I have been a part of quite a few churches in my short life. There isn't any dramatic reason for this. I simply had friends who went to different churches growing up and so as best I could I would go with them whenever I was able. Doing this allowed me to learn so much about the Body of Christ. It gave me a love for the Global Church versus an unwavering commitment and passion to one church with one view on Christianity.
I fully believe that we are moving into a time on the earth when local churches must band together to present the gospel and love of Jesus to communities.
At the end of the day we aren't building our churches for numbers and significance. The core of why we exist as disciples of Jesus is to spread the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. The more I read the Bible and learn about the character of God and His Kingdom the more and more I am convinced that there is no "our team, my church, their church, those people..." language in the Kingdom of Heaven.
I understand that there are many different beliefs about a lot of things, but when did we start caring more about what head knowledge others held instead of the miracle that has happened in their life?
I love talking with people who are new to their journey with Jesus and as a disciple. They are blank canvases that have no indoctrination as to what God can or can't do and what they should or shouldn't believe. All they know is a miracle.
There were many moments in the life of Jesus where the religious people, those who had head knowledge, were divided over who Jesus was and what to do with him.
One moment was when Jesus healed a young man who was blind. A miracle.
Instead of living in awe over a life being changed the religious people were upset about the way he had been healed, about the time of day, and the day of the week, fill in the ________.
In their questioning of the boy who had a miracle happen in his life that completely changed his life the boy says something that I believe we must burn deep into our DNA and core as we follow Jesus.
“ 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
The young man didn't have a stance or view on Calvinism an Arminianism.
The young man didn't have an understanding of the Trinity.
The young man didn't know about Baptism by sprinkling or dunking.
The young man had no clue about the Gifts of The Spirit.
The young man had no clue about tithing or offerings.
He knew he was blind, but in a moment he could see.
His foundation from which he began to experience life was an encounter with the power of Jesus, not something he knew in his head, not something someone taught him.
As the Global Church, as Disciples, we must unite around the fact that at one point we were dead and in a moment we were brought back to life. A miracle.
The further we get away from the miracle of Salvation the closer we get to forgetting the most amazing moment in our life. Our Miracle.
The foundation of our journey as a Disciple is our encounter with Jesus where we move from death to life.
We aren't moved from death to being a Baptist.
We aren't moved from death to being a Methodist.
We aren't moved from death to being Non-Denominational.
We are moved form death to life in Christ and a journey to follow Him and know Him for the rest of our days.
Unity will change cities. When our message as the Church is about our miracle we will see cities changed. When our message is about what we believe in our heads we will continue to flounder in our efforts to change the world.
No matter what church you are apart of your foundation is a miracle. You can talk to anyone in the world who is a disciple of Jesus and you will have a common foundation to begin a relationship on, a miracle.
My prayer is that as disciples of Jesus our view of other churches and Christians will be of seeing people who are miracles walking. Those who were dead and are now alive. I pray that our conversation would revolve around the person of Jesus, his character and power in our lives, and not our head knowledge.
The world is desperately looking for a miracle. The miracle that you have experienced. They will only hear and see what we say and display and friends as churches who fight against one another, they can't hear or see the miracle that changed our lives, that they need.
May we be people who live in unity around a miracle.
I pray our response is the same as that young boy in Jesus' day, "I don't know all the details of what following Him looks like, and I don't have all the answers for your questions or my questions, all I know is I once was dead, but now I live."
“Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!”