໐ຖē ๖໐໓ฯ

In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes the first meeting of believers after they received The Holy Spirit and what they did as 'The Body' or 'Fellowship Of Believers'.  We find in Paul's writings, a model for The Church which is not based on a particular time or place and certainly not in need of emergent concepts or cultural amendments.  It should be a serious matter to a person considering committing to or leaving a particular fellowship, because we are called to love and serve all believers especially.  The way people generally choose a church today, while uniting those with common interests and experiences, actually causes them to be more divided from the larger body of believers in their community and the world.  Modern Christianity suffers under what Lesslie Newbiggin called an 'advanced case of syncretism'.  He also said, "We need the witness of Christians of other cultures to correct our culturally conditioned understanding of Scripture."  We seem to easily forget that Jesus was born in the east.

Sectarian movements and 350 years of denominational and general Christian dominance in America have had a bad influence on the larger ministry and mission.  There have been obstacles to the growth of The Church and misplaced passions.  Many modern churches are treated like a business.  This has contributed to a lack of accountability in The Body and misuse of God's Word.  The focus has generally been more on us than God and politics over personal holiness.  Are you prepared to obey God in a hostile environment or sacrifice your security for others?

William Paley commented, "From the widely disproportionate effects which attend the preaching of modern missionaries of Christianity, compared with what followed the ministry of Christ and his apostles under circumstances either alike, or not so unlike as to account for the difference, a conclusion is fairly drawn in support of what our histories deliver concerning them, viz. that they possessed means of conviction which we have not; that they had proofs to appeal to which we want."

The modern Americanized Church looks quite different from that which Jesus founded and has increasingly focused on exciting atmosphere or practices rooted in traditions which have little to do with conforming to the example of Christ and applying The Truth found throughout The Bible.  Since churches are made of people, none will be perfect but 'called out people' do not blend in with the rest of society and it is apparent when someone is trying to conform to Christ.  Casual visitors should feel uncomfortable despite being welcomed.  We must be careful to learn from the ones criticized in Revelation as we are not immune to these same pervasive attitudes.