People, or shall I say we, can get so caught up in the complexities of life and faith that we can sometimes miss them both.  I can’t begin to talk about all of the conversations I have had debating the reason, meaning, or explanation of faith.  Faith is such a personal journey.  You can’t have my faith and I can’t have your faith.  Therefore, we are built to disagree.  But there is on thing that is crystal clear… we can’t afford to fail at faith in God.

I don’t think I could be less interested in doctrine, ritual, or for that fact… religion.  These things are constructed in order that we maintain some type of decorum in a social setting.  Don’t misunderstand that I find value in organized efforts and common goals of a body of people.  I’m a card carrying member of the United Methodist Church.  What I am suggesting is that we can waste a whole lot of time, energy, and money on the institution of faith but not on the expansion of faith.

What would our community look like if we took that 3 million dollars we were going to use to build a pretty new church… and we spent that on the orphans, the helpless, the less fortunate?  Would we not be using our gifts for God’s purpose?  Or if you do have a building already… does it stay shut 80% of the week?

Why?

Some may say that we need church buildings to bring the people together for worship.  The last time I checked, there were way too many empty buildings sitting around my community…already built. What about your community?  Could they not be rented and used as gathering places?

There was a time when the Temple was mandated by God.  It was where he met the people of Israel, but the Israelites quit coming to meet Him.  In 2 Kings, the story of Hezekiah begins as this new 24 year old ruler of Israel makes his first item of business to re-open the doors of the temple, clean it out, and get people back in the presence of God.  Even in the Old Testament, the known place where God existed was boarded shut (literally) and the people lost sight of God.

Fast Forward 680 years or so…

Christ came, the temple curtain was ripped and rendered useless and the house of God moved from a physical building and into our lives. The simple truth is that if you don’t have a relationship with Christ Jesus in your life, then you’ve boarded up your temple.  No amount of building programs, worship centers, or youth facilities will bring you into the presence of God if you’ve shut out Christ Jesus.

We’ve got to get back to the basics.  It’s as simple as 1-2-3.

1. Confess with your mouth from your heart that you just can’t do this on your own.  Deep down you know this.  Follow Christ Jesus’ example and let Him teach you and lead your life.
2. Get real with the things in your life that are harmful to you, to others, and ugly in the sight of God.  You know what these things are… they are eating away at you.  Ask God to help you turn away from those things, never to go back again.
3. Find a Christian friend who is struggling through this life just like you are and hold each other up in the good and bad times.  Build a relationship of love and sacrifice.

Do this.  Then go infect somebody else with the desire to live life right now.  The rest of the chattering, arguing, debating, and pontificating is a waste of time.

If we aren’t showing people how to find the Cross in their own lives, then we’re nothing more than a social club with a very fancy meeting place.  Period.

I’m not suggesting that we tear down the buildings or call them “bad”, I’m just begging that we use our facilities in a more constructive way.  Open the doors, shelter the homeless, feed the children, assist the single mothers, re-educate the unemployed… do something useful!  You can still worship on Sundays… right along side those you help all week.

Living Bold means that you make faith as simple as 1-2-3 and you do whatever is necessary to make certain that everyone in your life understands the price of failure.  You can’t beat someone into submission or force them into a church house.  A building isn’t required to bring people to Christ.  Last I checked, our job is to take Christ to people.

How do you take Christ to people?

Get out of the building and live your life in such a way that God is all over you.  Do this and I guarantee that anyone lacking knowledge of God will ask you where to go find it.  When they do… just tell them… it’s as easy as 1-2-3.  Then go arm in arm and find ways to serve God through helping others in love.

Peace,
Greg
Acts 4:31
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