September 16: REAL LIVE CHURCHES

I recently read the comment “If you visit a typical Church in your area this week, you will be stepping back in time at least two generations”. The implications were that the music and order of Worship have not changed. Neither have the people; most attendees have gray hair. If this is true where you worship, then you already know the problem.
Notice that I spelled the word “Church” with a capital “C”. That denotes a building or a denomination. It is easy with the passing of time for a group of people to stagnate or ritualize their religion. Beware the day when the church becomes a Church!
The New Testament describes “church” as the people who are answering God’s call to follow Jesus; it is a dynamic, growing organism. It uses organization to do things “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40), but if it becomes just another organization, it loses its power. A healthy, growing organism is always changing shape as it responds to the needs of real people.
The attendance at the Sunday meetings is increasing because “the Lord is adding to their numbers daily those who are being saved.” (Acts 2:47) When Jesus extends his hands and says, “Come to me all of you laboring under any kind of burden” (Matthew 11:25), you know immediately that there won’t be any checking of IDs to make sure “our kind” of people who sing “our kind” of music enter.
Remember: God does not change. The Bible does not change. But the people attending the services are constantly changing.
That’s why hairstyles, clothing styles, or music styles must never be barricades to worship. Too many former church buildings are now being used as restaurants, schools and museums because the congregation refused to admit people who were different.
Jesus is still inviting everyone to come. Everyone!

“Dear Lord and Founder of Your Church, please keep defining “church”
to us over and over again until we get the real meaning. Amen”