Why Are We Surprised?

Philippians 2:14-15
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.......

I spend too much time on the Internet some days. I wind up checking out news articles and editorials written by different people. There are a lot of opinions and views floating around out there in cyber space. I think the one view that surprises me is from Christians.

Some have an idea that we are to make ourselves and our churches into what ever appeases the masses and brings (what some suppose to be) unity and community. There are some who have blogs and write about their horror and shock of how society views Christianity. I don't know why this comes as a surprise. Believer's have always been the target of society. The first church was kicked out of Jerusalem because of persecution. I know that we currently don't have to worry about being thrown to hungry lions or having soldiers break down our doors to carry us away in the night. But it doesn't take a prophet to see that our society and world has sold its soul for the sake of diversity. There are many ways to God, many path's that all diverge. Everyone is tolerant to these opinions except when it comes to Christianity. We are viewed as the "fly in the ointment" so to speak because of Jesus' words that "no one comes to the Father except by me."
That really ruffles the feathers of society. The thought that God might limit humanities access to Him and that it can only happen when one accepts God on His terms is offensive to many.

Too many are trying to make God and His church into their image. I know that it is a fine line between being relevant and throwing away everything in order to appease folks. I wrestled with this when I was at Vineyard and we were doing the HOUSE OF BLUE. Part of what we did there was because that was who we were. We were coming from a corporate personality that said, "We are going to do what we know how to do." We didn't set out to create something. We didn't plan on hosting a service a certain way. House of Blue was a by-product of our personality and make up. It's the same with our Saturday night service at Rapha. It looks like it does because that is who we are. I'm very careful to not cross a line in order to make something happen. Or to do it because I want people to respond. I want God to touch us and from that interaction we will respond to God's call. Bottom line to this post is that we should not be shocked when the world hates us. We should not sell our soul to get the world to accept us. It (not good English) AIN'T going to happen.

I have to stick to the basics:
1.) Teach the Word of God / 2.) Equip people to follow Him 3.) Teach how to worship. If I do this, then I have done what God has told me to do.

God on you.......

mb