Jesus is worthy of an authentic church. As followers of Jesus we should be who we say we are. We have made it so easy today to call ourselves christians. We have lowered our expectations of what it means to carry the name Jesus in our hearts. We answer the telephone poll by saying we are believers but would never tell our co-workers or class mates.
Several years agoI had a conversation with a leadership team about a key worker in the church. It seems that he was tearing his family apart and had ruined his reputation in the business world. I asked why he was still in a leadership role and not being restored. The reply; “what he does in his personal life and business life does not impact what he does here at the church. They are two seperate things”.
Not true ! Being an authentic church means that we obey the teachings of Jesus 24/7. The reason the world calls christians hypocrites is because many are. We treat our neighbors like dirt and we curse the slow car in front of us. Yes, we all make mistakes. But Jesus expects more from those who claim to follow his teachings. The problem is that we don’t expect the same things of ourselves that Jesus expects of us. And I am not talking about living in sackcloth and ashes or being a legalist. He is looking for an authentic church(all christians) and authentic congregations (local gatherings).He expects us to be the “de-light” of the world and the salt of the earth. Not pious religious Pharisees or spiritual phonies. The time has come to revisit HIS expectations and submit to HIS plan for HIS followers. Not manmade rules but Spirit-filled, Spirit led expressions of Jesus to the world around us.
“There was a time when you did not know Jesus,but now you know him. Live like you do”. Ephesians 5:8 LGV
