January 10, 2004

• Well it’s been a while since I did “The Presence Based Church” so I want to continue on with that today.  I had a point to make when I started today’s installation but as I was writing it took a different, but interesting to me, twist.  You can read it below.

  
  

   

  
  

  The responses to my editorializing in the last post were interesting.  We all have our different views and outlooks on the subject and none of us is right or wrong as we are all different and we all find different experiences appealing.  I’d imagine that “in the world” people would get into violent arguments over petty things like that but you, my very appreciated readership, can always be counted on to be understanding, supportive,  and not prone to arguing.  Thanks for being such a blessing.

  
  

   

  
  

  As I indicated in my last post this last week at work was terribly busy but it was also rewarding and when in those situations I always can see the goodness of God at work.  I know that at times my boss thinks I’m too laid back and won’t accomplish the things he expects but to me it’s just an attitude of not worrying because God is faithful to do all He has promised to do.  Maybe I’ll get the chance to witness that to my boss and my co-workers one of these days.

  
  

   

  
  

  The Presence Based Church - Part 4

  
  

   

  
  

  Well we’ve so far tried to distinguish between the Mary Church and the Martha Church and to sum it up in a couple of lines I’d say that though both love the Lord very much they both have their unique way of showing it.  Martha puts her all into accomplishing everything she can do while Mary takes the time to avail herself of His presence and sit at His feet.  These are both admiral traits, but as was stated in Luke 10:42, Jesus said “Mary has chosen what is better.”

  
  

   

  
  

  Terry Tekyl calls the Martha Church a consumer-based church, “a church driven and shaped primarily by the needs of its market.  It is pushed and pulled in every direction according to what the ‘customer’ says it will take to make him happy.  It has adopted the world’s system of consumerism and all the tenets thereof.”  Their concern is actually in the number of people they can attract. (Terry Teykl The Presence Based Church, ã2003.  Prayer Point Press, page 33)

  
  

   

  
  

  One pitfall of this attitude is that this brand of making church appealing usually ends up in attracting more members from other churches than it does in attracting new converts.  These new members from other churches are “church shoppers…, joining  churches for personal gain and leaving them for the same reason.” (William Chadwick Stealing  Sheep: The Church’s Hidden Problem with Transfer Growth. Page 20).   While we do need to find the right place to be worshiping, our concern, after a point, needs to be with how our particular God-given talents will fit into the ministry and not just “what are we going to get out of it.”  Church members who never give but are constantly receiving are literally violating God’s laws on giving and receiving.   He said we’d reap as we sow and that when we give, not out of compulsion but as our hearts tell us, we’d receive good measure pressed down and more than our storehouse can hold.  Is this why there is so much “sheep shifting” in the church?  We don’t give but we expect to receive and rather than face the fact that it is our own fault, we want to blame the church we attend; Pastor, elders, boards, members, etc.? 

  
  

   

  
  

  I was going to take this further but that last part just jumped out of nowhere at me so I’ll stop there to allow myself, and you the reader, to digest it a bit.

  
  

   

  
  

  (To be continued….)

  
  

  
  
  God IS Good!
  
  Go Ahead! Say It! Believe It! Confess It!
  
  You're Invited!!
  
  Go to The Prayer List , don't forget the others in need!

  • 11:07 am
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