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Be the Church :: Tuesday E-Devotion

Again, from Erwin McManus:

"The church isn't here for us.  We are the church and we are here for the world," McManus said.  "We need to become prophets of the unknown God.  We must be the ones who say, 'We have seen the invisible, we have experienced the unimaginable and we are here to tell you that what you do not know can be known.' . . . God is the unknown God, but He is not the unknowable God."

Ever wondered why companies change their logo or remodel or use a new slogan?  It is to get the attention of the customer.  Ever noticed that the church is often the last one to make any changes?  Fact is that people in our churches cannot control the world around them (family, job, feelings, money, etc) so they find something they can control or think they can control.  That sometimes becomes the church as members seek to put a stop to change and in so doing put a stop to creativity, growth, evangelism and even people being saved.

Yeah, I said it.  What do you think?

"Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children."   Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)

"If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever."    1 Corinthians 13:3 (NLT)

"...Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ."   1 Corinthians 9:22 (NLT)

"...I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some."   1 Corinthians 9:22 (NASB)

"So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ..."   Colossians 1:28 (NLT)

"This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth."   1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NLT)

You can not argue with that.

McManus said one thing that stung me, and it ought to open our eyes.  He related why Mosaic, the church he leads, doesn't call itself a church is because they desire the world to look on and discover what they are as they live like, act like and be a church.  Yet, McManus says, many places that put the name church on the building aren't a church at all.

That stung me.  Why?  Because church is not some where we go.  Church is not something we do.  Church is something we are by the grace of God and live out as a community of faith.  We must be the church so people will come to know Christ.

I know that today's devotion is longer than normal, but I want to close by sharing a principle with you.  I think I learned this from John Maxwell a long time ago...

You will only jump as high as your lid, like a frog in a pot.  Some people try to put a lid on their pastor or their church.  Lets say that the leadership is jumping high and doing all they can in creativity and with influence to work for God's kingdom but someone comes along and puts a lid on them.  The leadership will only hit their heads a few times before they learn how high they can jump without getting hurt once again.  Who is putting the lid on the church and its leaders?

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