“The Lord slowly was growing me and opening my eyes up to the truth of himself. This is where it begins… with Christ!
It does not begin in the critiquing of the church…showing me a greater vision of his Son”

“What is the natural faith of Christ? It is life born out of being instead of doing”

“The Apostle Paul’s purpose was not tent-making! It also wasn’t being a good itinerant worker and church planter. He writes of his purpose and leaves us with an example to follow”.

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Paul, Colossians 2:2,3
And what you closed with..”let us fix our eyes”- Heb 12: 2
Thanks for sharing this insightful heartfelt post- Our backgrounds are different but it’s obvious to me they have converged. sincerely- Regina Pereira

This is a thoughtful and sincere blog. As you know, I am a pastor in an institutional church (I say this not for you but for other readers). To add insult to injury, I could be labeled a Calvinist and I think Christianity is a religion – both of which you have spoken adamantly against. What do we have in common? What is the point of our fellowship? How can I love you as a brother? For this reason: We both declare Christ as central and supreme and His Spirit unifies us together.

While we do not come to the same conclusions, I do not question your love for the Bride of Christ, the church. To do so would be an unfair reading of this blog and others. Clearly, you think another way is better and is more Christ-exalting. Thus, based upon this conviction you are sincerely communicating your convictions BECAUSE you love Christ and His church.

Knowing this to be true, I disagree and repudiate Jeff’s assertion that you do not love the church. I am convinced you do.

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

Jared

You captured it! The Lord is joining us together as “living stones” into a house not made with human hands. Stay the course and be encouraged. Rest in his love during this time of your journey. You are blessed and highly favored of God. Peace, bro.

A prayer of mine for the last few months has been asking the Lord to teach me and help me un-learn the things which I have learned that are errors and to strengthen the things which I have learned that are truth. Our Father is faithful and is answering that prayer.

Recently, I was at a bookstore looking for a book for my wife, and I saw “Pagan Christianity?”. I bought the book and read it, underlining many portions. The Lord is using it to confirm as being correct many of the uneasy feelings I have been having when seeing certain practices of congregations I have been a part.

The Lord has used that book to also teach me what I am in Christ – a brand new creation, and who I am in Christ – part of His beautiful Bride and a co-heir of our Father’s kingdom with Him. It is so liberating to know who I am in Jesus, and it is now more than just head knowledge. There’s a lot less struggle in my life to “obey the law”, and there is now more “Love the Lord and my neighbor.”

Now more than ever, I understand that the Lord didn’t save me for my own salvation’s sake, but to join together, as many living stones, countless others and me to Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone; to join together, as many members, countless others and me to Jesus, the Head of His Church, and to be a part of His Bride – the Church.

“Cup and Cross: An Introduction to Anabaptist History” by Michael Martin

I have read this blog post once before, but before I get my Masters of Divinity today, I had to read it again. It is so good and honest and truthful. Keep up the good work.

Also, which Anabaptist historian said, “Anabaptists walk in the Resurrection while Reformed folks rest in grace”?

Again, please re-read my post. I am actually defending the men operating in this system… but condemning only the system. That was the entire point of the post. I once was one of these men. Jeff, I believe you missed the spirit and the content of what I have written.

“Sorry to hear how sadly you view the church, David.”
Actually, I believe the Bride of Christ is a beautiful thing that will soon throw off the chains that bind her in this world for an embrace of Christ alone in simple community without programs, bulletins, empty rituals, big screens, bricked buildings, wasteful spending, and all the unnatural expressions that comes with believing the church is an institution. The culture is shifting and many believers are coming to realize the truth of what I have written about. Those that don’t agree… I love and still work beside outside of the church gathering. I love the church very much and my writings are reflective of this love. A person should be slow to call my critique as being “unloving”… quite the opposite in God’s economy.

Jeff, the church will in one sense always be flawed on this earth. I am not simply pointing out a “few” flaws to be critical. If I draw attention to anything out of order… it is to point the central problem and the most damaging of all: Christ’s church has replaced it’s LIFE (simple familial community gathered around the Person of Christ) with a system that can appear to be operational without the power of the Holy Spirit.

A person must come to a place where they see the absence of Jesus in the institutional church before they can reimagine the church that we see in the book of Acts. That is not some church utopia… it is the church getting its LIFE from Christ. It is a church that is instructed to look like Jesus in all things… especially in leadership. And it is this upside-down leadership that Christ commands.

Finally, you can be the nicest guy on the block. You can love Jesus more than anyone in your local fellowship. You can have the best intentions in the world. But when you receive regular pay from your congregation… this automatically places you in a “specialist” position and on a higher level with your people. This salary is not the “double-honor” mentioned by Paul… yours is the means by which you become a crutch for your people. Nothing you say or do after this will matter. People view the man behind the pulpit with an unhealthy level of dependence. New Testament pastor/shepherds are rarely mentioned and are “behind the scenes” leaders. Timothy himself was not a “pastor” in the institutional sense or a first-century one… he was a training apostle/church planter working in Ephesus.

We must re-read the New Testament through the lenses of the first-century believer if we wish to put everything in its place. Most importantly, allow Christ to be Teacher, Shepherd, and Lord of the saints. Then we may experience all the gifts freely coming forth from each member.