Ezekiel 33 (09-29-2016)
The problem with many churches is spiritual laziness and fear of the unknown. It is in the streets and the market place where we should be moving in signs and wonders and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The results speak for themselves...
curly sue (09-29-2016), Ezekiel 33 (09-29-2016), fuego (09-29-2016), Quest (09-29-2016), Valiant Woman (09-30-2016)
Hi, have I pointed this out to you before? It says just that.
http://www.paulebartlett.com/tgim/
It's the story of the church I've attended all my Christian life. I have a spare copy I could send you, but given Australian postal rates it'd probably be cheaper to buy you a copy, particularly the e-book.Part of the problem is that for too long we’ve made church mostly about Christians doing spiritual stuff on Sundays.
Of course we love our Sundays, but we should be even more excited about our Mondays. Because on those days God has positioned us in shop fronts, in salons, in classrooms, in playgroups, on building sites and in boardrooms where we can engage with those who don’t yet know Him.
If church is to be less about us and more about others, then rather than trying to attract the community to come to us on Sundays we should be empowering Christians to be Christ in their communities Mondays to Saturdays. That’s why Christians should be waking up on Mondays declaring, “Thank God it’s Monday!”
Guys the church is Matthew 18:20 when two are together in my name I am with them. Its not the size but the relationships. Sunday morning services are frankly irrelevant. It is all about relationships. not how many show up to a building. The coming together of the saints in the new testament church was for a time of teaching and praise and worship. Acts 2:42 - 47. The evangelizing while it may have occurred during times of corporate fellowship mostly occurred outside the temple with relationships being established house to house.
Acts 2:46, 47
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Thus we have street and market place ministry. And something was going on while this "evangelizing" was going on.
Acts 2:42, 43
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
Signs and wonders were being performed through the apostles and others i.e. Steven causing the church to fear God AND in conjunction with the preaching of the gospel through relationships many were added to the church daily. In Acts 2:14 did not Peter preach in the market place after Pentecost occurred? What happened? 3000 were added that day. Remember the supernatural showed up in the natural through the Holy Spirit and causing people to take notice. The Holy Spirit got their attention through His actions. The result? Jesus was glorified!
Guys it really does not matter how many angels you can fit on a pin head or people in a building but it is about taking the gospel to the lost moving in signs and wonders as the Holy Spirit wills exalting Jesus Christ. The rest is a moot point...
Ezekiel 33 (09-30-2016), Quest (09-30-2016)