I was scrolling through some Facebook threads the other day when I came across something that I just had to comment on. You think I would’ve learned my lesson. Just kidding, it was all good.
The thread I commented on had to do with what some consider the greatest or one of the greatest threats to the church today. The greatest threat to the church today. What kind of things come to mind when you here that?
I would imagine some of things might be:
· Homosexuality
· New Age
· Apathy
· Deception
· Islam
You might have some others that I didn’t mention and that’s okay. I think it’s completely understandable why one or more of these issues would be on your list. I think it’s completely understandable why items I haven’t mentioned would be on your list. After all, what we consider great problems become great threats.
But I would like to share with you what I understand is the greatest threat to the church today. It’s most likely a worldwide threat in varying degrees and you won’t find it on the list above.
I understand the greatest threat to the church today is accepting things as “normal” that shouldn’t be. Over the years we seem to have become very proficient as accepting things as normal that aren’t kingdom (things that don’t line up with the life and ministry of Jesus).
Certainly the things listed above are threats. Sin threatens to draw us away from God and those things are sin. But for me, the far greater threat is the typical response to those threats from those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, a response that has sadly become normal. A whole lot more could be written on just this but I want to move on and make it a little more personal.
I want to make it a little more personal because it starts with us as individuals. It starts with what we’ve come to believe is the norm for a follower of Jesus. It’s generally accepted that action is a statement of belief. So what we believe is made known by the way we live and not necessarily what we say. So I’ll ask a question that I hope you will take the time to think about:
What is the normal Christian life for you? Does it look like:
· Ignoring people in need hoping someone else will minister
· Lashing out against what is considered a threat
· Addictions, anger, fear, self-hate, bitterness, control, judgment
· No miracles
· Living based on what’s rational
· A God who is silent
· A God who is supposed to be faithful but has proved otherwise
Prolonged experience creates our belief of reality. That’s why it’s not to understand how we can get to some of these places. Many of those things listed were my normal for a long time. There is no abundant life in this sort of normal. There is just a mediocre and mostly negative existence.
But none of those things are what Jesus came to earth and represented. He represented the opposite of those things and most likely the opposite of your list. He is the ultimate standard of normal. He is God’s normal. I’m going to talk more about this in my next post.
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara Birkey
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