Containment Breach part 2
last blog I wrote about man’s efforts to contain the movement of God. Throughout history, man made systems have been put into place and the impact of the Gospel has been limited. However, as Jesus illustrated in the teaching of old and new wine skins, The movement of God can not be contained in a man-made system.
The church in America today, as a whole, is very much “old wine skin.” Many have become so tightly structured they are no longer pliable. As a result, the movement of Christianity has been limited in our nation. A word of caution for the establishment church: the sounds of wine skins breaking are on the horizon.
Several weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a new student/parent orientation weekend at a Christian College. The weekend closed with a chapel service. Not surprising it was very contemporary and very well done. What got my attention were the students. It was a great joy to participate in worship with them in their heart language.
I could fill volumes in an attempt to describe the experience. Actually words would fail to capture the moment. However, I do know their worship was sincere, it was passionate, it was powerful, and it was impossible to contain.
Fast forward to college graduation. These students are the church of right now and they are the generation to which we will hand the baton of leadership. If existing, establishment-minded churches think these students will quietly conform into a containment system, think again!
The church is facing a “spiritual containment breach”. Will it be met with rigid opposition or mission minded effort. The next few decades will be very interesting. They will also have be significantly instrumental in shaping the spiritual condition of our nation in the second half of the 21st Century. From what I see, there are some revival-minded hands ready to move forward
September 25, 2008 @ 8:44 am
Sadly, you are absolutely correct. I see the same thing on the horizon for the American church. History has ever repeated itself with this pattern; God moves - new life comes - man steps in to organize and control - and the life and presence of the Lord begin to diminish - until in the end - a lifeless formal thing remains. And because the presence of God no longer predominates - this new “thing” is open to all sorts of bizarre and demonic doctrines.
The European church has recently gone down this same road and is now largely without life and light. Having contact with some foreign churches and missionaries I can see the diminishing influence and impact of the American church. In India where American, British and Canadian missionaries once did great things - now they seem to have lost their footing. Thank God some others - like the Brazillians - have stepped strongly into that field! In central Africa where American missionaries and dollars once powered the gospel engine - now the Koreans are doing much of the heavy lifting.
I am very concerned for the future of the American church - which in many places seems to have forgotten the great commission. I am encouraged to learn that you exist and have been working on this problem for a while. May the Lord thoroughly bless you with the wisdom and insight needed for the task at hand. The key ingredient to keeping the lamps of our churches burning is the thing our Lord asked of the 7 churches - repentance. Without it - He says - He will put out the light.
Be blessed !
Be encouraged!
And don’t stop working - with love