Another menace the church planter faces is dealing with the challenge of Christian people compartmentalizing their Christian lives. What do I mean by compartmentalizing their lives? Through religion (see previous menace), Christians have been taught that their Christian faith is separate to every other part of their lives. As the old saying goes; Christians are great at "doing church" on Sunday, and even greater at "practicing carnality" all the rest of the week. Recently I ran across a church planter that was frustrated to how people were not picking up and living the principles of discipleship. I raised this menace factor to him by explaining how people in the church have been taught through religion how to compartmentalize their lives. I further explained that the church over the last 50 years taught people how to save themselves from "hell-fire and damnation," but never really expounded on the fact that the complete salvation experience means that we die to self so that we can live for Christ. When people learned (through preaching and teaching) that all they needed was to be saved, they logically understood that they were covered from going to hell. And, as this is true, it is also is an incomplete message. Jesus said, "if anyone chooses to come after me, they must deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow Him." The result of this incomplete message is an incomplete group of saved people. Christianity at this point of incompletion is very much self-serving, which gives way for the "Christian" not to incorporate Christ in all aspects of their lives. Their marriages, homes, work place, recreation, education, and sometimes ethics are separated from the reality that "Christ is all and in all."So, what is a planter to do with this menace that surrounds them? Do what Paul said; "preach and teach the whole counsel of God." Tell and show Christians how to allow and incorporate Christ into each segment of their lives. Guide them to experience Christianity at its fullest. If you will do this you will find more people becoming disciplined in their walk with Christ. These people will find that their "personal faith" is to be intertwined into every arena of their lives. Plan your sermons and Bible studies to help people to completely incorporate Jesus into every part of their lives. If your going to let people live out of religion, your bi-product will be Jesus for one day a week. If you guide people to dive wholeheartedly into Jesus, your bi-product will be a life that is surrendered seven days a week. My prayer for you today is that you will commit yourself to helping people break out of their religious and carnal compartments, by helping guide them to a full understanding of what it means to follow Christ.
Warning: Breaking Christians from religious and carnal habits takes time and is never easy. The odds of a mega- church being produced from this philosophy of ministry is between slim and none. The probability of experiencing real life transformation in marriages, families, and communities are great.
1 comment:
You hit the nail on the head here. The majority seems to be 1 of 2 extremes in the "Christian Circle" these days 1.) Extreme religion and an even more extreme lack of intimate relationship with our LORD. OR 2.) The "Grace Hippies" where church is limited to nothing more than a social gathering on Sundays and the cross is taken in vain to justify desires of the flesh. I like when its put this way: "If the tomb is empty than there should'nt be a single empty seat in the church." But your right. The church is ultimately the people "the body of Christ" and those 6-days between Sundays are crucial to any believer. Actions speak louder than words. The people that watch me Mon-Sat watch me close. For many people we are the only "first impression of Jesus Christ" and they say that a First impression can make or brake the way people see you. I wonder if my life Mon-Sat provokes the people around me to dig deeper into knowing the God I serve?
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