Bacon, Eggs and God

Beware

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

The traditional, structural church is experiencing inordinate disruption. In the not-to-distant future, what people call the church is going to look very different.

At this point in time, less than 20 percent of the population attends a church service in a typical week. Four out of five churches say they are in decline. Denominations are losing members year after year. Younger generations are fleeing the church in record numbers.

I have faith enough to believe the true church (the body of believers) will grow again. It is likely to look like those home churches found in China, where the church is flourishing organically despite the lack of a worship friendly government.

As the cultural awareness of institutions deepens, a congregation’s affiliation to a denomination will continue to fade. Denominations will be eclipsed by networks of like-minded believers and not based on rules, regulations, constitutions, camps, cliches, theories or opinions, but on shared beliefs and adherence to the truths as found in the Scriptures.

In the short term, celebrity pastors, both national and local, will continue to draw crowds based solely on the strength of their personalities. But ultimately the churches of the future will be known more for their values than their human administrators.

Today’s traditional, structural churches direct the vast majority of their attention, programs, personnel, facilities and budgets toward its members and leaders (read salaries and opulent buildings here). The embryonic church that is developing rejects the denominational mold and will balance ministry with a measured focus toward those on the outside of their four walls; you know, just like Jesus did.

Unlike previous generations, believers in this present time will not succumb to the church’s longstanding man-made traditions and ways of defining and doing church. They will significantly reshape the church’s practices and attitudes by following the examples as set forth in the Scriptures. True believers are drawn to authenticity and repulsed by anything that seems canned. They see the current church communities as being inauthentic; following a worldly business methodology as opposed to following Jesus Christ.

Believers in the body of Christ (the true church) have a desire to be involved, to participate. They are not interested in being passive spectators at church. They have questions and they want to be heard from. Try raising your hand to ask a question during a typical church service today and see how quickly an usher escorts you out of the sanctuary. They want to reach out to and accept those persons who the traditional, structural church often rejects. They are willing to go where the people outside the church buildings can be found. True believers are not asking those outside of the structural church to clean themselves up before we meet with them. We are willing to enter their world and be ourselves.

In the final analysis, we are on the move toward a time when the true church will meet together according to the four examples as written in God’s Holy Word as opposed to the current methodology that is written in a denominational handbook.

Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: