than a hotel, stores, and eventually, a town that grew into a city. But there came a day when visitors would ask, "By the way, where is the spring from which this grew?" and the dwellers in the city would rub their hands in embarrassment and say, "I am sorry that I cannot tell you, but, somehow, in the midst of all our progress and improvement we lost the spring and no one knows now where it is."

CONCLUSION:
As God's people with spiritual aspirations, we need to constantly examine ourselves, against the backdrop of Jesus, God's Son. They recognized only two spiritual paths upon which to travel, and recommended only one. It is narrow. We need to keep checking ourselves with the Bible. "Is this what God wants? Am I being faithful to Him in this?"  

Some questions for us to ask would be:

1. Do I place more emphasis on what I do everyday or on how we do things on Sunday?

2. Can I still identify the spring of life from which I first drank or have the structures hidden it?

3. Is my emphasis the same as was that of Jesus and the first churches or am I getting my information from non-inspired voices?

4. Have I ever made poor choices that led to undesirable results? Like Lot- "toward Sodom?"