A Challenge to the Church to Be the Church
I came across this post while visiting one of my favorite blogs. what do you think?
In his book God in the Wasteland (pp. 214-215) David Wells writes:
I want the evangelical church to be the church. I want it to embody a vibrant spirituality. I want the church to be an alternative to post-modern culture, not a mere echo of it. I want a church that is bold to be different and unafraid to be faithful . . . a church that reflects an integral and undiminished confidence in the power of God’s Word, a church that can find in the midst of our present cultural breakdown the opportunity to be God’s people in a world that has abandoned God.
To be the church in this way, it is also going to have to find in the coming generation, leaders who exemplify this hope for its future and who will devote themselves to seeing it realized. To lead the church in the way that it needs to be led, they will have to rise above the internal politics of the evangelical world and refuse to accept the status quo where that no longer serves the vital interest of the kingdom of God. They will have to decline to spend themselves in the building of their own private kingdoms and refuse to be intimidated into giving the church less and other than what it needs. Instead, they will have to begin to build afresh, in cogently biblical ways, among the decaying structures that now clutter the evangelical landscape. To succeed, they will have to be people of large vision, people of courage, people who have learned again what it means to live by the Word of God, and, most importantly, what it means to live before the Holy God of that Word.
HT: New City Church Blog
In his book God in the Wasteland (pp. 214-215) David Wells writes:
I want the evangelical church to be the church. I want it to embody a vibrant spirituality. I want the church to be an alternative to post-modern culture, not a mere echo of it. I want a church that is bold to be different and unafraid to be faithful . . . a church that reflects an integral and undiminished confidence in the power of God’s Word, a church that can find in the midst of our present cultural breakdown the opportunity to be God’s people in a world that has abandoned God.
To be the church in this way, it is also going to have to find in the coming generation, leaders who exemplify this hope for its future and who will devote themselves to seeing it realized. To lead the church in the way that it needs to be led, they will have to rise above the internal politics of the evangelical world and refuse to accept the status quo where that no longer serves the vital interest of the kingdom of God. They will have to decline to spend themselves in the building of their own private kingdoms and refuse to be intimidated into giving the church less and other than what it needs. Instead, they will have to begin to build afresh, in cogently biblical ways, among the decaying structures that now clutter the evangelical landscape. To succeed, they will have to be people of large vision, people of courage, people who have learned again what it means to live by the Word of God, and, most importantly, what it means to live before the Holy God of that Word.
HT: New City Church Blog
Labels: church
posted by metanoia at
2:28 PM
1 Comments:
WoW. WHat a concept!!! It's so hard in this day and age for people to look beyond themselves. "What Can I do for Me today", not "How can I help you?". "I just need a couple more dollars to do ...." "I wish i had more money to help out so and so. "OH Honey have you seen the keys to my Maserati?" I believe that Being Born again will take on a whole new meaning when this generation finally gets it. Then mayby we can begin to grow again as a society and not as an individual. Self Reliance ends in total destruction and These are the People I pray for today & every day..Join Me
By
Anonymous, at 12:14 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home