166Factor
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Valor Center
  • Bookstore
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Valor Center
  • Bookstore
  • Donate
  • Contact

Standing Out or Caving In?

2/27/2014

Comments

 
“American Churchianity” may be our biggest obstacle to authentic Kingdom Christianity. For some time now the church has become more spiritually proud and in doing so, succumbed to a state of delusion about its effectiveness and fruitfulness. The word delusion means: To hold to a false belief; a deception that has been disseminated in spite of invalidating evidence; To be delusional means: to hold to that false belief no matter what evidence is brought to the contrary.
​
“For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie …” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
While America has heard the truth of the saving power of Jesus, the Gospel of the Kingdom is rarely preached in American churches. Just a random look at the church’s failure to affect our culture or reflect the Kingdom should humble any honest American Christian. Certainly, the gospel has been preached, but it has been incomplete and a Christian’s citizenship in the Kingdom has been neglected. Most preaching is directed at getting people to respond, “be saved”, “come to the altar” or “join church”. While important, they were a part of the lifestyle of the church in the Acts era. The gospel is NOT an invitation, but a declaration of a Kingdom that is NOT coming someday, but today!

Most American preaching & teaching focuses on the church rather than Kingdom.Because of this, Christians have little real understanding of an alternate way of living and being, a higher realm of living! While the word “church” is found 76 times in the New Testament the Kingdom of God is mentioned 160 times! The Kingdom is the rule and reign of God and not a meeting, program or activity. Still,the church is preaching an Americanized version that doesn’t call to commitment, is void of power and which is right now careens towards being seeker AND irrelevant at the same time!

The rapid compromise of truth in the American pulpits is staggering. A key seeker leader in ATL recently condemned Christians or churches who won’t “welcome” gays into their congregations. All sinners, including gays who repent should be welcome in every church, but the delusion of caving in to mixture without a clear standard causing believers to stand out is appalling. Leaders foolishly think they can influence sinners by bringing them to hear a message where corners have been cut and commitment is always delayed.

The church was never supposed to be a “come one, come all” place for “everything God” but a community of believers who have each had an authentic encounter with God. Initiation into the Kingdom is through a supernatural encounter with a holy God, not a faux conversion into a compromised church community. How can leaders preach such grand delusion and call it truth? The church was never supposed to compromise or cut corners to win the lost. After the fear of God hit the church when Ananias and Saphira were struck down by the Holy Spirit, the bible says,”None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” (Acts 5:13) 
​

We can’t have it both ways. We either cave in or we stand out!
Comments

    Author

    Pastor Marc Lawson

    Archives

    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    July 2011
    March 2011
    October 2009
    September 2009

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

About

There are 168 hours in every week. The 166 Factor is the answer to the question: "Who are you the OTHER 166 hours a week when you are NOT in church?" Join the community here as we will be discussing this and other topics related to Reformation in the Church, The End of Church (As We Know It) & The 166 Lifestyle.

Site Info

About
Blog
​
Valor Center
Contact
Bookstore
Donate
© COPYRIGHT 2018. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.