In too many places, we have forsaken the Kingdom to create the church, often a place of nourishment, comfort, and healing. Not a bad thing, but not complete. The Kingdom requires us to attend to the Father's purposes, carrying the message and power to a hurting world.
We have been asking the world to join the church, but we have failed to equip the church to provide hope and direction in the Kingdom.
The time is coming where this may change.
At the end of this month, the fourth Lausanne Congress will meet, where a significant discussion will take place regarding the role of the church and the role of the workplace. The number of global church leaders who are showing an interest in this conversation is significant. The message of "the purpose of Sunday is Monday" is resonating among many and there is a movement toward understanding the need for holistic discipleship.
But message and method are two different things. We may appreciate this message, but knowing how to implement a methodology to help this come alive in a local church context can be complex and rigorous.
We have found that the first thing needed is to UNLEARN some things before we can learn some new things. We need to unlearn the definition of the church as a building rather than the people. We need to unlearn a clergy/laity divide (these are not Biblical terms) and go back to the understanding that we are all the people of God, all called into the general full-time service of giving glory to God, with very different specific placements. We need to unlearn a sacred/secular divide that is so very deeply embedded into our faith that we often contribute to it without being aware of it!
For example, I was at a church a few weeks ago and the pastor was preaching on Matthew 9, when Jesus had dinner with the tax collectors. The pastor said, "Maybe this was a goodbye dinner for Matthew, as he would not be able to return to being a tax collector again - not like the disciples who were fishermen and could go back to their craft!" Immediately, a red flag went off for me, and I wondered why this pastor believed a tax collector would not be able to return to his work. Is that work too secular? Too worldly? Too sinful? And if that is the belief, isn't it even more important for Christians to be in those places, doing that work with integrity and excellence? When I shared this story with some businessmen some days later, one said with a grimace, "I was in tax collection for many years." Imagine the impact of working in a profession that your pastor believes is beyond redemption.
It seems obvious that the church does not create Kingdom. While 33% of the world professes Christianity, most of us would agree that we do not see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in any significant way. In countries where the majority profess to be Christian, we see the same levels of corruption, destruction, and poverty that we see in countries where the majority are not Christian. There are exceptions to this, of course, but as a rule, we probably can agree that the church does not create Kingdom.
But do we agree with the statement that "Kingdom creates genuine church"? For this to find agreement, we may need to use our imagination. Imagine a place where the Kingdom of Heaven is palpable around us. Where all people are treated with dignity and respect, where every person sees the part that they can play in contributing to the flourishing of others, as image-bearers of God. Where every person can participate in being blessed to be a blessing, working with integrity and excellence, working with purpose and as an act of worship, while caring for creation and loving their neighbor. What would such a place look like?
And if such a place existed, how might people respond?
I know that when I am in nature, there is almost an automatic response to worship. When I see nature, I see the hand of God. When I see people and cities, I don't have the same reaction. But if I saw people and cities behaving in the way I described above, I wonder if there would also be an automatic response to worship? Seeing the Kingdom displayed in such a way would draw people together to not only worship but to continue to encourage and equip each other to stay true to our purpose, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a little at a time, every day.
I would like to see such a place. I catch glimpses of it here and there. But sometimes it feels like water at the beach...the water hits your feet and as soon as you start to appreciate it, it's quickly gone.
But we can do better. We are called to do better.
Please join with me in prayer that the conversations at Lausanne will lead to a revival of the people of God being the church in every place and space. From tax collectors to fishermen/women, from sales to service, from pastors to teachers to auditors to cleaners to police officers to guards, and more and more!
2.4 billion people living this out. What an amazing impact that could bring!
