NEW TESTAMENT LIFE

When you read the New Testament, it becomes very obvious that it was a hive of activity. First of all they met daily, so that meant their wasn’t much time for eating out, going for swim, playing badminton, joining the gardening club, getting involved in Rotary, Saturday sport or watching TV to name a few.

We read that they were devoted to each other and went out of their way to meet each others material and spiritual needs.

They spent time eating together, learning together, fellowshipping together and praying together. There were regular miracles of healing, people were sent out to preach the gospel and start new churches and now and then, someone was murdered for being a believer in Jesus the Messiah.

Let’s turn the clock forward to the present day church. We attend Sunday morning meeting and midweek bible study and prayer (perhaps) and next week we attend Sunday morning meeting and mid week bible study and prayer (perhaps). The following week we attend Sunday morning meeting and the mid week bible study and prayer (perhaps).

In between we might attend the youth meeting if we are young. We might attend the ladies meeting if we are a lady. We might attend a midweek house group (that is if your church has any).

In other words, we have a bad case of meetingitis. Rarely do we have miracles of healing. Rarely do we send anyone out to preach the gospel and start new churches and even if we do that it takes about 12 months to 10 years to getting around to making a decision to do just that.

We don’t need to care for people because the government can do with welfare. Eating together? Maybe if we can be bothered to put ourselves out and find the time.

After all, what do you expect? We can’t be a vital, living church if we have to spend time at the gardening club, playing footy on Saturday, watching our favourite TV show, getting involved in things like Rotary, and taking our annual overseas holiday. Not to mention our job which means working 6 days a week or late at night? After all that when do I have the time and energy to make the church a vital force that changes its known world?

Of course I understand that job comes first, family second and God and the church can have what’s left over, and that is if there is anything left over. That should not be a real problem as I can leave it to those who put God first, family second and their job last as the bible tells us to. They have the time to make things happen and can cover for me when I don’t have the time to make anything happen.

Have you ever wondered why 90% of the population are not interested in a wishy washy entity called church? Where the name of the game seems to be meetingitis. Where excitement, the miraculous, challenge, sacrifice and diversity is frowned upon or actively discouraged?

I don’t as someone has said we produce the results that we work for. In most cases, nothing; In most cases don’t rock the boat; in most cases change is a dirty word; in most cases it is our church, not God’s; in most cases avoid the supernatural; in most cases don’t let the rank and file hear directly from God; in most cases don’t let people get a passion for the word of God because they might expose our traditions; in most cases don’t preach sacrifice or the leader may have to give up his life of comfort.