I Love My Church預覽
I watched in amazement when the first iPhone was released. People sat in line for days for a product that would be obsolete in a year when a new version would come out. Why is it that Apple can get people to line up for their product but the Church can’t? I can think of four reasons:
1. We refuse to keep it simple.
The larger the Church gets, the more ministries people expect the Church to do. If a church wants to continue to be effective it needs to do less, not more.
The Church is most effective when we say, “Give us an hour or two a week, and we promise to make that hour worth your time because of what we put into it.”
2. We’re scared to generate excitement.
The tomb is empty!!! Jesus and His Church are the most exciting things to ever happen, and in just 2,000 years Christians have made them boring and irrelevant.
The best way to generate excitement is to make a Sunday service the most exciting thing a person experiences during that week. This takes both prayer and planning. And if you’re GOING to church on Sunday, get excited about it!! Did I mention the tomb is EMPTY?!?!
3. We don’t maximize technology.
Some people say the Church should not depend on technology. But let the air conditioner go out on a hot Sunday and see how much they miss technological advances!!! Every church embraces technology — from heat and air, to lights, to indoor plumbing, to HD video screens. Technology is not the devil. It is a tool that, when used properly, can radically impact the world for Jesus.
4. We forget to make the message available everywhere.
When many Christians leave church and head for a restaurant, the last thing on their mind is sharing Christ with their server. When I worked in the restaurant industry, Christians were the loudest, most obnoxious people in the place.
We should make Jesus available everywhere because HE IS! He’s there in the restaurant, at our workplace and the grocery store. Everywhere you go you have an opportunity to minister to the people around you.
The Church is on the threshold of seeing the Kingdom preached in the whole world, just like Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:14. With the technology and ability God has put in the Church’s hands, there is no reason we can’t share the Gospel with the entire world!!!
1. We refuse to keep it simple.
The larger the Church gets, the more ministries people expect the Church to do. If a church wants to continue to be effective it needs to do less, not more.
The Church is most effective when we say, “Give us an hour or two a week, and we promise to make that hour worth your time because of what we put into it.”
2. We’re scared to generate excitement.
The tomb is empty!!! Jesus and His Church are the most exciting things to ever happen, and in just 2,000 years Christians have made them boring and irrelevant.
The best way to generate excitement is to make a Sunday service the most exciting thing a person experiences during that week. This takes both prayer and planning. And if you’re GOING to church on Sunday, get excited about it!! Did I mention the tomb is EMPTY?!?!
3. We don’t maximize technology.
Some people say the Church should not depend on technology. But let the air conditioner go out on a hot Sunday and see how much they miss technological advances!!! Every church embraces technology — from heat and air, to lights, to indoor plumbing, to HD video screens. Technology is not the devil. It is a tool that, when used properly, can radically impact the world for Jesus.
4. We forget to make the message available everywhere.
When many Christians leave church and head for a restaurant, the last thing on their mind is sharing Christ with their server. When I worked in the restaurant industry, Christians were the loudest, most obnoxious people in the place.
We should make Jesus available everywhere because HE IS! He’s there in the restaurant, at our workplace and the grocery store. Everywhere you go you have an opportunity to minister to the people around you.
The Church is on the threshold of seeing the Kingdom preached in the whole world, just like Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:14. With the technology and ability God has put in the Church’s hands, there is no reason we can’t share the Gospel with the entire world!!!