THE AGING OF THE CHURCH

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THE AGING OF THE CHURCH.

Just like people that get old.  What we call the church

is getting old also.  In our younger days we are full of 

strength and energy, ready to take on a days work or

a project.  But when you get to be my age, just getting

our of bed is a real accomplishment.

But first let me define "church".  It is unfortunate but 

when we say church today we often mean that building

down on the corner, or wherever.  But the Holy Bible 

has a different view of what the "church" is.

In the Bible the word "church" comes from the Greek

word, "ekklesia" meaning "a calling out" or a popular

meeting, specifically a religious conjuration.  So, we

could simply say that a true church is simply a group

of people, especially a group of Christians.

When the church was formed by God it was largely

a group of poor uneducated people.  It went out 

full of power, running over everything it it's way

as it were.

But what changed?

Back then they depended on God and his power and

help.  But the longer the "church" has existed, the more

the ideas and workings of mankind have influenced it

like toxins would in your body until today it is almost

dead in comparison to then.  In fact, many so called 

"churches" today are no more a "church" than a circus

is.

O.K.

What brought all this on?

I had been thinking about one of the things in the

"church" that had changed, "preaching".  This is only

one facet of the deterioration of the Church of Jesus

Christ.  I will share that with you and then quit.

New Testament preaching was simply

any one and everyone PROCLAIMING

Jesus Christ anywhere and everywhere.

Today, preaching Christ has become

a performance by a paid performer to

a clique of people in a building.

REAL PREACHING

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SORRY, that is not the way it was done in the

original New Testament Church.  You know how

it works as well as I in today's Church.  You 

gather the Christians together, then "preach" to

them to get them saved. (?)

Look at the picture below.  These "critters" "preach"

in the New Testament way.

My wife put out a couple of bird feeders a few weeks

ago.  It took a little while.  But finally a bird showed

up.  My wife told me it would go and tell the others

where the feed was.

It took a while, but today they are flocking in.  Today

I had to fill the feeders twice because so many birds are

coming in.  When one found the feed it passed "the good

news" to the others who passed it to others who passed it

to others.  That is the way it was done in New Testament

times.

"Now Saul was consenting to his death.  At that 

time a great persecution arose against the church

which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered

throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, EXCEPT

THE APOSTLES." ......(v. 1 Emphasis mine.)

"Therefore those who were scattered went 

everywhere preaching the word."(v.4)

(Acts ch. 8:1 & 4 NKJV)

GOOD PREACHING ?

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We all appreciate preaching that encourages us.

Preaching that uplifts us.

Preaching that makes us feel good.

I know I do.

The Israelites did too.

In fact, that is the kind of preaching that was in 

Jerusalem before it's fall to Babylonia.

The prophet Jeremiah said,

"Your prophets had nothing to tell you but lies;

Their preaching deceived you by never

exposing your sin.  They made you think

you did not need to repent."

(Lamentations 2:14 TEV)

That sounds a whole lot like the preaching

in the United States today.

But, will we ever learn from others?

ADMONITION TO PREACHERS

Hey "Preacher"! Can you

stop talking long enough

for some advice from old

men? It will only take a

minute.

A short time ago a church within driving distance had a series of meetings with a renowned teacher
preacher. This brother had enough degrees, titles and experience to satisfy the most discriminating. Due to the distance, and personal circumstances, I decided to attend only the first meeting. Even the offering for him was decided before hand. [This was something between the Lord and I over another matter. It simply needed a recipient.]

The renowned brother was extremely interesting. He was a very learned Bible teacher, and presented the teaching of the Scriptures in a most persuasive way. Although I had decided to attended only the first service, after about thirty minutes of his teaching I begin to consider coming to the rest of the meetings, despite the distance and personal circumstances. In fact after an hour he was still holding my interest [That is a miracle.] and I was still of the same persuasion.

However. By the time one hour and forty-five minutes had elapsed, the pendulum had swung the other way. No way was I coming for three more meetings. And I was giving serious consideration to giving the offering somewhere else - any where else. I'm weird. I know it, I confess it. But I'm in good company.

"Mark Twain is credited with a story about an overlong sermon. At the end of twenty minutes he was so favorably impressed he decided to put in five dollars when the offering was taken. Twenty minutes later, he decided that two dollars would suffice. After another twenty minutes, the proposed contribution shrank to one dollar. When eventually the sermon ended, Mark Twain awoke from a doze and placed a dime on the plate." -Speech: DYNAMIC COMMUNICATION by Milton Dickens pp. 318,319

The apostle Paul said, "For the kingdom of God is not

a matter of talk but of power.

- 1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV

Brother James said, "Everyone should be quick to listen,

slow to speak,..." - 1:19 NIV.

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not

keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and

his religion is worthless." - 1:26 NIV

"... but no man can tame the tongue." - 3:8 NIV.

Just the thinking of some old men.

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