When the church was in its infancy it was filled with men and women who were not noble or wise, but were the foolish of the world. These fools successfully evangelized most of the known world. This was a great success. The church, after the first century, began to decline. ‘Noble’ and ‘wise’ men less dedicated than the apostles began to draw away disciples after themselves. This split the church and created 1500 years of ecclesiastic chaos. The atrocities committed in the name of Jesus Christ are too many to number, but it’s sufficient to say that many where destroyed because of the ‘faith’ the church displayed during this time. This failure of the church to maintain the simplicity of Christ caused it to decline. This period was marked, predominately, by church failures. But the church recognized its error and started to reform itself. For 500 years men have been rising up and reforming the church. This has been necessary to restore true Christianity. Doctrinal impurity, lack of mission, arrogance, pride, murder, vanity, greed, are just some of the things the church was guilty of and needed to be delivered.
I’m concerned at the subtle implications of Rick Warren and Erwin McManus. Though I have received tremendous insight and feel that these men are modern day reformers; I am concerned that their books do not provide a transition plan for the church. How do we make changes without discarding those who have worked the road before our time? They were the reformers of their day, yet, when they cannot make the transition, we call them old wineskins. This is a current failure of the church.
God needs to help us reform the church while respecting the efforts of those before. It has been established that previous generations are not able to change as rapidly as our generation. The church will be successful when it takes the arm of the unchurched and that of the previous generation of Christians and walks in worship together. The churches slogan should be ‘no Christian or pagan left behind’. The church will not be a complete success until this occurs. Let's continue to reform in love.
Blessings,
Rob
