Here is another article written way back that fits within the Kingdom series.
When Jesus was proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and focusing on people's needs...did he intend for Christians to be so divisive and split apart? I believe the church has not had a greater impact on the world because of an unhealthy view of denominational allegiances. Denominations are important! But why are we so worried about whether we are Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal, blah, blah, and blah?????
It would seem to me that many are more worried about who they disagree with in doctrine! What about the suffering happening while we quarrel! Is it more important to identify
myself as an (Independent, Southern, American, General, Foursquare, or whatever)
Baptist? Or should I be more concerned about showing people the Christ? I'm not
saying you shouldn't be a part of a denomination but sometimes I feel that it has had a choke hold on the Great Commission.
For the last 6 years I've been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. I did not choose the SBC over their doctrinal fidelty or because of it's leaders. I was impressed by their shared passion to share Christ around the world together. The Cooperative Program giving from the churches is a phenomenal achievment and raises millions of dollars to spread the Gospel. However I was sickened the other day when I recieved a letter from one of the SBC leaders. The letter said that this leader would devote most of this time in 2009 and 2010 to show people who "Southern Baptists" are all about. Let me be clear here....WHO CARES? Who cares who Southern Baptists are? Why are we not concerned with who Jesus is!?!?
Why are we concerned about who "Followers of Jesus" are? This mentatlity of caring about how successful or big your organization gets....stinks! It puts a choke hold on the Kingdom. It's almost as sickening to hear about another pastor comlaining that a church in their town has more people than he does. It happens again, and again and again.
Jesus talked about the Kingdom!
Jesus talked about the ekklesia changing the world for Him. The term ekklesia is where we get our english word "church". It simply means a called out "gathering".It was a Roman term that Ceasar used to identify those who had credited deity to Ceasar. In Roman times...ekklesia's were gatherings of people who identified that "Ceasar" is lord. The church is just the opposite. The early Christians grabbed this term...and made it to be a
gathering of people who proclaimed that Jesus is Lord!
Stop the choke hold. Pledge your allegiance to the Kingdom of God...not your group
or denomination. I want to support anybody who proclaims that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life!
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