I used to say that the Church in America needs to go out of
business. But now I believe that the best thing that could possibly happen to
the church in America is for it to just lay down and die.
Forget about business as usual. Forget about that new
program or the next church growth seminar. Forget about hiring a new pastor or
cranking up the volume on the worship team.
Seriously? Just die.
Jesus was pretty clear that no one could possibly follow Him
unless they first took up their cross daily and died to themselves. That’s what
the Church needs to do. She needs to die.
Without death, there can be no resurrection. Without death,
the life of Christ cannot be released into the Church.
We all know you can have better worship bands and still not
have Christ in your midst. You can also have a great preacher and still not
have Jesus at the center.
In fact, you can have all the best programs, staff,
doctrine, leaders, facilities and an unlimited budget and still not have the
heartbeat of Jesus at the core of your Church.
So, that’s why we all need to die. So that Christ can live
in us and resurrect us from within.
As a wise man once said, “unless the Lord builds the house,
the laborers toil in vain.”
Another wise man said, “I am the vine and you are the
branches. Without me you can do nothing.”
So, maybe it’s time for our churches to die. Neil Cole, in
his book “Church Transfusion”, even goes as far as to suggest that every church
hold an actual memorial service to celebrate all the good things that our old
way of doing and being church used to stand for. Dig a hole in the ground and
drop in everything that symbolizes that old way of church. Say a few words.
Sing some favorite songs. Enjoy some pies after the service. Go home and mourn
for church-as-we-once-knew-it.
Next week, host a Baby Shower. Talk about what this new life
might look like. Pray together and ask the Lord to show you as a people what
His will and His plans and His purpose for your church might be.
Don’t use this as an opportunity to manipulate people into
doing things your way. That’s the old church formula that you buried the week
before. Instead, listen to Jesus. Really. Pray and ask Him to speak to you as a
Body and wait for His direction. Not just to the senior pastor (like you used
to do) but to the entire Body. As Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd, and my
sheep hear my voice”.
Scripture tells us that, “if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask”
so go to Jesus and ask Him. Then, do whatever He says.
If our churches in America would honestly lay down
everything they have been clinging to and die to their old ways, then the power
of Christ which is made perfect in weakness would be released within us. The resurrection
of the Church would begin. And this nation, and the people of God, would be
empowered to live surrendered lives of service to one another and the world.
Let’s all lay down and die. The Church needs a resurrection.
The World needs a resurrected Church. We all need Jesus to live and breathe in
us today.
-kg
